Review: Alive
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 9, 2014
The blurb for Alive definitely grabbed my attention, making me desperate to read it. I am happy to say that it didn’t disappoint! It all starts with Eve fighting off a pack of zombies. Then she just decides to give up, but she’s rescued. Her savior turns out to be the guy she was in love with in high school who shattered her heart. Gage hasn’t seen another human for months, so he’s shocked to stumble upon Eve. He suggests they travel together, but it takes quite a bit of persuasion since Eve only wants to rely on herself, and frankly, she’s pissed off at him even though it’s been four years. From there it’s a death defying journey as they make their way toward a safe haven (which he helped build) hoping to find Eve’s younger sister, Olive.Alive is New Adult and not Contemporary Romance! There is a strong romantic component, and sex, but there’s zombies! And gore! And survival! And…more zombies! It’s been four years since a sickness spread through the human population. People died, but they didn’t stay dead. Those who survived were then overrun by the undead, and many became undead themselves after being bitten. There’s even groups of humans known as Lurkers who eat zombies. And as we witness, some also enjoy more…intimate activities with them. It’s a sick, sick world.The POV switches between Eve and Gage, with some flashbacks to their last days together in school. We also get a few chapters from Olive, which are on the disturbing side. Her situation is awful, but what makes it worse is that she doesn’t feel that way. I don’t want to give anything away, but I feel like I must warn you that dubious consent is involved. While I enjoyed the action pack and sexual tension filled story with Eve and Gage, I actually liked the flashbacks more. They’re quite sad, since Eve was bullied and Gage severely broke her heart, but there was a lot of interesting characterization there. Eve is like a totally different person in the present than she was. Her home life was severely screwed up, but fascinating.Aside from some a few highly disturbing scenes, I certainly enjoyed Alive. There was always something happening, and the story never dragged. I liked the romance, especially since Eve and Gage already had a relationship to work off of. And it’s interracial! They also seemed to have sex every chance that they could, but it’s nothing to get too excited over. The phrase “weeping core” is used which just makes me shudder. It’s definitely a worthy read, but it does end on a cliffhanger!*Disclaimer: I received this book from the author for review. No compensation was offered or accepted.