What do you think?
Rate this book
Avatars #1
So This is How it Ends
Something was different. She stepped hesitantly out of the subway car, her boots sounding even louder now. What was it? The graffiti. Had that been there before? Emblazoned across the far wall in huge silver The end has come. In New York, Kali wakes to an empty subway car, and an even emptier city. Venus and Gus survive an earthquake in Los Angeles and realize they have to deal with more than just the aftershocks. In Chile, Tigre finds himself in an unfamiliar jungle, and strangely not alone. And Amon, in Egypt, can see his path but is blind to the full picture. They are suddenly trapped in a deserted world, five teenagers with no hope of escape. Why have they survived? What force—or intelligence—connects them? Drawn inexorably toward one another, they only know their future involves an experience outside anything they could have imagined. Fantasy newcomer Tui T. Sutherland creates a future in which teens have the power to complete the destruction of Earth—or to save it.
368 pages, Library Binding
First published October 1, 2006
12 people are currently reading
1416 people want to read
About the author
Tui T. Sutherland
202 books6,332 followersOkay, I know what you’re thinking. Tui? What kind of name is that? Is it short for something?
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
Nope. Among the many great things to come out of New Zealand (the Lord of the Rings movies, cats that paint, my mom) is a bird called the tui—not as well known as the kiwi, but a heck of a lot noisier!
I was born July 31 (same birthday as Harry Potter!) in Caracas, Venezuela, and lived in Asuncion, Paraguay; Miami, Florida; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, before moving to New Jersey in high school, where I started doing theatre—mostly backstage work, because (a) it was fun, and (b) you got to hang out in the dark with cute boys. (Er, I mean . . . because it was artistically fulfilling, yes.)
I graduated from Williams College in ’98 and I currently live in Boston with my husband, my perfect new baby, and my adorable yoodle Sunshine (what’s a yoodle? A puppy that’s three-quarters poodle and one-quarter Yorkshire terrier, of course!).
Much to my parents’ relief, I abandoned my theatrical aspirations after college for the far more stable and lucrative career of fiction writing.
My first two official books were beginning readers, part of Grosset & Dunlap’s “First Friends” series for kids learning to read. MEET MO AND ELLA is tough to find now, but FUN WITH MO AND ELLA should still be out there somewhere.
My first novel for teenagers was THIS MUST BE LOVE, which retells Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a modern-day high school, from the POV of the two heroines, Hermia and Helena.
And now I'm writing in a new project called SEEKERS! It's a children's book series that I'm writing with Erin Hunter. Check out my blog to find out more!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
April 29, 2008
Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com
Kali lives in New York, and has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe. Tigre lives in Chile. He likes animals better then people, but rainstorms make him a little twitchy and he usually ends up running in them. Sort-of. Venus is a perfect teenage pop-star that everyone adores. Almost. Amon is an Egyptian boy who thinks he's got it all figured out. And Gus is a normal teenager who lives in LA with his older brother.
You'd never imagine that any of them would ever have anything to do with each other. Much less something in common. Or that there was any way that most of them would ever meet. Most of them would agree with you.
But when the world seems to end, they are the ones left standing.
I just have to say, this was a really good book. In fact, the main reason I didn't give it a Gold Award was because the ending cliffhanger was so huge and dramatic and cliffhangery that I threw the book. It's just mean to do that when I don't have access to the next book! So, I suppose I'm being selfish in withholding the Gold Award, but it's frustrating! That, however, is a horrible reason to not read this book. Just be forewarned, and maybe have the next book coming soon.
Two more things:
Aside from the fact that there is a TV show called Avatar, and a movie in production called The Avatar, neither of which have anything to do with this story, I could totally see this as a movie. *Hint, Hint*
Tui Sutherland's website is adorable and hilarious, and I definitely recommend checking it out.
And no, I don't know her, but I bet she's cool.
Kali lives in New York, and has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe. Tigre lives in Chile. He likes animals better then people, but rainstorms make him a little twitchy and he usually ends up running in them. Sort-of. Venus is a perfect teenage pop-star that everyone adores. Almost. Amon is an Egyptian boy who thinks he's got it all figured out. And Gus is a normal teenager who lives in LA with his older brother.
You'd never imagine that any of them would ever have anything to do with each other. Much less something in common. Or that there was any way that most of them would ever meet. Most of them would agree with you.
But when the world seems to end, they are the ones left standing.
I just have to say, this was a really good book. In fact, the main reason I didn't give it a Gold Award was because the ending cliffhanger was so huge and dramatic and cliffhangery that I threw the book. It's just mean to do that when I don't have access to the next book! So, I suppose I'm being selfish in withholding the Gold Award, but it's frustrating! That, however, is a horrible reason to not read this book. Just be forewarned, and maybe have the next book coming soon.
Two more things:
Aside from the fact that there is a TV show called Avatar, and a movie in production called The Avatar, neither of which have anything to do with this story, I could totally see this as a movie. *Hint, Hint*
Tui Sutherland's website is adorable and hilarious, and I definitely recommend checking it out.
And no, I don't know her, but I bet she's cool.
May 15, 2014
Most Humans are now gone, or they are really really old. All people of the earth stopped being able to reproduce new children, and animal and robotic experiments start to run the planet. Dianna (aka Venus), Tigre, Kali, and Gus all survive by somehow being fowarded into time, remaining at their youthful ages. Once in new york city after being driven across the world by a voice in their heads, they finally learn why. They are all gods.The god grew tired of that cycle of the planet, wiping out the human population so they could start new. They all were choosen along with several other human formed bodies to battle to see who would be the dominant set of gods in the upcoming era.
I absolutly loved this book up untill the last 10 pages or so when the whole god thing came into play. I thought they would be destined to repopulate the earth and defeat the evil crystal creatures. but no. the whole god thing was a big deterant. If i would have started earlier in the book the rating would be lower. Since i was planning on putting it in the i love category before those last few pages i raised my rating higher.
But since originally i picked it up since it had a pretty cover and it looked interesting... i say i did pretty good.
I absolutly loved this book up untill the last 10 pages or so when the whole god thing came into play. I thought they would be destined to repopulate the earth and defeat the evil crystal creatures. but no. the whole god thing was a big deterant. If i would have started earlier in the book the rating would be lower. Since i was planning on putting it in the i love category before those last few pages i raised my rating higher.
But since originally i picked it up since it had a pretty cover and it looked interesting... i say i did pretty good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2010
Love this series - but it is such a hard sell with the tweens and teens and it's hard to understand why. I used to pitch this first book as a mix between I Am Legend and Percy Jackson. Wrong tack. Now I tell them think Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games. I think that's pretty close. That catches some of them, but the covers are a HUGE turn-off. Even if they read books one and two, what self-respecting boy wants to be seen reading this, Kingdom of Twilight? Someone redo the artwork for these books quickly! If I can get the kids to read even a little of the first book, they get sucked in: why are these teens brought together, what happened to everyone else, who is behind the situation, etc. I wish these books were more popular - I thought they were great reads.
August 7, 2025
3.5⭐ rounded up.
I read this as a kid so the reread is mostly new. I vaguely remembered Gus & Diana and their deal and that there were others but I forgot that it was a 2012 world end scenario. This is a fun time. I'll finish the trilogy
I read this as a kid so the reread is mostly new. I vaguely remembered Gus & Diana and their deal and that there were others but I forgot that it was a 2012 world end scenario. This is a fun time. I'll finish the trilogy
Read
April 8, 2025I read this as a child. Thank you Kelsey for helping me find it again. I have no idea if it holds up
January 15, 2012
Alongside the Percy Jackson series this is my absolute favourite book in the world! I'm not usually a fan of post-apocalyptic sci-fi but I was hooked as soon as I started reading it. Some other reviewers have mentioned how the cover is a little strange and off-putting. Admittedly, I did feel the same way when I first received the book. My mother bought it for me (I don't know why because she never just goes into a store and decides she's going to buy me a book) but she thought it was from the tv show 'Avatar: Legend of Aang' that I told I had been watching when she rang me from work one day. Anyway, the point is, I didn't actually read the book for a long time because, just from looking at the cover, it didn't look particularly interesting. However, as I got into the book I actually found the cover quite interesting and found myself stopping and picking out bits of the cover that I suddenly understood from reading the book. So, in hindsight, I don't really find anything wrong with the cover anymore. But it can be quite confusing to look at in the beginning.
Anyway, more about the actual storyline! I did not see the gods-from-ancient-civilisations' involvement with the whole end of the world thing coming! That's probably what hooked me the most about the book. Being a big fan of Percy Jackson, I guess it made sense. Also, hailing from the wonderful country of New Zealand, it was awesome to know that the Polynesian Gods weren't left out! (Although, to be honest, I have never heard of Oro- maybe he's not the Maori God of War). My favourite character, though, would have to be Tigre. He just seems like such a sweet and misunderstood guy and yet he was so carefree about everything happening around him!
Ok, so the point is, I gave this five stars because it was AWESOME and I desparately want to read the next two books! I know, I know, what a cliffhanger of an ending- but I'm not too annoyed. I just want to read it to the very end!
Anyway, more about the actual storyline! I did not see the gods-from-ancient-civilisations' involvement with the whole end of the world thing coming! That's probably what hooked me the most about the book. Being a big fan of Percy Jackson, I guess it made sense. Also, hailing from the wonderful country of New Zealand, it was awesome to know that the Polynesian Gods weren't left out! (Although, to be honest, I have never heard of Oro- maybe he's not the Maori God of War). My favourite character, though, would have to be Tigre. He just seems like such a sweet and misunderstood guy and yet he was so carefree about everything happening around him!
Ok, so the point is, I gave this five stars because it was AWESOME and I desparately want to read the next two books! I know, I know, what a cliffhanger of an ending- but I'm not too annoyed. I just want to read it to the very end!
September 13, 2008
Yes, this book has an absurd cover (What mighty brain decided that a person riding a giant hummingbird would be a cool cover?), but the novel itself is anything but ridiculous. It's smart, tightly written, and has engaging, believable characters. I didn't expect all of the plot twists, and my surprise was all the better for the fact that the unexpected turns made sense, had I only put two and two together correctly.
So what is it about? It's not particularly easy to describe without giving any of the story away, but here goes: It follows a handful of people throughout the world (Chile, the United States, Egypt) as they try to make sense of a post-apocalyptic environment. The streets are empty, buildings lie in ruins, and they don't know why.
So what is it about? It's not particularly easy to describe without giving any of the story away, but here goes: It follows a handful of people throughout the world (Chile, the United States, Egypt) as they try to make sense of a post-apocalyptic environment. The streets are empty, buildings lie in ruins, and they don't know why.
January 30, 2010
Avatars is yet another example of a spot-on teen voice. When a handful of teenagers are thrown into an apocalyptic world and told by voices inside their head to travel to NYC, what do they do? What any teenager would do: Rebel! Walk the other way! Obsess about your life and your relationships! More importantly, unlike other books in this genre, this one:
-Has a truly international cast of characters (not all are Americans)
-Has original futuristic sci-fi (flying dolphins! cyber dinosaurs!)
-Has fantasy driven super powers for the characters that tie into a wide range of mythologies
-Has witty, teen humor
The last one is a must for me in reading any teen book.
-Has a truly international cast of characters (not all are Americans)
-Has original futuristic sci-fi (flying dolphins! cyber dinosaurs!)
-Has fantasy driven super powers for the characters that tie into a wide range of mythologies
-Has witty, teen humor
The last one is a must for me in reading any teen book.
May 4, 2008
Post-apocalyptic adventure? Check. Diverse yet fully fleshed-out characters? Check. Killer robots, psychic mutant animals, and time travel? Check, check, and check. What's not to love?
Maybe it's because I grew up watching the Martian Chronicles, but I love the whole last-person on earth concept. This takes that premise and combines it with some action-packed adventures, fascinating yet believable characters, a smidge of romance, and a somewhat bizarre ending. That ending has me wondering if I'll enjoy the sequel(s) as much, since it was an unexpected twist from your typical sci-fi, but I'm looking forward to reading them regardless.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching the Martian Chronicles, but I love the whole last-person on earth concept. This takes that premise and combines it with some action-packed adventures, fascinating yet believable characters, a smidge of romance, and a somewhat bizarre ending. That ending has me wondering if I'll enjoy the sequel(s) as much, since it was an unexpected twist from your typical sci-fi, but I'm looking forward to reading them regardless.
June 12, 2019
[Review of entire trilogy:] In one word? Awesome.
An apocalyptic world with superpowered teens and loads of mythology. Action, adventure, humor and wit, and thankfully, a level of romance that stays to a minimum.
Honestly, there's no use writing a long review. The entire three-book series is an enthralling, fast-paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat. Readers be warned: make sure you have all three books on hand before you start...you won't want to take a break between books!
An apocalyptic world with superpowered teens and loads of mythology. Action, adventure, humor and wit, and thankfully, a level of romance that stays to a minimum.
Honestly, there's no use writing a long review. The entire three-book series is an enthralling, fast-paced read that will have you on the edge of your seat. Readers be warned: make sure you have all three books on hand before you start...you won't want to take a break between books!
March 1, 2025
This book is amazing and so unique. I read it ages ago and I still think it’s a great storyline to this day. The ending sets up so much hype and gives answers but gives so many questions for book 2. It’s so good. I choked when it said the end of the world started in 2025 though 😅
August 31, 2007
The concept is unique and I enjoyed the originality. Pretty good, and I look forward to the sequel.
October 26, 2008
This was such an amazing book! I loved it so much and I really think more people should read it. If you're into fantasy/sci-fi and the end of the world, read it!
July 25, 2023
I read this book because I was looking for an alternative book for "The Alchemyst" by Michael Scott.
This was a tough book to get through as the entire book is basically exposition for the rest of the series. The first 2/3 of the book felt repetitive, although there was a good deal of character development occurring. Once "The Gathering" occurred, it felt like a deluge of information as the whole premise of the series was unveiled.
Not my cup of tea, but I'm sure fans of mythology could eat this series up -- perhaps moreso starting at book #2?
This was a tough book to get through as the entire book is basically exposition for the rest of the series. The first 2/3 of the book felt repetitive, although there was a good deal of character development occurring. Once "The Gathering" occurred, it felt like a deluge of information as the whole premise of the series was unveiled.
Not my cup of tea, but I'm sure fans of mythology could eat this series up -- perhaps moreso starting at book #2?
October 24, 2022
Absolutely wonderful series. I’d describe this book as a well blended mix of the Hunger Games and Highlander set in a dystopian future. Pantheons of all different countries come together to see who will rule the distant future when humans are no longer a piece of the puzzle . This is a book you won’t want to put down with characters you can relate to and cheer for. It definitely sits in my top three favorite books of all time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
Ive never commented on the multiple books Ive read at this point, but this book deserves it. This book is for anyone who loved the Percy Jackson series or mythology in general. I fell in love with this book in high-school and gobbled up the series. As a 27 year old now it still sticks with me and I have to re read it often.
August 15, 2017
This is the story of four teenagers who find themselves teleport into an apocalyptic future. They each are searching for answers: what happened, where are all the people, and why them. I enjoyed the book.
October 25, 2017
I think this book makes Kali, Gus, Venus/Diana, Amon, and Tigre fantastic characters and I really liked the idea of it.
December 16, 2020
This is one of those books that has a mystery you really can't solve. I hate it when I know exactly what is going to happen after reading a couple pages. This book is not like that at all.
April 24, 2023
Sutherland brings together multiple mythologies and the seeming end of the human species. The characters are involving and drive the plot forward well.
November 3, 2016
I could feel the postapocalyptic sense of Alfred . . . man, I can't remember the name of that book. Not Hickox. Not Hitchhock. Not Hancock. Aaargh. Well, it was Alfred Somebody.
After a long search of Goodreads of "The Amazing Adventures of", it finally came to me. The /Extraordinary/ Adventures of Alfred /Kropp/. By Rick Yancey.
It wasn't exactly postapocalyptic (there were still people around), but it did have the same wandering-around-the-nation-trying-to-find-my-destiny feel.
And then it turned all Riordan on me. Yes. Riordan. Famous dude who came up with Percy Jackson and Carter Kane. See, apparently the multiple pantheons of gods that ever existed have chosen avatars. (Popular theme in culture nowadays, along with dystopias - I mean, these avatars aren't blue or bald or glowing *coughTheRedPyramidcough*, but they still bear the title of avatars. I remember the days when I thought all an avatar was was a teeny picture on a computer screen that represented you and had to be square or else it turned into a weird warning symbol. *coughBloggercough*) And these people are supposed to fight each other and whoever wins will get control of the rest of the earth forever.
Really? You'd think a bunch of immortals would be smarter than that. I mean, seriously, you go to all this trouble (supposedly) to create all this stuff, and then you destroy all of it just so you can rule the entire WORLD! Of . . . mutant birds and crazy old people obsessed with plastic surgery. You'd think that owning a slice of the human world would be better than owning a big expanse of nothing. If you want big nothing, go out to, like, Oklahoma. I've heard it's beautifully empty out there. If you like a slice of interesting, move to New York or something.
And they say they'll deal with the lack of worshipers later. Great. I'm sure they didn't think about the trouble of creating an entire new race. Keep the old race, for goodness sakes. Put everyone in North America (heck, why not South America too?) in Eurasia. Then, when you're done killing each other, everyone can move back. And you're gods, just do your magical little unicorn fairy healing dance over their houses and property. And then everything can go back to normal.
Seriously, you'd think the intrapantheonic relations were bad enough. And now they have to get into interpantheonic relations as well. Splendid.
You see, I'm mostly railing against the stupid gods more than against the book. Some of their motives were a bit hazy (which is probably the author's fault) but the rest of it is probably just because they're gods, and that's how gods behave in all the myths.
Oh, and just as an afterthought (which hopefully won't turn into much more than an afterthought, but I can't promise anything), I really disliked how everyone brushed off God like he was nothing. (My keyboard went into Caps Lock accidentally and I went into a slightly tyrannical rant about personal insults, so I deleted it.)
This might be my longest review yet. Maybe. Or maybe not. In any case, this wasn't a bad book. It wasn't the best book in the world, but it wasn't a bad book either, and I'm really just ranting about it because I feel like ranting about something. So you can still read it. I'm just in a ranty mood. I think I'm suffering from withdrawal . . . back to those books now.
After a long search of Goodreads of "The Amazing Adventures of", it finally came to me. The /Extraordinary/ Adventures of Alfred /Kropp/. By Rick Yancey.
It wasn't exactly postapocalyptic (there were still people around), but it did have the same wandering-around-the-nation-trying-to-find-my-destiny feel.
And then it turned all Riordan on me. Yes. Riordan. Famous dude who came up with Percy Jackson and Carter Kane. See, apparently the multiple pantheons of gods that ever existed have chosen avatars. (Popular theme in culture nowadays, along with dystopias - I mean, these avatars aren't blue or bald or glowing *coughTheRedPyramidcough*, but they still bear the title of avatars. I remember the days when I thought all an avatar was was a teeny picture on a computer screen that represented you and had to be square or else it turned into a weird warning symbol. *coughBloggercough*) And these people are supposed to fight each other and whoever wins will get control of the rest of the earth forever.
Really? You'd think a bunch of immortals would be smarter than that. I mean, seriously, you go to all this trouble (supposedly) to create all this stuff, and then you destroy all of it just so you can rule the entire WORLD! Of . . . mutant birds and crazy old people obsessed with plastic surgery. You'd think that owning a slice of the human world would be better than owning a big expanse of nothing. If you want big nothing, go out to, like, Oklahoma. I've heard it's beautifully empty out there. If you like a slice of interesting, move to New York or something.
And they say they'll deal with the lack of worshipers later. Great. I'm sure they didn't think about the trouble of creating an entire new race. Keep the old race, for goodness sakes. Put everyone in North America (heck, why not South America too?) in Eurasia. Then, when you're done killing each other, everyone can move back. And you're gods, just do your magical little unicorn fairy healing dance over their houses and property. And then everything can go back to normal.
Seriously, you'd think the intrapantheonic relations were bad enough. And now they have to get into interpantheonic relations as well. Splendid.
You see, I'm mostly railing against the stupid gods more than against the book. Some of their motives were a bit hazy (which is probably the author's fault) but the rest of it is probably just because they're gods, and that's how gods behave in all the myths.
Oh, and just as an afterthought (which hopefully won't turn into much more than an afterthought, but I can't promise anything), I really disliked how everyone brushed off God like he was nothing. (My keyboard went into Caps Lock accidentally and I went into a slightly tyrannical rant about personal insults, so I deleted it.)
This might be my longest review yet. Maybe. Or maybe not. In any case, this wasn't a bad book. It wasn't the best book in the world, but it wasn't a bad book either, and I'm really just ranting about it because I feel like ranting about something. So you can still read it. I'm just in a ranty mood. I think I'm suffering from withdrawal . . . back to those books now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2015
Five teenagers with more or less normal lives are caught up in an instant in an event too bizarre to be explained. The world around them has changed---monsters roam, cities have been crushed, humanity has all but vanished. And voices call them onwards, urging them to a place where they can all come together . . .
I don't read a lot of apocalypse stories, but this one intrigued me. The "how" of how the world ends seems really bogus until right before the end, when the mystery gets a few answers, and then it's all great fun again.
This is the first volume of a trilogy, so as may be expected it can be a bit slow plot-wise, since most of the tension is in the worldbuilding for the new world. It's an interesting one for the most part, though I found the availability of running water and electricity a bit on the unbelievable side, since society has by and large collapsed. On the plus side, monsters! I loved the crystal creatures that assault humanity, and Tigre's journey through the biological horror show that is South America is equally fun.
I liked Gus and Tigre best. Tigre's connection to animals, his uncontrollable runs, and Quetzie, of course, made his sections a lot of fun. Personality-wise, he's probably the least-suited for this new venture, as his attempts to be friendly prove disastrous time and again. And Gus is caught in more than he could have guessed. An ex-stagehand running off with the superstar---only his choice to save her has him now as possibly the only normal person in a fractured future. (And then the end. Ouch.)
Part of the big reveal at the end is probably going to be obvious merely from the series title and the fact that some of them, like Kali and Venus, have rather obvious names. But watching the how and why of it as it all pulls together at the end, and the implications for the future, makes it worth the wait. It does seem like a few characters are missing, though. Unless I missed it, there were five listed, and since Gus is an anomaly, that makes one more who hasn't shown up yet.
The end leaves on a cliffhanger, and the moral dilemma presented there will continue to drive the series forward. I'm curious now to see how things work out in future books, especially because the superpowers that only glimmer here promise to return full-force. I rate this book Recommended.
I don't read a lot of apocalypse stories, but this one intrigued me. The "how" of how the world ends seems really bogus until right before the end, when the mystery gets a few answers, and then it's all great fun again.
This is the first volume of a trilogy, so as may be expected it can be a bit slow plot-wise, since most of the tension is in the worldbuilding for the new world. It's an interesting one for the most part, though I found the availability of running water and electricity a bit on the unbelievable side, since society has by and large collapsed. On the plus side, monsters! I loved the crystal creatures that assault humanity, and Tigre's journey through the biological horror show that is South America is equally fun.
I liked Gus and Tigre best. Tigre's connection to animals, his uncontrollable runs, and Quetzie, of course, made his sections a lot of fun. Personality-wise, he's probably the least-suited for this new venture, as his attempts to be friendly prove disastrous time and again. And Gus is caught in more than he could have guessed. An ex-stagehand running off with the superstar---only his choice to save her has him now as possibly the only normal person in a fractured future. (And then the end. Ouch.)
Part of the big reveal at the end is probably going to be obvious merely from the series title and the fact that some of them, like Kali and Venus, have rather obvious names. But watching the how and why of it as it all pulls together at the end, and the implications for the future, makes it worth the wait. It does seem like a few characters are missing, though. Unless I missed it, there were five listed, and since Gus is an anomaly, that makes one more who hasn't shown up yet.
The end leaves on a cliffhanger, and the moral dilemma presented there will continue to drive the series forward. I'm curious now to see how things work out in future books, especially because the superpowers that only glimmer here promise to return full-force. I rate this book Recommended.
February 20, 2017
Not a bad start to a series. Some very unique ideas. I enjoyed the fact that the protagonists were intelligent and found logical solutions so I wasnt sitting there shouting at them to go do a thing.
It was a bit on the slow side, but not unbearably so. I am certainly interested in finding book 2.
It was a bit on the slow side, but not unbearably so. I am certainly interested in finding book 2.
June 7, 2010
Teenagers across the world are having nice, normal days. Well, you know, normal enough days when you blank out and end up miles from home, or when you seem to be at the center of every major disaster to hit your city, or when you're a super-pop star, loved by millions. Then, out of the blue, earthquakes hit, tidal waves strike, and the teens are forced to run. When they come back around, everything's deserted. Now they have to find out why.
The teens, Tigre, Kali, Diana (or Venus), and Gus face creepy, odd, and terrifying sights. They find out they've been transported seventy-odd years into the future, and humanity has all but died out. Strange creatures now roam the earth and skies. Some are freaky hybrids of known creatures, others are robotic, glass-like creatures, and still others are things straight out of legends. When all the teens finally end up together, they're told they are all avatars, humans that have an ancient god or goddess inside them from old religions. And they must battle it out to decide which religion (ancient Greek gods, mesoamerican gods, incan gods, etc.) will win and rule the Earth.
The story's an interesting, exciting mix between post-apocalyptic sci-fi and mythological fantasy. It's well written with believable characters, and you find out what's happening right along with the characters. However, the first book ends with such a cliff-hanger, that it's not a stand-alone book, and seems best read with the rest of the series closely following.
The teens, Tigre, Kali, Diana (or Venus), and Gus face creepy, odd, and terrifying sights. They find out they've been transported seventy-odd years into the future, and humanity has all but died out. Strange creatures now roam the earth and skies. Some are freaky hybrids of known creatures, others are robotic, glass-like creatures, and still others are things straight out of legends. When all the teens finally end up together, they're told they are all avatars, humans that have an ancient god or goddess inside them from old religions. And they must battle it out to decide which religion (ancient Greek gods, mesoamerican gods, incan gods, etc.) will win and rule the Earth.
The story's an interesting, exciting mix between post-apocalyptic sci-fi and mythological fantasy. It's well written with believable characters, and you find out what's happening right along with the characters. However, the first book ends with such a cliff-hanger, that it's not a stand-alone book, and seems best read with the rest of the series closely following.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2011
Throughout this story we get to know five teens: Gus, Venus/Diana, Tigre, Kali and Amon. Each find themselves flung far into the future, and suddenly they have to figure out what's going on. All their lives, except for Gus, they have found they're a little weird. Venus (a stage name) has been a super sensational pop star, Tigre is really good with animals and Kali can destroy things by willing it to happen. Amon is the most mysterious character of the bunch, and we only see little glimpses of him until the end. What they discover, once they all arrive in New York City, is that they are avatars for the gods--each representing a different group. The book ends with the five teens challenged to fight each other to see which gods win and get to inherit the earth, such as it is.
This is an intriguing book and readers will be sucked into the mystery right away, wondering along with the teens in the book what on earth is happening. The idea of the gods of the world duking it out in the far future is a fresh take on the 'end of the world' idea. The Christian/Jewish God is the only one fully absent, though He and African gods are mentioned when the gods show themselves to the teens at the end of the book. The characters are all interesting and have some great development, despite the jumpy nature of the narrative. Sutherland leaves us hanging, needing book two, so use books like The Lightning Thief or the Maximum Ride trilogy to help readers wait.
This is an intriguing book and readers will be sucked into the mystery right away, wondering along with the teens in the book what on earth is happening. The idea of the gods of the world duking it out in the far future is a fresh take on the 'end of the world' idea. The Christian/Jewish God is the only one fully absent, though He and African gods are mentioned when the gods show themselves to the teens at the end of the book. The characters are all interesting and have some great development, despite the jumpy nature of the narrative. Sutherland leaves us hanging, needing book two, so use books like The Lightning Thief or the Maximum Ride trilogy to help readers wait.
May 5, 2016
This book is a marvelous read. I was immediately drawn into the story with its mysterious plot and foreboding aura. I loved the characters hand how much personality they had. Sutherland did an amazing job of painting this post-apocalyptic world for me. As I read this book, I could feel the tension in the air as the characters dealt with giant crystal-robot-monster things and had to sneak through creepy, deserted cities. I was so excited to find out what caused these particular teenagers to travel forward in time to this post-apocalyptic scene, I couldn't put the book down; but then...
Okay, so I do not like neat/tidy/easy-to-work with (if that makes sense) endings. And unfortunately, that is what threw the fifth star away. It was about the last 30 or so pages, and...viola! The teens were possessed by ancient gods. This sure was a curveball, but it just kind of ruined it for me. Though imaginative, this ending seemed like bright, spick and span way to end the book. Introducing the concept of the gods all wanting to rule the earth just completely destroyed the mystery. After those last few pages, I no longer felt the surreptitious tone that had enwrapped me in the story.
Now do not get me wrong, I absolutely loved this book and am definitely looking forward to reading the next two, even though the ending was a bit of a downer. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone with a taste of mystery or fantasy.
Okay, so I do not like neat/tidy/easy-to-work with (if that makes sense) endings. And unfortunately, that is what threw the fifth star away. It was about the last 30 or so pages, and...viola! The teens were possessed by ancient gods. This sure was a curveball, but it just kind of ruined it for me. Though imaginative, this ending seemed like bright, spick and span way to end the book. Introducing the concept of the gods all wanting to rule the earth just completely destroyed the mystery. After those last few pages, I no longer felt the surreptitious tone that had enwrapped me in the story.
Now do not get me wrong, I absolutely loved this book and am definitely looking forward to reading the next two, even though the ending was a bit of a downer. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this to anyone with a taste of mystery or fantasy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2012
I love finding new authors to read. But somehow I always seem to stumble on trilogies.
So This Is How It Ends is Book 1 in the Avatars trilogy. Book 2 Shadow Falling is already out while Book 3 will be published this coming October.
Like before, I bought the book because of the cover – a boy astride a giant bird (a neoquetzal, I later found out) in the middle of a storm. I was drawn in. Wouldn’t you be?
Sutherland seems to take great care in setting the scene before revealing anything which explains the slow start in the beginning. There were some pages which made me feel mired in too much background when all I wanted at the point was the story to move along already.
I also am intrigue by books where people have to deal with the end of the world as they know it and I’m always curious to see what the author’s depiction of the end of the world is like – which in this case is almost empty of humans except for pockets of humanity scattered in various major cities living alongside genetically engineered montrosities.
Some books are predictable from page one, but thank goodness this was not one of them for me. I’m glad to be happily proven wrong in some of my assumptions. Which is why I like the cliffhanger in the end – it came out of almost nowhere. Which is why I’m getting book 2 posthaste.
So This Is How It Ends is Book 1 in the Avatars trilogy. Book 2 Shadow Falling is already out while Book 3 will be published this coming October.
Like before, I bought the book because of the cover – a boy astride a giant bird (a neoquetzal, I later found out) in the middle of a storm. I was drawn in. Wouldn’t you be?
Sutherland seems to take great care in setting the scene before revealing anything which explains the slow start in the beginning. There were some pages which made me feel mired in too much background when all I wanted at the point was the story to move along already.
I also am intrigue by books where people have to deal with the end of the world as they know it and I’m always curious to see what the author’s depiction of the end of the world is like – which in this case is almost empty of humans except for pockets of humanity scattered in various major cities living alongside genetically engineered montrosities.
Some books are predictable from page one, but thank goodness this was not one of them for me. I’m glad to be happily proven wrong in some of my assumptions. Which is why I like the cliffhanger in the end – it came out of almost nowhere. Which is why I’m getting book 2 posthaste.
April 8, 2015
*Spoiler Alert*
I really liked this book when it started out. The whole end of the world thing, not caused by any of the clique natural disasters or humans killing each other off in one big war crap. I liked how the characters were from many different places around the world and I felt like they got me. For example, I really felt for Gus when he found his brother. Kali said what we all want to, that people suck and sometimes we wish they didn't exist. The whole Venus story line was a little strange but I liked getting to know her past her persona as a pop star.
This book was really different than any book I've ever read. It was very weird which I liked. I would have recommended it to all my friends and given it as many stars as possible if it weren't for the last couple of pages. I had hoped it was an alien invasion or something, but the whole Gods thing seemed sort of cheap and strange and I don't know a lot about any type of gods except for Greek gods. I would most definitely have read the next book if it weren't for not wanting at all to read a book about gods. I think the book could have ended so well and that some of the mystery should have been kept up, but it was all thrown away.
Overall I really enjoyed reading the book and was excited to start the next book, and I think it was worth reading, but I won't be reading the second one.
I really liked this book when it started out. The whole end of the world thing, not caused by any of the clique natural disasters or humans killing each other off in one big war crap. I liked how the characters were from many different places around the world and I felt like they got me. For example, I really felt for Gus when he found his brother. Kali said what we all want to, that people suck and sometimes we wish they didn't exist. The whole Venus story line was a little strange but I liked getting to know her past her persona as a pop star.
This book was really different than any book I've ever read. It was very weird which I liked. I would have recommended it to all my friends and given it as many stars as possible if it weren't for the last couple of pages. I had hoped it was an alien invasion or something, but the whole Gods thing seemed sort of cheap and strange and I don't know a lot about any type of gods except for Greek gods. I would most definitely have read the next book if it weren't for not wanting at all to read a book about gods. I think the book could have ended so well and that some of the mystery should have been kept up, but it was all thrown away.
Overall I really enjoyed reading the book and was excited to start the next book, and I think it was worth reading, but I won't be reading the second one.
February 12, 2017
The idea of different gods not dying when their culture dies and will fight to keep living is really interesting.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews