Ashes (Ashes #1) by Ilsa J. Bick

Ashes
By Ilsa J. Bick

Series: Ashes #1

Genre: Young Adult, Apocalyptic, Zombie

It could happen tomorrow…

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying ever 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.

 

Ashes on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

Ilsa J. Bick’s Website

My Thoughts:

It really could happen tomorrow…EMP’s that is. There are plenty of ‘preppers’ who are expecting this exact situation to happen. Well maybe not exactly but something close to it. It was interesting seeing how the author handled the EMP ‘event’ since I haven’t read any other books with them. Overall the beginning of book is about figuring out what the heck happened and surviving the fallout from it.

The second half of the book went in an unexpected direction and it lost just a bit of its originality because of it. I’ve seen a somewhat similar situation somewhere else but I won’t mention where because I don’t want to spoil anything. Don’t let this necessarily deter you from reading Ashes, this direction choice wasn’t bad but I think I would have enjoyed it a little more if it hadn’t gone there.

I definitely plan to read more of this series and I have high hopes for the second book. I’m itching to write more about this book but I’m afraid it would be entirely too spoilery so I’ll call it quits here.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Shelf Candy Saturday (8) Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Shelf Candy Saturday is hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews.

This week I picked a book that I got from the Traveling Book Box. I (of course) love the blue and black colors but it's also a very striking cover. The first line of the summary is also attention grabbing. I know it's going to be a dark read but I'm still drawn to the cover and description.

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Ilsa J. Bick's website
Drowning Instinct on Amazon
Drowning Instinct on Barnes & Nobles