momwithareadingproblem's review
5.0
I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Initial Reaction
This was a seriously awesome read!!!! Strain of Resistance by Michelle Bryan is the first in her new adult, sci-fi dystopian series and it is a MUST READ for fans of those genres. The author does a fantastic job of combining the elements and making a unique, snarky adventure that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I skipped meals and sleep because I just couldn’t sit it down!!! The book begins and ends on the same note of dread and suspense, leaving me begging for more! The story begins with a 12 year old Bixby, witnessing the beginning of the end. I love this line:
Bixby….Just Bixby
Bixby is one screwed-up chick. The first half of her life sucked. She had an abusive father and knew what monsters were before these worms took over. Now at 18, she’s with a group of survivors at the Grand Hotel, going out on hunts, looking for supplies, other survivors, and killing the infected. She’s got a hard shell, few emotions, and the mouth of a sailor. She makes no apologies for herself, she’s just surviving. But it’s quick to see that she’s grieving. The boy she loved didn’t come back and now she refuses to feel those emotions again. Why would she? Everyone leaves eventually.
In addition to Bixby, there’s the guys she runs with. Luke is their “unofficial” leader. He’s kind, just a year older than Bixby, and her lover. According to her, he’s a “gentle giant” and after reading the book, the description is perfect. He makes me swoon! Dom is the dick of the group (to put it nicely). He doesn’t like Bixby or her antics and doesn’t care who knows it. Gordon is the youngest and my favorite. He’s brave and brings a levity to the group, reminding them what it was like to be that age.
Surviving the Fight
In addition to Bixby being a kick-ass character, the story itself is amazing. Told entirely from Bixby’s POV, the story focuses on what it takes to survive. I love the world-building. It’s ominous and horrific! These alien beings that have taken over host bodies and are feeding on the survivors are something straight out of your worst nightmare. Then there’s the other survivors that they are fighting, the cannibals. *shudders* When a group goes missing, Bixby’s crew is sent to find them and what they find changes everything they thought they knew about this new world they live in.
But it isn’t all fighting and surviving. There’s a little time for some steamy romance as well. Luke loves Bixby, no question about it. Bixby runs at the mention of love though. Her heart just isn’t ready for it after her guy disappeared without so much as a trace. I like their relationship. The author does a great job of conveying not only the feelings Bixby has but Luke’s as well. Needless to say I rooted for him from his first entrance into the book.
Conclusion
Overall (if you haven’t guessed from my gushing), I loved this book! Bixby has just the right amount of snark to balance her kindness. And Luke *swoon* But really it’s the horrific world created by Michelle Bryan that sells this book. The worm things, the fight for survival, and the little band of survivors really got me. If you’re looking for a fast-paced read, look no further! I highly recommend it for anyone that enjoys new adult dystopians.
PSST….the author has a prequel novella out as well which is AMAZING and gives you a little insight into Bixby’s Sam. It can be read before or after the book without spoiling anything.
Initial Reaction
This was a seriously awesome read!!!! Strain of Resistance by Michelle Bryan is the first in her new adult, sci-fi dystopian series and it is a MUST READ for fans of those genres. The author does a fantastic job of combining the elements and making a unique, snarky adventure that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I skipped meals and sleep because I just couldn’t sit it down!!! The book begins and ends on the same note of dread and suspense, leaving me begging for more! The story begins with a 12 year old Bixby, witnessing the beginning of the end. I love this line:
It didn’t end with a bang at all. It ended with a whimper.Haunting, right?! It sets the tone for the entire book as a 12 year old Bixby witnesses the beginning of the end. A mysterious fog with crystals appears. The crystals are breathed in and infects a majority of the population with a parasite. This zombie-like being takes over the body and erupts through the mouth. Honestly, it’s horrific and I’m doing a poor job of describing it! These parasites feed on the ones not infected and the story of survival and fighting begins.
Bixby….Just Bixby
Bixby is one screwed-up chick. The first half of her life sucked. She had an abusive father and knew what monsters were before these worms took over. Now at 18, she’s with a group of survivors at the Grand Hotel, going out on hunts, looking for supplies, other survivors, and killing the infected. She’s got a hard shell, few emotions, and the mouth of a sailor. She makes no apologies for herself, she’s just surviving. But it’s quick to see that she’s grieving. The boy she loved didn’t come back and now she refuses to feel those emotions again. Why would she? Everyone leaves eventually.
In addition to Bixby, there’s the guys she runs with. Luke is their “unofficial” leader. He’s kind, just a year older than Bixby, and her lover. According to her, he’s a “gentle giant” and after reading the book, the description is perfect. He makes me swoon! Dom is the dick of the group (to put it nicely). He doesn’t like Bixby or her antics and doesn’t care who knows it. Gordon is the youngest and my favorite. He’s brave and brings a levity to the group, reminding them what it was like to be that age.
Surviving the Fight
In addition to Bixby being a kick-ass character, the story itself is amazing. Told entirely from Bixby’s POV, the story focuses on what it takes to survive. I love the world-building. It’s ominous and horrific! These alien beings that have taken over host bodies and are feeding on the survivors are something straight out of your worst nightmare. Then there’s the other survivors that they are fighting, the cannibals. *shudders* When a group goes missing, Bixby’s crew is sent to find them and what they find changes everything they thought they knew about this new world they live in.
But it isn’t all fighting and surviving. There’s a little time for some steamy romance as well. Luke loves Bixby, no question about it. Bixby runs at the mention of love though. Her heart just isn’t ready for it after her guy disappeared without so much as a trace. I like their relationship. The author does a great job of conveying not only the feelings Bixby has but Luke’s as well. Needless to say I rooted for him from his first entrance into the book.
Conclusion
Overall (if you haven’t guessed from my gushing), I loved this book! Bixby has just the right amount of snark to balance her kindness. And Luke *swoon* But really it’s the horrific world created by Michelle Bryan that sells this book. The worm things, the fight for survival, and the little band of survivors really got me. If you’re looking for a fast-paced read, look no further! I highly recommend it for anyone that enjoys new adult dystopians.
PSST….the author has a prequel novella out as well which is AMAZING and gives you a little insight into Bixby’s Sam. It can be read before or after the book without spoiling anything.
morganhwagner's review against another edition
4.0
**I received this book from the author for exchange of an honest review**
Okay, so I normally update my progress for books, but this one I read so quickly. I haven't read a Dystopian book in a long time. It was strange, but I really enjoyed it. I also liked that this book went quickly, and explained things thoroughly in smaller paragraphs other than those long ass paragraphs. Sometimes, I thought I was reading a YA book, but whenever it got to YA the characters brought me back to the NA genre.
This was also my first alien/zombie book, and I was thrilled to notice that there was details to the characters. They weren't just people taken over by an alien host, but almost humanized. This just made the read more realistic.
Over all this book was a good read, and I'm excited that I got to read such an interesting novel.
Okay, so I normally update my progress for books, but this one I read so quickly. I haven't read a Dystopian book in a long time. It was strange, but I really enjoyed it. I also liked that this book went quickly, and explained things thoroughly in smaller paragraphs other than those long ass paragraphs. Sometimes, I thought I was reading a YA book, but whenever it got to YA the characters brought me back to the NA genre.
This was also my first alien/zombie book, and I was thrilled to notice that there was details to the characters. They weren't just people taken over by an alien host, but almost humanized. This just made the read more realistic.
Over all this book was a good read, and I'm excited that I got to read such an interesting novel.
bookwormbunny's review against another edition
4.0
***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review and the opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.***
Strain of Resistance is Book 1 in the Bixby Chronicles by Michelle Bryan. In this book we are introduced to Bixby before the world is changed into a place full of monsters…both human and alien. When we are first introduced to Bixby she is a 12 year old little girl escaping her house for awhile until her abusive father falls asleep so that for a while her and her mother can be safe. But while she is out a strange mist creeps across the land, infecting the human population as it goes. But it only infects some and leaves others. Bixby watches in horror as someone she knew, only from a distance, is taken over and becomes something evil…a monster. That very day she loses everything.
The story jumps ahead 8 years and we learn more about Bixby. Her past has marked her but she’s moved forward and become stronger because of it. The world is over run by things they now call “leeches” and the city that was once full of supplies is quickly drying out. Bixby with a group of other survivors fight for survival in city full of “leeches” and other humans who have lost all of their humanity. There is another group of survivors who live in the city as well but they’ve brought something more dangerous into their lives and it could spell the end for all if this new threat isn’t stopped and destroyed before it can spread.
This is a really engaging book that had me interested from the minute I read about the crystal mist flowing along. I was immediately pulled in and wanted to know more about what was going on. The characters we are introduced to are each unique in their own way. They have each been through a lot and of course there is a unique mix of characters, some you’ll like…some you won’t but that’s part of any story. Bixby is a strong female character and she has a hard façade that she keeps up to protect herself after losing yet another person that she loves but eventually we will see that façade crack more than once and it will give her a softer side.
Strain of Resistance is a real page turner that kept me engaged all the way to the end and left me wanting to know more when it ended with the cliffhanger that it did. For those who are into sci-fi post-apocalyptic this is definitely a book to pick up and check out. The cover intrigued me because I wanted to know whether the character would actually match the cover and I am very pleased to say…it does. So if this book looks like a good one to you…get it and check it out because it is. Two thumbs up. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more.
Strain of Resistance is Book 1 in the Bixby Chronicles by Michelle Bryan. In this book we are introduced to Bixby before the world is changed into a place full of monsters…both human and alien. When we are first introduced to Bixby she is a 12 year old little girl escaping her house for awhile until her abusive father falls asleep so that for a while her and her mother can be safe. But while she is out a strange mist creeps across the land, infecting the human population as it goes. But it only infects some and leaves others. Bixby watches in horror as someone she knew, only from a distance, is taken over and becomes something evil…a monster. That very day she loses everything.
The story jumps ahead 8 years and we learn more about Bixby. Her past has marked her but she’s moved forward and become stronger because of it. The world is over run by things they now call “leeches” and the city that was once full of supplies is quickly drying out. Bixby with a group of other survivors fight for survival in city full of “leeches” and other humans who have lost all of their humanity. There is another group of survivors who live in the city as well but they’ve brought something more dangerous into their lives and it could spell the end for all if this new threat isn’t stopped and destroyed before it can spread.
This is a really engaging book that had me interested from the minute I read about the crystal mist flowing along. I was immediately pulled in and wanted to know more about what was going on. The characters we are introduced to are each unique in their own way. They have each been through a lot and of course there is a unique mix of characters, some you’ll like…some you won’t but that’s part of any story. Bixby is a strong female character and she has a hard façade that she keeps up to protect herself after losing yet another person that she loves but eventually we will see that façade crack more than once and it will give her a softer side.
Strain of Resistance is a real page turner that kept me engaged all the way to the end and left me wanting to know more when it ended with the cliffhanger that it did. For those who are into sci-fi post-apocalyptic this is definitely a book to pick up and check out. The cover intrigued me because I wanted to know whether the character would actually match the cover and I am very pleased to say…it does. So if this book looks like a good one to you…get it and check it out because it is. Two thumbs up. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more.
a_h_haga's review against another edition
2.0
So this book started out really interesting. There was loads of action and intrigue. Sure, I had some issue with the characters - especially the MC being the only female Hunter and all rage and no other emotion - and there were too many of them. I had no idea who was who for the longest time.
Then, I got to about halfway into the book, and I got bored. Like really bored. I don't know what it was, but it didn't work anymore, and I didn't feel like I had a reason to stick around to learn how things went. I know I won't be reading on in this series, unfortunatly.
Writing was good, tho.
Then, I got to about halfway into the book, and I got bored. Like really bored. I don't know what it was, but it didn't work anymore, and I didn't feel like I had a reason to stick around to learn how things went. I know I won't be reading on in this series, unfortunatly.
Writing was good, tho.
chrisistrangerthanu's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
The first thing I have to say is that Michelle Bryan can write. After having recently read a couple of seriously disappointing books in exchange for reviews, this was a breath of fresh air. While it is certainly not perfect, I'll discuss the niggly little issues in a minute, we were introduced to such a rich world and diverse characters.
Bixby, our protagonist, is an extremely damaged 20 year old woman. The various reasons for her prickly attitude are revealed throughout the course of the book and while I found her quite unlikeable, I could understand why she was the way she was. Bixby is perhaps one of the most unlikeable protagonists I have come across in a dystopian book as she is judgemental, aggressive, kind of mean, and most of all, extremely lost. Despite all of this, I wanted to keep reading about her.
Most of the other characters are quite fascinating too, I have to say that Luke was easily my favourite, followed by Gordy and Dom. I think that the author missed a few opportunities to show character growth, so I hope she has that in mind for the sequel. We start to see Bixby evolve as a character near the end of this book, but I did feel like I could have seen a bit more (maybe have her stop calling Jess a bimbo after their final discussion, that would have been a perfect opportunity). It was definitely all the little character interactions that lifted this book above the mediocre, I especially loved the iron man conversation with Gordy.
The world building in this book was pretty good too. I did feel that there was a certain amount of vagueness about the mist and how the aliens arrived and why, but i assume that the characters didn't actually know either. All of the descriptions of the world were detailed though, and gruesome, but it definitely suited the tone of the story.
In terms of the writing, it is in present tense, which does annoy me, but didn't bother me too much. There were a few typos, but nothing major. The one thing that nearly made me rate the book lower was the annoying cut offs during paragraphs, it was by far the most irritating thing.
I think the author has done really well with creating such an engaging story, and I will most definitely be reading the sequel. There is so much emotional punch in this story, that I found myself holding my breath a few times. I have to know what happens next! If you are considering this book, pick it up, I doubt you will regret it.
4.5 stars
The first thing I have to say is that Michelle Bryan can write. After having recently read a couple of seriously disappointing books in exchange for reviews, this was a breath of fresh air. While it is certainly not perfect, I'll discuss the niggly little issues in a minute, we were introduced to such a rich world and diverse characters.
Bixby, our protagonist, is an extremely damaged 20 year old woman. The various reasons for her prickly attitude are revealed throughout the course of the book and while I found her quite unlikeable, I could understand why she was the way she was. Bixby is perhaps one of the most unlikeable protagonists I have come across in a dystopian book as she is judgemental, aggressive, kind of mean, and most of all, extremely lost. Despite all of this, I wanted to keep reading about her.
Most of the other characters are quite fascinating too, I have to say that Luke was easily my favourite, followed by Gordy and Dom. I think that the author missed a few opportunities to show character growth, so I hope she has that in mind for the sequel. We start to see Bixby evolve as a character near the end of this book, but I did feel like I could have seen a bit more (maybe have her stop calling Jess a bimbo after their final discussion, that would have been a perfect opportunity). It was definitely all the little character interactions that lifted this book above the mediocre, I especially loved the iron man conversation with Gordy.
The world building in this book was pretty good too. I did feel that there was a certain amount of vagueness about the mist and how the aliens arrived and why, but i assume that the characters didn't actually know either. All of the descriptions of the world were detailed though, and gruesome, but it definitely suited the tone of the story.
In terms of the writing, it is in present tense, which does annoy me, but didn't bother me too much. There were a few typos, but nothing major. The one thing that nearly made me rate the book lower was the annoying cut offs during paragraphs, it was by far the most irritating thing.
I think the author has done really well with creating such an engaging story, and I will most definitely be reading the sequel. There is so much emotional punch in this story, that I found myself holding my breath a few times. I have to know what happens next! If you are considering this book, pick it up, I doubt you will regret it.
whatmeworry's review against another edition
2.0
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com
Sigh.
I don’t really know how to review this one. It’s not bad exactly, there’s nothing truly awful about it – it’s readable, pacy, packed with action, has some okay ideas and a reasonable lead. Unfortunately, there’s also nothing that good about it. It’s all just overwhelmingly familiar and shockingly unsurprising. A by the numbers SF/Horror/Action mix that never had enough depth or originality to really engage me. As a result I found myself whizzing through it as quickly as I could so that I could move onto something else. What’s more, it advertises itself as “Mature themes. 17+ Rating”, but what that means in reality is that there is a lot of swearing, a fair bit of blood spatter and a couple of pretty dull sex scenes. It ends up reading like a not very good YA novel that’s trying to be edgy and cool.
The setup is simple – an alien parasite is unleashed on Earth (it isn’t explained why, it just happens), lots of people die. The plucky survivors that remain fight the “leeches”, parasitic worms that take over human hosts. There are good survivors (like spunky heroine Bixby) and bad survivors (Ravagers). The good survivors live in a hotel and eat regular food. The bad survivors live in the ruined city and eat people (it’s never really made clear why, just, you know, that’s what some people do after an apocalypse). So basically it’s like a thousand self-published carbon copy zombie novels, only with alien parasites rather than zombies.
The group Bixby belongs to are tough resistance fighter types who go on raiding missions to find stuff. We know they’re tough resistance fighters because when they’re not on missions they play poker and insult each other a lot. One is Bixby’s kind of boyfriend, but she’s still hung up on an old (missing presumed dead) boy, so there’s lots of drama. The rest of them kind of blur into one, and where they don’t it’s because they’re lazy (and sometimes slightly offensive) stereotypes. There’s a sweet old lady, a harsh but fair leader, a hard drinking mom type and a possibly psychic woman with Downs Syndrome.
At times the high level of cheese is kind of fun (lines like “We’ll keep you safe, little Bixby, or my name isn’t Captain John Cooper” made me smile), but it quickly becomes apparent that the cheese isn’t backed up by any substance at all. The plot is incredibly slight – they go on a mission, there is a setback which they overcome, they complete the mission. That might not have been a problem if the characters weren’t paper thin, bland and uninteresting. The author tries to keep things current by throwing in lots of geek references (Marvel, Raider of the Lost Ark), but all these serve to do is highlight the originality and storytelling passion that is lacking in this book.
There are some fun scenes (I quite liked the huge dog character who appears near the end) but these are rare glimmers of light in what is otherwise a pretty grey darkness. If you’ve never read or seen a post-apocalyptic book or movie you might enjoy this, otherwise I’d recommend avoiding it.
Sigh.
I don’t really know how to review this one. It’s not bad exactly, there’s nothing truly awful about it – it’s readable, pacy, packed with action, has some okay ideas and a reasonable lead. Unfortunately, there’s also nothing that good about it. It’s all just overwhelmingly familiar and shockingly unsurprising. A by the numbers SF/Horror/Action mix that never had enough depth or originality to really engage me. As a result I found myself whizzing through it as quickly as I could so that I could move onto something else. What’s more, it advertises itself as “Mature themes. 17+ Rating”, but what that means in reality is that there is a lot of swearing, a fair bit of blood spatter and a couple of pretty dull sex scenes. It ends up reading like a not very good YA novel that’s trying to be edgy and cool.
The setup is simple – an alien parasite is unleashed on Earth (it isn’t explained why, it just happens), lots of people die. The plucky survivors that remain fight the “leeches”, parasitic worms that take over human hosts. There are good survivors (like spunky heroine Bixby) and bad survivors (Ravagers). The good survivors live in a hotel and eat regular food. The bad survivors live in the ruined city and eat people (it’s never really made clear why, just, you know, that’s what some people do after an apocalypse). So basically it’s like a thousand self-published carbon copy zombie novels, only with alien parasites rather than zombies.
The group Bixby belongs to are tough resistance fighter types who go on raiding missions to find stuff. We know they’re tough resistance fighters because when they’re not on missions they play poker and insult each other a lot. One is Bixby’s kind of boyfriend, but she’s still hung up on an old (missing presumed dead) boy, so there’s lots of drama. The rest of them kind of blur into one, and where they don’t it’s because they’re lazy (and sometimes slightly offensive) stereotypes. There’s a sweet old lady, a harsh but fair leader, a hard drinking mom type and a possibly psychic woman with Downs Syndrome.
At times the high level of cheese is kind of fun (lines like “We’ll keep you safe, little Bixby, or my name isn’t Captain John Cooper” made me smile), but it quickly becomes apparent that the cheese isn’t backed up by any substance at all. The plot is incredibly slight – they go on a mission, there is a setback which they overcome, they complete the mission. That might not have been a problem if the characters weren’t paper thin, bland and uninteresting. The author tries to keep things current by throwing in lots of geek references (Marvel, Raider of the Lost Ark), but all these serve to do is highlight the originality and storytelling passion that is lacking in this book.
There are some fun scenes (I quite liked the huge dog character who appears near the end) but these are rare glimmers of light in what is otherwise a pretty grey darkness. If you’ve never read or seen a post-apocalyptic book or movie you might enjoy this, otherwise I’d recommend avoiding it.
helensbookshelf's review
3.0
A twist on the new adult genre and zombie fiction
Strain of Resistance is a new adult story set in a zombie infested post-apocalyptic world. The zombies in this story are a bit different from the normal, run-of-the-mill zombie. In Strain of Resistance, these zombies have worm / slug-like creatures that grow out of their mouths and have taken over their brains. These worms were implanted in their bodies by a strange fog that settled over the world one morning.
Bixby is one of the few survivors, people that seem to be immune to the fog. She has taken refuge with a group of people living in what was once a five-star hotel and she spends her days risking her life to go out into the zombie-infested world and hunting for supplies.
Now, I kinda hated Bixby. She's mean, arrogant and generally just unpleasant to everyone around her. But, that also kinda made me love her too. It gets tiresome to read book after book where the heroine is self-sacrificing, cares about everyone and only risks her life to help others. It's also fun to read a character that doesn't care about upsetting anyone and just does what she wants.
The plot is fun and well paced. The action is constant and the story and the tension ramps up throughout the book. A little more character growth would have fleshed it out a bit, the relationships between the people in the story are explained very briefly. Just enough to set the scene really.
Interestingly, the main action and conflict at the end don't come from what is the actual conclusion to the storyline; it happens in what is almost a side plot at the end. A brave choice, but changing things up like this worked well and stopped it being predictable.
Strain of Resistance is fun and exciting and I've already put the sequel on my TBR list!
Strain of Resistance is a new adult story set in a zombie infested post-apocalyptic world. The zombies in this story are a bit different from the normal, run-of-the-mill zombie. In Strain of Resistance, these zombies have worm / slug-like creatures that grow out of their mouths and have taken over their brains. These worms were implanted in their bodies by a strange fog that settled over the world one morning.
Bixby is one of the few survivors, people that seem to be immune to the fog. She has taken refuge with a group of people living in what was once a five-star hotel and she spends her days risking her life to go out into the zombie-infested world and hunting for supplies.
Now, I kinda hated Bixby. She's mean, arrogant and generally just unpleasant to everyone around her. But, that also kinda made me love her too. It gets tiresome to read book after book where the heroine is self-sacrificing, cares about everyone and only risks her life to help others. It's also fun to read a character that doesn't care about upsetting anyone and just does what she wants.
The plot is fun and well paced. The action is constant and the story and the tension ramps up throughout the book. A little more character growth would have fleshed it out a bit, the relationships between the people in the story are explained very briefly. Just enough to set the scene really.
Interestingly, the main action and conflict at the end don't come from what is the actual conclusion to the storyline; it happens in what is almost a side plot at the end. A brave choice, but changing things up like this worked well and stopped it being predictable.
Strain of Resistance is fun and exciting and I've already put the sequel on my TBR list!
avoraciousreader68's review
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