The cover really caught my attention. I love both dystopian and young adult, so my interest was peaked. After reading the blurb, I knew I had to grab a copy.
Title: The New World
Author: Holly Brasher
Genre: Dystopian YA
Publisher: Full Fathom Five Digital via NetGalley
Release date: August 2015
Pages: 133
ASIN: B00ZSQHQOO
Rating:
DESCRIPTION:
Mother Nature is pissed.
Few will survive.
Jackie is loving her last year of summer camp, despite new-guy Xander, jerk extraordinaire. That is, until disaster strikes on the senior backpacking trip. At first, it seems like a nightmare, but Jackie quickly realizes that the huge fire and resulting carnage around her are as real as real gets.
Miraculously (and infuriatingly, in Jackie’s opinion), Xander survives the burning, too, but that’s the least of her worries. Mother Nature has wiped out millions and burned cities to the ground, plants are growing at a crazy-rapid rate, and fairytale creatures are very real—and very dangerous.
Jackie and Xander must learn to survive sans food, shelter, and soap, and battle their way across the wild American landscape in search of their families—all without killing each other. Along the way, the duo learns that maybe the other isn’t so terrible after all, but going months with no toothpaste isn’t exactly a recipe for romance. Will the journey be too much for their growing relationship? Will it even be worth it at all? Or will their homes and families be burned to a crisp?
REVIEW:
Jackie has been looking forward to her last year at summer camp, but things quickly fall apart when a new kid arrives…Xander. Sparks fly between the two, but not in a good way. Disaster strikes on their first night out on a week-long backpacking trip when mother nature decides to take the world back. Jackie and Xander soon discover that they’re one of the few people to survive. Desperate to get back to their families, both decide to travel together across country, where they encounter mythical creatures and odd fairytale settings taken straight from wonderland.
The two main characters have a huge case of hate at first sight. After the world ends, they spend months alone and I didn’t feel any romantic connection between them, both coming off as bratty teenagers that just kind of end up with each other. So disappointing. Despite facing life and death choices, both kids are very one dimensional. A number of plot issues kept tripping me up. For example, Jackie learns how to survive out in the wilderness after one day of training. The book began interestingly enough, but the preachy attitude of how we’re destroying the earth really got to me after a while. But what really put me over the top is one of the main characters, who saves their lives repeatedly, dies and they laugh it off. Not for me.
It sounds like I hate the book, but I did enjoy some parts. The fantasy aspect, while not very believable, was unique and entertaining if a little too convenient at times. Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I was expecting a gritty dystopian novel and found myself disappointed.
Yeah, those main characters do sound disappointing.
Yeah, I’m not sure if the story just wasn’t for me and I was expecting something else or if the characters just didn’t work.
Bummer. It could’ve been soo good. 🙁