This book is the first book of the series.
The end of the world? That’s the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters and deep philosophical exercises in school. No need to sweat it. So when sixteen-year-old Tess’s doomsday-dad builds a bomb shelter in their suburban backyard, everyone thinks he’s gone crazy….
…Until fire rains down from the sky, sinking whole cities into colossal craters and setting much of the world ablaze.
Tess’s dad gives her a few short minutes to gather her emergency bag and her freaked-out kitten, then leads her outside and into the underground shelter. Terrified, the last thing she expects is for him to leave her there all alone, but he has no choice—he must find her missing brother.
Before leaving, he makes Tess promise to keep the hatch door shut, not to open it for anyone but him, and to stay put until he returns.
But he forgot to tell her one thing: What is she supposed to do if he never comes back?
I really enjoyed this book and actually felt quite emotionally invested in it. The storyline was great, the plot moved at a good pace, it was exciting and the characters were good.
Callie the cat was probably my favourite thing in this book, probably because I’m a cat owner myself. Tess’s interactions with her kitten and the descriptions of such, were spot on. If I was in a similar situation, I’d be taking my own cats with me.
Tess was a great character even though she lacked everything a main character should have. She wasn’t strong, she wasn’t particularly brave and lacked the survival instinct needed to make it through the book. She was however very likeable and relatable which made her a good character. Let’s face it, she wouldn’t have survived without Cole. Cole was brilliant. The interactions between them both were entertaining to read and I liked seeing their relationship towards eachother develop.
The apocalyptic world happening around them was a good setting. We see everything from Tess’s point of view, and so miss the worst of it. We also only what she does, and so, never find out the full extent of what has actually happened. I quite like this aspect of the book. It leaves your imagination to kick in.
This book however, does end quite abruptly. What is Tess’s fate? It certainly leaves me wanting to read the next book in the series, which is what I plan to do.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.
My rating: 5/5*
