Shadows by Ilsa J Bick

 review by Maryom

In a post-apocalyptic world, where all but children and the elderly have turned into flesh-eating monsters, the few teens and young adults that have remained 'unchanged' are highly prized. Alex, Chris and Tom fall into this category but even for them the danger is not over. No one knows how the 'Change' comes about - who is susceptible, who immune - and who it will strike next. Having become separated Alex and Tom are desperate to find each other again but in a world now populated by armed, zombie-type mobs nothing is going to be simple and straight-forward.

 Shadows is the second book of the post-apocalyptic Ashes trilogy and seems to suffer from being the middle book  Ashes ended on a cliff hanger - sort of to be expected - and Shadows picks up the story there. The only thing is the story doesn't seem to move along much. There's lots of fighting, attacks by mutants, lots of blood and gore but by the ending - another cliff hanger - I didn't feel things had advanced. If anything Shadows introduces more sub-plots and leaves more questions unanswered. Hopefully all will be resolved in Book3....

Maryom's review - 3 stars
Publisher - Quercus Books
Genre - teen,YA, fiction

Buy Shadows (Ashes Trilogy) from Amazon

Parcels and intriguing packaging

Post by Maryom!!!

 We're just back from a fortnight's holiday in Scotland which included calling in at the Edinburgh Book Festival.

Waiting for our return, in amongst the junk mail, were interesting looking parcels - books!

We don't normally get lots delivered at one time so there's no debate about which to open first

but

 when most come in slightly dull jiffy bags or cardboard folders

 

 the interesting ones jump the queue....

 In a shiny metallic green bag was a copy of Shadows by Ilsa J Bick - the much awaited follow-up to Ashes.

 But most intriguing of all was the silver shiny parcel with a book wrapped in tissue paper...

 .....with sparkly 'gems'...

 What was inside?

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable

 ...and if you want to know what it's about....

here's the cover blurb. Certainly one I'm looking forward to reading.

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick

Just When You Thought There Was Nothing Left To Lose.....
review by Maryom

Seventeen year old Alex heads off into the wilderness for some peace and quiet to reflect on the things that have shattered her life. While she is there, an electro-magnetic pulse destroys anything that's left! Of the few survivors, some turn into savage creatures hunting down humans for food but some discover that they now have enhanced senses. Alex's sense of smell might give her the edge over those hunting her... With fellow survivors - 8 year old Ellie and young soldier Tom - Alex needs to find a safe haven where she can start to re-build her shattered life. The question is what sort of world will the survivors build on the ashes of the old?


I found this a hard book to get into - mainly because the back of the book blurb had given away too much of the plot. Whilst Alex and the people she encounters are trying to understand and explain away what has occurred, the reader already knows.
Quarter of the way in, I moved into uncharted territory plot-wise and the book really got going. After this point I found it difficult to put Ashes down. Some of the characters come across as stereotypes rather than real people but Alex and Tom come across as believable people with real issues and troubles. Ilsa J Bick has added an interesting twist on the usual zombie story by having a main character who had little to live for before the world changed, but now sees, among the destruction of everything, the possibility of a future.

After the opening hiccough, Ashes is a fast-paced, dystopian adventure and I can't wait to read the follow-on book, unfortunately not out till next year.
A slight warning to anyone at all squeamish - this is at times violent, gory and stomach churning!

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Quercus Books
Genre - teen,YA, fiction


Buy Ashes from Amazon - on pre-order till 29/9/11