The Aftermath by Jen Alexander Review!

   

Title : The Aftermath
Author : Jen Alexander
Pages : 304
Published : August 26th 2014
Publisher : Harlequin Teen
Source : Netgalley

Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

My Thoughts : 

All Claudia knows is how to fight for survival. Since the world changed, she, along with a small group, have struggled to survive every single day. They hunt for food and have to avoid the flesh eaters. Every day seems the same but there's something that Claudia is coming to realize, her world isn't what she thought and her life is controlled by someone else. Just what is happening? How can she be a player in a deadly game? 

Trying to solve the mystery will get her killed but she has no choice. Her mind seems to be getting clearer and the more she sees the more she is determined to leave the Aftermath. 

What a unique and totally terrifying book!!! I absolutely loved it. 

Claudia was a kick ass girl. Every day she is either fighting off Flesh Eaters, foraging for food, or fighting other survivors. She is tough, strong and sometimes cruel but even from the start her thoughts are different from her actions. She could be hitting someone while hating herself for doing it. I loved the fact that it took a little while for us to find out the reason why! 

Right from the start Declan was mysterious and you could tell that he wasn't all he seemed!! Claudia is so nervous of him at the start but slowly they start to build a relationship. She still doesn't trust him 100% but she starts to rely on him a bit more. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and trying to figure Claudia out. 

What I loved most about The Aftermath was the plot. The idea that a living person is part of a game and is controlled by another person was equal parts terrifying as it was fascinating!! Imagine waking up in a desolate world and finding out its not real, that your every move is controlled by another and that that person can make you do anything!!! Its horrifying really! 

The Aftermath is a true gem. It's action packed, unique, frightening and a compelling read. Bit by bit we see the story unraveling and the whole way through you have no choice but to keep reading just to see whats going to happen next, I was on the edge of my seat most of the time waiting to see what would happen. It was tense but thrilling! Overall The Aftermath is a must read. Its a refreshingly unique YA book and I for one can not wait for more!!