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In a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is as it seems, seventeen-year-old Amy and Baby, a child she found while scavenging, struggle to survive while vicious, predatory creatures from another planet roam the Earth.Tags
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UPDATE 07/03/2021 - Quick reread before I read book 2!
Well I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was totally blindsided at one point which, to me, is a reflection of how absorbed I was in this post apocalyptic story. My jaw literally dropped and I actually said out loud "Well. I did not see that coming". I know, I have a way with words.
The first part of the book is filled with a quiet tension...(if you've read the book you will appreciate that little joke). Flesh eating aliens have decimated the population and Amy is in full survival mode. Yes, it's all very convenient that she is rich and lives in a house that is surrounded by an electric fence and her parents had a gun in the house etc. Don't dwell too much on that stuff and just go show more with the flow I say. I like that her survival instincts are quite strong which results in a couple of dark little scenes where she uses the aliens to her advantage. She finds Baby and together they forge a rough but contented existence in this new world. Their connection felt real and I loved them.
The story takes a turn in pace when they are 'rescued". What happens from here is told in two different time lines as Amy tries to make sense of where she is and what their new lives will look like. For this reason the story does slow down as they adjust to having other people in their lives. To me the writer captured Amy's state of confusion incredibly well as she becomes more of an unreliable narrator. I felt a bit lost and didn't know what was happening. This was a good thing because that is exactly how Amy felt. I like it when an author subjects us to this type of immersive experience because as clarity comes for Amy, we share in her discovery.
A totally engaging book and I will definitely be following the series through. show less
Well I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was totally blindsided at one point which, to me, is a reflection of how absorbed I was in this post apocalyptic story. My jaw literally dropped and I actually said out loud "Well. I did not see that coming". I know, I have a way with words.
The first part of the book is filled with a quiet tension...(if you've read the book you will appreciate that little joke). Flesh eating aliens have decimated the population and Amy is in full survival mode. Yes, it's all very convenient that she is rich and lives in a house that is surrounded by an electric fence and her parents had a gun in the house etc. Don't dwell too much on that stuff and just go show more with the flow I say. I like that her survival instincts are quite strong which results in a couple of dark little scenes where she uses the aliens to her advantage. She finds Baby and together they forge a rough but contented existence in this new world. Their connection felt real and I loved them.
The story takes a turn in pace when they are 'rescued". What happens from here is told in two different time lines as Amy tries to make sense of where she is and what their new lives will look like. For this reason the story does slow down as they adjust to having other people in their lives. To me the writer captured Amy's state of confusion incredibly well as she becomes more of an unreliable narrator. I felt a bit lost and didn't know what was happening. This was a good thing because that is exactly how Amy felt. I like it when an author subjects us to this type of immersive experience because as clarity comes for Amy, we share in her discovery.
A totally engaging book and I will definitely be following the series through. show less
(Originally reviewed at thelibraryladies.com.)
This is the kind of book that walks the line between Kate’s preferred genres and mine. There is definitely horror and suspense, but it’s also a post-apocalyptic story, the type which, especially in YA fiction, often falls under the all-encompassing “speculative fiction” category. Either way, it was a nice change from my usual reading, and while I can’t say that it was necessarily a “fun” read, its very lack of “fun” is what lends me to rating it more highly.
This book could easily be split into two separate books. The first is a fairly typical survival story. Strange creatures have invaded the earth and swiftly killed off the majority of the population. Our heroine, Amy, show more survives purely due to lucky circumstances (a fact that is refreshingly not glossed over), but over the course of years, she grows to become an expert at living in this new “After” world. There were several portions of this first part that I really enjoyed.
First is the inclusion of Baby, a toddler that Amy finds and adopts after the first month of devastation. These two’s relationship is key to the plot and it was so refreshingly new. All too often the primary relationships in these types of YA books are romantic. This, a sisterhood/parental relationship between a teenage girl who raises a toddler for several years alone, is completely unique. Further, I was very impressed with the author’s ability to portray Baby so completely. As a small child, it would have been very easy to simply gloss over her as an actual person while instead simply relying on general child attributes as fill-ins.
Second, the use of a substantial time jump is well executed. Through clever positioning of flashbacks, we see Amy’s journey through this new world and the events at each step that directed her ability to survive the many challenges of this new world, from how to survive the creatures themselves to how she evolved her approach to interacting with other survivors. Amy doesn’t just become a badass survivor out of nowhere. We see her mistakes and understand what lessons she had to learn to become who she is in the present day.
The second half of the book is a complete switch to what living in a community built in this post-apocalyptic world would be like. The horror, too, takes a sharp turn away from the monsters-in-the-night to what monsters humans can be. This part, while maybe slower than the first half, was even more horrifying to me. It was a strange reading experience because I was so frustrated, angry, and uncomfortable on Amy and Baby’s behalf throughout it all that I had a hard time enjoying reading it. In this section, you know that something awful is coming and you’re just watching these beloved characters walk towards their doom. (I wish I had read this book before we did our “Walking Dead Read Alikes” list as this would definitely have been included based purely on its similar exploration of the different ways that communities of people find to live in a world where society has fallen away.)
In the later half, there were a few twists that I felt were a bit expected. It’s definitely not a unique set up, but I don’t think that lessens the overall effect. It’s also a bit jarring to suddenly have many other characters introduced halfway through the story, and while I enjoyed many of them, I was sad to see Baby fading into the background a bit. However, I did enjoy most of these characters. I also appreciated the fact that what little romance is introduced in this part of the book is very light and never overpowers both the action/horror of the story or the primary relationship between Baby and Amy.
I also listened to this as an audiobook and I thought the reader did a very good job. Especially in the second half of the book, she made some clever choices with her general reading style that allows listeners to immediately identify flashback sequences from the other portions.
Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this book and will be checking out the final book in the duology. I might need to give myself a break between the two as they are definitely not light reading, but I’ll be getting there soon, I hope. This book does end on a cliffhanger, fo sorts, so for anyone going into it, beware of that. show less
This is the kind of book that walks the line between Kate’s preferred genres and mine. There is definitely horror and suspense, but it’s also a post-apocalyptic story, the type which, especially in YA fiction, often falls under the all-encompassing “speculative fiction” category. Either way, it was a nice change from my usual reading, and while I can’t say that it was necessarily a “fun” read, its very lack of “fun” is what lends me to rating it more highly.
This book could easily be split into two separate books. The first is a fairly typical survival story. Strange creatures have invaded the earth and swiftly killed off the majority of the population. Our heroine, Amy, show more survives purely due to lucky circumstances (a fact that is refreshingly not glossed over), but over the course of years, she grows to become an expert at living in this new “After” world. There were several portions of this first part that I really enjoyed.
First is the inclusion of Baby, a toddler that Amy finds and adopts after the first month of devastation. These two’s relationship is key to the plot and it was so refreshingly new. All too often the primary relationships in these types of YA books are romantic. This, a sisterhood/parental relationship between a teenage girl who raises a toddler for several years alone, is completely unique. Further, I was very impressed with the author’s ability to portray Baby so completely. As a small child, it would have been very easy to simply gloss over her as an actual person while instead simply relying on general child attributes as fill-ins.
Second, the use of a substantial time jump is well executed. Through clever positioning of flashbacks, we see Amy’s journey through this new world and the events at each step that directed her ability to survive the many challenges of this new world, from how to survive the creatures themselves to how she evolved her approach to interacting with other survivors. Amy doesn’t just become a badass survivor out of nowhere. We see her mistakes and understand what lessons she had to learn to become who she is in the present day.
The second half of the book is a complete switch to what living in a community built in this post-apocalyptic world would be like. The horror, too, takes a sharp turn away from the monsters-in-the-night to what monsters humans can be. This part, while maybe slower than the first half, was even more horrifying to me. It was a strange reading experience because I was so frustrated, angry, and uncomfortable on Amy and Baby’s behalf throughout it all that I had a hard time enjoying reading it. In this section, you know that something awful is coming and you’re just watching these beloved characters walk towards their doom. (I wish I had read this book before we did our “Walking Dead Read Alikes” list as this would definitely have been included based purely on its similar exploration of the different ways that communities of people find to live in a world where society has fallen away.)
In the later half, there were a few twists that I felt were a bit expected. It’s definitely not a unique set up, but I don’t think that lessens the overall effect. It’s also a bit jarring to suddenly have many other characters introduced halfway through the story, and while I enjoyed many of them, I was sad to see Baby fading into the background a bit. However, I did enjoy most of these characters. I also appreciated the fact that what little romance is introduced in this part of the book is very light and never overpowers both the action/horror of the story or the primary relationship between Baby and Amy.
I also listened to this as an audiobook and I thought the reader did a very good job. Especially in the second half of the book, she made some clever choices with her general reading style that allows listeners to immediately identify flashback sequences from the other portions.
Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this book and will be checking out the final book in the duology. I might need to give myself a break between the two as they are definitely not light reading, but I’ll be getting there soon, I hope. This book does end on a cliffhanger, fo sorts, so for anyone going into it, beware of that. show less
Let me start by saying that I don't usually like alien invasion/zombie infestation books. I could name off several that other people loved and I did not: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1), The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1), and so on. So it came as a great surprise to me that I really liked this book. Maybe it was because I never felt completely hopeless. In all of the others, I lost all hope for the puny humans and knew that however the books were resolved (I never finished the series), it would be completely unrealistic. Okay, I realize there is nothing realistic about any alien invasion/zombie apocalypse book, but somehow In the After made it feel possible.
The book is divided into 2, possibly 3 parts. There is show more explanation of the character's life in The Before (a very short part in the beginning and then told through flashbacks and memories), then there is her survival and finding of Baby in The After, and then comes the part in New Hope. I found all three parts fascinating. Amy is a heroine to root for, she is smart, sassy, loyal and just keeps on ticking no matter the horrors that keep coming at her. I loved Baby and the silent, yet completely dependant and trusting relationship they formed. At times while reading this, I would become very aware of the noise I was making while walking through the house or doing dishes or whatever. How hard would it be to live in complete silence? I found it interesting how the author portrayed that through Amy and Baby's interaction with Amber.
New Hope was intriguing, and I for one didn't see what was coming (although several other reviewers said they did). (view spoiler) This was an exciting, fast, and breathtaking read. I was invested in the characters and cared about what happened to them. I understand this is just a duology, so we should get questions answered and have resolution after just one more book.
Areas of concern:
Very few cuss words.
Attempted rape.
Disgusting and violent alien/zombie creatures.
Evil dictator.
http://read-me-maybe.blogspot.com show less
The book is divided into 2, possibly 3 parts. There is show more explanation of the character's life in The Before (a very short part in the beginning and then told through flashbacks and memories), then there is her survival and finding of Baby in The After, and then comes the part in New Hope. I found all three parts fascinating. Amy is a heroine to root for, she is smart, sassy, loyal and just keeps on ticking no matter the horrors that keep coming at her. I loved Baby and the silent, yet completely dependant and trusting relationship they formed. At times while reading this, I would become very aware of the noise I was making while walking through the house or doing dishes or whatever. How hard would it be to live in complete silence? I found it interesting how the author portrayed that through Amy and Baby's interaction with Amber.
New Hope was intriguing, and I for one didn't see what was coming (although several other reviewers said they did). (view spoiler) This was an exciting, fast, and breathtaking read. I was invested in the characters and cared about what happened to them. I understand this is just a duology, so we should get questions answered and have resolution after just one more book.
Areas of concern:
Very few cuss words.
Attempted rape.
Disgusting and violent alien/zombie creatures.
Evil dictator.
http://read-me-maybe.blogspot.com show less
“After They came, I did not leave my house for three weeks. The broadcasts stopped after the first few days, but they were not helpful anyway. They kept repeating the same things. Aliens had landed, they were not friendly, half of the planet was dead.They were horrifyingly fast, traveling across the globe at an alarming pace. They didn’t destroy buildings or attack our resources, like in so many crappy Hollywood movies. They wanted us. They hungered for us” (9).
A large, unexplained object lands, hosting thousands of hungry, predatory “Them” that rapidly kill, eat, and take over every continent and city. Amy is alone at home when it happens, and barricades herself inside, thanks to her father’s foresight. When all becomes show more quiet, too quiet, Amy ventures outside the safe boundaries of her house to scavenge and find survivors. She ends up rescuing a toddler, whom she calls “Baby,” and they live three years in silence, as “Them” are attracted to noise.
Eventually, Amy and Baby are rescued by an elite, organized force that resides in New Hope, a highly-regulated society of survivors. Amy’s mother is the director and assures her daughter that the confining rules of New Hope are for the betterment of future mankind. When Amy stumbles upon experiments involving the fearsome Them, she begins to realize her mother is not telling her everything.
In The After is a 2015 Lone Star-awarded book, and for good reason – the writing is smoothly-paced, the action has peaks and valleys, and the subject matter of the book is fascinating, albeit in a morbid way. Those in the lower grades, like sixth and seventh, might not be the best audience for this gruesome subject matter and grotesque descriptions of Them eating people: “The creatures pounced, not bothering to kill their prey before feeding. They ripped skin and flash from their victims, who screeched in agony” (14) and “They feed for a long time, eating every bit of their dead, their sharp teeth chewing through skin, muscle, and bone. Their feeding noises sicken me, slurps with the occasional crunch” (68). So, gird your iron stomach and go ahead and read this, but don't say I didn't warn you. show less
A large, unexplained object lands, hosting thousands of hungry, predatory “Them” that rapidly kill, eat, and take over every continent and city. Amy is alone at home when it happens, and barricades herself inside, thanks to her father’s foresight. When all becomes show more quiet, too quiet, Amy ventures outside the safe boundaries of her house to scavenge and find survivors. She ends up rescuing a toddler, whom she calls “Baby,” and they live three years in silence, as “Them” are attracted to noise.
Eventually, Amy and Baby are rescued by an elite, organized force that resides in New Hope, a highly-regulated society of survivors. Amy’s mother is the director and assures her daughter that the confining rules of New Hope are for the betterment of future mankind. When Amy stumbles upon experiments involving the fearsome Them, she begins to realize her mother is not telling her everything.
In The After is a 2015 Lone Star-awarded book, and for good reason – the writing is smoothly-paced, the action has peaks and valleys, and the subject matter of the book is fascinating, albeit in a morbid way. Those in the lower grades, like sixth and seventh, might not be the best audience for this gruesome subject matter and grotesque descriptions of Them eating people: “The creatures pounced, not bothering to kill their prey before feeding. They ripped skin and flash from their victims, who screeched in agony” (14) and “They feed for a long time, eating every bit of their dead, their sharp teeth chewing through skin, muscle, and bone. Their feeding noises sicken me, slurps with the occasional crunch” (68). So, gird your iron stomach and go ahead and read this, but don't say I didn't warn you. show less
Okay, this was mind-blowingly amazing. I know that there's a lot of hype when new dystopias come out, "the new hunger games blah blah" but if any is deserving of the title this is it. It's like it took elements from all the most horrible dystopias like [b:The Handmaid's Tale|38447|The Handmaid's Tale|Margaret Atwood|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1294702760s/38447.jpg|1119185], [b:1984|5470|1984|George Orwell|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348990566s/5470.jpg|153313], [b:The Road|6288|The Road|Cormac McCarthy|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320606344s/6288.jpg|3355573] with a sprinkle of [b:One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest|827497|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest|Dale show more Wasserman|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347988688s/827497.jpg|813221]. This book packs a hell of a punch.
First of all, there is Baby. There is always a younger sibling in YA dystopias, so I thought it would be more of the same. But it was so much more! In the other books the sibling eventually becomes this concept, he/she is not with the main character anymore, they're something to protect from afar. Baby and Amy were together for years. They grew together like sisters, if not by blood then by everything that matters. Their relationship was the strongest point of this book. Not that the book ever eased up, it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
And while admittedly, near the end, it got a bit cliché, it was still awesome.
Seriously, this book has me trying not to make noise around the house! show less
Amy is living in a silent world in order to keep the alien creatures that invaded earth from devouring her whole. Her only company a toddler she named Baby.
This book is exactly what I want in a futuristic, Earth has gone to shit scenario; fast paced, awesome characters, and top notch world building. I connected with Amy very quickly. The way the author presents her and her thoughts just made it so easy. I found myself empathizing with her and her plight within the first chapter. It is rare that I connect with a character so quickly.
The pacing was practically perfect. Filled with edge of your seat action. Even the parts that focus on Amy hiding out in her home kept me frantically wanting to know what was to come next.
(Minor complaints)
I show more felt the novel lost some of its momentum in the middle, but thankfully it picked back up quickly.
The love interest. Was. Not. Feeling. It. Hoping he'll grow on me as the series continues.
(End of minor complaints)
In the After is a novel that is both engaging and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this series start and can't wait for more! show less
This book is exactly what I want in a futuristic, Earth has gone to shit scenario; fast paced, awesome characters, and top notch world building. I connected with Amy very quickly. The way the author presents her and her thoughts just made it so easy. I found myself empathizing with her and her plight within the first chapter. It is rare that I connect with a character so quickly.
The pacing was practically perfect. Filled with edge of your seat action. Even the parts that focus on Amy hiding out in her home kept me frantically wanting to know what was to come next.
(Minor complaints)
I show more felt the novel lost some of its momentum in the middle, but thankfully it picked back up quickly.
The love interest. Was. Not. Feeling. It. Hoping he'll grow on me as the series continues.
(End of minor complaints)
In the After is a novel that is both engaging and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed this series start and can't wait for more! show less
I love post apocalyptic and zombie books because I enjoy reading about how people can adapt and survive even the most unthinkable circumstances. In the After was a little post-apocalyptic thriller, a little zombie-ish, a little sci-fi alien invasion and a little bit dystopian. So many of the elements I enjoy wrapped up in one book, it's easy to see why I was so excited to read this and maybe why I had such high expectations for it.
I absolutely enjoyed the beginning of the book. The world building in the opening scenes painted a vivid picture of how quickly the world became a terrifying and dangerous place inhabited by creatures drawn to light and sound. I was fascinated by the way Amy and Baby had created a non-verbal way of show more communicating that was based on sign language but was adapted to work in their specific circumstances. I thought that the author did a great job creating a feeling of resignation and hopelessness in the characters but still that spirit to survive and persevere.
Where In the After fell short for me was in the second half, after Amy & Baby's "rescue". I spent most of the book feeling alternately confused and annoyed with the direction that the story seemed to be taking. The dystopic society that was created didn't seem entirely plausible and just felt loosely constructed. The interactions between the characters felt awkward and artificial, the romance wasn't believable, and most of the relationships felt forced. This was a bit of a disappointment since I had so enjoyed the world building in the beginning.
Ultimately, In the After was an okay read. I don't know if I will continue with the series since I didn't really like the direction the story went. However, I would still recommend it to fans of zombie, post apoc, sci fi, and dystopic themed books. show less
I absolutely enjoyed the beginning of the book. The world building in the opening scenes painted a vivid picture of how quickly the world became a terrifying and dangerous place inhabited by creatures drawn to light and sound. I was fascinated by the way Amy and Baby had created a non-verbal way of show more communicating that was based on sign language but was adapted to work in their specific circumstances. I thought that the author did a great job creating a feeling of resignation and hopelessness in the characters but still that spirit to survive and persevere.
Where In the After fell short for me was in the second half, after Amy & Baby's "rescue". I spent most of the book feeling alternately confused and annoyed with the direction that the story seemed to be taking. The dystopic society that was created didn't seem entirely plausible and just felt loosely constructed. The interactions between the characters felt awkward and artificial, the romance wasn't believable, and most of the relationships felt forced. This was a bit of a disappointment since I had so enjoyed the world building in the beginning.
Ultimately, In the After was an okay read. I don't know if I will continue with the series since I didn't really like the direction the story went. However, I would still recommend it to fans of zombie, post apoc, sci fi, and dystopic themed books. show less
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- Original title
- In the After
- Original publication date
- 2013
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.L9791155
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- Teen, Fiction and Literature, Young Adult, Science Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 813.6 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English 2000-
- LCC
- PZ7 .L9791155 — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
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- ISBNs
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