Review of In The After by Demitria Lunetta

Format: eBook
Genres: Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Sci-Fi
Pages: 464
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 25/06/2013
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter
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They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape - and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive - and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby - and much more.



One thing I really loved about In The After was how much it focused on survival and how Amy survived. She didn't just sit around, she learnt how to get past the Aliens, how to stay silent. Even if she has to hide in the shadow of a bush. Although when she was learning and made a mistake, it definitely made my heart stop on a few occasions! We learn a little of her past and a little of her future in the first half.



In the second half, it really switches things up by showing us glimpses of Four Months Later where things for Amy have really changed and she's not quite herself for most of it. We also continue the story where we left off, going back to the glimpses every so often. Knowing what was going to happen to Amy in the future definitely added a lot of suspense and was a very clever tactic!

I loved Baby, I wasn't sure if we were going to have long details or trying to look after a small child but it wasn't like that at all. Amy finds Baby when the attacks started four years ago, so we meet her as a child, a very intelligent one that's grown up learning how to stay quiet and what items to look for. Amy has learnt Baby to speak not through sound, which attracts the Aliens, but though sign language, some real and some made up for convenience. I really loved their relationship.

This book starts off Apocalyptic but quickly turns into a Dystopia as Amy and Baby finds themselves in New Hope, a city that has survived the Aliens. It's actually a college campus but city is the closest word for it. It was here that the book really started to remind me of Partials by Dan Wells, with a little of The Program by Suzanne Young thrown in. 

The second half definitely had it's much weaker moments but ultimately was a very shocking read. The ending was amazing, not what I expected at all. I'm hoping the sequel is just as strong or stronger. I really want to find out what will happen to Amy and Baby!


Comments

  1. Anonymous7:53 am BST

    This sounds like a very creepy read! I love it when author's employ new structures of storytelling rather than just linear. Seems that it worked out great in this book!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I loved this book, but I keep putting off reading the sequel! Time to get on that...

    ReplyDelete

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