Zomtober: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Ashes
Author:  Ilsa J. Bick
Release Date: September 6th 2011
Publisher: Egmontusa
Pages: 480
Source: Purchased 

Summary (from Goodreads):
"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.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation" 

My Thoughts: 
I LOVED this book! It was creepy, disturbing, gruesome and exhilarating! It even had a little romance which was a nice contrast to all the devastation and misery in the story.

At first I was worried that Ashes was going to end up being a slow paced book. The beginning chapters were a bit confusing, but it picked up quickly and I was sucked right into the book. We are first introduced to Alex, a seventeen year old girl with cancer. All Alex wants to do is dump her parent's ashes into Lake Superior. Things don't go as planned for her unfortunately. Along the way Alex meets Ellie, an eight year old with an attitude and her dog Mina (who is awesome). Tom eventually shows up too along the way. 

Like I said, this book is INCREDIBLE and original. The idea that EMP blasts can cause so much damage is haunting and Ilsa does a great job of proving that. The EMP blasts basically kills everyone through the ages of thirty to fifty and "Changes" everyone younger than twenty-five to thirteen. The change is horrific. Instead of killing the young, the EMP blasts fry their brains and turn them into zombie like people. I won't give anything away but let's just say Ilsa has a thing for great detail.

There is a pretty violent scene with a dog. I'm a big animal lover so I know how it can be hard for some people to stomach. It only lasts about a paragraph and I promise that's the only really violent animal scene. If you can stomach that one scene and continue with the story I promise it will be worth it! 

I was impressed with how  the story went down and how suspenseful and thrilling it was. I literally would not stop reading because I had to know what was going to happen next. The romance was good, I really liked Tom in the book and Alex was a good heroine too. Ellie tended to get on my nerves a lot due to her attitude and how defiant she always is. I started getting attached to the characters by the middle of the book. An event happens that caused the group to split up and my heart broke. The story wasn't the same with out the trio but it added to the mystery of what was going to happen. I have to say the last half of the book wasn't my favorite. It's not terrible, but I wanted the old back. In the sequel I hope my questions are answered and the trio can reunite!

The ending to Ashes is a killer! I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next so badly. I can not wait for the sequel! If you're looking for a creepy read, this is definitely for you!

Rating: 5/5

Zomtober: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Title: Boneshaker
Author:  Cherie Priest
Release Date: September 29th 2009

Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 416
Source: Library
  
Summary (from Goodreads):
"Cherie Priest's much-anticipated steampunk debut has finally arrived in the form of a paperback original. Its plot features the sort of calibrated suspense that readers of her Four and Twenty Blackbirds would expect. Boneshaker derives its title from the Bone-Shaking Drill Engine, a device designed to give Russian prospectors a leg up in the race for Klondike gold. Unfortunately, there was one hitch: On its trial run, the Boneshaker went haywire and, long story short, turned much of Seattle into a city of the dead. Now, 16 years later, a teenage boy decides to find out what is behind that mysterious wall. Can his mother save him in time? 

My Thoughts:
Boneshaker was definitely an original and well put together novel. When I heard there was a steampunk zombie book taking place in Seattle, I knew I had to get my hands on it and devour that book. I had high expectations for Cherie Priest's Boneshaker, and I was not let down. 


The world Priest creates is fascinating and ominous at the same time. It set the tone for the novel and added that extra "umph" to the book. The characters were also great. I felt like I knew Zeke and Briar was a wonderful heroine, definitely a kick-ass lady! I also liked how the Rotters (Zombies) weren't caused by medical experiments gone wrong or viruses. Instead they were created by dangerous volcanic gas called "blight", the blight can turn even a normal healthy person into a munching zombie if inhaled too much. I loved how Priest didn't make the Rotters the main part of the book, instead she allowed them to be lurking around which greatly improved the suspense in the book.


This book was also refreshing because it didn't focus on the typical relationships included in books nowadays (IE. Dramatic BF/GF stories). Boneshaker is the story about a mother and son's relationship and how secrets can sometimes lead people to do crazy things for the truth. The book did have some slow parts and a lot of the story in the end could have easily been predicted from the beginning. Despite that, it was usually well paced and action packed. I honestly don't remember being bored reading this book. I encourage everyone to read Boneshaker and I'll be sure to be on the lookout for the sequel. 


Rating: 4/5