In the After audiobook

3.5 Stars for In the After's Post Apocalyptic World The book was broken into the 3 parts. I really enjoyed part 1 which detailed how The After began. We are literally immersed right into the action as things happen quickly. It pulled me right in. The post apocalyptic world was frightening. One day Amy is a normal high school student (The Before) then the world as she knows it ends and a new one begins (The After) filled with green carnivorous creatures/monsters and terror takes over. Part 1 details how Amy learns to adapt in order to survive. She survives longer than most people because she was lucky enough to live behind an electrified fence and quickly learned to be silent as the creatures are attracted to noise, even the slightest noise. Early on in the After Amy finds a mute toddler, who she names Baby, on one of her trips to forage for food. The 2 become a family of sorts and work together to survive. I thoroughly enjoyed their relationship and how just being together was a saving grace for each of them. It was a theme that carried through the entire book and really showed the type of person Amy was - the type that wouldn't turn her back on you, the type you could trust to do the right thing, no matter what.One day a bandit group finds its way into Amy's house with the intent to take over. This is where things go wrong for me. Just in the nick of time, Amy is picked up by a group of Guardians and taken to a sanctuary called New Hope. Parts 2 & 3 are all about Amy's time in New Hope. Even though I wasn't as captivated by Part 2, it definitely still kept me reading. I found New Hope creepy from the beginning and my instincts kicked in leaving me uneasy as I read. "Nothing this broken can ever be fixed." Parts 2 & 3 take a twist as Amy becomes somewhat of an unreliable character. She is in the Ward - recovering and undergoing treatment and we have no idea why or from what but you just know it can't be anything good. As some of Amy's friends work to help her (I really enjoyed Rice & Kay and the other Guardians), she begins to piece things together and we get a clearer picture of what exactly happened to her. As her memories are puzzled back together we uncover the reason behind The After, who was responsible and what happened to land her in the Ward. I won't give any of it away but I was able to piece much of it together ahead of the big reveal. Still, while it wasn't surprising, it was an interesting & solid plot. "He thinks he’s won. He thinks he knows me, but he has no idea what I am capable of. If I can survive the After, I can survive the Ward." This being the first book in a series, it ends in a cliffhanger and leaves us with unanswered questions. I'll definitely read on to see where things go from here. I enjoyed Amy and am invested in seeing what she does now that she is armed with all her information and her natural desire to do the right thing.

A stronger first half than the second, but overall this is a highly entertaining post apocalyptic book! I mean: zombie aliens!The world in In the After has just been attacked by an alien species who are terrifyingly similar to zombies. These creatures eat humans, they're dumb, and they're relentless (they keep trying to get at you no matter how painful it may be to them). It is a tad reminiscent of The 5th Wave, although that book philosophizes more on what it means to be human and the consequences of such an event on humanity as a whole, whereas In the After concentrates on the main characters' direct survival story. It's fascinating to see the adaptive capacity of human beings. This book is Amy and Baby's story, and a great example of why love this genre. Amy was just a little girl when the aliens came. We're initially introduced to her 3 years after, so her complete story is told with the help of flashbacks during her early days when she was clueless - she finds it a miracle she even survived. What I found the most interesting in those sequences were her discoveries regarding the aliens - their ways and habits. They're quite the fascinating creatures. Amy's past is also where we meet Baby, the other main character of the story. Baby, a fantastic addition to the story, was only a toddler when Amy found her. This child stole my heart from the first time we saw her stuffing her face with fruit, somehow still alive. Surviving in this world depends on stealth. If you can be quiet and blend in your surroundings, you've got a chance, and baby astounded me by how intelligent she was. This could easily have been unrealistic - being the mother of a hyper toddler and all - but I grew to believe in her instincts, and you also get an inkling that she's not just an ordinary child. These two quickly form a bond like no other, a bond that I could feel in the deepest pits of my heart. There is nothing like the relationship between two people living a catastrophe, I think Lunetta did a fabulous job at making this the essence of the story. While this bond grows, so do Amy and Baby. We see them develop their own language, learn how to get by with bare essentials, and mature - especially Amy - into strong, capable, and intelligent survivors.Halfway through, this book turns from apocalyptic to a dystopia when they're brought to a survivor camp that soon has Amy unsettled with the controlling way it's governed - forced gestation for one. This is when the book becomes a little less… everything; less exciting, less chilling (though we still have our moments), less characterization, and we lose the intimate relationship we had with two lone characters that has now grown to include a full blown cast. Fortunately the main characters were already well developed and my connection with them formed; it's the characters we meet in the compound that don't particularly stand out. I was reluctant to let them in my Amy/Baby niche. I also wasn't a fan of the boring romance that blooms. I mostly found it distracting, as if it was maybe added to the book due to the annoying belief that every book needs romance. We do learn some interesting details, however, about the creatures and the current world situation. So while this second half didn't take away what I liked about the book as a whole, it prevented it from a possible 5-star.Perfect for fans of zombie and apocalyptic novels, In the After is an engaging read that surrounds with the fear of the unknown, leads us to the beginnings of a dystopia, and ends with the promise of a thrilling sequel.--An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

UPDATE 07/03/2021 - Quick reread before I read book 2! Well I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was totally blindsided at one point which, to me, is a reflection of how absorbed I was in this post apocalyptic story. My jaw literally dropped and I actually said out loud "Well. I did not see that coming". I know, I have a way with words. The first part of the book is filled with a quiet tension...(if you've read the book you will appreciate that little joke). Flesh eating aliens have decimated the population and Amy is in full survival mode. Yes, it's all very convenient that she is rich and lives in a house that is surrounded by an electric fence and her parents had a gun in the house etc. Don't dwell too much on that stuff and just go with the flow I say. I like that her survival instincts are quite strong which results in a couple of dark little scenes where she uses the aliens to her advantage. She finds Baby and together they forge a rough but contented existence in this new world. Their connection felt real and I loved them. The story takes a turn in pace when they are 'rescued". What happens from here is told in two different time lines as Amy tries to make sense of where she is and what their new lives will look like. For this reason the story does slow down as they adjust to having other people in their lives. To me the writer captured Amy's state of confusion incredibly well as she becomes more of an unreliable narrator. I felt a bit lost and didn't know what was happening. This was a good thing because that is exactly how Amy felt. I like it when an author subjects us to this type of immersive experience because as clarity comes for Amy, we share in her discovery. A totally engaging book and I will definitely be following the series through.

**3.5 Baby Stars**I should have paid more attention to the other reviews because I agree that the first half of the book was great but it slowed down considerably from 49-75% but then picked back up again.I think I'm going to stop at this book especially since I already read the spoilers for the next one! A love triangle? Nah...I think I'll pass.

My thoughts in a nutshell Oh that was very good!It's been sitting on my waiting list for a long time, and now it's finally the right time to read it. I've never read such a good apocalyptic teen book.I loved the main characters, I cared about what would happen to them.I liked the dual timelines, I was always excited to see what would happen.I had the twist figured out ahead of time, but it didn't detract from my reading experience.The end of the book was interesting, I may continue to read the series, but I didn't hear good things about the second part.I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a teen dystopia.4 stars!

4.5 In the After rocked! I just knew this was going to be a good book when I first saw it, but it turned out to be way better than good.All I knew about the book when I read it was the blurb (there’s more to it now than when I first read it), so the experience was all my own. I can’t even tell you how glad I am for that, because there were a few things that completely surprised me in a very good way. That’s why a big part of me wants to tell you not to read any reviews and just experience it for yourself. So either turn back now or continue …In the first part of the book the story picks up three years after the world has been decimated by horrible, unforgiving killer creatures. It’s told through Amy’s POV, with occasional flashbacks of when the creatures arrived and how she survived all those years. She also describes how she found and bonded with Baby, a toddler who was abandoned. I loved their relationship and how well they worked together. I was glad to see that they both had great instincts and would act quickly. They weren’t airheads that made it unbelievable that they would survive the dangerous new world.The creatures in In the After is one reason I’m glad I went into it knowing very little. I was expecting zombie-ish creatures, but I was surprised twice during the duration of the book regarding them. Well, the second time wasn’t too much of a surprise, but it was a nice twist. They are fast, and not to be messed with. These creatures aren’t the only things to fear, though. Not everyone in the post-apocalyptic world can be trusted.The second part of the book is another reason I’m glad I had no preconceived notions going in. I wasn’t fully expecting it. The creatures are a lot less present here, but it doesn’t mean the girls are out of danger. New Hope was an interesting place that had that too perfect feel that made it a little sinister. I really liked this part of the book and how it brought in a whole new element of danger and mystery.I found Amy and Baby’s dynamic especially interesting once they were thrust into this civilization after years of only each other. My heart broke for Amy, but she also grew into a total badass. I also enjoyed the whole slew of new characters, even those I detested. There isn’t really a full romance, but there is some chemistry. That’s perfectly fine with me, though. It just wasn’t needed yet. Or ever.In the After was a wonderful debut novel that brought back some excitement to a genre I was starting to get bored of. The characters, setting, and plot were all done very well. I loved it all! I can’t wait to see what comes next. In the End, the next book in the series, is on my most anticipated list.

This book does not get nearly as much attention as it deserves! It's certainly one of the best YA science fiction stories I've read in a long time. Amy was an awesome main character, so smart, bad ass, and resilient, and her relationship with Baby was what kept me reaching for my iPod, eager to listen to my library book every chance I got. The narrator did a great job and I recommend audiobook format.In many of the reviews I read prior to starting the book I saw a lot of people who were unhappy about how the tone of the book changed so much after Part 1. The story starts out as a survival horror story, then turns more standard dystopian as Amy and Baby arrive at New Hope. I did find the beginning more intriguing, but I still really enjoyed the rest of the book and discovering the truth about New Hope alongside Amy. I loved the flash forwards too, knowing that something fishy was going on and anticipating when the timelines will connect and everything will be revealed. I was more than pleased with the reality behind the aliens and I am so excited to dive into book two after that ending!

Ce premier tome m'a beaucoup plu. La première partie qui sert de mise en place dévoile un monde post-apocalyptique dur et dangereux, peuplé de créatures amatrices de chair fraîche. Les deux parties qui suivent amènent un autre genre de stress tout en gardant en fond de toile ce qu'on découvre dans la première partie. Au final chacune apporte quelque chose de différent et ajoute sa pièce à l'édifice. La lecture est aisée et addictive, l'envie d'avoir des réponses, de comprendre certains éléments de l'histoire pousse à avancer. Si j'avais deviné un gros point de l'intrigue ça ne m'a pas empêché d'adorer ma lecture et de trouver certains éléments bien fichus. Et en plus, on rencontre un duo de personnages principaux à croquer, deux rôles attachants et attrayants. C'est rare que ça m'arrive, mais si j'avais eu la suite sous la main, elle n'aurait pas fait long feu.Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2015/...

If I had to choose one word for this book it would be Intense.When I first gotten read the summery I was under the impression that this was a zombie book. Little did I know that it was about aliens. I have never read a book with aliens because it isn't a topic that I usually like to come across. So reading this kind of book is a first for me. My first thoughts when reading this book was a little conflicting because I'm not into alien books or anything alien really. I would've put the book down if it wasn't for the action and the suspense of what going to happen next. So I had to put aside my negativeness against aliens and get through. I loved the writing and how everything went smoothly. It was descriptive enough for me to get a picture of how things may have been and it wasn't over the top. (Meaning that some authors like to describe every single detail straying away from the story stretching it out unnecessarily making it dull, this book wasn't the case.) The readers get to see from day one what happened to Amy and how everything progressed with her survival meanwhile everyone in the area was nearly gone. Amy is a smart girl who quickly learns to grow up and adapt to everything that happens in order to survive. At the ending of the part one I nearly fell over in shock and thought to myself thank goodness that wasn't the end or I would go crazy. Amy is not the type of person who can easily be fooled and questions everything and anything, even when she was in a place that was considered safe. She trusted her gut feeling and did something about it. I loved this book.This book was unpredictable, normally I find a trend in most YA novels and there is no way I could pin this book to it.You ever get those moment where you finally figure out what is going on a little before the big reveal? Yea I got one of those moments with this book. I couldn't even believe I guessed right.This book had captured me and wouldn't let go until the very end. Highly Recommend to anyone. If you love post-apoplectic, zombies, aliens books your gonna want to get this book. Soon as the book comes out in store you must get it, your not going to want to pass up this great book. Be sure to write this book on your TBR list.

Love it! Based on reviews, you either love it or you don't and I happen to love it. I will not go into any more details about what happened in the book as there have already been quite a number of reviews out there that will clue you in. I will however base this short review on other reviews, a comparison of sorts of what I think to what other people say about this book. So, here goes.1. The first half is better than the second.I didn't think so. For me, the last half is just as engrossing as the first, if not even more so. Here, you find answers to questions, you get a glimpse of what happens next. How can it be any less gripping?2. Some parts are dragging.Well, yes, there might have been some parts where my heart didn't skip a beat. But overall, I think the story is nicely paced and plot-driven.3. Second half is confusing.I didn't think it was hard to follow but I do get why some people find the flashbacks and flash-forwards a little disorienting.4. Predictable.I don't know, it might just be me, but I honestly didn't see the twist coming.5. Similar to Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave.I wasn't too crazy about The 5th Wave. It was way over-hyped but in my opinion, failed to deliver. Aliens, kick-ass heroine, and survivalist theme, those are about as far as the similarities go I think.All in all, for a debut novel, I think it's great.Seen on Eat Read Shop.

I read the ARC (advanced reader copy).I got this book at a time when I was very busy. There are nearly 500 pages, and I thought that I didn't have time to get through it timely. Then I read the first page. Slurp! I was sucked in. It's a page-turner on steroids. It's the kind of book that makes you mad when you have to put it down to eat or sleep or talk to people. Amy, the heroine, is kickass. Sure, there are a lot of them out there, but at some point, many of them become whiney. Amy doesn't. Other stories it reminds me of:I AM THE CHEESE by Robert CormierHUNGER GAMES by Suzanne CollinsI AM LEGEND (Will Smith movie)WALKING DEAD (TV show)If you like those stories, put a countdown app on your phone and get this book the day it comes out, which is June 25, 2013.

I was lucky enough to get hold of an ARC of IN THE AFTER, and read it in one sitting. This. Book. Is. Incredible. It's so well written and plotted – there isn't one bit of the story where I felt as if I knew what was coming, and the worldbuilding is incredibly well-done. Amy and Baby are amazing characters. I was really sorry to finish it! If you're a fan of THE PASSAGE or THE STAND, you will love IN THE AFTER.

Amy is watching tv, when the president pops up and alerts everyone to an alien attack happening. The world is a mess. Everybody is dying. In a few days the population is wiped. Luckily Amy's mom put up an electric fence in the Before so They wont come in. But Amy is home alone when it happened so surely her parents are dead. But Amy cant live on the things in her house her whole life, she has to get food when she runs out. They are super fast, like unnaturally fast, and they have amazing hearing. But at night Their senses aren't that good. While Amy is scavenging one day in a local store, she finds a little toddler and takes her in. Amy called her Baby. Amy and Baby have survived years, only living on the things they get at night. Baby is unnaturally quiet, even when Amy found her. They develope a sign language, a tweak in the ASL. One day they find a girl in the local store, but she is really loud. How did she last this long in the After? But Baby likes her, so they take her with them. One day they are scavenging through an old house, where Amber makes a lot of noise and Amy gets mad at her to find the next morning she is gone. Baby is devistated. They see people with guns at their fence one day, and Amy gets scared that they will hurt them. So Amy and Baby go out in the wild, and stop by the ocean. They get captured by this "space ship" and think they are going to die. But they come to this community of survivors that are trying to rebuild the human population. She finds out many secrets about Them, her family, and the future.I really liked In The After Because it is action-packed, a little scary, and I love how it was written. I could not put it down! It mad me feel sorry for her, because she lost everything, and pumped up because of the action. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a scary story. There are two books in this series, and I am exited to read the second. Demitria Lunetta is a great author, because she wrote this story amazingly!

CONSUMING!!! LOVED it! Highly, highly rec!!

finished in 2 days. loved it! super cool plot, fans of THE WALKING DEAD or ALIEN will eat this book up.

I'd been eyeing In the After ever since I saw it in the HarperTeen catalogue. Even the blurb had an air of mystery about it - who are They? And considering They are the catalyst for an apocalypse, I was all over it like a cheap suit (I've always wanted to say that).In the After jumps straight into the action as Amy finds herself in a world that has been brutally invaded by creatures that no one seems to have any knowledge about. She does get lucky in that her house is heavily protected due to her mother's job, and her hippy father has had a hand in making it almost completely self-sufficient, but otherwise she is pretty much on her own.I liked Amy quite a bit - from a girl who seemingly should have been alien food from the beginning, she develops into a tough, dedicated girl who will do anything to keep Baby safe and adapts quickly to her changed environment. I loved the relationship she developed with Baby, the way that they depended on each other for survival whilst still providing a close companionship that kept them both safe and sane during the years after the invasion.It was only when Amy and Baby ended up in the colony of New Hope that things went a little off the rails for me. The remainder of the story is told in flashbacks, which I can normally deal with, but the flashes were so short that I started to feel like I was being yanked back and forth rather than gliding in and out of them. It seems like it was written this way to keep the pacing at the same level, which it does, but for me it could have worked just as well with a bit of a slow-down in the middle.There are action scenes, relationship-building, a bit of a flirtation and mystery all of which I really enjoyed, and I feel that Ms. Lunetta has put a quite unique spin on the YA apocalyptic genre. The ending is left open for the possibility of another book, and if that book does happen I'd more than happily grab a copy as it feels there is still a lot left to explore.Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie