By: Michael Adams
Published By: Allen & Unwin
Released : March 2014
Details: From Publisher for honest review, Paperback 407 Pages
RATING: 4.25 APOCALYPTIC STARS!
Blurb: Goodreads
After facing the heartbreaking truth in Shadow Valley, Danby is determined to have her revenge on Jack.
With Jack dead, her little brother Evan and hundreds of other Minions will be free of his control. With Jack dead, she and her friend Nathan will be able to revive thousands more from the millions of catatonic Goners.
But what if she's wrong - about everything?
After Danby confronts Jack on a dying stretch of highway, all of her beliefs are turned inside out. Not only are his feelings for her real, he's working against the clock to save lives and rebuild society. To Danby's horror, it's Nathan who appears to threaten the new order.
With her emotions raging and blood on her hands, Danby has to take a side in a deadly battle that'll decide the future of the world. And as allies become enemies and foes turn into friends, she'll have to embrace methods so dark that the price of survival may be her very soul ...
BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:
Michael Adams really puts the A in apocalypse.
I wrote in my review for The Last Girl that I wanted to read ‘more page turning adventure and action’ in The Last Shot.
I believe Michael delivered this.
There is shiz going down.
The first hundred plus pages were a more slowed down pace as Michael has us spending time with Danby almost alone, she has Lachie and then Jack enters the picture. Mentally she is spending that time working through her theories. Trying to convince herself of what needs to be done.
Jack became so much more in this book. He is very cleverly written. I had to keep reminding myself of his age because he comes across as such a seasoned villain.
Man, he is manipulative and evil isn’t the word because in his mind he truly believes he is doing the right thing. Selecting the right people. He has a bigger picture in his head of the world and how he is going to recreate humanity and who he will allow to participate in it.
He is like a Messiah. A God in a teenagers body.
Quite frightening the influence, power he has over his minions.
Can he be trusted with the words he has for Danby?
“Danby,” he says, “I think you’re the only person who can stop a war that really might finish us all.”
Danby also has an ability to get people to help her with Evan, even though he is slowing them all down, could expose them and he is a type of baggage to be lugged about.
Why would they be invested in Evan?
But they all are. For Danby. So she too has her own influence, but it is for the good of humanity. She doesn’t make the types of decisions Jack does. He is filtering out the remaining humans.
It’s such an unfair playing field with Jack the ultimate puppet master and Danby who has a dwindling motely crew of rebels. I will call them rebels because they are rebelling against Jack.
What saddens me is that the people out there aren’t organized because ego and fear and selfishness and all the other species of silliness are still getting in the way.
My concerns are still that I am not feeling a great loss for the dwindling sub characters. I am still looking for that character connection to the reader that has me feeling emotion for these characters, whether it is anger or sadness.
Jack grabbed me so much more in this book. His villainess side is very well played out. He went from obscurity on the planet to something being bestowed upon him that has immense power and responsibility.
Jack nods. “Right--you’re reading, writing, researching, surfing websites, messaging people, talking on the phone, listening to music and watching videos -- whatever. Point is your brain’s multitasking like a mofo and your fingers and arms and muscles and bones are making it all happen seamlessly. You’re not even aware of them. You hardly thinking about any of it. What I’m doing with my guys is like that. Just bigger. Their brainpower and physical energy accounts for ninety-nine point nine-nine per cent of what needs to be done. The other bit’s me, when it needs to be. Does that make sense?’
Danby is surviving. Just. Her motley crew are putting their lives on the line for this tiny group that want to fight the good fight.
I believe Michael delivered this.
There is shiz going down.
The first hundred plus pages were a more slowed down pace as Michael has us spending time with Danby almost alone, she has Lachie and then Jack enters the picture. Mentally she is spending that time working through her theories. Trying to convince herself of what needs to be done.
Jack became so much more in this book. He is very cleverly written. I had to keep reminding myself of his age because he comes across as such a seasoned villain.
Man, he is manipulative and evil isn’t the word because in his mind he truly believes he is doing the right thing. Selecting the right people. He has a bigger picture in his head of the world and how he is going to recreate humanity and who he will allow to participate in it.
He is like a Messiah. A God in a teenagers body.
Quite frightening the influence, power he has over his minions.
Can he be trusted with the words he has for Danby?
“Danby,” he says, “I think you’re the only person who can stop a war that really might finish us all.”
Danby also has an ability to get people to help her with Evan, even though he is slowing them all down, could expose them and he is a type of baggage to be lugged about.
Why would they be invested in Evan?
But they all are. For Danby. So she too has her own influence, but it is for the good of humanity. She doesn’t make the types of decisions Jack does. He is filtering out the remaining humans.
It’s such an unfair playing field with Jack the ultimate puppet master and Danby who has a dwindling motely crew of rebels. I will call them rebels because they are rebelling against Jack.
What saddens me is that the people out there aren’t organized because ego and fear and selfishness and all the other species of silliness are still getting in the way.
My concerns are still that I am not feeling a great loss for the dwindling sub characters. I am still looking for that character connection to the reader that has me feeling emotion for these characters, whether it is anger or sadness.
Jack grabbed me so much more in this book. His villainess side is very well played out. He went from obscurity on the planet to something being bestowed upon him that has immense power and responsibility.
Jack nods. “Right--you’re reading, writing, researching, surfing websites, messaging people, talking on the phone, listening to music and watching videos -- whatever. Point is your brain’s multitasking like a mofo and your fingers and arms and muscles and bones are making it all happen seamlessly. You’re not even aware of them. You hardly thinking about any of it. What I’m doing with my guys is like that. Just bigger. Their brainpower and physical energy accounts for ninety-nine point nine-nine per cent of what needs to be done. The other bit’s me, when it needs to be. Does that make sense?’
Danby is surviving. Just. Her motley crew are putting their lives on the line for this tiny group that want to fight the good fight.
Danby is stronger. In such little time, she has become quite hardened to the life she is living and the lives she must end.
A week ago she wouldn't have been packing a gun.
She has been given no choice.
Kill or be killed.
They are up against an almost impossible to beat villain who has such great resources and mind mojo power.
How do you fight that?
How do you overcome Jack?
Michael really does paint a most vivid picture of an apocalyptic landscape. He won’t let you forget the bodies strewn about the place and the decay and rot that comes with it all.
You can almost smell the stench of death. I don’t think I have read an apocalyptic read that paints such a vivid image in your mind as you are reading.
This takes work.
But again, I can understand why some authors don’t because it slows the story down, but at the same time it feels more real. More in the moment
I am there.
I do like Nathan, but I think I am missing an element from their character’s that connect me so I am more invested in their losses and pain. The parts of Nathan I got, I liked. I felt more endeared towards him in this installment.
“I got you a gift.” Nathan takes something from his jeans pocket. “Cosmetics.”
I laugh when I see he’s holding a little round tin of black shoe polish. “seriously?”
“You whiteys will all need it,” Nathan says with a laugh.
Nathan had his moments where he said what needed to be said and did what needed to be done, but Danby is the leader. Men twice her age and older are looking to her for answers. Leadership.
“Are you retarded?” Nathan’s knuckles are tight around his weapon. My friend is sweet, smart and sensitive but it’d be a mistake to think he’s soft. This is the boy I met seconds after he punched a nail through the skull of a maniac attacking me. “Well, are you?”
Alex swallows hard. “No, no, man, it’s like --“
“You think we’re not scared?” Nathan demands. “That this is something we’ve done before?”
Michael can paint the destruction of humanity very very well, but those main characters leading us on the adventure, I need to be more invested in them.
I really liked the book part titles.
1. Get Set
2. Ready or Not
3. Here I Come.
This was a great ride with a very clever ending.
O.M.G.
What does this mean?
Creepy. Much.
How do you fight that?
How do you overcome Jack?
Michael really does paint a most vivid picture of an apocalyptic landscape. He won’t let you forget the bodies strewn about the place and the decay and rot that comes with it all.
You can almost smell the stench of death. I don’t think I have read an apocalyptic read that paints such a vivid image in your mind as you are reading.
This takes work.
But again, I can understand why some authors don’t because it slows the story down, but at the same time it feels more real. More in the moment
I am there.
I do like Nathan, but I think I am missing an element from their character’s that connect me so I am more invested in their losses and pain. The parts of Nathan I got, I liked. I felt more endeared towards him in this installment.
“I got you a gift.” Nathan takes something from his jeans pocket. “Cosmetics.”
I laugh when I see he’s holding a little round tin of black shoe polish. “seriously?”
“You whiteys will all need it,” Nathan says with a laugh.
Nathan had his moments where he said what needed to be said and did what needed to be done, but Danby is the leader. Men twice her age and older are looking to her for answers. Leadership.
“Are you retarded?” Nathan’s knuckles are tight around his weapon. My friend is sweet, smart and sensitive but it’d be a mistake to think he’s soft. This is the boy I met seconds after he punched a nail through the skull of a maniac attacking me. “Well, are you?”
Alex swallows hard. “No, no, man, it’s like --“
“You think we’re not scared?” Nathan demands. “That this is something we’ve done before?”
Michael can paint the destruction of humanity very very well, but those main characters leading us on the adventure, I need to be more invested in them.
I really liked the book part titles.
1. Get Set
2. Ready or Not
3. Here I Come.
This was a great ride with a very clever ending.
O.M.G.
What does this mean?
Creepy. Much.
Michelle
I like this series. It's different but really appealing--I mean its set where I live. I gotta love that :) I really liked how Adams made me question things with this book. I didn't know who was friend and who was foe at times. Great review Mich!!
ReplyDeleteThere was a trust thing that kept us on our toes :D
DeleteThanks!
xx