Kahayatle

Apocalypsis #1

by Elle Casey

This is an alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B008E95UOK.

NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, ELLE CASEY, brings readers Book 1 of 4 in the YA Dystopian APOCALYPSIS Series, suitable for older teens and adults.

KAHAYATLE. My name is Bryn Mathis. I'm seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I’m here alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I'm almost out of food, and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. It's time for me to leave and find another place to live ... a place where I can find food and shelter ... a place where they won't be able to find me. Alone, it might have been possible, but now I've got company. I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to get from here to my final destination, and I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

Content Warning: Mild violence and some foul language. Meant for older Young Adult readers (age 15+). This book is in the Dark Science Fiction / Horror / Post-Apocalyptic genres, featuring teen characters only.

APOCALYPSIS SERIES READING ORDER
Kahayatle (Apocalypsis Book 1) **Special introductory ebook price**
Warpaint (Apocalypsis Book 2)
Exodus (Apocalypsis Book 3)
Haven (Apocalypsis Book 4)

This series is dedicated to the amazing, wonderful Native Americans who populate our nation, continuing their traditions and reminding the rest of us that sometimes, progress isn’t always the best thing for our people. I invite you to learn more about the Miccosukee tribe, their history, culture, and lifestyle by visiting this website: http://www.miccosukee.com/indian-vill...

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Zombies, Horror, Science Fiction

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2012

About the author

Elle Casey, a former attorney and teacher, is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling American author who lives in France with her husband, the youngest of her three kids, and several horses, dogs, and cats. She has written more than 40 novels in less than 5 years and likes to say she offers fiction in several flavors. These flavors include romance, science fiction, urban fantasy, action adventure, suspense, and paranormal.

BOOKS BY ELLE CASEY
 (by genre):

ROMANCE 

By Degrees

Rebel Wheels (3-book series)
Just One Night (romantic serial)
Just One Week
Love in New York (3-book series)
Shine Not Burn (2-book series), also available as an Audiobook
Bourbon Street Boys (3-book series), also available as an Audiobook
Desperate Measures
Mismatched

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

All the Glory: How Jason Bradley Went from Hero to Zero in Ten Seconds Flat
Don’t Make Me Beautiful
Wrecked (2-book series), Book 1 also available as an Audiobook


 CONTEMPORARY URBAN FANTASY

 

War of the Fae (10-book series)
*Book 1, The Changelings, is a free ebook at most retailers*
Ten Things You Should Know About Dragons (short story, The Dragon Chronicles)
My Vampire Summer

Aces High



 SCIENCE FICTION
 

Drifters’ Alliance (3-book series +)
Winner Takes All (short story prequel to Drifters’ Alliance, Dark Beyond the Stars Anthology)
The Ivory Tower (short story standalone, Beyond the Stars: A Planet Too Far. A Space Opera Anthology)


 DYSTOPIAN

 

Apocalypsis (4-book series) *Book 1, Kahayatle, is a FREE ebook at most retailers*


 PARANORMAL
 

Duality (2-book series)
Monkey Business (short story)
Dreampath (short story, The Telepath Chronicles)
Pocket Full of Sunshine (short story & screenplay)

A personal note from Elle ...
If you've enjoyed any of my books, please take a moment to leave a review on the site where you bought the book, here on Goodreads, or on any book blogs you participate in, and tell your friends! I love interacting with my readers, so if you feel like shooting the breeze or talking about books or your family or pets, please visit me. You can find me at:
www.ElleCasey.com
www.Facebook.com/ellecaseytheauthor
www.Twitter.com/ellecasey
www.Instagram.com/Ellecaseyauthor

Want to get an email when my next book is released?
 Sign up here: www.E

Reviews

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4 Canner Stars***

A different premise for the "Zombie" books...instead we have Canners (cannibals who aren't dead).

The disease only effected adults over the age of 20....so we have a bunch of teens trying to make a life for themselves while running from these canners.

Instead of running to the mountains, they run to the Everglades to the Indian settlement.

I LOVED Bryn - kick ass girl!! And I so love all the secondary characters - Bondo, Peter and Buster! Tons of funny innuendos and doodling!

I just wish it wasn't young adult.

[Lucas Deal · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0 hearts.

A Rare rating from me. But worthy although I can nitpick anything.

Before you read any further, this review contains language. If you're a little kid, don't read this. I cuss. I have a very foul mouth. No spoilers really, just bad bad words. Enjoy ;)

I read A TON of dystopians and post-apocalyptic novels. They all run together, but not this one. This is the kind of dystopian that I want to read.



I love the world Elle Casey has created. It's a tamed-down, less-depressing, good-humored The Road meets a more-aggressive, less sophisticated The Silence of the Lambs.

All the grown-ups are gone. They just have straight up died. Peaced out. Deuces. It's not some kind of rapture scenerio. It's some kind of virus that has killed all young kids and those grown-ups. Only the teenagers are left.

After reading the entire book, there is still no explanation for this.

Thinking about it....



Yap, still don't understand.

In this world without adults there are tons of gangs who loot to survive. Kill or be killed. If you want to survive, you need to be in a gang. To be in a gang, you need to eat. I could be in a gang with the way I eat. I'm really good at eating, but not these gangs. Because you aren't eating food. You are eating people.

CANNIBALS!



Yeah, I said Cannibals. Motherfuckers eating other motherfuckers.

"Canners" as Peter, the scrawny gay-boy calls them. Peter is a great character. The voice of reason and obviously into fashion, even in a world so desolate. The banter between Peter and the main character Bryn makes the book. Then add in a German exchange student with his dialogue and his accent really sucks you in. His optimism in the face of insurmountable odds is infectious.

The world is believable though. I visit the Cracker Barrel in real life and I really don't know if I'll ever visit in the same capacity.

Bryn is a very likable character. She is strong-willed and her father has prepped her for survival in this world. A world he somehow foresaw, which STILL doesn't make sense to me. Bryn is also very crude and I love crude. It's my favorite. I think her personality will turn a lot of people off. Maybe not her personality, but her sense of humor. I eat that shit up though, like a "canner" does the human carcass.

The one complaint I have with Bryn is how perfect she is. That's the only part that is not believable. Yes, her dad got her ready for this world (because he's a fucking pyschic I guess), but her confidence going in to every situation isn't realistic. Plus, she never seems to struggle with any challenge that she is faced with. I'd like to see her falter occasionally, but other than that she's one of my favorite characters I've read mostly due to the aforementioned sense of humor she possesses.

Plus, put a fucking dog into a post-apocalyptic nightmare and make him give kisses and cuddles and I'm in heaven. Oh Buster. Doggy woggy loggy.

Read this! It's bloody brilliant.

[Daphne Sleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't for me. First, the book has grammatical errors in the first few pages. A small thing, but it pulled me out of the story. Second, I couldn't get past some of the realities the author had set up in her post-apocalyptic world. I was nearing the point of giving up anyway, but the final straw for me was the narrator mentioning (in a world that had gone to hell mere months ago) that she had long ago run out of soap. Soap. There is enough soap in my house right now for 3 people for a year, and I'm not preparing like she supposedly was. Soap is also shelf-stable. There will be soap 15 years after an apocalypse. Yeah, it's nitpicky, but it's just indicative of the lack of thought she's put into setting up her world. If for you, you can get past that stuff and just enjoy the story, power to you. It wasn't for me.

[Editing Services by Cynthia Shepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle Casey has done it again. Created a world that drags you in and won’t let you go. I think I am a little bit in love with her brain lol, at least the imagination part of it. I love books that make me root for the characters, and this one has you rooting from the very first page.

Just imagine a world where there are no adults and no children, nothing but hormonal teenagers left alive. This is the world that 17 year-old Bryn lives in. All of the adults and children, including her beloved father, have died of a mysterious disease. Bryn is all alone in an unforgiving world, where danger lurks just outside her front door, and starvation is only a tin can away. But Bryn is no helpless little girl. Her father taught her to survive, taught her Krav Maga and taught her how to “Go American White Girl All Over You’re Ass”. (I hear more than a hint of Jason Brant in that statement lol!)

Bryn thinks she needs nothing and no one until the day she almost runs out of food and decides to explore the house behind her. Despite the gangs raging through the streets, taking whatever they want, Bryn decides it is worth investigating. She gets more than she bargains for in this decision.

Cue Peter into the story. A small, skinny boy that holds up Bryn with a .357 magnum and instead of killing her, worms his way into her heart. Peter may be weak, but he knows who he is, which is a smart and able…even in a pair of too big red high heels. (Yes, Peter is gay!). Bryn decides to take him in and realizes that Peter has a hell of a story to tell, one that changes their lives forever.

They decide that they have to leave where they are because the danger is too great to stay. There are “Canners” running the streets (I’m not going to spoil it by telling you what Canners are!), and after a confrontation that leaves one dead, and a severed head on the porch, Bryn, Peter and a naked pink poodle named Buster, hit the road on mountain bikes; hoping to find a new place to start a life.

There they meet the third member of their newly formed family, Bodo. He is a German exchange student that lost his family. He is cute, has an accent and a happy disposition. They take him in and continue on their journey. They are headed to the Everglades, a place they think that they can survive and maybe that others won’t find them. A place to get lost in…and a place to start a new life in.

The journey they take to get there is often times hilarious, filled with raunchy teenage humor. “Peter has to go do a doodle. No poodles allowed during doodle time!” I will never hear the word doodle again without dying laughing. Bryn is loyal, hilarious and a bad ass. Peter is sweet, and strong despite his small stature. He is often funny at times as well. Bodo, well, he is just a big puppy dog. Always happy, always willing to help out, and would do anything for his new family…especially Bryn! “Dat’s not a problem.”

Their journey also has plenty of heartbreak. I found myself with tears in my eyes quite a few times. They meet many new characters along the way, some good, some bad, and some just so sad that you feel it in the bottom of your heart.

They do make it to their goal, but this is where my review stops. I refuse to tell you anymore because that would just ruin the story. Just know that they have many adventures waiting for them in the Everglades, and if you want to know what happens to Bryn, Peter, Bodo and Buster, well, you need to read the book! Also, if you are curious what “Kahayatle” means, as I was, go grab the book and give it a chance. You will not regret it. Once I started this book, I was hard pressed to put it down. I kept snickering at the book and my husband kept telling me “You are so weird”.

Once again, if I have talked you into reading this book, please leave a review where you bought it. Every review helps the author.

For more reviews of GREAT books, please visit my blog at:
http://cynthiashepp.wordpress.com

[John Podlaski · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: **SPOILER ALERT**
Imagine being in a world without adults or young children - they were all killed by an unusual virus. Bryn, the 17 year old lead character, had spent the last several years training as a survivalist. Her father had a vision of the future turning out this way and had prepared his daughter in those skills needed - especially the martial arts - to survive in such an environment. After the apocalypse, surviving teens had to live on their own; foraging for food and other supplies to keep their homes cozy. However, factories were not making supplies and inventories dwindled, food eventually ran out. Gangs were formed and members resort to violence; raiding homes and stealing supplies from others. When those sources finally dry up, these gangs resort to cannibalism - killing those who are weaker and then barbecuing the body parts and sharing in the bounty.

Bryn must stay awake all night long to protect her home from these roving gangs. She had been lucky so far, but the gangs are getting bolder and she knew it will soon be time to leave. She discovers a younger boy, Peter, in the vacant home behind her and together, they rescue a poodle from a home down the street. Bryn and Peter start making plans to leave the neighborhood. However, everything changes when they find themselves in a life or death battle with gang members who are trying to break into her home. Peter shoots one of them dead to end the siege. In the morning, they discover the dismembered head of the shot gang member laying on the front porch...the body gone They soon find it, or what is left of it, on the backyard barbecue of the home next door. Empty bottles of booze and drunken, unconscious gang members litter the yard. It is time to go. Now!

The pair gather supplies and leave on bicycles for the Everglades, soon coming upon an individual traveling alone. He is a German transfer student who quickly teams up with trio of travelers and joins them in their quest to reach what Bryn believes will be their sanctuary. During their trek, they come upon rogue gangs and other formidable foes. The story is unique, funny at times, terrifying in places and keeps the reader on edge to see what will happen next.

The ending left me hanging and longing for more. The trio and dog finally reach the Everglades, and eventually join forces with two nearby Indian tribes. However, they soon find their sanctuary threatened upon learning that a nearby gang is warehousing humans to eat in the near future. It's a great read and highly recommended. I'm looking forward to reading books 2 & 3 to see how this group manages their future.

John Podlaski, author

[Leeland Artra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalypsis is a page turning book. It’s based on a very dark apocalyptic scenario where the world is left to teens, with some warning but not enough time for the adults to help secure a livable world for the kids who are left alive. The humor in it was very well done and seemed to blend well into the situation.

The book is entirely from the point of view of Bryn, a teenage girl whose father took the time to prepare her very well for the horrors she would live through. Bryn is joined or recruits some friends and they have to find someplace to live where they won’t be used as food by the more desperate teenagers that seem to be taking over by brute force.

The book has some great twists that played out well with the story. Being the first Elle Casey book I have read I am really impressed with her well thought out dialogs and descriptions. I never once thought ‘hey that couldn’t happen’ or ‘that was ridiculous to put in.’

As this is a young adult novel (YA) I am a little taken by surprise by the violent and brutal situations the main characters have to deal with. I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy books and I don't recall reading about such graphically brutal situations as rape, vicious fighting and cannibalism. This was the second YA book I have read from this generation of YA writers and the other was just as graphic. I would recommend being ready to discuss such items with any teenager reading this.

Elle Casey has made a great strong female heroine that might even inspire some teenage girls to look closer at the world and not allow themselves to get stereotyped into a dull role in life.

At first I thought the book was a bit predictable with simple obstacles to overcome. However, each element added to the complexity leading down a spiral that spun ever faster into an ending that was completely unpredictable.

I really enjoy Elle’s easy story telling style and look forward to finding out what happens next in this series and her other books. I have already bought the second book in the series and am looking forward to reading it.

Also for the record ARGH cliffhangers are so annoying! My mind just screams “common not there just one more page!” Of course that won’t stop me from hitting her back with my own cliffhanger!

[Lisa Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle Casey has created a most remarkable post-epidemic world, where only teenagers are left to inherit the earth and all the good and bad things that come with that. Our main character, Bryn, is a heroine the likes of Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) or Clary Fray (City of Bones). She is strong in character, she knows who she is, yet she has flaws, she is just trying to survive in her new reality and do so in line with her morals and conscious. I love sharing this kind of book with young adult (15 yrs. +) women, they need strong role models in literature. I abhor the books that portray women and girls as victims to be saved by big, strong, or smart men while they cower in fear. Bryn will have you loving every "Girl Power" moment, she is fascinating and real.

When all the adults and young children are taken by a mysterious illness, we first meet Bryn in her home, almost out of food and water, and trying to figure out what to do next. All the training her beloved father gave her never came close to the reality and isolation in the new world. There are violent gangs of teens roaming the streets and Bryn knows she is going to have to leave her home soon or else be a sitting duck. It is her journey, her encounters, and her amazing inner strength and sense of right and wrong that leads her forward through the fear she must surely feel.

I don't want to hand out a heap of spoilers, just trust that this novel is the start of a series that has an amazing range of issues to ponder, discuss, and digest. You will not be able to put it down, and you will want to share it with everyone you know so that you can all discuss what you are uncovering in these amazing novels. Apocalypsis and it follow-up books are all equally thrilling, edge of your seat, shocking, and riveting. I anxiously await the fourth book in these series, coming soon. Elle Casey has created a series that is relevant, absorbing, and totally new. A great novel for school projects and book reports, or even to be read as a class curriculum item. I am a 40 year old with a Master's Degree and loved them, my 15 year old niece adores them just as much, and that speaks volumes. Snap them up for your Kindle at these amazing prices, or order the hard copies for sharing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My


OH MY GOD SUCH A FREAKINGLY AMAZING AWESOME BOOK!!! A MUST READ!!! Once you start its hard to put down I know I had a hard time doing so. If there ever was an apocalyptic event like that I could actually see it going down like this. This book takes you to that place and it will hold you there until the next book! This is a Post apocalyptic series where all the grown-ups and really young children die from some virus that no one can figure out. It leaves the world left to all the teenagers that are still surviving. There are sadistic ones that turn to cannibalism and violence to survive. The story's main character, a girl named Bryn is very kickass. So far there are 3 books out and the 4th should be out at the end of March!!!

[Badseedgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the 2021 Bossy Book Challenge August : Monster theme. This was a very quick read which I enjoy in the summer when I am mostly reading in the late evenings after all the fun in the sun time is over with.

This is definitely a Young Adult book, although it does deal with some adult type themes. It just reads as YA. This is not a bad thing, it just is what it is. Bryn reads like a YA heroine. She is a strong female lead, in fact, all the females in this first book in the series were strong characters. I had some problems with the character of Peter, because he smacked just a little too hard of a stereotype gay character. I would have been happier if he had been written just a little stronger, a little less flouncy. I am a 40+ year old Cis woman, and even I was a little insulted that the only person to faint from an emotional shock was Peter. Bodo was likable, if ultimately forgettable, character brought in as a love interest for Bryn.

This books ends with a major cliffhanger. This was disappointing for me because my library does not have this book and I'm not sure if I enjoyed this book enough to actually buy the book.... atleast at this point.

I know it sounds like I did not enjoy this book, but that was not the case. I found it to be a perfect summer read. Thank you Gertie for this selection.

[Between the Bind · Rating 5 out of 5]

What took me so freaking long to read this book?! Apocalypsis: Kahayatle was so very different than what I expected - but just that much better because of it. Elle Casey creates a world ridden with violence and horror and injects the perfect amount of belly-laughing sarcasm, wit, and romance. Her characterization is phenomenal and honest through a setting that is disturbingly realistic. Now lets dig a bit deeper.

Summary
We begin our journey with Bryn, a 17-year-old Krav Maga apprentice who is really freaking tired of eating noodles. And shoot, she's been eating them and beans for about a month now, since her dad went to the hospital to die along with the other adults and pre-pubescent kids. No one knows why kids 11-20 are immune to the wipe-out - but they are simply the only ones left. Before Bryn's dad left, he helped her prep for the end of the world by stocking up on camping equipment and canned food, getting her a gun, and teaching her all he could as a Krav Maga master.

Now, she's getting restless...and knows that the other kids in the town feel the same. There are more break-ins every day and it's just a matter of time before they ignore the unspoken rule of only ransacking vacant houses. So, before she leaves, she hops over her backyard fence to check for any last minute supplies.

Quickly she finds herself with not just one but two lost boys and a mangey pup to boot, following her on a journey to make a new home in the middle of chaos. Remaining unseen while traveling south on the highway with a barking dog and three people is extremely difficult and dangerous because, well, kids are eating other kids. Yeah.

Review
I really enjoyed Bryn's personality and POV. She's a complex and different character to fall for - average, not many friends, freaking hilariously awkward, she's just one of the guys and *surprise* is more than a bit of a loner. She adopts Peter, a sweet, smart guy with a love for animals and has some minor OCD tendencies, and Kodo - a huge, glass-is-half-full German with an inhuman ability to make anybody laugh. Oh, and then there's Buster who's awesome and yappy happy - I love my some fur-babies!

Even with the hords of "canners" grouping together and searching for their next meal, our cast of misfits find reason to live in one of the most uninhabitable places in Florida. They meet several people on their journey, both good, evil, and well, just plain unique.

Great writing, thoughtful editing, heartwarming characters, and a thought-provoking storyline come together in Elle Casey's Apocalypsis. This is definitely a must-buy and one of my favorite summer reads.

[Amanda Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I must say, this is not really a YA book, nor is it adult. Sometimes it reads like a young teen novel and other times it reads like an adult horror novel. I enjoy horror and gore as well as many genres, but this book straddled so many that I found myself so uncertain so often. The main character is okay to an extent, an overly paranoid and yet overly trusting person who falls into the Jackie Chan stereotype of "I do not want to hurt you but I am going to beat the crap out of you anyways." Yeah. Towards the end the grammar and spelling mistakes really started to grate on my nerves. The rush, that apparently this author is known for, was easily apparent. The idea was original to me, in my vast readings of dystopian fiction, and for that I was greatful. Now for the really bad parts. I am noticing a trend in budding authors to attempt accents. I really wish this would end. I can speak German roughly and this author is a mere country away from them, and yet her German-accented dialogue was absolutely horrendous. Instead of coming off as German, reading it phonetically, it was a cross between Italian and Russian, depending on the paragraph. Sometimes he had no accent. The research behind German words and language is lacking. Mother is "mutter" and not "mudder." I also really hate the in and out use of Bodo speaking of himself in the third person. Is he supposed to be a German engineering student or someone with mental handicaps? I was sort of waiting for "The Stand" character to do the "M-o-o-n, that spells Chicago!" at any moment. Research skills are not the authors high point. Her understanding of Florida's geography is frustrating beyond all belief. If you are going to use exact miles in something, know your cardinal directions and actual locations. Placing the Everglades exactly 250 miles South of a place South of Orlando is insane. Figure it out. Her time is off as well. One moment it is hours and the next it is days. Her days turn into weeks that apparently consist of only two or three days each. Very confusing. All in all, a major disapointment. I contemplated getting the second book to see if their are changes, but from reviews of fellow readers and reviewers, this seems futile. And a deadstop ending is not a joyous cliffhanger, but a lowball attempt to keep readers buying something sub-par.

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Are these books part of some cult following or something? Because I honestly can't figure out how they have such high ratings.

I'll admit, I liked the premise of the story. And a lot of the characters are quite loveable. But the cheesy factor is overwhelming.. Bryn being such a "master" at Krav Maga? Sure, I guess that's possible. But for her to conquer every person she comes in contact with seems a little over the top.

I cannot stand the way Bodo speaks. I understand he's German & has an accent, but I don't think it's necessary to spell out the words in the exact way he speaks. It is distracting and unnecessary.

I'm giving the book two stars because I like how they end up in the Everglades and get to live off the land. And I'm just curious enough that I'm going to read the rest of the books.

[Candace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just not for me. Everything was so convenient for the characters. If they needed water it would rain he next second, that goes for transportation, shelter, conveniently hot potential boyfriends, even bags of Doritos practically fell in their laps. Its the end of the world wheres the struggle?! Sure there were canners out there but the main character was unrealistically PERFECT at everything so not even the cannibals were really a problem when she got in Krav Maga mode.

I noticed alot of people comparing Bryn to Katniss from Hunger Games and let me just tell you SHE'S NOT. Bryn was annoying and immature. I mean hello she made poo jokes and made bitchy mental comments about everything and everyone she came across.

Overall the book was just okay......

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished re reading this, I loved this book the first time I read it and loving it all over again now lol
I'm looking forward to re reading the rest of this series, I love the whole idea of this story and it's so believable that all this would likely happen in these events, although I would like to believe the canners wouldn't happen that's for sure!
I love Bryn, Peter and Bodo (not forgetting Buster!)
You get a real feel of the bond they all create even when dealing with all the stuff the have to deal with.
On to book 2 :-)

[Mignon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of YA post-apocalyptic fiction in the last year, and this was one of the best. The friendships felt real, and I loved how the author pushed some YA limits and addressed realistic topics teenagers would deal with if the world fell apart. The characters didn't always do what I would have expected them to do, and that created wonderful surprises and kept me interested. I bought the second book in the series about 30 seconds after I finished this book.

[Mary Mondeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, can't wait to read the second one.

[Tiffany Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what a world with no adults would be like? Or if teenagers can survive in a world with no parents? Well, Casey paints a very honest and realistic view of what this world would be like. Apocalypsis is a dystopian novel where a disease kills off most of the population. In this novel, anyone who wasn’t a who teenager died- adults and children alike. The story is told in first person POV and from Bryn’s perspective.

So, let me give you a quick synopsis: Bryn's father who was well aware of the fact that he would be dead soon did everything he could to prepare Bryn. He left her stocked with food, a gun, first aid supplies and other necessities. He taught her how to pack, how to camp, how to defend herself using Krav Maga and he left her a plan. At some point she would have to move and find a safe place to settle down.

If you don’t enjoy reading books that tend to be addictive and take over your life until you have finished reading it- stay away from Apocalypsis. It was nearly impossible to put down. It is also funny- I spent most of the book chuckling or full out laughing. It’s action packed- Bryn is a certified badass and there was always someone’s ass for her to kick. It’s suspenseful and gross- the reality of their world is crazy (although realistic) and at times hard to stomach. There is also a hint of romance- it was nice seeing the attraction and chemistry between Bryn and Bodo.

The characters are dynamic and fun and I loved getting to know them.
Bryn is funny, brave and very likeable. She has a great sense of humor and spends most of her time teasing others. She can totally kick ass and protects the people she cares about.
Peter is a great support for Bryn. He’s often her voice of reason. He is surprisingly strong but is the weakest character of the bunch.
Bodo is a sweetheart. He plays Bryn’s love interest. He is strong, has a crazy hot body and has a great accent (I love how Casey presents his speech to us). He tries very hard to be of help and to make Bryn happy- totally cute and romantic. However, he is surrounded by a shroud of mystery and his secrets left me with a feeling of foreboding.

The one negative I found was that there is never any explanation of this disease that decimated the population. To be clear, neither the reader nor the characters have any understanding of it. After all, when the adults are the scientist and doctors and they are dying off, there is no one else left to explain it. All we know is that there was something in the hormones raging in teenagers that made them immune to the disease.

This is a novel that raises the question of people and human nature and survival. It is a prime example of Darwin's ideas- A world where you must adapt to survive (survival of the fittest). Apocalypsis is fun, realistic, hilarious, and heartwarming. I really enjoyed reding this book and would definitely recommend. I look forward to reading the sequel and knowing what happens next.

For a chance to see just how good this book is be sure to enter the giveaway. Elle Casey is once again, generously giving away two ebook copies of Apocalypsis. This giveaway is open until October 21, 2012. The winner will be announced October 22. Good luck!

*To see more of my reviews or enter the giveaway visit http://tiffanylovesbooks.wordpress.com

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apocalypsis is a really edgy, funny book that puts the really dark, brutal circumstances of the world it is set in into perspective.

The humor and banter is what keeps this from being too dark and broody. The stark violence and just appalling situations these kids are put in begs for the humor to make it entertaining and not just downright scary. I really felt like it was a perfect blend of the two.

Once again, Elle Casey delivers a strong female heroine. I absolutely loved the main character. She reminds me a lot of the heroine from War Of the Fae.

The characters really drive this one home. Bryn is strong, skilled and determined and yet, she has a soft side. Peter is positively adorable and Bodo is just very simplistic and so genuine. He's such a different type of hero because he is so on the surface. I suspect he has a secret but he isn't broody or broken or anything. He offers up his loyalty on a silver platter.

The early plot starts out a bit predictable. If they need to open a lock, they find something on the ground. If they can't carry their stuff, they find a trailer, etc. But aside from that, the plot is strong. Each event sends you spiraling toward the next, keeping you fully grounded in the story. By the end, it is anything but predictable.

What I found missing in this one is characters changing as they went through. Most books grab me because I want to partake on the character's journey. This one grabbed me more because of the plot. The characters were likeable and I am definitely invested in them, but it wasn't their emotional journey that left me hooked. I think this book is more plot centric than character centric.

I will definitely be continuing with this series. It was good enough that I have already bought the second book and begun reading it.

[KareB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite Elle Casey book. The storyline is good. I do like the main character Bryn. And I love Bodo's sense of humor. I read eagerly to find out what would happen to the characters next, anxious to meet the people that they'd meet next. I do have a few problems with this book though. I hate to even say what they are because I really do love this authors creativty. But then again, I have to be true to myself.

In this book we meet some members of two of the tribes that make up the Seminole Nation in Florida. It's funny how they all became their ethnic selves. It kind of sets them back a couple of hundred years. And since most people in our modern world come from mixed backgrounds, I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't revert right back to the way it was. I don't know...maybe I'm the only one that was just a little put off. But I do know that where I come from, we never refer to ourselves as "Indian". We have different ways of labeling people of our "tribe". Personally, I am from a Nation because we are made up of 14 tribes and bands.. "Indian" is always added when talking about the Native American characters. It would be more appropriate to generalize them by their tribal name, not by Indian. Anyway, this might just be my personal issue with the book. I do intend to read more though. It's interesting to read how others perceive Native American PEOPLE. We're all just people.

Again... Let me sure to tell you that I love Elle's creative mind. I'm anxious to read what will happen next

[Amos Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blew me away!
I have read Elle Casey's 'War of the Fae' series and really enjoyed it, so was eager to pick up Apocalypsis which is a completely different genre to her Fae series. What I love most about Elle Casey's writing are her characters. They are always so well thought out and real. I absolutely loved Bryn, she is a kick ass heroine with a great sense of humour. I adored Peter and swooned over Bodo. Every detail was so well thought through, the world building was exceptional and I haven't enjoyed an apocalyptic novel so much in years!!
I know I am probably gushing but this book was seriously great. Elle Casey is now on my favourite authors and auto buy list!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARGH! I HATE cliffhangers! Especially when the next book isn't out yet!

However, I did LOVE this book. It started a little slow. I didn't quite put all the pieces together right away. The relationship between Bryn and Peter is cute and fun. The introduction of Bodo and Buster adds both romance and humor. I'm not sure how exactly I feel about Bodo joining Peter and Bryn's journey south. There has got to be some sort of twist coming with him, especially since we know so little about him. The scenes with the cannibals feel realistic and scary.

All in all, I enjoyed this book.

[Auburn1975 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good and evil are waging a very dark war, and all of humanity is caught in between. This is an intense work very interesting about core values, skill, relationships, and what makes-up the strongest in terms of survival. Brilliantly crafted story with challenges of all kinds. Although I will look forward to buying/reading all following books, at this point I am glad to have a break from the heavy but totally believable zombie war drama. I could not put this one down...read it in half a day.

PS: If ever there is a story that needs a poodle to cement the feeling of this could be real and deflect some of the creepy parts, it's this one.

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok... This is now my favorite book of all time... for a few reasons...

1) where it takes place. right in my back yard just about. Bodo came under 10 miles from where I live..

2) The 'doodle' mishap.. I cried from laughing.

3) First Dystopian/post apcolyptical book to mention Tony Robbins!!

4) I will NEVER look at Cracker Barrel the same now. EVER EVER EVER..

5) The gut wrenching letter written by the boy..

This book.. had me crying and then laughing just minutes apart.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (3/11/2019)!💝

Blurb:
KAHAYATLE. My name is Bryn Mathis. I'm seventeen years old, and I live in a neighborhood outside of Orlando, Florida. I’m here alone because my dad died almost a year ago, along with all the other adults in the world. I'm almost out of food, and the gangs of kids that roam around my town are getting more vicious by the day. It's time for me to leave and find another place to live ... a place where I can find food and shelter ... a place where they won't be able to find me. Alone, it might have been possible, but now I've got company. I'm worried that I don't have what it takes to get from here to my final destination, and I have no idea what might be waiting for me when I get there.

[RedRedtheycallmeRed · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

I'm obviously not the target audience here, but I bought this whole series for my daughter years ago, so while I wait for my library books to become available I'm hanging out here in YA cannibal-land.

Bryn was quite annoying, Bodo was fine, Peter was one big gay stereotype, the dog was cute. The book was short, moved along at a decent pace, left me interested enough to at least read the next one. I do wish the author had expanded a bit on what happened to kill off everyone except the teens.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kahayatle was a really good story and the first of a trilogy. Summarised - it's the end of the world as we know it. Everyone under 10 and over 20 died and the young teen survivors are surviving - just. However, as supplies of food are running out - city dwellers who don't know how to produce food have found a protein source. Eating other survivors. Our 3 young main characters are not happy about this and have trekked to the Everglades in Florida to hide away.

[Joel]

Good grief. I realize self-publishing is hard, but cultivate at least one literate friend who can teach you the difference between plurals and possessives (and contractions and possessives, for that matter).

DNFing at 8% after encountering multiple errors, the irritation from which outweigh my interest in the book/series.

[♥ Ashleigh ♥ Contrary to popular belief I'm not actually mad! · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a hundred percent sure this book deserves 4 stars, but I'm giving them anyways.
This is why:

The Good:

- The Characters.
- Kick-Ass abilities.
- Cannibals, yea you heard me. CANNIBALS!

I'll go into more explanation why i liked those topics so much in a moment. First though,

The Bad:

- Some of the characters behavior and accents.
- Tad immature, but not completely in a bad way.....

and thats about it.


So lets start off with the Characters, For the most part i really enjoyed them. I loved the relationship and depth to Peter and Bryn. The crap Peter went through before he even met Bryn... well the dude is pretty amazing.
though i did wonder why the canner's didnt take him as well as his sister?
Peter had a great personality, He's turned out to be my favorite character.

I liked how Bryn grew during the book, from a social outcast to having an adopted family made of strays (also including an adorable dog). Though i admit to

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head

at her convenient extreme martial arts training at the beginning of the book - but for the most part the martial arts was well described during fight scene's and to me seemed technically correct (though i am no expert).

Now onto the not so great characters.
I swear Elle has something against foreign people? Bodo drove me nuts with his ridiculous and inappropriate behavior. actually unless this is particular German behavior (?) i would of been slightly offended over his actions. Not only is he constantly trying to get affectionate with Bryn all the time, he also almost gets them killed just so he can impress her with candy, even AFTER she pacifically told him not to because of the potential danger. *head desk* what on earth was he thinking?..... actually i know what he was thinking. dude should use his other head (the one which hopefully locates a brain) to scheme his plans rather than using the one in his pants.
Also what is with his accent in the book? that shit was insane. I've worked with (recently arrived) Germans before and i don't recall them being so difficult to decipher or understand? and I'm notoriously bad for understanding accents (i even dragged my mother into the doctors once cause i couldnt understand what the doctor was attempting to tell me)
Now dont get me wrong overall Bado isn't a bad guy, actually towards the end i even liked him. though i am a little suspicious about his life before Bryn and Peter. what isnt he telling us?


*squinty eye*

Now the other problem Characters.... Most of the Native Americans/Indian's were major dicks at one point or another. Which was not cool. all except for Paci, who i adore and think is awesome and Bryn should have his babies *cough Cough* I mean.......
Anyhoo overall if you ignore the few douche moments the "Indians" were alright dudes. I loved how they lived and how they followed their traditions but were also willing to accept new ones as well for the sack of survival.

Now onto what made this book. CANNIBALS! Who can say no to cannibals? especially child cannibals? how horrifically awesome does that sound? well the way they are portrayed in the book makes them even more nightmarish! and i loved how Bryn in a sick and twisted way gets them! that just adds something more to this book.

Though i wasnt super big on them being called zombies. like i get why they were sometimes referred to as zombies and if it was only mentioned once or twice it would have worked well, but they brought it up to frequently for my taste. and really their Cannibals not Zombies, for me personally there's a pretty big difference.

The Scenery was a tad underdeveloped to me, not in a way that really takes from the story, but i just think the swamp could of been so much more with just a bit more detail.

Alright this is my last complaint i swear!
At times Bryn was a little immature - now this is (once again) only for me. A couple of years ago i have no doubt I'd be hero worshiping the girl. and i can admit even now giggling here and there at her more childish moments. She's what? only 16? I'm not a monster, i get it. Chick can have her moments and like i said for a younger audience this book would be Awesome, possible 5 star worthy even.

Anyways great book.
Especially towards the end - it was about 1am and i was so tired but for the life of me i couldnt put this bloody book down because i wanted, no needed to know what happened next. of course in turn ended on a cliff hanger. UGH!. But it's cool, Im a big girl and can wait to find out what happens next in Warpaint
Though Elle did warn us readers all her books end in Cliff Hangers, Evil lady.

Well thanks for reading my mind vomit.

Peace.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad.

[JustJen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cover is spooky ... there is actually a new cover on Amazon now. I've read a few other books with this basic premise: something happens, all the adults die and the world is left to just children. Read most recently, "Night of the Purple Moon". In that book, anyone going/gone through puberty was hit, so just the very young were left to fend for themselves. Here, only those GOING through puberty are spared. The old and young all die, leaving a world of just teens.

This book was a bit more violent and grim than Purple Moon. Here, teens have turned to cannibalism, and our main characters escape to the Florida swamps for safety.

As always, in these survivalist type books, the main character (17 year old Bryn in this case) seem a little too perfect. She's happens to know Krav Maga fighting skills and is quite the negotiator/psychologist in needed situations. The virus that kills of everyone else did happen slowly, so her father had tried to prep her in survivalist skills.

Probably more of a 3.5ish ... the story was interesting, the writing itself just didn't seem as smooth as some of the more experienced authors. Quite a bit of crude humor added and a couple instances of proFanity. One of the characters is gay ... and one character is named Bodo. BODO? In my mind I kept reading Bobo and thinking of a clown. This character was German, with a heavy accent written in phonetically. I'm not great with a German accent myself, so it was a little hard for me reading it to try and keep that consistent in my own head.

There are sequels ... hmmmm. I'll watch and see if they drop in price at all.