Monday, January 16, 2012

Book Review: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Title: Ashes, Ashes
Author: Jo Treggiari
Release Date: June 1st 2011
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age: Young Adult
A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.
Thanks to the Random Reads meme, I picked Ashes, Ashes from my to-be-read shelf. I'm glad I did, it has been there for a few months and I didn't know what I was missing!

Lucy is surviving. It's the best way to describe it. She's young and absolutely alone. She has to hunt, to cook, to sleep, all by herself. The world she knew is totally destroyed because of natural disasters and also the epidemic disease. Lately, she has been feeling like someone is watching her. But who? Isn't almost everyone dead or worse, sick?

Aidan is not sick, he's a survivor too. He has been watching Lucy, and when she needs help, she rescue hers and invites her to live with the survivors. But it's difficult to be again with people when you are so scared.

The description of the world where Lucy lives is very scary and realistic. The author did a great job in making you understand that it was a total disaster, and maybe it was worse if you survived. No food, water. Anything. I wonder how people manage to have the strength to survive.

I don't know how to describe what I felt with this book. Fear? Desperation? Disgust? When I feel all of that in a book, I like it. (I know, masochistic) But really, I got into the story and actually wanted to know more.Why the disease started? No one could stop it? And why are people looking for Lucy?

Even when Lucy and Aidan are barely surviving, they are attracted to each other. Their romance was a bonus, it was realistic. They liked each other, but it was not the most important aspect of the story.

I don't want to say more because I'll be giving you spoilers, but if you are into post-apocalyptic (or just apocalyptic?) stories, you have to read this one.


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