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raychelmarieb's review
3.5
Entertaining the whole time. Much faster paced then the first book, and a slight hint of romance ❤️ I hope she writes another!
laura_vee's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
katcanwrite's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting, but I liked more of the ambiguity and mystery of [b:In the After|12157407|In the After (In the After, #1)|Demitria Lunetta|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351415769s/12157407.jpg|17128269]. That was missing here. Still a cool postapocalyptic read, but not as nerve-wracking as the first.
ashley_clark's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book to pieces but like most books I feel the author rushed the ending. I would love it if the author made a novella with Amy and Jacks and they're love and how it's progressing. I would also like a novella many years after this book to see what has happened.
maeilis's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
bookph1le's review against another edition
2.0
I don't remember being overwhelmed by the previous installment, but I know I did like it. I think that was mostly because of the relationship between Amy and Baby and their struggle to survive, but I wasn't sure about the direction things took once they got to New Hope. I think that's why I didn't care for this novel all that much. The spark of Baby's and Amy's relationship was missing. More complete review to come.
Full review:
This book was extremely disappointing to me. I didn't think it was terrible, but I remember being impressed with and interested in the first book, two things that didn't happen much here. I think a large part of this hinges on my having liked the setting of the first better than the setting of this book. Throw in a couple of groan-worthy plot contrivances, and it mitigated my enjoyment of the conclusion of this tale. I will, however, give it points for being only two books instead of the pointless, drawn-out trilogies that have been all the rage for some time now. Spoilers to follow.
I think what made the story ultimately resonate less with me is that the dynamic of it changed so much. I was fascinated by the first book's depiction of Amy's struggles to survive in her post-apocalyptic world, and the bond she forges with Baby. True, the end portions of that book did upend this formula and send Amy off into another part of the world, and I think that was what was the story's ultimate undoing for me. Baby barely registers in this book, and I felt her absence a great deal.
Next up, the obligatory love triangle. You know that expression about too much of a good thing? It's not that I hate the love triangle on principle. When it's done well, it can add a lot to a story. What I hate is that YA lit jumped all over that particular trope and beat it to death, then continued to flog it even as it was long past the point of resuscitation. Needless to say, I was not happy when I saw it coming on with this book, where Amy becomes pointlessly torn between two boys, attractions that I frankly found inexplicable as neither one of them felt particularly crush-worthy to me.
I should state up front that I don't much like Jacks. Something about his character felt creepy to me. It's not that I wanted to assign him guilt by association, but I didn't like the way he fit into the world of Fort Black. On the one hand, I understand that there was little he could do to change things, but on the other I had this icky feeling that he was kind of a collaborator. There were some undertones to the way he treated Amy that I just didn't like. I can see how he would be a product of his environment, but I hated the whole women as property subplot mostly because Jacks' reaction to it felt off to me. Rather than coming off as protective, a lot of his actions toward Amy felt too much to me like he thought there might be something to the concept of keeping women as belongings.
The other problem with Jacks is he is the ostensible bad boy who's tormented inside. I know this character type plays well, but it's not one I find attractive, so I am always bewildered by the idea that I'm supposed to be head-over-heels about a character like that. That particular aspect of my disappointment boils down to preferences, so there's nothing technically wrong with it in the book. But I feel like YA lit and romance-heavy novels have a tendency to wallow in this type of character far too much, and I think it is potentially quite damaging. It's not that I believe literature is meant to be instructive, but popular culture constantly throws out these unhealthy relationships and characters and makes it seem as if the power of a good woman's love is enough to transform them. While obviously people should be there to care for those they love, no one has an obligation to "fix" anyone else, and it bothers me when pop culture presents this as the ultimate kind of romance. There was something infantilizing in the way Jacks treated Amy and I could not get beyond it.
My biggest beef of all, though, is with Tank. I hated him as a character--and not just because he's the bad guy that everyone is meant to hate. Yes, I can buy that people like him would exist in a messed-up world like that, but he had plot convenience written all over him. From the moment Amy first encountered him, I knew where that particular aspect of the story was headed. Since Amy is a smart and pragmatic character for the most part, it was utterly ridiculous to me that she didn't ensure that Tank wouldn't be a problem to her in the future. Every time this happens in post-apocalyptic settings (be they movies, books, etc.), I want to scream. When you live in a kill-or-be-killed world, there's no reason for such extreme stupidity. I hated Tank because he wasn't so much a character as a secondary plot device, and for me that particular plot device failed on all levels, leaving me annoyed with and disgusted by the lack of sense Amy displays.
That wasn't the first time Amy disappointed me, though. Throughout the book, she does numerous stupid, impulsive things, to the extent that I found myself wondering how I could still be reading about the same young woman who had managed to keep not only herself but a child alive back in Chicago. It's good for characters to be flawed and make mistakes as it makes them relatable, but it's not good when they fly off half-cocked and do things that would make anyone with a lick of sense and an ounce of self-preservation scream. Amy does this. Repeatedly. I liked her in the first book, found her such a strong character, but in this one she felt like your generic clueless YA heroine.
I should know by now that when I'm kind of on the fence about a YA series, I should quit while I'm ahead. I very much liked the first part of the first book, but things started going downhill in the end half, and I should have paid closer attention. When an ending is as weak as I found this one, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth about the series as a whole.
Full review:
This book was extremely disappointing to me. I didn't think it was terrible, but I remember being impressed with and interested in the first book, two things that didn't happen much here. I think a large part of this hinges on my having liked the setting of the first better than the setting of this book. Throw in a couple of groan-worthy plot contrivances, and it mitigated my enjoyment of the conclusion of this tale. I will, however, give it points for being only two books instead of the pointless, drawn-out trilogies that have been all the rage for some time now. Spoilers to follow.
I think what made the story ultimately resonate less with me is that the dynamic of it changed so much. I was fascinated by the first book's depiction of Amy's struggles to survive in her post-apocalyptic world, and the bond she forges with Baby. True, the end portions of that book did upend this formula and send Amy off into another part of the world, and I think that was what was the story's ultimate undoing for me. Baby barely registers in this book, and I felt her absence a great deal.
Next up, the obligatory love triangle. You know that expression about too much of a good thing? It's not that I hate the love triangle on principle. When it's done well, it can add a lot to a story. What I hate is that YA lit jumped all over that particular trope and beat it to death, then continued to flog it even as it was long past the point of resuscitation. Needless to say, I was not happy when I saw it coming on with this book, where Amy becomes pointlessly torn between two boys, attractions that I frankly found inexplicable as neither one of them felt particularly crush-worthy to me.
I should state up front that I don't much like Jacks. Something about his character felt creepy to me. It's not that I wanted to assign him guilt by association, but I didn't like the way he fit into the world of Fort Black. On the one hand, I understand that there was little he could do to change things, but on the other I had this icky feeling that he was kind of a collaborator. There were some undertones to the way he treated Amy that I just didn't like. I can see how he would be a product of his environment, but I hated the whole women as property subplot mostly because Jacks' reaction to it felt off to me. Rather than coming off as protective, a lot of his actions toward Amy felt too much to me like he thought there might be something to the concept of keeping women as belongings.
The other problem with Jacks is he is the ostensible bad boy who's tormented inside. I know this character type plays well, but it's not one I find attractive, so I am always bewildered by the idea that I'm supposed to be head-over-heels about a character like that. That particular aspect of my disappointment boils down to preferences, so there's nothing technically wrong with it in the book. But I feel like YA lit and romance-heavy novels have a tendency to wallow in this type of character far too much, and I think it is potentially quite damaging. It's not that I believe literature is meant to be instructive, but popular culture constantly throws out these unhealthy relationships and characters and makes it seem as if the power of a good woman's love is enough to transform them. While obviously people should be there to care for those they love, no one has an obligation to "fix" anyone else, and it bothers me when pop culture presents this as the ultimate kind of romance. There was something infantilizing in the way Jacks treated Amy and I could not get beyond it.
My biggest beef of all, though, is with Tank. I hated him as a character--and not just because he's the bad guy that everyone is meant to hate. Yes, I can buy that people like him would exist in a messed-up world like that, but he had plot convenience written all over him. From the moment Amy first encountered him, I knew where that particular aspect of the story was headed. Since Amy is a smart and pragmatic character for the most part, it was utterly ridiculous to me that she didn't ensure that Tank wouldn't be a problem to her in the future. Every time this happens in post-apocalyptic settings (be they movies, books, etc.), I want to scream. When you live in a kill-or-be-killed world, there's no reason for such extreme stupidity. I hated Tank because he wasn't so much a character as a secondary plot device, and for me that particular plot device failed on all levels, leaving me annoyed with and disgusted by the lack of sense Amy displays.
That wasn't the first time Amy disappointed me, though. Throughout the book, she does numerous stupid, impulsive things, to the extent that I found myself wondering how I could still be reading about the same young woman who had managed to keep not only herself but a child alive back in Chicago. It's good for characters to be flawed and make mistakes as it makes them relatable, but it's not good when they fly off half-cocked and do things that would make anyone with a lick of sense and an ounce of self-preservation scream. Amy does this. Repeatedly. I liked her in the first book, found her such a strong character, but in this one she felt like your generic clueless YA heroine.
I should know by now that when I'm kind of on the fence about a YA series, I should quit while I'm ahead. I very much liked the first part of the first book, but things started going downhill in the end half, and I should have paid closer attention. When an ending is as weak as I found this one, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth about the series as a whole.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
2.0
This was not necessarily a bad book, but was ultimately a forgettable book. Like, I read it a week ago and now can't remember the ending. I do remember that I basically enjoyed the book but.... Meh.
felidae_'s review against another edition
4.0
This series was wonderfully different. As a sequel, it followed through with the plot set up in the first book, In The After. Demitria Lunetta is a creative thinker, an awesome writer, and unique. She's taken a post-apocalyptic genre and gave it a new level to strive for. Definitely would recommend.
My only issues with the book is the main character, who is frustratingly stubborn. With reason of course, since the world had ended, and she was hardly a teenager. Yet, despite her maturity, she's quite immature in the situations she was thrust in. When she's made to keep quiet when she can speak, or when she needs to sit still when she can walk, she's stubborn to poke her nose in places where it doesn't belong, but it got the plot going. Other than that, the book was great!
My only issues with the book is the main character, who is frustratingly stubborn. With reason of course, since the world had ended, and she was hardly a teenager. Yet, despite her maturity, she's quite immature in the situations she was thrust in. When she's made to keep quiet when she can speak, or when she needs to sit still when she can walk, she's stubborn to poke her nose in places where it doesn't belong, but it got the plot going. Other than that, the book was great!
devansbooklife's review against another edition
3.0
This review is difficult, because Demitria Lunetta is a very talented writer. I enjoyed this terrifying ride very much. The following will have minor spoilers that could give away material from book one and book two, please do not read further unless you are okay with some spoilers.
But I was disappointed by the lack of growth on Amy's behalf. In the first installation, I was okay with Amy's reckless behavior and justified it by her lack of knowledge and limited experience outside of her isolated and sheltered home with Baby. However, Amy has been out in the real, terrifying world for a while now. She was been trained by professionals ways to assess situational danger. She has also been warned and cautioned repeatedly to be patient throughout the series. Amy is reckless and emotional for the majority of this book. I almost felt like I was rereading her mistakes from the past book. New place, same behavior. It is like she doesn't learn and only acts on fear and adrenaline. She doesn't listen to anyone and always thinks she knows what is best in every situation. Which is not the case. Most of the book's drama would never have happened without her impulsive behavior, so I guess it was needed as a filler. Her total disregard for others is almost appalling. She will stop at nothing to prevent Baby from being tortured and studied, however, doesn't bat an eye when she gives the scientist another young subject. It seemed everyone but Baby was expendable. Then you throw in the weird love-triangle aspect and I was even more confused. Amy never allowed anyone close, so how can she truly feel anything for anyone? This seemed just tossed into the book to give Amy a more human feel. Unfortunately, because of her behavior I never felt connected to her. The ending felt rushed and thrown together. I wish there was more, because this book had so much potential. It has such a unique plot. Overall, I my dislike of the main character ended up ruining this book for me. In book one, I justified the lack of character development to the importance of survival. In this book I cannot. Too much time has passed. Amy had training and situations she should have learned from.
But I was disappointed by the lack of growth on Amy's behalf. In the first installation, I was okay with Amy's reckless behavior and justified it by her lack of knowledge and limited experience outside of her isolated and sheltered home with Baby. However, Amy has been out in the real, terrifying world for a while now. She was been trained by professionals ways to assess situational danger. She has also been warned and cautioned repeatedly to be patient throughout the series. Amy is reckless and emotional for the majority of this book. I almost felt like I was rereading her mistakes from the past book. New place, same behavior. It is like she doesn't learn and only acts on fear and adrenaline. She doesn't listen to anyone and always thinks she knows what is best in every situation. Which is not the case. Most of the book's drama would never have happened without her impulsive behavior, so I guess it was needed as a filler. Her total disregard for others is almost appalling. She will stop at nothing to prevent Baby from being tortured and studied, however, doesn't bat an eye when she gives the scientist another young subject. It seemed everyone but Baby was expendable. Then you throw in the weird love-triangle aspect and I was even more confused. Amy never allowed anyone close, so how can she truly feel anything for anyone? This seemed just tossed into the book to give Amy a more human feel. Unfortunately, because of her behavior I never felt connected to her. The ending felt rushed and thrown together. I wish there was more, because this book had so much potential. It has such a unique plot. Overall, I my dislike of the main character ended up ruining this book for me. In book one, I justified the lack of character development to the importance of survival. In this book I cannot. Too much time has passed. Amy had training and situations she should have learned from.