Ashes

Title: AshesAuthor: Ilsa J BickRating - 4 out of 5 starsI admit, I found this book intriguing when it was suggested to my by Goodreads because it was an apocalyptic survival thriller. I not only wanted to see how others wove this type of story (since I wrote  Eden's Root ), I wanted to indulge in one of my favorite genres, which is apocalyptic stories. For whatever reason, I find this intriguing. (Hence my love of Doomsday Preppers). This title is still fairly new on the shelves so my review will not include any spoilers.Synopsis from AmazonIt could happen tomorrow....An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom, a young soldier, and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.My ReviewI loved Tom. He is dreamy and awesome...protective, brave, strong, and haunted. He is an excellent partner for Alex, whose losses and challenges in life have also made her tough. The reason that she was in the middle of nowhere when the EMP hit was because she was planning to kill herself rather than allowing her brain tumor to do so. Tom's time in Afghanistan has left him with serious PTSD and he also had come to the area to escape in his own way, by deserting. Both carry these mirrored secrets that drew them to be in the same place and time and connect them.I liked Alex. She is incredibly tough and her battle with cancer is something that absolutely killed me. I knew exactly what she was talking about when she talked about the nausea and chemo weakness. It almost made it difficult to read for me sometimes because her descriptions of the treatments and associated feelings were so real. (Don't worry, she doesn't dwell on this stuff, I just felt it strongly because of my personal experiences.) I also like the way the author used Alex's illness and resulting symptoms to both generate compassion for her, and make a backdrop to her `superpowers`. The first is accomplished when she tells you that the cancer (the Monster) had robbed Alex of her sense of smell, and therefore of many of her deepest memories, including those of her dead parents. I find this to be an incredibly clever bit of awful. Then she accomplishes the second when the EMP returns and intensifies Alex's sense of smell, giving you the emotional triumph of the moment as well as the `ah-ha' that something important had changed.I found Alex's `superpower', the ability to smell not only normal things but people's feelings (pheromones) as well, was a really cool sci-fi/fantasy touch that kept it interesting. It is a variation on something I have in a WIP right now. And I liked the character arc that took place during Alex's time in the world of Rule. She is normally fiesty and a fighter and somehow once inside Rule, she allows herself (for a time) to accept and be passive. That would have been difficult to believe given what you know about her, but with all the trauma, it is well explained.I also liked the other potential love interest, Chris, though not nearly as well as Tom (which is the point I am sure). With Chris it's almost like Alex has to protect him because he is so disturbed.Trilogy aspect - This book is interesting because on the one hand you could see the end as one of those cliffhangers that some find annoying...but it also could actually serve as the ending to the book. It would be a dark end, but it could be an end so its not like one of those Trilogies where the first book has no stand-alone quality to it at all.Not so IntoThe synopsis for the book (on Amazon at least) does not tell you one of the important things about this story, IMHO, and that is that almost all children are turned into ZOMBIES by the EMP. I think that even though she probably didn't want that in the synopsis because it's a `spoiler' of sorts, I think you have to tell people that a story is a zombie story up front because that is a very specific thing. In this story I had a little trouble with the grossness of zombie stuff, but that is mostly preferential. Then again I liked Enclave a lot (review to come) and I think it's because the zombies were so unlike humans anymore and had been separate from your heros for a while. In Ashes what was pretty disgusting and diabolical was that children you'd seen in a past scene became flesh-eating zombies later and the yuk factor was significantly higher for me as a result. I think that it's because you've related to them first as human children, and just a day later they are picking eyeballs out of sockets and munching them that the author successfully turned my stomach. That may be a recommendation to you if you like spooky or gross.Occasionally the fight sequences got a little long for me. And there are some religious aspects that play an important part in the story in some ways that are not really explained. But it is a trilogy after all.Overall: I enjoyed this (despite the yuk at times) and am definitely looking forward to the next book. I like Alex and am rooting for her, which is why I think this is a good book. If the author can give me a main character that I love come hell or high water, then I am usually along for the entire ride.If you like apocalyptic, science-fiction, zombies, action, suspense...then you will like Ashes. If any of those factors are a definite `no' for you, then you probably would like another book better. BTW, if you do like zombies, my friend's book, Eaters will be coming out soon and I am excited for it. I will post when it comes out.

Ashes is a fantastic apocalyptic zombie novel told in the third person point of view where the focus is on Alex, the main character of the book. The point of view of Ashes is very successful for this story because even though we are seeing everything through Alex we are distanced back enough to make our own decisions about the situations that arise; this becomes a valuable asset in this novel.Alex makes for a great lead character. Usually I find myself drawn to secondary characters (We all pick a favorite, right? Right?) But Alex was flawed and quirky enough that she easily earned a place in my heart. The author did a splendid job of giving us enough of her as we go so that the reader is able to continually learn new things about Alex as the story progresses.I both enjoyed and got frustrated with the rest of the characters in this book.How Ilsa Bick wrote Ellie was quite on the nose. I have never wanted to punch an eight-year-old in the face before. Not until Ellie. But while I was mentally turning into a cannibal as I read - directed entirely towards Ellie - the author also had me feeling for the little brat as things went along. To me, that takes immense talent.And then there's Tom. "Because when you pass out again and fall into the fire, I don't want to have to put out your hair, and I'm kind of partial to that turtleneck."I found Tom to be such an excellent balance to Alex. Tom acted how I imagine someone his age would, given the situation. The author made Tom a very believable character and he was one that I enjoyed seeing on the page.I found that the author wrote all the characters quite well. Every character was authentic and understandable. There was only one character I had trouble with. And that was Chris. I just never connected with him. I thought he was a bit forced and I never was really concerned about him though I felt I should have been.There was only one part of the book that pulled me out of the `readers dream'. The location of this story is in Northern Michigan. I suppose as someone who is from Michigan I may have been a bit critical. I accepted the fictional places that were created after I stopped to scratch my head and googled the setting; I learned at that point that this area was fictionalized. But the author's use of description in the setting (more on that later) and the accuracy of the world she created was so spot on that I quickly forgot about the real and fell into the alternate reality. But there was one slip that I couldn't look past. "... There's Sawyer Air Force Base here in the Yooper."Just as a clarification, Yooper is a person from the Upper Peninsula. The nickname for the region is U.P. or even The Yoop (though not used as much). Like I said, it's just something this Michigander noticed.If you can come away with one thing from this review, let it be this: Ilsa Bick is phenomenal when it comes to imagery on every single level. Her use of description for the setting of the story helped create an amazing background. A thick carpet of pine needles muffled their steps as effectively as heavy snow.I felt that even just this simple sentence did an amazing job at putting the reader into the scene.The other area of imagery that the author does very well is the age old writing rule: show don't tell. The girl clamped her hands around the animal's neck and gave a savage twist. The crow's neck snapped with a crisp, crackling sound like a Thanksgiving wishbone, and then Ponytail Blonde corkscrewed the crow's head from its body with a gleeful squall.The pop of that crow's neck was so audible that I will never be able to look at a Thanksgiving turkey the same way again. But that's how you know the author has done their job, when a visual sticks with you so thoroughly.On other reviews I've read there seems to be a complaint about the speed of the book changing half way through. While the pace did change I didn't see this as a problem, especially since the change of direction is actually acknowledged in the novel. She'd never have let the monster get away with that, and there were many ways to fight. So why wasn't she? Because something was changing. Again. Inside her. She felt it in this slow, general slide into a kind of numb acceptance.The characters change and grow as the book moves along and that means the direction of the book must do the same.So much of this book was done right. I could go on about the immense cliffhangers that are scattered through this story (I won't even touch the insane ending!). And I could mention how much I appreciate how not every tiny thing we come across is explained. We get to be treated like we would in the real world. Everything isn't given. We have to earn it.If you are intrigued by survival novels or zombie novels then this is a read for you. Or, if you just love a very well written book read this. You will not be sorry. And even better, this is the start of a trilogy.Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to go start reading the second book.

(Source: I purchased a copy of this book on Kindle.)17-year-old Alex has a monster in her head. A malignant tumour that isn't responding to chemo, radiotherapy, or the new PEBBLES treatment.Deciding that enough is enough, Alex has taken her parents ashes, cut school, and driven to Michigan, intending to do some hiking on the Waucamaw, and to scatter her parents ashes on lake Superior. She's had enough of the treatments, and she's decided to just make the most of the time she has left.An electromagnetic pulse changes everything though. People drop dead, other people become wild and start attacking people and eating them, and nothing electronic will work.Forming a friendship with an 8-year-old girl (Ellie) stranded in the same place, and an ex-army man Tom who rescues them from a cannibal. Together the three must try to survive in the wilderness, and eventually try to find their way back to civilisation.What chance do the three on them stand though, with not only cannibals out there but mercenary's trying to rob them.Wow! This book was just awesome! There was mystery, suspense, horror, and even a touch of romance. At times I was angry, shocked, disgusted, screaming at my kindle, and loving every minute of it!I loved Alex who always tried to make the best of her limited resources, and took time to care for a lost little girl, even when it meant rising her own life. I loved Tom and Ellie and the storyline was just explosive. So many ups and downs, and just when things are looking up, something else awful happens!I'm loving dystopian books this year, and this is definitely one of the best. Ashes is better than `the hunger games', and totally a 5 star book. I can't even begin to explain how much this book gripped me, and how totally suckered in I was! I'm so happy that the sequel `Shadows' is already out so that I can jump straight into it, but I'm already not looking forward to the wait for book 3! I can't wait to find out what will happen to Alex, Ellie, Tom, and all the other characters.This whole book was a total rollercoaster ride, and I just loved the storyline. If you like dystopians you're gonna want to get a copy of this, and fast!9.5 out of 10.

This is the first in a trilogy of post-apocalyptic novels set in a world where a series of (as yet in the first novel) unexplained electro-magnetic pulses has killed off or driven savage the majority of the population, except for very young children under about ten and old people over about 65 and a few other exceptions with unusual brain wave patterns or mental health issues. It's an interesting scenario, but there wasn't enough plot for me. The plot centres around the wanderings of 19 year old Alex, a brain tumour sufferer, and her companions Ellie, an eight year old girl whom she had met with her grandfather just before the "Zap" that caused the disaster, and Tom, a young veteran of the war in Afghanistan. There were a number of fairly horrific set piece encounters with people driven savage by the "Zap" trying to attack and kill them for food (and attacks by wild dogs and wolves as well). The bleakness of the scenario made this a good page turner (or rather screen toucher as it was an e-book), though my interest waned a bit when Alex, now alone, arrived at the apparent sanctuary of the town of Rule. It is clear by the end of the novel that there is more to the town than appeared at first. I have downloaded the sequel, though I hope there will be a more plot-driven narrative. 4/5

I enjoyed this book, I liked the main character of Alex, she is a resourceful, practical girl you'd want to have with you in a world disaster!I felt the plot line explored the issues of this disaster well (a massive electro magnetic pulse that kills everyone aged early 20's to pre-OAP's and of the remainder not killed some turn into flesh eating zombies) such as the moral dilemmas of whether to share what you have with others and risk being overwhelmed or keep it to a select group-how do you choose this group?Alex is given a super power by the EMP as it seemingly detroys/halts her brain tumour that she had before the event and gives her super smell, she can tell people's emotions and personalities by it. This was an interesting concept as she figures it out.I wouldn't recommend this book for younger children as the description of the flesh eating zombies dismembering bodies can be rather graphic.I enjoyed the twist at the very end which I didn't see coming and leaves me wondering what will happen in the next instalment.

I loved how this book kept me hooked its my second time reading it, I don't actually remember it all moving so quick the first time round, but if you love a good undead book give this series a read, well worth it!

Bought this when it was a daily deal then forgot about it for ages. Now that I have finally read it I am so gutted at having to wait for the next book. Really enjoyed the story and the characters, it gets a bit gruesome in places but I don't mind that. Others have described the outline better than I could, I am really looking forward to the next one being released and hopefully book 3 won't be too long after that, I am impatient to know how it ends