Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2) by Ilsa J. Bick

Publishing Details

Release Date: September 25th, 2012
Publisher: Egmont USA
Genre: Science Fiction (Post-Apocalyptic)
Age Group: Young Adult (15+)
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis

The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.
But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.

Review

Ugh. I hate cliffhangers.

In some ways, Shadows was a lot more than I expected, and in others, well...not so much.

By the first page, you are already plunged headfirst into the world of the Changed. The gore and the blood, the gritty, beautiful writing-it was what made me so excited to read Shadows. Which I loved. But what I didn't was the fact that there is no recap of the previous book. Like,

WHAT!?!?!?

I had to reread Ashes. But once my amnesia passed, Shadows was fine. In fact, it was amazing. Bick can juice an action scene like no other. The story revolves more towards political themes (the revolution against Rule, etc.) but still is raw with the survival story that starts off in Ashes. In this book, the author introduces us to multiple perspectives within her post-apocalyptic world to add dimension to the plot. There was a bit of turbulence in the beginning, but as I started reading, I got used to switching voices (which was just a bit irritating) and then got to the middle (which was boring as heck) and to the end (where it WAS SO ANNOYING I WANTED TO THROW THE BOOK AGAINST THE WALL!)

But, ahem. Getting ahead of myself.

In this book Bick wrestles a lot more with the science of things and we get to see inside the world of the Changed. Alongside, Rule's situation gets tenser (which didn't seem as important as it was stressed as, honestly), and other things happen (which cross the line way too many times, really, but it's good.) I LOVE LOVE LOVED Ashes. Don't know if I'm as excited about this one. But something tells me that the last book will be well worth the wait.