Book Review: After the End


Welcome to the AFTER THE END blog tour. I'm thrilled to be apart of the celebration for Amy Plum's upcoming release. 

After the End
(After the End #1)
Author: Amy Plum
Published By:  Harper Teen
Publication Date:  May 6th, 2014
Page Count:  336 pages
Source: Arc Kindly Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Audience:  Young Adult Fantasy/Post-Apocalyptic



I think Amy Plum just invented a new genre…”Non-Apocalypse”.

Having already read and loved the author’s other trilogy about revenants; I guess I was not surprised that Amy would bring forth another unique idea to an already crowded and popular genre of dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories.  After the End was a completely different animal from traditional post-apocalyptic offerings and I really liked it!  It was not all doom and gloom, sobering and depressing.  In fact, it was not really post-apocalyptic at all.



I found the premise intriguing. The idea that a clan had been told stories of war and destruction and that their little safe haven was tucked away from the general surviving populace in the remote Alaskan wilderness was different.  They were taught to live off the land, as well as to live in fear of the ‘brigands’ who, if they were discovered, would lose their peaceful way of life and everything else they held dear.

Also at the core of their tranquility was their belief that everything (people, animals, nature and the elements) was connected via ‘the super-organism’ and could be communicated with on some deeper, intuitive level.  This entire belief system was referred to as the Yara.

The story begins with Juneau, this story’s main character, returning from a hunting trip to find her little village ravaged and her people missing.  Once she got past the shock of what had happened, she determinedly set off to find them…leaving the comfort and safety of the only place in the world she had ever been and known as home.

From the start, we seemed to have a sense of what Juneau was about.  I think the best words to describe her would be strong, smart and tenacious.  She soaked knowledge up like a sponge—practically memorizing the small collection of books and encyclopedias her clan was in possession of.  Juneau was well loved and respected by her people, and was being groomed to be her clan’s Sage; in essence, their leader.  So when she found her people missing, there was no question in her mind what she had to do.

Her trek to find her clan was not just a physical journey but one of self-discovery and one frought with painful revelations and betrayals that ultimately shattered her world.  You really felt for her each time a part of her old life was chipped away.

Miles was the other central figure of this story, albeit still a bit more secondary to Juneau’s.  He happened into Juneau’s journey with the ultimate goal to win back the approval and respect of someone important to him.  He set out with a half-baked plan and didn’t fully realize what he was getting himself into, until he found he couldn’t get himself out of it.

As both their lives intertwined, Miles’ quest became one of self-discovery as well.  He was totally relatable as he, at first, thought Juneau was just another hippie whack-job.  But I loved how he matured as he slowly opened his mind to things he never thought were possible.

I also loved how their relationship evolved from initial apathy and contentiousness of each other to one of empathy and burgeoning trust.  It was hard for both of them to do this, but at the same time, it was natural when they stopped fighting it.

I’d like to say that they had ‘chemistry’…and I guess, in a way, they did…but it wasn’t like many other YA stories where the steam almost literally rises off the pages.  Their feelings for each other developed at a more reasonable pace and I liked that.

This story was also told from both of their perspectives.  I thought Amy easily distinguished the personalities of Juneau and Miles.  The transitions were seamless yet distinct.  In my opinion, each perspective filled in the holes that we might not have been privy to had this been told from just one point of view.

The flow and pacing was good…lots of traveling.   Some issues were resolved but others were left unanswered leaving me chomping at the bit for more.

Summing up my thoughts…I’m finding this story is really hard to label.  Post-apocalyptic?  Not really.  Fantasy?  Perhaps.  Factual fiction?  Hmmmm…

I think as the trilogy continues, it might test just how open our own minds are in accepting things we do not understand…just as it did and will likely continue to do for Miles.  Count me in for the sequel as I’m dying for more answers!

Thank you to both Harper Collins and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to its release.


Synopsis from Goodreads:



"I have no idea what is truth and what is fiction. I'm all I've got now. I can't trust anyone."

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.



About the Book





Published by: Harper Teen
Hitting Book Shelves on: May 6, 2014
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness.
They′e survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.
At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.
When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact.
Everything was a lie.
Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she′s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.



About Amy Plum



Amy Plum is the author of DIE FOR ME, a YA series set in Paris. The first three books—DIE FOR ME, UNTIL I DIE, and IF I SHOULD DIE—are international bestsellers, and have been translated into eleven different languages. The fourth book is an eNovella, entitled DIE FOR HER. The first book of Amy’s new series, AFTER THE END, releases in May 2014.
Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café.
Visit her on:  Blog | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads



The Giveaway





Each stop on the tour will be hosting a giveaway! We're giving away:

- 13 SIGNED After The End books
- 6 iPhone After the End shells. 
*This is open Internationally* 
To enter, please be sure to fill out the form featured on each stop along the tour. 




The first 300 people who pre-order AFTER THE END and show proof of their pre-order will receive one of these limited edition After The End water bottles. *see below*



Please be sure to send your mailing address and receipt to katieloumercier@gmail.com
*Water bottle offer is for US and Canada, and is being hosted by Harper Teen. This is NOT part of the blog tour, but something we wanted to let fans know about.
The Blog Tour
Be sure to follow the entire After The End blog tour! Trust me, you don't want to miss this Truth or Dare themed tour stops! Authors like Beth Revis, Kimberly Derting, Josephine Angelini & more will be on the tour. As Amy mentioned in her recent newsletter, the truth-or-dare theme is particularly relevant to AFTER THE END, since Juneau's oracle has said she has to tell the truth or she won't find her clan.

Comments

  1. Ohhhh the water bottles are so pretty. And the book is really going to be something to look forward to !!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Can't wait for the book to come out!!! Waiting for so long. And a giveaway was just what I needed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. After the End was really good! Hope you all check it out!

    ReplyDelete

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