ari_reading_'s review against another edition
4.0
Trigger/Content warnings
Rape, Dental surgery, Anaphylaxis, Death of a sibling, Gun violence, Animal death/cruelty
adult and minor sexual relationship.
It's a gripping coming of age story about surviving, I loved the sisters and honestly, I feel like the paranoia from the Dad was portrayed very realistically, but eventually, we might need to be paranoid. It's set in Australia and at times could be dull, though the dystopian was moderate, the dilemmas faced by the characters, the paranoid Dad and a chilling imagining of what would happen if all communications were knocked out, this bumps up my rating to a 4.
Pre Read
I picked this up purely for the cover,
The blurb really gives a lot away now that I'm actually I reading it.
"The sisters decide to keep their bunker a secret"
Well, let's see what the books like.
Rape, Dental surgery, Anaphylaxis, Death of a sibling, Gun violence, Animal death/cruelty
adult and minor sexual relationship.
It's a gripping coming of age story about surviving, I loved the sisters and honestly, I feel like the paranoia from the Dad was portrayed very realistically, but eventually, we might need to be paranoid. It's set in Australia and at times could be dull, though the dystopian was moderate, the dilemmas faced by the characters, the paranoid Dad and a chilling imagining of what would happen if all communications were knocked out, this bumps up my rating to a 4.
Pre Read
I picked this up purely for the cover,
The blurb really gives a lot away now that I'm actually I reading it.
"The sisters decide to keep their bunker a secret"
Well, let's see what the books like.
micaunraveled's review against another edition
5.0
I can’t believe a book this good exists. This is making me rethink any rating I’ve ever gave other books. It is so undeniably GOOD. I don’t know how to describe the feeling I have right now after finishing. It’s like everything I didn’t know I wanted in a book.
Every time I thought I knew what was gonna happen next something completely different happened. I experienced like a hundred twists in this book. The characters were amazing, the plot was unbelievably interesting, the pace was perfect, the writing felt like I was there watching it all happen. This is such a good book I feel like my heart is fulfilled with such joy from it.
The way the plot developed was incredible I don’t know how much praise I can give this book to make everyone read it. Everything worked out exactly how it should have. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I loathe Keller. I had to stop reading a few times because I was filled with rage and couldn’t think rationally. I wanted to k word a fictional character, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before. There is only ONE thing that didn’t go as I wanted but even then it made perfect sense.
Another thing that I loved sososo much was the message. That we’re stronger together, being part of a community is good and people are kind even (or more so) when faced with something devastating. So often I’ve seen movies and tv shows about the end pf the world and it’s always about chaos and destruction and the lost of humanity. This book is the opposite and for that I’m grateful. Please read this book.
p.s: there’s amazing representation here of minorities which I wouldn’t have guessed at first from a book of this gente but was pleasantly surprised
Every time I thought I knew what was gonna happen next something completely different happened. I experienced like a hundred twists in this book. The characters were amazing, the plot was unbelievably interesting, the pace was perfect, the writing felt like I was there watching it all happen. This is such a good book I feel like my heart is fulfilled with such joy from it.
The way the plot developed was incredible I don’t know how much praise I can give this book to make everyone read it. Everything worked out exactly how it should have. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I loathe Keller. I had to stop reading a few times because I was filled with rage and couldn’t think rationally. I wanted to k word a fictional character, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before. There is only ONE thing that didn’t go as I wanted but even then it made perfect sense.
Another thing that I loved sososo much was the message. That we’re stronger together, being part of a community is good and people are kind even (or more so) when faced with something devastating. So often I’ve seen movies and tv shows about the end pf the world and it’s always about chaos and destruction and the lost of humanity. This book is the opposite and for that I’m grateful. Please read this book.
p.s: there’s amazing representation here of minorities which I wouldn’t have guessed at first from a book of this gente but was pleasantly surprised
rachjq's review
fast-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? Yes
3.5
literary_madness's review against another edition
5.0
Resourcefulness and resilience are two key themes throughout this brilliant book.
My first book of Lili Wilkinson's to read and definitely not my last.
Loved her writing style, had me hooked from the first chapter.
My first book of Lili Wilkinson's to read and definitely not my last.
Loved her writing style, had me hooked from the first chapter.
avsfan08's review against another edition
5.0
Pru and her twin sisters have been drilled by their doomsday prepper father what to do in the event the worst happens. That day finally comes when their father and many others in their tiny town are at the mine. What happens next sees humanity at it's best and worst as people struggle for anwers to what has happened and to survive.
zohal99's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those cases of 'If you loved this book, then you'll love this book'.
If you loved The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James, then you will love this book :)
The writing is great, the characters are fascinating, the outback setting is beautiful and the story is gripping. The climax is very intense. An awesome survival story with a lot of substance on how communities and people are affected by catastrophes and how power dynamics evolve and develop. There are some more nuanced discussions too.
I highly recommend this Young Adult Australian novel. You will most likely read it in one sitting and might feel your heart race quite a bit as well. The tension in this book is perfect!
If you loved The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James, then you will love this book :)
The writing is great, the characters are fascinating, the outback setting is beautiful and the story is gripping. The climax is very intense. An awesome survival story with a lot of substance on how communities and people are affected by catastrophes and how power dynamics evolve and develop. There are some more nuanced discussions too.
I highly recommend this Young Adult Australian novel. You will most likely read it in one sitting and might feel your heart race quite a bit as well. The tension in this book is perfect!
acosyreader's review
4.0
www.acosyreader.com
So yep, this story is about a prepper family and the kind of twisted way their Dad’s paranoia about impending Doomsday-like events affects his 3 daughters. Like I said, it’s something a little different 😉
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were sweet, and complicated, and genuinely 3-dimensional which I really respect in a genre where it can be easy to fall into using trope-y cliched character types. When disaster hits, Pru constantly seems to question her Dad’s mantra of ‘Family comes first’ after seeing how the town bands together. Torn between two mindsets, we get to see Pru’s internal battle of what to do – and it lets you wonder what you’d do in the same circumstances – when you’ve been brought up to so firmly believe people would act a certain way when disaster hit, only to have your community’s actions completely fly in the face of it.
Similarly, the twins (Grace and Blythe) have their quirks and twists of personality that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the first few chapters. Even Mateo seems to grow and change through the book. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, Wilkinson’s characterisation and the way she lets her characters adapt and change was really refreshing to read.
The story itself is also engaging, with a plot that keeps you turning those pages (I think I finished this book in like, 2-3 days, which I haven’t done for a while!). It’s not only what happens that keeps you wanting more, but also the way it happens and how well written the whole novel is, I just wanted to devour it all.
But don’t let me sway you – I highly recommend you give it a read yourself!
Rating: Contemporary YA fans will almost definitely love this book, and those who enjoy contemporary fiction generally I’d say would also enjoy this read as a lighter, faster read. I recommend trying it!
So yep, this story is about a prepper family and the kind of twisted way their Dad’s paranoia about impending Doomsday-like events affects his 3 daughters. Like I said, it’s something a little different 😉
I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were sweet, and complicated, and genuinely 3-dimensional which I really respect in a genre where it can be easy to fall into using trope-y cliched character types. When disaster hits, Pru constantly seems to question her Dad’s mantra of ‘Family comes first’ after seeing how the town bands together. Torn between two mindsets, we get to see Pru’s internal battle of what to do – and it lets you wonder what you’d do in the same circumstances – when you’ve been brought up to so firmly believe people would act a certain way when disaster hit, only to have your community’s actions completely fly in the face of it.
Similarly, the twins (Grace and Blythe) have their quirks and twists of personality that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the first few chapters. Even Mateo seems to grow and change through the book. Basically, what I’m trying to say is, Wilkinson’s characterisation and the way she lets her characters adapt and change was really refreshing to read.
The story itself is also engaging, with a plot that keeps you turning those pages (I think I finished this book in like, 2-3 days, which I haven’t done for a while!). It’s not only what happens that keeps you wanting more, but also the way it happens and how well written the whole novel is, I just wanted to devour it all.
But don’t let me sway you – I highly recommend you give it a read yourself!
Rating: Contemporary YA fans will almost definitely love this book, and those who enjoy contemporary fiction generally I’d say would also enjoy this read as a lighter, faster read. I recommend trying it!