Secret by Brigid Kemmerer

Secret by Brigid Kemmerer
Elemental #4
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
Star Rating: ★★★★

Rating: Essential

Nick Merrick is stretched to breaking point. He's trying to keep his grades sky-high or he won't get in to college. He's trying to keep his brother's business afloat or the Merricks will be out on the street. He's trying to keep the secret of where he's going in the evenings from his twin brother Gabriel - or he fears he'll lose his family. And he's trying to keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who is his 'girlfriend's' partner.

And then Quinn takes to hanging around his sworn enemy, and an Elemental Guide is counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. Storms are brewing. On all sides.

Gareth Brody sat in a chipped plastic chair in the prison waiting room, listening for the guard to call his name.

---

Since reading the novella, I have been very excited for Nick's story. He was never my favourite Merrick brother; in fact, while I certainly liked him, he was always my least favourite. I didn't feel as though I knew enough about him to really like him. But the novella changed that, and after reading it I had hoped that he would grow on me more. 

Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Sky Chasers #3

Release Date: January 16, 2014

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books UK

Source: Publisher

Star Rating: ★★★★

Rating: Essential

Waverly and the other members of the Empyrean have been scattered, and their home ship destroyed. The mission to rescue their parents didn't go quite as planned, and now they're at an even greater disadvantage: trapped with their enemies on the New Horizon, trying to find a way to survive. Will Seth's health hold out long enough to help Waverly topple their enemy? And will Waverly find a way to unite her friends before the final battle? Nothing is certain and every second is a risk in this explosive finale.

The wait between the end of Spark, and Flame's release has been torturous. Spark, the second book in the Sky Chasers series, pretty much broke me. I had a breakdown on Goodreads, cried all over Twitter, and basically didn't want to go on. I've been anticipating Flame for a year now, and I am happy to confirm that it lived up to my expectations. 

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress by Marissa Meyer

The Lunar Chronicles #3

Release Date: February 6, 2014

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Christina!

Star Rating: ★★★★

Rating: Essential

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Scarlet was one of my favourite reads of 2013, and I had been looking forward to Cress for a year prior to its release. The lovely Christina let me and a bunch of other European bloggers borrow her ARC, and I almost fainted when it arrived here from Judith's house. It was the best belated Christmas gift ever.

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
Women of the Otherworld #1
Release Date: May 1, 2010 (This edition)
Publisher: Little Brown Book Group
Source: Tatum
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Essential

Elena Michaels didn't know that her lover Clay was a werewolf until he bit her, changing her life for ever. Betrayed and furious, she cannot accept her transformation, and wants nothing to do with her Pack - a charismatic group of fellow werewolves who say they want to help.

When a series of brutal murders threatens the Pack, Elena is forced to make an impossible choice. Abandon the only people who truly understand her new nature, or help them to save the lover who ruined her life, and who still wants her back at any cost.

I have to. I've been fighting it all night. I'm going to lose.

---

Bitten is one of those books that I have picked up to buy multiple times, but have always swapped it for another book that I deemed more important, or one that I was more excited for. Thanks to the new Canadian TV show, and the fact that this is Lauren's favourite series ever, I finally managed to pick it up. Or, rather, Tatum bought it for me for my birthday so I had no other choice. It was either this, or read Code Name Verity, and I don't want to be destroyed just yet, thank you. 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: February 28, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Orion
Source: Princess Judith
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Essential

TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel.

XTC was no good for drowning out the morons at the back of the bus.

---

Judith recommended Eleanor & Park to me for our Epic Recs back in November, and she even went as far as buying it for me for my birthday because she thought it was truly epic. I was very, very hesitant to pick this book up, because there is so much hype surrounding it and sometimes I really dislike the books that the community raves about.

Thankfully, I ended up really enjoying Eleanor & Park, and it gave me a lot of feelings. So Judith can put the knife away now.

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Avalon #1
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Essential

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Stealing a spaceship shouldn't be this easy.

---

Avalon is on a lot of people's most anticipated books for this year, and I can say that I am almost certain that most people will end up really enjoying it. Science fiction is my favourite genre, and Avalon is packed full of space-y goodness. You sci-fi fans should definitely give it a go, and even if you're hesitant towards the genre, you should know that it's not necessarily the sci-fi element that makes it fantastic. Sure, it's set in space and there are spaceships, but the most important part of the plot is the family part. The action is pretty good too. 

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Starbound #1
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher (NetGalley)
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Essential

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Nothing about this room is real.

---

These Broken Stars was a highly anticipated read of mine, and I'm sure a lot of other bloggers and readers felt the same, so I was delighted to receive it for review. A sci-fi is just what I needed, and on top of that there was a hate-to-love (kind of) relationship, and survival stuff.

Head Games by Joe Hill

Head Games by Joe Hill
Locke & Key #2
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Source: Bought
Star Rating: 4
Rating: Essential

New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with the next chapter in the ongoing tale, Head Games. Following a shocking death that dredges up memories of their father's murder, Kinsey and Tyler Locke are thrown into choppy emotional waters, and turn to their new friend, Zack Wells, for support, little suspecting Zack's dark secret. Meanwhile, six-year-old Bode Locke tries to puzzle out the secret of the head key, and Uncle Duncan is jarred into the past by a disturbingly familiar face. Open your mind - the head games are just getting started.

Since reading Welcome to Lovecraft, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this world. The artwork is amazing, and the storyline is dark, creepy, and totally captivating. I had to order Head Games as soon as pay day arrived, because I simply couldn't wait any longer. The wait for it was awful, but I finally got my hands on it and I loved it! Locke & Key is a fantastic series, and I am so happy that the second graphic novel lived up - even surpassed! - my expectations.

Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill

Locke & Key #1

Release Date: September 29, 2008

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Source: Bought

Star Rating: 4

Rating: Essential

Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them.... and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all... Acclaimed suspense novelist and New York Times best-selling author Joe Hill (Heart-Shaped Box) creates an all-new story of dark fantasy and wonder, with astounding artwork from Gabriel Rodriguez.

I had been looking forward to reading this graphic novel for a long time. My first graphic novel was The Kite Runner, and since I read that I've been craving more. But I had to wait until I found a job, because graphic novels can be bloody expensive, and that is certainly true for the Locke & Key series. So, I bought this ASAP, and I absolutely devoured it!

I am a huge fan of horror and blood and gore, and as soon as I started reading this I knew that it would be the book for me. There's a murder in the first couple of pages, and Welcome to Lovecraft only gets darker from there. 

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

Matteo Alacran #1

Release Date: September 26, 2013 (UK)

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Books

Source: Publisher

Star Rating: 4

Rating: Essential

Matt is six years old when he discovers that he is different from other children and other people. To most, Matt isn't considered a boy at all, but a beast, dirty and disgusting. But to El Patron, lord of a country called Opium, Matt is the guarantee of eternal life. El Patron loves Matt as he loves himself - for Matt is himself. They share the exact same DNA.

As Matt struggles to understand his existence and what that existence truly means, he is threatened by a host of sinister and manipulating characters, from El Patron's power-hungry family to the brain-deadened eejits and mindless slaves that toil Opium's poppy fields. Surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards, escape is the only chance Matt has to survive. But even escape is no guarantee of freedom… because Matt is marked by his difference in ways that he doesn't even suspect.

In the beginning there were thirty-six of them, thirty-six droplets of life so tiny that Eduardo could see them only under a microscope.

---

How had I not heard of this book before a few months ago? It seems as though everyone I speak to has already read it, and yet it has been avoiding my radar for the past few years. What?! 

The House of the Scorpion is a great read. It's about love and family, and how those two things make us human. It's about rising up, and empowerment, and fighting your so-called destiny. I love all of those things, so I knew as soon as I picked this book up that this would be one for me. Add to that a writing style that reminds me of Neal Shusterman's Unwind, and we have a winner.

Blackout by Robison Wells

Blackout by Robison Wells
Blackout #1
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Laura and Alec are trained terrorists.

Jack and Aubrey are high school students.

There was no reason for them to ever meet.

But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all. - Goodreads

"Ready?" Alec asked, looking in the rearview mirror at Dan, whose eyes were closed in a kind of nervous meditation.

---

The reason I wanted to pick this book up was that I adored Variant. Robison Wells’ debut novel was action packed, engrossing, and I lost myself in the mystery. While I thought Feedback, the sequel, fell totally flat at the end, I was thrilled to find out that Wells had another YA novel coming out this year. Even better, it was uploaded onto Edelweiss, so that meant I spent a good fortnight with everything crossed in the hopes that I would get approved for this. And I was! So my sacrifices to Jupiter totally worked out.

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own. - Goodreads

Lynn was nine the first time she killed to defend the pond, the sweet smell of water luring the man to be picked off like the barn swallows that dared to swoop in for a drink.

---

In the three years that I have been blogging, and the fifteen years that I have been reading, I have never read a survival story quite like this one. I've told everyone before that I love survival stories, but unfortunately a lot of them tend to be bogged down with romance or unnecessary drama. That's not the case with Not a Drop to Drink. It's about survival, pure and simple. And it's exactly what I needed.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Release Date: October 28, 1998

Publisher: Headline Review (This edition)

Source: Bought

Goodreads Stars: 4/5

Rating: Essential

Stardust is an utterly charming fairy tale in the tradition of The Princess Bride and The Neverending Story. Neil Gaiman, creator of the darkly elegant Sandman comics and author of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love. - Goodreads

“A wise man once said: "Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?" Pointless, really. Now, do the stars gaze back? That is a question.”

Okay, so I'm not really what you'd call a Neil Gaiman fan, and really only picked up the first book I'd ever read, Coraline, because I'd watched the movie and absolutely loved it. Even if it did creep me the fuck out. But after reading Stardust, I'm starting to understand the hype.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha #2
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: Bought
Recommended by: Judith, for Epic Recs
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy it: Amazon UK

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm. - Goodreads

The boy and the girl had once dreamed of ships, long ago, before they'd ever seen the True Sea.

---

Wool by Hugh Howey

Wool by Hugh Howey
Silo #1
Release Date: January 17, 2013 (This edition)
Publisher: Century
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy it: Amazon UK

In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo.

Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies.

To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism.

Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside.

Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last. - Goodreads

The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do.

---

Is that, or is that not, the perfect opening line for me? Bring on the death and depressing topics, I say!

Wool was originally published as several shorter novellas, but then a publisher got hold of the awesome and came up with the genius plan to combine the short stories to make a bigger book. Since I don't read short stories, I would 99.9% never have picked up this series if it wasn't for that very wise publishing house. But, I did, and I'm very happy to announce that Wool is fabulous.

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Burn for Burn #2
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4.5
Rating: Essential
Buy it: Amazon UK

Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary…she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her—it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn... - Goodreads

I couldn't decide what to wear.

---

My Twitter followers are aware that this book gave me many feels, but in the interest of preserving what little dignity I have left, I shall try to make this review as serious and professional as possible... Okay, that was an outright lie. Who did you think you were talking to? 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Bought
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy it: Amazon UK

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about. - Goodreads

My eyes burn a hole in the page.

---

Once again, Kasie West has captivated me. I read Pivot Point back in January, and went on to push it towards everyone I came into contact with. I've been waiting a good six months for The Distance Between Us to be released, eagerly anticipating West's first contemporary novel, and I can gladly announce that it was well worth the wait!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Source: Bought
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential
Buy it: Amazon UK

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? - Goodreads

Minnie's face was deathly pale.

---

I'm fairly certain that most people think I'm slightly disturbed when I announce my fascination with death, murders, etc. I can't help what I love, and creepy stories or murder mysteries tend to draw me in. I love having no clue who the killer is, and struggling to put the clues together before time runs out. So when I heard that Ten is a novel about a bunch of teenagers who get murdered while on a creepy island, I was all over that. Unfortunately, due to the ridiculous pricing, it took me a while to get to it. 

Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Penryn and the End of Days #1
Release Date: May 23, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton (UK)
Source: Publisher
Recommended by: Debby
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Buy it: Amazon UK

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.


Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.


When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back... - Goodreads

Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious.

---

I picked this one up during the Debut-a-Thon, despite frequently being told that it's not a 2013 debut (it totally is, guys, it was only published in the UK this year!), mostly because Debby wouldn't shut up about it. I mean it, every time I mentioned needing a new read, she started shouting about Angelfall. And I have to take this opportunity to thank her for it, because I can now confirm that Debby has joined Judith in the Queens of Book Pushing Club.

Angelfall first entered my radar back when it was released in the US, and I knew it was receiving a lot of amazingly positive reviews, but... angels. I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of angel books. There are a couple that I have loved, but once the they started to become more heavily involved with religion I was out of there. Still, I got sent this as a surprise from the publisher, and friends had highly recommended it, so I decided to give it a go. And I'm very glad I did!

In the After by Demitria Lunetta

In the After by Demitria Lunetta
In the After #1
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Buy it: Amazon UK

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. - Goodreads

 After six months and only a handful of great debuts, I went into In the After with low expectations. How could I not, after being disappointed by the likes of Taken and Reboot? But I think my lower expectations paid off, because I ended up really enjoying In the After. The siblings' relationship was a drawing point, and I also really enjoyed the survival feel that this had going on as the characters struggled to survive the apocalypse.