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A review by emleemay
In the After by Demitria Lunetta
2.0
Two stars, eh? Looks like it must be a negative review, right? In this case, though, this isn't that much of a negative review. Rather, these are the reasons why I didn't love this book and the reasons why I think a whole bunch of other people probably will. So...
There's this book you might have heard about lately. It's called [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812]. I know, I know, they've been so quiet about it, really toned down the promotion to about a thousand rotating banner ads on goodreads. So, maybe you haven't heard of it. Well, I LOVED this book. For a whole bunch of reasons that you can find elsewhere if you so wish. However, as more and more people find their way towards it after the book's release date in early May, it's becoming apparent that some people really didn't like it.
Just kidding. You know me, I never waste an opportunity to drop a couple of gifs.
But because I like to ponder and philosophise on other people's reading habits and tastes and the big questions like "what is it about this book that made us view it so differently?", "If a book falls off my shelf while I'm not in the room - does it make a sound? And, more importantly, is it weird to kiss it better when I get home?", "Is there life after series completion?", "Are we human or are we reader?" and "To read or to read longer?" Perhaps I shall never know the answers. But, after reading this book, I think there's a good chance that the less you liked [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812], the more you will like [b:In the After|12157407| In the After |Demitria Lunetta|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351415769s/12157407.jpg|17128269].
“I found Baby shortly after the world failed, when I still believed things would return to normal. I no longer hold that hope. Nothing this broken can ever be fixed.”
The reason I liked [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812] and this one not so much is because I'm not the biggest fan of traditional science fiction. I feel a lack of connection with the characters and a lack of sympathy for their situation. Yancey's tale is not about aliens, but humanity. A lot of it is made up of flashbacks of the characters' lives, building up a gradual picture of who they are, why they continue to fight in a world where hope is almost non-existent, and what makes them survive against the odds. [b:In the After|12157407| In the After |Demitria Lunetta|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351415769s/12157407.jpg|17128269], on the other hand, is an action-packed story that drops us right into the center of the action straight away.
No time is wasted on pretty words, build-up and lengthy flashbacks (though we do get a few, obviously, to explain some of what happened). The aliens are not cleverly-disguised as humans, using distrust as a weapon, these creatures are the old kind. Monstrous, rabid, driven by a crazed desire for human flesh... perfect for fans of what I keep calling traditional sci-fi because I don't know how else to explain it. However, this is part of where the book starts to lose me and why Yancey's approach will always appeal to me more. Because: what is it that separates these creatures from zombies or vampires or "insert other evil supernatural creature here"? Nothing that I can see. But if you like your villains full-stop-totally-nasty, then step this way.
Much of the basic story is similar to the one in [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812]. Aliens attack, female protagonist must fend for herself, strong sibling-like relationship, parents personalities behind the reasons for certain survival skills, main characters searching for a safe place where obviously some shit is going to go down and everything is not as it first appears. Yada, yada. I saw the twists coming in both books but I think it took more away from [b:In the After|12157407| In the After |Demitria Lunetta|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1351415769s/12157407.jpg|17128269], which relied on the action and plot to drive it. But, that being said, I've read several reviews on GR by readers who were surprised.
I also know some had a problem with the writing in [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812] but I loved that soft, melancholy, end-of-the-world tone which it had. I found the writing here to more simplistic - though, not necessarily in a bad way - and more focused on the action, rather than the thoughts and feelings of the characters. There were some fantastic scenes that I'm sure will get other readers' pulses racing, like the supermarket scene that reminded me so much of the kitchen scene with the velociraptors(I think) from Jurassic Park - and if you don't know what scene I'm talking about, then you clearly haven't watched it enough. That scene gave me nightmares for years.
So, to conclude, I would say that if you were disappointed by [b:The 5th Wave|16101128|The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)|Rick Yancey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359853842s/16101128.jpg|19187812] and the loud hype-parade following it around, do not worry! 2013 may yet bring you the exciting, fast-paced, alien invasion read you were hoping for. Yes, this very well could be it.