Ashes

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

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 post-apocalyptic novel about a world that could become ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

I really, really, really, really, really enjoyed this book. This was one of those books where I did not enjoy the first chapter. I started reading this book at the library, and after reading the first chapter I was tempted to swop it for another book. I am so glad that I didn’t because  Ashes turned out to be one of my favorite YA Fantasy books!

Ashes has a strong female protagonist who is very capable of taking care of herself and roughing it in the wild. She is an avid camper and has some pretty awesome survival skills. The story of how she survives from day to day is believable. Ashes is jam-packed with action and suspenseful moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And yes, it has romance too. It wouldn’t be one of my favorite books if it didn’t.

I must confess that I am someone who struggles to finish reading a series. As soon as I finish reading a book there are so many other books on my reading list calling out to me. It takes a lot for me to continue with a series until I’ve finished it, but the Ashes series has that something special that makes me want to continue until I’ve reached the end. I’ve read two books in the series so far, and I am really keen to read the third.

Each book leaves you with a cliffhanger that makes you want to continue with the next book. Whenever I read an awesome book one in a series, I’m often hesitant to continue. I worry that the next book in the series won’t be as good. With Ashes, book one and book two were equally awesome. I am hopeful that the third book will not disappoint either.

You would be hard-pressed to find a better YA zombie series out there. It is a hundred times better than The Walking Dead TV Series, but just as gory, so you might want to give this one a miss if you can’t stomach zombie horror scenes.