There are times when we come across a novel that fills us with the need to invite the author out for coffee and pastries because only an expert can calm the maelstrom in our head. And when I say maelstrom, I mean maelstrom. Arnold takes hold of your reader hand and guides you through a chaos of emotion and plot-altering twists only to pat that hand gently at the end so you can sit and think about what he just did.
Where do I start? How do I articulate what I just read in enough coherent words to express my enjoyment and yet utterly quizzical feelings at this novel? Reader, you will be confused. You will have your heart punched. You will see hope and love and beauty all in the last scraps of humanity. You'll question everything you read and wonder aloud your 'buts' and 'what ifs' and even your 'what the hells.' There are slower areas of thoughts and inner monologues but this isn't a book you can skim. Every detail means something. Every detail affects something. Soak it all in and don't rush it. This is one to be sipped lightly.
This is a post-apocalyptic book where "flies" swarm and devour. Those not devoured get infected by the Fly Flu and also die. The human population has been wiped out and few are left. It's science fiction portals and dystopian survival skills wrapped up in old red leather and wound together in black cord. You should go in blind. You will not be dissapointed but bring a friend, because you're gonna need someone to talk to when it's all over.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the opportunity to wrap my mind around this gifted advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Where do I start? How do I articulate what I just read in enough coherent words to express my enjoyment and yet utterly quizzical feelings at this novel? Reader, you will be confused. You will have your heart punched. You will see hope and love and beauty all in the last scraps of humanity. You'll question everything you read and wonder aloud your 'buts' and 'what ifs' and even your 'what the hells.' There are slower areas of thoughts and inner monologues but this isn't a book you can skim. Every detail means something. Every detail affects something. Soak it all in and don't rush it. This is one to be sipped lightly.
This is a post-apocalyptic book where "flies" swarm and devour. Those not devoured get infected by the Fly Flu and also die. The human population has been wiped out and few are left. It's science fiction portals and dystopian survival skills wrapped up in old red leather and wound together in black cord. You should go in blind. You will not be dissapointed but bring a friend, because you're gonna need someone to talk to when it's all over.
Thank you Penguin Teen for the opportunity to wrap my mind around this gifted advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.