A review by elmeeks
Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
3.0
In the future a plague has killed off 99% of the population. Lucy is living on her own in what was once Central Park. Her parents were killed by the plague (and I am assuming her siblings as well though it is never directly stated) and now she prefers to survive on her own. Lucy is constantly on alert for the Sweepers who are still rounding up people for unknown purposes. One day Lucy is chased by a pack of dogs and a mysterious boy named Aiden comes to her aid. He tells her where he is living with a group of other survivers. Lucy ends up journeying to find him when later her home is wiped out by a tsunami. Now, Sweepers are coming and taking children from Aiden's camp. What is going on with the Sweepers and what are they looking for?
Overall the story was engaging. I found it refreshing to read a zombie free plague book for a change. New York's new landscape was intriguing and written with good detail.
I was disappointed with the lack of character back stories. I really wanted to know more about what their lives were like before the plague. Lucy's back story was the most developed and yet it left me with tons of questions. I really wanted to know for sure what happened to Lucy's siblings. I mean if Lucy wasn't vaccinated, then her siblings wouldn't have been too right? The author mentioned her not looking like her siblings so was she secretly adopted? If they did from the plague, why not say that? Her parents deaths were mentioned multiple times. Aiden had no backstory which I was dying to know something more about him. He was in foster care and has a brother. That is really not a whole lot to go on. Even Del's backstory would have been useful.
Plus I thought the ending was kind of weak in that it never solved the overall problem. I highly doubt the Sweepers are going to leave Lucy alone. It seemed as if the book couldn't decide if it was going to be a stand alone book or a series. There is an epilogue and no book 2 listed so I am guessing a stand alone book which means it really could have used some tightening up of the storyline.
Overall the story was engaging. I found it refreshing to read a zombie free plague book for a change. New York's new landscape was intriguing and written with good detail.
I was disappointed with the lack of character back stories. I really wanted to know more about what their lives were like before the plague. Lucy's back story was the most developed and yet it left me with tons of questions. I really wanted to know for sure what happened to Lucy's siblings. I mean if Lucy wasn't vaccinated, then her siblings wouldn't have been too right? The author mentioned her not looking like her siblings so was she secretly adopted? If they did from the plague, why not say that? Her parents deaths were mentioned multiple times. Aiden had no backstory which I was dying to know something more about him. He was in foster care and has a brother. That is really not a whole lot to go on. Even Del's backstory would have been useful.
Plus I thought the ending was kind of weak in that it never solved the overall problem. I highly doubt the Sweepers are going to leave Lucy alone. It seemed as if the book couldn't decide if it was going to be a stand alone book or a series. There is an epilogue and no book 2 listed so I am guessing a stand alone book which means it really could have used some tightening up of the storyline.