Mark Smith (35)

Trigger warnings: Pandemic, death of a mother, childbirth, blood depiction, refugee experiences, fire, explosions, racism, murder

7/10, this was an interesting novel but it wasn't particularly groundbreaking nor was it remarkable. The world building was very interesting however it left me with a few questions that could be answered in the next two books in the series such as where did the virus come from, why the world nearly came to an end and how did just a few hundred people survive the apocalypse. The characters didn't have anything much to them and the author tried to compensate it by including a motorbike chase but that didn't help much and there were a few slow paced scenes and the ending was a bit sad when one of the characters died. That being said, the main characters were just remotely interesting as Finn was just trying to live his live and Kas was a refugee from Afghanistan or Pakistan I think and in the end there was a new character called Hope which I might see more of soon. If you like a surreal YA sci-fi story set in a post apocalyptic world this is the book for you.… (meer)

A road quite well walked

A dystopian future book for YA readers that rattles along at a good pace. The characterisation is credible, the story convincing and the setting very much part of the reader's enjoyment. The author is a keen surfer & so is the main character, Finn; indeed his relationship with surfing is almost religious. Ramage, the villain of the novel, is perhaps not so well realised as he might be, functioning I suppose purely as the great evil against which our protagonists contest. Overall a quick and enjoyable read that offers us some provocative thought on what it means to be genuinely, bone-deep civilised in our dealings with others.… (meer)

WARNING: contains spoilers.

Strange to be reading this book during the COVID pandemic since it mentions a virus that has wiped out a majority of humanity.
Finn is a 16 year old male who, since his parents died, is living with just his dog Rowdy. One day Rose, a 19 year old Siley who is being hunted, comes across Finn begs for his assistance and of course Finn helps. Later he finds out that Rose has a sister, Kasmala (Kas) and he sets out to find her to ease pregnant Rose’ conscience.… (meer)