In debut author Demitria Lunetta's heart-pounding thriller, one girl must fight for her survival in a world overrun by violent, deadly creatures. Perfect for fans of New York Times bestsellers like The 5th Wave and Across the Universe.
Amy Harris's life changed forever when They took over. Her parents—vanished. The government—obsolete. Societal structure—nonexistent. No one knows where They came from, but these vicious creatures have been rapidly devouring mankind since They appeared. With fierce survivor instincts, Amy manages to stay alive—and even rescues "Baby," a toddler who was left behind. After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope. On the surface, it appears to be a safe haven for survivors. But there are dark and twisted secrets lurking beneath that could have Amy and Baby paying with not only their freedom . . . but also their lives.
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Customer Reviews
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32 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
The world building is riveting, the pace fast and the plot tense and hopeful.
By Wendy L. Hines
When THEY attack, Amy is home alone, her father went to the store and her mother to work. Most of the world is dead, but Amy quickly learns how to survive. Thanks to her dad's way of green living, she has water, a rooftop garden, power and an electric fence. She learns to scavenge without being heard, and she hasn't spoken a word in years. When scavenging at a grocery, she finds an injured toddler and takes her home. She names her Baby, and they create their own sign language and live like that for years. Then the meet Amber.They try to help Amber but she brings others to the house, and Amy and Baby escape. But their journey is short-lived when they are captured by the alien-craft. They soon find themselves in New Hope, a colony of survivors starting over trying to rebuild society. At first, it seems like there was safety, food and shelter, but Amy is a curious person and delves deeper into their secrets. It's not long before Amy is fighting for herself and Baby, and something has to give if either of them is to survive.In the After is a page-turning dystopian thriller with a compelling heroine. The bond Amy and Baby form is strong, yet tender and I was hoping for a great outcome for them both. A romance is alluded to for Amy but it doesn't really go anywhere, so if you're looking for the cookie cutter love triangle, you won't find it here. The world building is riveting, the pace fast and the plot tense and hopeful. I can't wait for the next one!!
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful.A Thrilling Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Debut
By Blythe Harris
What is it that generally seals the deal for you when you're reading a post-apocalyptic or dystopian read? Do you strive to find that eerie feeling of inevitability that comes with the concept that the post-apocalyptic world you're experiencing through pages is one that you could possibly experience in real life? Or do you not care about the authenticity of the world and whether or not it is reasonable for our world today to reach the havoc to the point of the world in the novel? Where all you're really looking for is a quick and chilling read to pass some time, perhaps with a little, "What if?" lingering in the back of your mind?I am the former type of post-apocalyptic/dystopian reader. As odd as it may sound, I love feeling so horrified that the complete and utter cataclysm presented to me in a fiction post-apocalyptic could possibly be a reality at some point in the future. That thrill of, "What if this actually happens?" adds such an inexpressible and thrilling ambience that immerses me into the novel more than anything else could be able to, and from then on I imagine that it's not only the characters in the novel fighting for their life in the post-apocalyptic, dystopian barren wasteland, but also me.And that is why In the After is such a remarkable read for me. Although I may not have found the particular alien scenario to be one I see happening, Lunetta crafted her world in such a way that I couldn't help but picture myself in the world and have myself experiencing the apocalypse along with the characters. The novel itself does undeniably have some issues concerning pacing and the dystopian world represented in the latter half of the novel, which left me feeling rather detached at select times, but for the vast majority of the novel, In the After was nothing short of a thrill-ride for me, wherein I was experiencing every single occurrence in the novel along with the characters themselves.The first quarter of In the After firmly establishes the of electrifying and wild world that is the After. Throughout some of the beginning of In the After we follow Amy as she finds herself one day dealing with the trivial things of everyday life in the Before, whether those actions are looked upon by Amy in flashbacks or dealt by her in the present, to her scavenging for food and struggling to survive in the harsh world overrun by the monsters--Florae--that have ravaged practically everything she once knew and loved from the Before. The juxtaposition of these two vastly different perspectives from the Before and the After made a huge impact on me and my reading experience as I started the novel, and I soon found myself thrust into the dangerous world of In the After along with Amy.As well as that, character and relationship development takes center stage in In the After alongside the horror and suspense that accompanies the Florae. Similarly to T. Michael Martin's The End Games, In the After features a strong central, family relationship between Amy and Baby. However, I have to say I like the relationship between Amy and Baby in In the After more than the one between Michael and Patrick in The End Games for a few reasons, one being that Amy and Baby aren't directly related, but look to each other as sisters, and another reason being that I feel the relationship between Amy and Baby is met with much more depth and poignancy than Michael and Patrick's.Lunetta's use of silence and its key role throughout most of the former half of the novel, as well as how Lunetta used silence to depict her world is both effective and downright chilling, and the placement of a touching relationship in a crude world brought out a brilliant and breathtaking contrast throughout the novel. Although there were quite a few parts that dragged as the somewhat dystopian society of the novel was introduced, In the After redeemed itself with surprising twists and thus I am able to say that, shocking, thrilling, suspenseful, and smart, In the After is an exceptionally impressive debut from Demitria Lunetta, and I have trouble thinking of a better and more exciting read to start off the summer.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.You Will Want To Read This One
By Shawn Kovacich
Amy is a young teenager when THEY attack. Both of her parents are out of the house and she is home alone. Thank goodness her mother was prepared and had an electric fence and solar panels installed into their house. When THEY start destroying everything, Amy still has something to protect her. But when the food runs out, Amy has to learn how to survive and forage. Amy then finds three year old Baby in a grocery store. Although she debates not taking her, she decides to rescue her.Years later, while Amy and Baby are foraging, they come across another survivor. They are then rescued and are sent to New Hope, a survivor's colony where they should be safe. Of course, nothing is as it seems and New Hope isn't as great as they first thought.I liked the concept of this book. You get dropped into great action from the first page. I liked how you learned about the back story without having to slog through those pages before things get interesting.I wished Amy's mom would have done more training for survival situations. Why have a house that is all decked out if you are not going to have everyone on the same page about what to do in the even of an emergency. Anyway, personal pet peeve, I loved how it was set up.And we always have to have some kind of love interest even if it could have been left out and not made a difference. There was also the predictable New Hope isn't as great as you first think. I liked the aliens and they reason they were there.The book ends with a big cliffhanger. There will be more books and I can't wait to see what happens next. But it is also done in a way that this book could be a stand alone.This is one that you will want to read. If you like post apocalyptic books, where with zombies or aliens, you will want to read this one.Shawn KovacichAuthor and Creator of numerous books and DVD's.
