Scan barcode
nikkid810's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good story of survival and friendship along with all its challenges. My only complaint is that it was a bit slow. The book centers around a natural disaster, so, for the majority of the first half of the book, the characters are stuck and all character development is done through reminiscing and dialogue. Which is fine, I think I just went into the book expecting something different, so that may be on me.
katevaliant's review against another edition
5.0
Ruby is struggling with issues in her personal life she wants to forget, and so she skips water polo practice to go to a nearby laundromat where she hopes someone older can be convinced to buy her some beer. At the laundromat she meets Charlie, a college dropout dealing with demons of his own. When a large earthquake hits, “the big one” that everyone has been waiting for, they wind up trapped together in the laundromat. They keep each other company, forming a bond as they confess their worries and regrets to each other. But as the hours pass by they begin to worry they won’t make it out alive.
This book tackles everything from complicated friendships and family changes to the fight to survive in the aftermath of an earthquake. There are a lot of emotional moments, and the story handles the heavier elements well. It also takes on learning to find hope in the wake of tragedy and the aftershocks that continue emotionally after such a traumatic event and the loss of loved ones. While this is a survival story, this is more about the characters and emotional journey of such an event that brings people together rather than tense action.
This book tackles everything from complicated friendships and family changes to the fight to survive in the aftermath of an earthquake. There are a lot of emotional moments, and the story handles the heavier elements well. It also takes on learning to find hope in the wake of tragedy and the aftershocks that continue emotionally after such a traumatic event and the loss of loved ones. While this is a survival story, this is more about the characters and emotional journey of such an event that brings people together rather than tense action.
vibesbymarissa's review against another edition
5.0
After Shocks by Marisa Reichardt is incredible!
This book is very fast paced, in the first chapter we get a glimpse into Ruby’s family life and after a fight with her mother she finds herself in a laundromat, trying to work up the courage to ask this preppy nerdy guy to buy her beer... That nerdy guy turns out to be a life saver! Charlie is an amazing character and Ruby and Charlie talk and share pieces of their lives with each other while stuck in the Rubble. Reichardt implements many lessons into her book, to always appreciate the little things in life, to tell your friends and family that you love them, to fight and stay strong. Reichardt also spotlights alcoholism and drinking, in Ruby’s bestfriend and even incorporates it into Charlie’s story. This story teaches so many lessons and is so emotional! I love this book!
This book is very fast paced, in the first chapter we get a glimpse into Ruby’s family life and after a fight with her mother she finds herself in a laundromat, trying to work up the courage to ask this preppy nerdy guy to buy her beer... That nerdy guy turns out to be a life saver! Charlie is an amazing character and Ruby and Charlie talk and share pieces of their lives with each other while stuck in the Rubble. Reichardt implements many lessons into her book, to always appreciate the little things in life, to tell your friends and family that you love them, to fight and stay strong. Reichardt also spotlights alcoholism and drinking, in Ruby’s bestfriend and even incorporates it into Charlie’s story. This story teaches so many lessons and is so emotional! I love this book!
cbking1's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Great book! More emotional than I anticipated, but beautifully written story.
carpe_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
This book hurts my heart, like suffocating, crippling despair, when I think of what Ruby goes through in this book. I am pretty much speechless. With that said, I think this book will hold a place in my heart for a long time. It is gripping, heart-wrenching, and shows both tragedy and strength in a way that only those who live through this type of trauma can explain.
Ruby is living through the "big one" the earthquake that all Californians talk about- the one they all know is coming sometime. While being trapped under debris and collapsing walls, Ruby makes an unlikely friendship that will stay with her for the rest of her life. This book explores the trauma of natural disasters, triviality of everyday life even when you think you are prepared, and the strength of character to make it through such unthinkable situations.
This book made me bawl, which hasn't happened in some time. Tread lightly if you have experienced a trauma from natural disaster, as it can reawaken those feelings. This will be a great read- cathartic for some and traumatic for others, but important nonetheless.
Aftershocks by Marisa Reichardt will be coming out Sept. 29, 2020. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/aftershocks-by-marisa-riechardt
Ruby is living through the "big one" the earthquake that all Californians talk about- the one they all know is coming sometime. While being trapped under debris and collapsing walls, Ruby makes an unlikely friendship that will stay with her for the rest of her life. This book explores the trauma of natural disasters, triviality of everyday life even when you think you are prepared, and the strength of character to make it through such unthinkable situations.
This book made me bawl, which hasn't happened in some time. Tread lightly if you have experienced a trauma from natural disaster, as it can reawaken those feelings. This will be a great read- cathartic for some and traumatic for others, but important nonetheless.
Aftershocks by Marisa Reichardt will be coming out Sept. 29, 2020. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/aftershocks-by-marisa-riechardt
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent realistic fiction story about surviving calamity and facing survivor's guilt. High school senior Ruby's trip to the local laundromat ends in literal disaster, when a 7.8 earthquake strikes and she is trapped in the rubble. Unable to free herself, she endures the many hours and days of waiting by talking to a young man she'd only just met who's also trapped near her. They share life stories and Ruby agonizes about her many worries, such as her inability to speak up about her best friend's evident alcoholism and her anger over her mom dating her water polo coach. Eventually, in a very difficult effort, she's able to free herself and get medical attention. But her worries are far from over, because she's unable to find her family, and she has to face her many losses from the quake and its aftershocks. She learns to really appreciate the important things in life and to let go of others. This is a book that you might think is just an action story but ends up being a very thoughtful, sad and emotional story. There are a few poems sprinkled throughout, that show crucial emotional points of Ruby's journey in a more intimate way. Excellent book for teens.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
I sat down to start this and blew through it in a day. Ruby is angry at her mother when she learns her mother and water polo coach are dating. Rather than attend practice, Ruby makes her way to the local laundromat, where she knows she can get someone over 21 to buy her alcohol. But just as she's zoomed in on Charlie as the person she'll ask to do the deed for her, the big earthquake hits and everything about their lives changes.
Told primarily over the course of a week, this is a book about survival. What does it mean to survive? To get through something challenging? To allow the memory of another person to survive? Well-paced and engaging, the book offers the present interspersed with glimpses of the past and what caused Ruby's friendship with Mina to begin falling apart.
Readers who love stories of natural disasters, of triumph in the wake of tragedy (without ever dismissing the raw, real circumstances one is in), and contemporary YA that tangoes with the power of relationships, forgiveness, and what it means to love and care for someone, this is a winner.
Told primarily over the course of a week, this is a book about survival. What does it mean to survive? To get through something challenging? To allow the memory of another person to survive? Well-paced and engaging, the book offers the present interspersed with glimpses of the past and what caused Ruby's friendship with Mina to begin falling apart.
Readers who love stories of natural disasters, of triumph in the wake of tragedy (without ever dismissing the raw, real circumstances one is in), and contemporary YA that tangoes with the power of relationships, forgiveness, and what it means to love and care for someone, this is a winner.
navieangelli's review against another edition
3.0
I think my expectations for this book were set too high, since I absolutely loved this authors other book “underwater”. It wasn’t what I expected it to be when I originally read the description. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and I didn’t feel the connection between the characters themselves. But I did like the conversations that the main character, Ruby, and Charlie had while stuck underneath the rubble. Some of the conversations were light, while others took a dark turn. I appreciated and liked how the author decided to display the timeline too. It wasn’t complicated. My favorite part was how Charlie’s situation turned out because I didn’t expect it at all. I kept holding out to the end for a different outcome, but when I got to the final chapter, I accepted his fate. I recommend this book to people who are in a reading slump and need a quick and easy read to get them out of it!