Starting the Next Chapter: Review

by Ilsa J. Bick
publisher: Egmont USA
date of publication: September 6, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 480
source: purchased

From Goodreads:

It could happen tomorrow . . .

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

My reaction to Ashes can be summed up in 3 words: Oh. My. Goodness! I had been hearing just how eerie this book is and how I needed to read it ASAP from many of my blogging friends. They are now all entitled to say, "I told you so!" Ashes is positively teeming with tension, suspense, and horror. I was torn between reading hundreds of pages at once or stopping for a breather when it started to become too much. This book is more than capable of ensnaring you in each fright-filled page.

Alex is a survivor from the very beginning. For years she has been living with a malignant tumor in her brain that will eventually lead to her death. At first, she believes that she has accepted her fate, though she isn't happy about it. She realizes differently when, on one last hike into her favorite park, a mysterious event begins to affect the animals and other people in strange ways. What starts out as a hike to honor the memory of her parents becomes a non-stop fight for her life. You have to admire Alex for her survival skills. Even when she is saddled with a bratty 8 year-old she proves her capabilities and kindness. As she fights her way through each danger and traumatic experience, she comes to realize that she's not ready to give up the fight. Overall, she made for an extremely compelling main character. Even in her moments of weakness, she always seemed to rise above and keep going.

You may hear that there are zombies in Ashes. That's not quite accurate, however. What you will find are some absolutely frightening people whose brain patterns have been reduced to a primal state and who are purely cannibalistic. All instances concerning these "brain-zapped" people (Alex's name for them) are absolutely horrifying and chilling. The ramifications of this event are nearly as terrifying as those who remain unchanged can easily fall victim to their more predatory counterparts. Even the setting takes on a menacing edge thanks to the catastrophic changes to the human populace. Where before wolves and bears were the biggest concern, now feral dogs and cannibals are to be feared. It all makes for a shudder-inducing sense of foreboding.

If I have to sum up my advice for you, it would be to read this book during daylight hours. Otherwise, you might continue thinking about it as you are trying to go to sleep. I know I did. This disturbingly imaginative plot will leave you wondering, "What if?" I was left sorry that I didn't read this sooner, yet I'm also sorry that I will have to wait a few more months to find out what happens next. The cliffhanger in Ashes is absolutely brutal, so you know that Shadows is going to start off with a bang. I can't wait!