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Autumn #1
Autumn in the City of Angels
What would you do if you lived through the apocalypse? The real fight to survive comes after everyone else is gone.
A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. Among the living is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a dangerous faction, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors. They’re led by a mysterious young man who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection.
Autumn in the City of Angels is the first novel in a series, followed by Autumn in the Dark Meadows and Autumn in the City of Lights.
2016 READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS FINALIST!
2014 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALIST!
2014 KINDLE BOOK REVIEW AWARD SEMI-FINALIST!
2014 BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL HONORABLE MENTION!
A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. Among the living is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a dangerous faction, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors. They’re led by a mysterious young man who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection.
Autumn in the City of Angels is the first novel in a series, followed by Autumn in the Dark Meadows and Autumn in the City of Lights.
2016 READERS' FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS FINALIST!
2014 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALIST!
2014 KINDLE BOOK REVIEW AWARD SEMI-FINALIST!
2014 BEACH BOOK FESTIVAL HONORABLE MENTION!
362 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2013
17 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Kirby Howell
3 books95 followersDana Melton and Jessica Alexander, who write under the name Kirby Howell, have been writing together since 2000 when they met as freshman in their first script writing class at the University of Alabama. Dana, a native Southerner, quickly showed Jessica the ropes and the joys of living below the Mason Dixon Line. Having lived in nearly every other part of the country, it didn’t take Jessica long to acclimate to sweet tea, grits and football. Four years later, with a couple of film degrees under their belts, they moved to Los Angeles to pursue their professional writing careers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
October 11, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Kirby Howell (Dana Melton and Jessica Alexander).)
"I’m going to make this perfectly simple. Stay away from both me and Grey. We are worlds apart on multiple levels. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
This was an interesting post-apocalyptic story, with some unexpected twists.
Autumn went through a lot in this story, and although she made some poor decisions, it was easy to see why considering what she’d been through.
The storyline in this seemed to be fairly expected, until we got thrown a bit of a twist. I wasn’t sure how well this twist would work, but it did spice things up a bit.
We did get a bit of romance, although some people might think that it happened a little bit too fast.
The ending to this was another twist, and I’m not sure whether the romance will be able to survive it!
6 out of 10
"I’m going to make this perfectly simple. Stay away from both me and Grey. We are worlds apart on multiple levels. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
This was an interesting post-apocalyptic story, with some unexpected twists.
Autumn went through a lot in this story, and although she made some poor decisions, it was easy to see why considering what she’d been through.
The storyline in this seemed to be fairly expected, until we got thrown a bit of a twist. I wasn’t sure how well this twist would work, but it did spice things up a bit.
We did get a bit of romance, although some people might think that it happened a little bit too fast.
The ending to this was another twist, and I’m not sure whether the romance will be able to survive it!
6 out of 10
December 23, 2015
Plague, beautiful girl all on her own, limited resources, dangerous groups of people, helpful groups of people, a mysterious love interest...
Wait.. Haven't I read this book already?
You might think that, but you would be wrong.
Hold on! Let me explain
Settle down, I'll try to be brief.
All of those things I listed above are true, but I have read other plague books with a really great unique twist that failed miserably for me because of poor execution (I'm looking at you Masque of the Red Death and Dance of the Red Death). Execution was not an issue with Autumn. So why a three-ish four instead of a five... Let's come back to that, first let's go over what I enjoyed.
We begin the book pre-plague with 17 year old Autumn Winters walking across town after school to meet up with her friend for coffee on her way home. This intro to the story gives us a nice baseline of what Autumn's life was like before we are pushed into the post-plague hell zone. And here was the best part, getting to the plague was NOT some drawn out ordeal... It's abrupt and shocking, just like it would have been to Autumn's character. It's also fairly realistic in terms of how people would respond in the event of an emergency.
Autumn is luckier than most and comes from a very privileged family so when she is left all alone she has benefits that many others don't have in their attempts to survive after the plague hits. There is no flaunting of wealth or trying to make her seem more special by having been the daughter of an actress and an architect, but because she is those things it makes her situation more plausible. Her father had designed a safe home for them, yeah, I mean, he's an architect, so that's possible. Her mother was a famous actress from Ireland so, okay, she happens to be beautiful. At least the authors gave a reason for this and didn't just have her miraculously stumble upon a really safe location to hide out for six weeks while the city and world around her was crumbling.
The pacing is good with smallish suspenseful scenes peppered in so that you never have to go very long without something of interest happening. I mean she spends most of her time alone watching movies and listening to music so fortunately there are some small time jumps to show us that although time has passed with little incident we don't have to read about every boring day to understand that loneliness causes Autumn to brave the dangerous world below her safe penthouse. Otherwise, if you have supplies and safety, why the hell would you even venture out in a dangerous world???
When there are action scenes, again the authors keep it realistic. Autumn is a 17 year old girl that has never had martial arts or weapons training, it would be absurd if she just became a survivor badass overnight. So instead, when there is danger, Autumn has to outrun, out smart, and generally out maneuver those that would try to hurt or take advantage of her. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a heroine that can kick the crap out of her enemies, but that's not always an option.I appreciate that the authors didn't try to do that with Autumn's character.
Okay, so back to that why not all the stars thing if they got all of that stuff right???
Here were my issues.
- A triangularly shaped romance. But not really a triangle, because it was a one-sided situation. Girl likes boy, different boy likes girl, object of girl's affection may or may not like girl... I don't know... is a one sided or flat triangle a thing?
The thing that saves this for me is that there is never a time when Autumn is romantically interested in the third side of that flat triangle thing.
- The mysterious love interest. We have lots of questions... and there are hints from early on that he is different...
...
...
On no! RED ALERT!
Except he isn't quite that bad.
I'm not gonna lie though, this was the one aspect of the book that cost it all of it's stars.This book is probably in all honesty closer to a three than a four star read for me, but it's my rating and my review so I'll click whichever one I want. I'm not gonna even do the spoiler thingy and tell you what makes our leading man so different and special because I know people can't resist clicking the thing. Had I known this aspect prior to reading, I probably would not have read the book, but I'm glad I didn't know.
- Sometimes our MC comes off as a little too good to be true. I would have liked to have seen her a little more flawed so that there would be opportunity for growth over the course of the series.
Basically, this is a solid debut and an interesting introduction to a new series. I plan to read the next book and look forward to seeing how things turn out for Autumn.
Wait.. Haven't I read this book already?
You might think that, but you would be wrong.
Hold on! Let me explain
Settle down, I'll try to be brief.
All of those things I listed above are true, but I have read other plague books with a really great unique twist that failed miserably for me because of poor execution (I'm looking at you Masque of the Red Death and Dance of the Red Death). Execution was not an issue with Autumn. So why a three-ish four instead of a five... Let's come back to that, first let's go over what I enjoyed.
We begin the book pre-plague with 17 year old Autumn Winters walking across town after school to meet up with her friend for coffee on her way home. This intro to the story gives us a nice baseline of what Autumn's life was like before we are pushed into the post-plague hell zone. And here was the best part, getting to the plague was NOT some drawn out ordeal... It's abrupt and shocking, just like it would have been to Autumn's character. It's also fairly realistic in terms of how people would respond in the event of an emergency.
Autumn is luckier than most and comes from a very privileged family so when she is left all alone she has benefits that many others don't have in their attempts to survive after the plague hits. There is no flaunting of wealth or trying to make her seem more special by having been the daughter of an actress and an architect, but because she is those things it makes her situation more plausible. Her father had designed a safe home for them, yeah, I mean, he's an architect, so that's possible. Her mother was a famous actress from Ireland so, okay, she happens to be beautiful. At least the authors gave a reason for this and didn't just have her miraculously stumble upon a really safe location to hide out for six weeks while the city and world around her was crumbling.
The pacing is good with smallish suspenseful scenes peppered in so that you never have to go very long without something of interest happening. I mean she spends most of her time alone watching movies and listening to music so fortunately there are some small time jumps to show us that although time has passed with little incident we don't have to read about every boring day to understand that loneliness causes Autumn to brave the dangerous world below her safe penthouse. Otherwise, if you have supplies and safety, why the hell would you even venture out in a dangerous world???
When there are action scenes, again the authors keep it realistic. Autumn is a 17 year old girl that has never had martial arts or weapons training, it would be absurd if she just became a survivor badass overnight. So instead, when there is danger, Autumn has to outrun, out smart, and generally out maneuver those that would try to hurt or take advantage of her. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE a heroine that can kick the crap out of her enemies, but that's not always an option.I appreciate that the authors didn't try to do that with Autumn's character.
Okay, so back to that why not all the stars thing if they got all of that stuff right???
Here were my issues.
- A triangularly shaped romance. But not really a triangle, because it was a one-sided situation. Girl likes boy, different boy likes girl, object of girl's affection may or may not like girl... I don't know... is a one sided or flat triangle a thing?
The thing that saves this for me is that there is never a time when Autumn is romantically interested in the third side of that flat triangle thing.
- The mysterious love interest. We have lots of questions... and there are hints from early on that he is different...
...
...
On no! RED ALERT!
Except he isn't quite that bad.
I'm not gonna lie though, this was the one aspect of the book that cost it all of it's stars.This book is probably in all honesty closer to a three than a four star read for me, but it's my rating and my review so I'll click whichever one I want. I'm not gonna even do the spoiler thingy and tell you what makes our leading man so different and special because I know people can't resist clicking the thing. Had I known this aspect prior to reading, I probably would not have read the book, but I'm glad I didn't know.
- Sometimes our MC comes off as a little too good to be true. I would have liked to have seen her a little more flawed so that there would be opportunity for growth over the course of the series.
Basically, this is a solid debut and an interesting introduction to a new series. I plan to read the next book and look forward to seeing how things turn out for Autumn.
October 15, 2015
**I received a free ebook copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Actual rating: 1.5/5 stars
I have to be really honest with you guys (otherwise I'll be guilty if I didn't do so) and express my feelings as best as I can about this book.
First of all, I think the first part of the book (about 50%) was simply bland. It was like reading someone's daily routine and the time frame was problematic for me. It seemed that the protagonist spent her time doing very casual stuff after the strange sickness around America and the author simply said "6 weeks later" or "3 months later" or suddenly "half year ago". I just couldn't fully relate to the story in this way. The characters were ordinary and nothing special happened at all. I mean, it was just describing an epidemic called the Crimson Fever spreading across the United States and then the angel apocalypse somehow didn't have anything to do with this whole messy phenomenon.
Second, about the main female character, Autumn Winters, I really don't like her characteristic because she was too naïve, too coward, and always sat around or locked herself up in her luxurious, highly-secured penthouse on the top floor of that blue building, waiting for rescue. And she was extremely stubborn that she tended to make stupidly bad decisions on impulse. For example, she rushed out of her house the moment she heard the radio broadcast about a safety camp for the immunes, aka survivors in the plague. Just like that!? Just because someone announced that there was a place for them and they could provide all kinds of supplies so shejumped into the trap happily didn't even think twice before she made such a dangerous decision. Moreover, when "the mysterious boy" suddenly appeared to save her life from being captured by the so-called safety camp, she spilled out everything about her(almost) and where she lived to him? Seriously, how could she be that...bold or should I say, so innocent to trust a stranger in the dark alley without hesitation? I also didn't like the part when the little love triangle occurred in the beginning. Among Ben, Grey, and Autumn, I couldn't believe that she could still dream about, think of that boy who came to her rescue and made a promise that he'd get her later under such poor circumstances! I mean, she had slight trouble surviving with her food supplies decreased day by day and then she could have the energy or time to consider romance?! Sorry, I just couldn't get it.
Third, if you ask me whether there's possible potential in this story, I think the answer is...yes. Despite the fact that I felt really disappointed about how the story was created, there was at least (and FINALLY) a hopeful cliffhanger in the end of this book. To put it differently, not until about 85% of the story was there actually something worth reading. When Grey revealed his true identity to Autumn and told her more secrets he kept this whole time, that was indeed what caught my attention eventually. I was waiting for that sort of intriguing elements soooooooooooooooooooooo long throughout the book and I was glad there was a tiny twist in the plot; at least, it didn't leave me a bad impression on this book after all.
Lastly, I just want to say that I only enjoyed some trivial, romantic moments between Grey and Autumn, along with the extraterrestrial stuff mentioned in the end of the book. As for the majority of this story, I'm truly sorry to say that I felt it was a waste of time reading this. For me, it was so similar to a lot of schedules listing a teenage girl's daily works in an apocalyptic world. In my opinion, there's a huge room for improvement and I hope the story can be much more imaginative and perhaps it's a good idea to add some originality in it.
**Thanks to the author for offering me this chance to do my first "read-to-review" challenge.**
Actual rating: 1.5/5 stars
I have to be really honest with you guys (otherwise I'll be guilty if I didn't do so) and express my feelings as best as I can about this book.
First of all, I think the first part of the book (about 50%) was simply bland. It was like reading someone's daily routine and the time frame was problematic for me. It seemed that the protagonist spent her time doing very casual stuff after the strange sickness around America and the author simply said "6 weeks later" or "3 months later" or suddenly "half year ago". I just couldn't fully relate to the story in this way. The characters were ordinary and nothing special happened at all. I mean, it was just describing an epidemic called the Crimson Fever spreading across the United States and then the angel apocalypse somehow didn't have anything to do with this whole messy phenomenon.
Second, about the main female character, Autumn Winters, I really don't like her characteristic because she was too naïve, too coward, and always sat around or locked herself up in her luxurious, highly-secured penthouse on the top floor of that blue building, waiting for rescue. And she was extremely stubborn that she tended to make stupidly bad decisions on impulse. For example, she rushed out of her house the moment she heard the radio broadcast about a safety camp for the immunes, aka survivors in the plague. Just like that!? Just because someone announced that there was a place for them and they could provide all kinds of supplies so she
Third, if you ask me whether there's possible potential in this story, I think the answer is...yes. Despite the fact that I felt really disappointed about how the story was created, there was at least (and FINALLY) a hopeful cliffhanger in the end of this book. To put it differently, not until about 85% of the story was there actually something worth reading. When Grey revealed his true identity to Autumn and told her more secrets he kept this whole time, that was indeed what caught my attention eventually. I was waiting for that sort of intriguing elements soooooooooooooooooooooo long throughout the book and I was glad there was a tiny twist in the plot; at least, it didn't leave me a bad impression on this book after all.
Lastly, I just want to say that I only enjoyed some trivial, romantic moments between Grey and Autumn, along with the extraterrestrial stuff mentioned in the end of the book. As for the majority of this story, I'm truly sorry to say that I felt it was a waste of time reading this. For me, it was so similar to a lot of schedules listing a teenage girl's daily works in an apocalyptic world. In my opinion, there's a huge room for improvement and I hope the story can be much more imaginative and perhaps it's a good idea to add some originality in it.
**Thanks to the author for offering me this chance to do my first "read-to-review" challenge.**
October 11, 2015
(I received a copy from the author, In exchange for an honest review.)
The main character wasn't bad, but she could be quite stupid at times, and I couldn't warm to her enough to really like her.
This started out okay, but I lost interest unfortunately. The story started to drag a bit because of it, so it felt quite long.
Overall, Not a bad read, but couldn't keep my interest very well.
The main character wasn't bad, but she could be quite stupid at times, and I couldn't warm to her enough to really like her.
This started out okay, but I lost interest unfortunately. The story started to drag a bit because of it, so it felt quite long.
Overall, Not a bad read, but couldn't keep my interest very well.
July 14, 2015
4.5 out of 5! My review come Friday. My Amazon review: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-rev...
August 30, 2016
**I have received the e-book free from the author in exchange for a honest review.**
A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. (For example: Imagine 4 million people in one city like Los Angeles and 1% is only FORTY THOUSAND PEOPLE LEFT. )
Among the living 1% is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress and architect father. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a group who claims to be rebuilding, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors that she happens to meet by chance who are led by a mysterious young man (and woman) who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection to ever since he rescued her from them.
This book right here.
THIS. BOOK. RIGHT. HERE.
I’ve been shying away from reading dystopian/apocalypse novels ever since reading things like the Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Maze Runner.
I honestly think that I would act the way Autumn did once everything hit the fan.
What would you do if you lived through the apocalypse? I would just curl up and cry. Hysterically.
I’ve seen other dystopian books here on goodreads with great summaries and of course AMAZING COVERS. (Because you know, some of us are completelyrendered useless *ahem* distracted by a good cover and summary. However, over half do not have great reviews.
You have to have the whole picture painted for your readers to where they feel they are standing right where the characters are and I felt that with this book entirely. I could imagine everything that Autumn described, even when she was just walking down the street on her way to work after school. I love the way Autumn describes her mother’s closet in great detail all the way down to her perfume.
But I digress…
I love Autumn as I feel like I would be most likely like her if some massive fever plague just came out of nowhere.If I was the 1% that survived anyways. I would cry. I would throw tantrums. Be scared out of my ever mother loving mind. But I know that I would turn it around like she did and push forward.
This book completely grabbed me by the heart strings and took me for a roller coaster ride.
WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT TWIST IN THERE…!?!?! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
And that ending WHAT. THE. HELL!?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian novels without massive plot-holes like the streets of Illinois.
Also... Grey...
Just imagine... if Jasper- Fucking -Whitlock ended up with Bella instead of Edward. Because Grey is more like Jasper than Ed-weirdo. ANNNND... If someone where to make a book where Jasper and Bella got together... I'd be like...
Damn fanfiction....
**DO NOT READ SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK**
A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. (For example: Imagine 4 million people in one city like Los Angeles and 1% is only FORTY THOUSAND PEOPLE LEFT. )
Among the living 1% is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress and architect father. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a group who claims to be rebuilding, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors that she happens to meet by chance who are led by a mysterious young man (and woman) who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection to ever since he rescued her from them.
This book right here.
THIS. BOOK. RIGHT. HERE.
I’ve been shying away from reading dystopian/apocalypse novels ever since reading things like the Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Maze Runner.
I honestly think that I would act the way Autumn did once everything hit the fan.
What would you do if you lived through the apocalypse? I would just curl up and cry. Hysterically.
I’ve seen other dystopian books here on goodreads with great summaries and of course AMAZING COVERS. (Because you know, some of us are completely
You have to have the whole picture painted for your readers to where they feel they are standing right where the characters are and I felt that with this book entirely. I could imagine everything that Autumn described, even when she was just walking down the street on her way to work after school. I love the way Autumn describes her mother’s closet in great detail all the way down to her perfume.
But I digress…
I love Autumn as I feel like I would be most likely like her if some massive fever plague just came out of nowhere.
This book completely grabbed me by the heart strings and took me for a roller coaster ride.
WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT TWIST IN THERE…!?!?! I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
And that ending WHAT. THE. HELL!?
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopian novels without massive plot-holes like the streets of Illinois.
Also... Grey...
Just imagine... if Jasper- Fucking -Whitlock ended up with Bella instead of Edward. Because Grey is more like Jasper than Ed-weirdo. ANNNND... If someone where to make a book where Jasper and Bella got together... I'd be like...
Damn fanfiction....
**DO NOT READ SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK**
October 27, 2015
It has been a long time since a book captivated me from chapter one, but this is exactly what happened with autumn in the city of angels. It sucked me in right away and didn't let go until the very end.
We follow 17-year-old autumn and her struggle for survival in a newly apocalyptic world.
I had my suspicions about Grey - the enigmatic boy who once saved autumn's life then disappeared- and was really worried about where the storyline was headed. Although my assumptions were correct, and the plot twisted an apocalyptic story into a sci-fi, my fears of it going that way were null and void when it all came about. Switching gears like that more than half way into a story can either fail miserably or -like in this case- end up being brilliant.
I loved the relationship between autumn and grey. While it may have been too Insta-love for some, I found it to be realistic. If it was me and I thought I was going to die, and then a boy saved me, held me all night while we hid, and talked to me all night to distract me from the horrible things that were happening around me, I'd have a pretty big crush too.
I also loved that while grey had difficulty showing emotion, he wasn't an ass. Sooooo many books of late have the brooding male who treats the girl like crap because he's "unemotional". Unemotional doesn't have to mean butthead-like.
If this book had ended just a few paragraphs before it did, I would give it 5 full shiny stars! Without giving anything away, it ends with teenagery angst that I was so happy not to see throughout the rest of book. Some open endings are still satisfying, but this one left me bitter and frustrated. It raised more questions than answers, and I think had I been reading a paperback, it would've been thrown across the room. I wouldn't do that to my E-reader... It is an apple product after all. Sorry Apple.
Those last few paragraphs cost half a star from me.
I am, without a doubt, going to read the rest of the series.
A big honourable mention to my favourite supporting characters, rissi, Connie, and shad. Ben was believable, albeit a little bit annoying but I think this was the author's intent, so he's very well written.
Oh, look at that, I've rambled in a review again. Shocking, I know!
4.5 stars!!!!
We follow 17-year-old autumn and her struggle for survival in a newly apocalyptic world.
I had my suspicions about Grey - the enigmatic boy who once saved autumn's life then disappeared- and was really worried about where the storyline was headed. Although my assumptions were correct, and the plot twisted an apocalyptic story into a sci-fi, my fears of it going that way were null and void when it all came about. Switching gears like that more than half way into a story can either fail miserably or -like in this case- end up being brilliant.
I loved the relationship between autumn and grey. While it may have been too Insta-love for some, I found it to be realistic. If it was me and I thought I was going to die, and then a boy saved me, held me all night while we hid, and talked to me all night to distract me from the horrible things that were happening around me, I'd have a pretty big crush too.
I also loved that while grey had difficulty showing emotion, he wasn't an ass. Sooooo many books of late have the brooding male who treats the girl like crap because he's "unemotional". Unemotional doesn't have to mean butthead-like.
If this book had ended just a few paragraphs before it did, I would give it 5 full shiny stars! Without giving anything away, it ends with teenagery angst that I was so happy not to see throughout the rest of book. Some open endings are still satisfying, but this one left me bitter and frustrated. It raised more questions than answers, and I think had I been reading a paperback, it would've been thrown across the room. I wouldn't do that to my E-reader... It is an apple product after all. Sorry Apple.
Those last few paragraphs cost half a star from me.
I am, without a doubt, going to read the rest of the series.
A big honourable mention to my favourite supporting characters, rissi, Connie, and shad. Ben was believable, albeit a little bit annoying but I think this was the author's intent, so he's very well written.
Oh, look at that, I've rambled in a review again. Shocking, I know!
4.5 stars!!!!
June 9, 2015
*** I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review ***
I was swept away by the action, adventure and romance of this haunting dystopian novel! I loved the intrigue and horror established from page one as we witness Autumn struggling to survive as the world crumbles around her. I couldn't put the book down as Autumn survived, first independently, then with the help of others. Watching her find a family amongst the horror of the changed world was inspiring. I at times struggled with the passage of time, Autumn's rash decisions and at time the cliche statements, but overall, the pros of this book way outweighed any confusions I may have had. I was swept away by the plot and characters and loved every second of this book!
In typical young adult romance fashion Grey and Autumn met and developed a relationship very quickly as they moved through moments of suspense, disaster and action. Although not quite insta-love (it took some time for the relationship to fully bloom)- it was still fast moving. This didn't bother me as I was rooting for it to work.
There were some great twists in this book that added an additional layer to the story. I also enjoyed the supporting characters. It is a testimony to Autumn's personality that she cares so deeply for Rissa and Ben; although her relationship with Ben leaves me struggling and hoping that he finds peace.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will absolutely continue on in this series! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great dystopian, young adult novel- it is captivating and exactly what I had hoped for!
I was swept away by the action, adventure and romance of this haunting dystopian novel! I loved the intrigue and horror established from page one as we witness Autumn struggling to survive as the world crumbles around her. I couldn't put the book down as Autumn survived, first independently, then with the help of others. Watching her find a family amongst the horror of the changed world was inspiring. I at times struggled with the passage of time, Autumn's rash decisions and at time the cliche statements, but overall, the pros of this book way outweighed any confusions I may have had. I was swept away by the plot and characters and loved every second of this book!
In typical young adult romance fashion Grey and Autumn met and developed a relationship very quickly as they moved through moments of suspense, disaster and action. Although not quite insta-love (it took some time for the relationship to fully bloom)- it was still fast moving. This didn't bother me as I was rooting for it to work.
There were some great twists in this book that added an additional layer to the story. I also enjoyed the supporting characters. It is a testimony to Autumn's personality that she cares so deeply for Rissa and Ben; although her relationship with Ben leaves me struggling and hoping that he finds peace.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will absolutely continue on in this series! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great dystopian, young adult novel- it is captivating and exactly what I had hoped for!
August 2, 2015
Good new apocalypse with a twist
Oh, yes if you are like me, you will love the twist.
This is a story of a virus infecting people very quick and killing them. Nope, no zombies. Those left are immune. One of them is Autumn Winters who lives with her parents in a high rise condo built by her father, an architect, for her mother, an actress.
She finds herself alone, although well supplied and in the penthouse which is inaccessible to anyone without a key.
Autumn eventually has to venture out to resupply. And she finds there are more survivors out there.
I am so glad to find this author. The writing is good and well edited. It is hard to put down once you begin. I have only one comment about the heroine that bugs me. She seems to be the classic stumbler. She trips, she falls, she is that heroine. But still I like her. She is seventeen and this can be read by teens, as she seems an innocent teen, blushing in front of the boy she is attracted to, as teens do.
She wants to appear strong and independent and in putting up that front she becomes that young woman. I hope to see more of her growth in the next book, which I will be starting now.
This story has a very interesting twist I did not see coming. I will not give you any hints or spoilers here, you will have to read the book yourself.
Oh, yes if you are like me, you will love the twist.
This is a story of a virus infecting people very quick and killing them. Nope, no zombies. Those left are immune. One of them is Autumn Winters who lives with her parents in a high rise condo built by her father, an architect, for her mother, an actress.
She finds herself alone, although well supplied and in the penthouse which is inaccessible to anyone without a key.
Autumn eventually has to venture out to resupply. And she finds there are more survivors out there.
I am so glad to find this author. The writing is good and well edited. It is hard to put down once you begin. I have only one comment about the heroine that bugs me. She seems to be the classic stumbler. She trips, she falls, she is that heroine. But still I like her. She is seventeen and this can be read by teens, as she seems an innocent teen, blushing in front of the boy she is attracted to, as teens do.
She wants to appear strong and independent and in putting up that front she becomes that young woman. I hope to see more of her growth in the next book, which I will be starting now.
This story has a very interesting twist I did not see coming. I will not give you any hints or spoilers here, you will have to read the book yourself.
May 7, 2015
*I received a free e-copy of this book from the author but this has not affected my review in any way.*
Autumn is one of the remaining survivors from the Crimson Fever. As the story unfold she meets Karl and his group The Reconstruction Front, Grey the mysterious boy who saved her, Ben the living Google and his 7-year old sister Rissi, Lydia the girl who has a strange relationship with Grey, Todd the leader of The Underground, and Connie the mother figure whom she became close with.
A page-turner read from the very beginning. It didn't fail to give me a bit of adrenaline rush of a book from the chasing scenes with the Reconstruction Front. I enjoyed this book with the interesting characters and the appealing plot. I thought it was all about the plague and how the survivors have a possibility of living a normal life, but I loved how the author put that twist and revelation about some of the characters. This is the first dystopian book with sci-fi in it that I read which made this book more interesting and kept me glued finishing this book in one day. I know this is the first book in the series but the ending was really unexpected! Such a cliffhanger! Another revelation! I can't wait to read the next book!
I love this book but why it didn't get 5 stars is because I wish it has more details about those not immune. The symptoms were given but I was expecting more so readers would know how the victims went through until they succumbed to death from the deadly virus. It lacks details also of how the survivors dealt with the dead bodies.
A dystopian read mixed with sci-fi, intertwined with action, romance and mystery... Definitely a worth checking out read.
Autumn is one of the remaining survivors from the Crimson Fever. As the story unfold she meets Karl and his group The Reconstruction Front, Grey the mysterious boy who saved her, Ben the living Google and his 7-year old sister Rissi, Lydia the girl who has a strange relationship with Grey, Todd the leader of The Underground, and Connie the mother figure whom she became close with.
A page-turner read from the very beginning. It didn't fail to give me a bit of adrenaline rush of a book from the chasing scenes with the Reconstruction Front. I enjoyed this book with the interesting characters and the appealing plot. I thought it was all about the plague and how the survivors have a possibility of living a normal life, but I loved how the author put that twist and revelation about some of the characters. This is the first dystopian book with sci-fi in it that I read which made this book more interesting and kept me glued finishing this book in one day. I know this is the first book in the series but the ending was really unexpected! Such a cliffhanger! Another revelation! I can't wait to read the next book!
I love this book but why it didn't get 5 stars is because I wish it has more details about those not immune. The symptoms were given but I was expecting more so readers would know how the victims went through until they succumbed to death from the deadly virus. It lacks details also of how the survivors dealt with the dead bodies.
A dystopian read mixed with sci-fi, intertwined with action, romance and mystery... Definitely a worth checking out read.
February 8, 2017
'A plague of epic proportion sweeps the globe, leaving less than one percent of the world’s population immune. Among the living is Autumn Winters, the teenage daughter of a famous actress. When Autumn’s parents don’t come home and the city is overtaken by a dangerous faction, she goes into hiding with a small group of underground survivors. They’re led by a mysterious young man who harbors an unearthly secret, and with whom Autumn feels a deep connection.'
(I will create my own summary when I have time) :)
Honestly I am having trouble getting over this book, this is the kind of story that keeps you thinking about it for weeks after you have read it, it was perfection. I can say I never thought I would enjoy a book about an apocalypse, but I was wrong. I enjoyed every bit of this book. The characters were very well thought-out, the story line was brilliant (adding in 'aliens'), I must say it made the story that much more interesting! The way things played out and although I am not one to enjoy massive time jumps in such short time, I found that it brought us towards whats important about the story and it went really well. The way the story was written you can tell Kirby has talent and a great imagination. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!
(I will create my own summary when I have time) :)
Honestly I am having trouble getting over this book, this is the kind of story that keeps you thinking about it for weeks after you have read it, it was perfection. I can say I never thought I would enjoy a book about an apocalypse, but I was wrong. I enjoyed every bit of this book. The characters were very well thought-out, the story line was brilliant (adding in 'aliens'), I must say it made the story that much more interesting! The way things played out and although I am not one to enjoy massive time jumps in such short time, I found that it brought us towards whats important about the story and it went really well. The way the story was written you can tell Kirby has talent and a great imagination. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!
July 30, 2015
4.5 Stars but I always round up.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasted no time before jumping right into the action! I do have a love/hate relationship with one part in the book. When everything goes to hell, Autumn kind of stalls out. Like any of us would do in this kind of situation so it was very realistic but where she did take a while to embrace it and step up it got kind of boring. Though I'm glad an author or in this case the authors decided to make her real and not someone who just jumped and went for it. See love/hate.
I love Autumn as a character! I could totally see us being friends and that is something I always look for in a book, relatable main characters and this book has them! The side characters are great and the feel of the book is wonderful. It's a great dystopian read and then the huge plot twist comes along and changes everything! I first want to say that I totally did not see that plot twist coming! I usually do see them coming or have a general idea of what will happen but not in Autumn in the City of Angels. It blew me away! I will say that this plot twist may turn off some readers but I loved it. It was pretty freaking epic! So my recommendation is to give this book a try. It's worth it!
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasted no time before jumping right into the action! I do have a love/hate relationship with one part in the book. When everything goes to hell, Autumn kind of stalls out. Like any of us would do in this kind of situation so it was very realistic but where she did take a while to embrace it and step up it got kind of boring. Though I'm glad an author or in this case the authors decided to make her real and not someone who just jumped and went for it. See love/hate.
I love Autumn as a character! I could totally see us being friends and that is something I always look for in a book, relatable main characters and this book has them! The side characters are great and the feel of the book is wonderful. It's a great dystopian read and then the huge plot twist comes along and changes everything! I first want to say that I totally did not see that plot twist coming! I usually do see them coming or have a general idea of what will happen but not in Autumn in the City of Angels. It blew me away! I will say that this plot twist may turn off some readers but I loved it. It was pretty freaking epic! So my recommendation is to give this book a try. It's worth it!
August 8, 2013
This book is appealing from the very start, invigorating from page one, all the way unto the very end. It stretches on the borderline of fantasy & realistic, while keeping your attention, closely, drawn in. The Characters are their own individuals, which for me, gives this book a more positive response- we're talking Every Character having their own personaility when playing their part -& there's quite a few characters to come across during your journey thru this "contemporary sci-fi" it has you feeling more like you're the host of the protagonist all-the-while-reading, you dont feel like you are the protagonist, just fabulously intact. There's a change of course inbetween &, oh man, great stuff! The Scenarios, The Backgrounds Are All, Outstanding, very imaginative; vivid on all accords, genuinely. The ending of the book does confirms a contiuance by offering the first chapter of the second book -- that I am definitely moving forwards to."
July 22, 2013
I love end-of-the-world plague stories, and I was excited to pick this up. When I finally read it, I was so glad I'd make time to do so.
Autumn Winters, daughter of a famous actress and an architect, is soon left to her own devices when the Crimson Fever overtakes Earth and leaves nearly no survivors. No one survives the infection- but there are some who appear to be immune, such as Autumn. Living by her wits, by herself, she soon picks up Ben and his kid sister, Rissi. But her mind and heart have fallen for the mysterious young man who saved her from a dark fate, and she cannot return the feelings Ben is obviously developing for her.
Circumstances force her to look for the rebel survivors, and she meets Grey, the young man she's been dreaming of. But he's not what she expected- he's more. And there's much more to him, and the plague, than meets the eye. 5 stars!
Autumn Winters, daughter of a famous actress and an architect, is soon left to her own devices when the Crimson Fever overtakes Earth and leaves nearly no survivors. No one survives the infection- but there are some who appear to be immune, such as Autumn. Living by her wits, by herself, she soon picks up Ben and his kid sister, Rissi. But her mind and heart have fallen for the mysterious young man who saved her from a dark fate, and she cannot return the feelings Ben is obviously developing for her.
Circumstances force her to look for the rebel survivors, and she meets Grey, the young man she's been dreaming of. But he's not what she expected- he's more. And there's much more to him, and the plague, than meets the eye. 5 stars!
August 28, 2013
What a great start to what I think will be a fantastic series! This book grabs you from the first page and doesn't release its grip. A post-apocalyptic urban fantasy with hints of sci-fi and a good dose of romance, this is the perfect read for fans of young adult fiction. Set in Los Angeles, we follow the story of 17-year-old Autumn as she survives a world-wide plague that decimates all but 1% of the population. Authors Alexander and Melton (writing as Kirby Howell) really nail it with true-to-life characters, a fascinatingly terrifying landscape, and quick pacing that keeps you turning the pages. Can't wait to devour the next one.
June 11, 2015
*I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I really enjoyed this book. The beginning hooked me right away - I'm a sucker for apocalypse-type story lines. :) I was rooting for Autumn from the beginning and wanted her to find a happy ending. The only reasons I didn't give this book 5 stars are because the beginning moved a little too quickly for me and I saw the alien thing coming from a mile away. It didn't bug me though - I'm good with aliens. I'm definitely reading the next two books so I can see what happens next in Autumn and Gray's story!
I really enjoyed this book. The beginning hooked me right away - I'm a sucker for apocalypse-type story lines. :) I was rooting for Autumn from the beginning and wanted her to find a happy ending. The only reasons I didn't give this book 5 stars are because the beginning moved a little too quickly for me and I saw the alien thing coming from a mile away. It didn't bug me though - I'm good with aliens. I'm definitely reading the next two books so I can see what happens next in Autumn and Gray's story!
October 15, 2015
*sigh* This also went to my DNF list. Lately, not sure what is going on every book I have picked has just turned out to be a dud. I had high hopes from this book for some reason. Blurb sounded interesting and post apocolyptic genre...well, I thought hell ya! But, it was not meant to be. Just too flat and boring for me. I could not relate to the MC at all. Nothing much happens. Reads like an essay to me. Please don't be fooled by the Angelfall similarity. It is not even close. Not recommending.
December 24, 2015
*I received a Kindle copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Review is also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.
4.5 alien’s-experience-falling-in-love-at-the-first-sight Stars
Apparently this book wasn’t at all as I expected it would be. Not that I’m saying this in a negative tone, but I was surprised with what I’ve found in this book. Well, I guess I didn’t read the blurb properly…
I was so damn excited when I found out that the story was set in the middle of apocalypse happening on Earth. It’s definitely my cup of tea! The story was fast-paced and even though I felt like there were some points missing in the story, I truly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the feeling the authors built throughout the story. I could really sense the feeling of fear, anxious, frustration, depressed, and even hope along with the characters on the book. It was as if I was there with them and this very thing already earned this book a special spot in my heart.
Autumn had been living her 17 years of her life in a complete comfort and happiness. Her mother was a famous actress who never forgets to check up on her every so often. As her mother’s not always home to stay with her, her father always tried to make up for the absence. And when he’s not around to keep her company, Autumn was still safely tucked in the sanctuary of home her father built for them in the top of apartment building in Marina Del Rey. Simply said, Autumn was one lucky girl.
When the Plague attacked Los Angeles and the rest of the world, it seemed that her lucky charm once again worked for her. Autumn was one of the one percent populations who were proven to be immune. But when her parents didn’t come home at all after the long and torturous waiting, Autumn began to question whether she could call herself lucky or not.
When Autumn decided it was time to come out of the safety of her home, she discovered that new threat was lurking out there in disguise of survivor group trying to rebuild a good life. Even after such an apocalypse, there were still people wanted to take advantage of others within chaos. Autumn couldn’t believe her luck when a mysterious person came out of nowhere and saved her from being taken by the scam group. One minute she was hiding in a nook of chilled wall of abandoned building with a stranger pressed against her back holding her tight when next minute she opened her eyes to find out that she was already at home under warm blanket and all wounds bandaged. And her faceless savior was nowhere to be found, replaced by a note written in a newspaper rip saying he’ll come to get her when it’s safe. Autumn couldn’t be any happier to find that somewhere out there, there was someone who she could count on. But when he hadn’t come for months, she felt like all hope was completely vanished.
Months had passed when Autumn finally get to meet the mysterious savior. He was just like how Autumn had imagined him to be all the time. Brave, strong, talented, gentle, and now in person, he was even more beautiful and fascinating. But as she became closer to him, she noticed something that she hadn’t notice on their first encounter. There was something behind his sometimes less-expressive demeanor. But Autumn couldn’t deny that she also felt something growing inside her for the savior boy, Grey. When all secret was unraveled, Autumn realized that there was far worse thing behind the plague and as her body might be immune to the plague, her heart might not get through it this time.
First of all, there are two missing points that I would like to lay out here because as much as I enjoyed this book, I wished these points to be present in the book as well to enrich the awesomeness of this book. And after that, I would go through things that I loved about Autumn in the City of Angels.
Things I’d like to see in this book more:
One. I like fast-paced story. But for sci-fi books, especially those that involved big deals like apocalypse or invasion or things like that, I wished to read more about it before getting into the ‘after’ part. The idea of plague was kind of new to me and I wanted to know more about how this very thing happened. It’d be more real if there was a close individual scene of plague case happened to someone.
Two. I want Grey’s background story. As an alien who used to express no emotions in daily life, and now when he met Autumn he already changed into more showing emotions, it’s quite hard to picture he had no emotions. Maybe it’s about the perspective of the story was told. This book was told in first person perspective by Autumn so it’s quite not possible to get into Grey’s background story deeper. But maybe if Grey was described having no emotions when he first met Autumn and then slowly he finally could feel emotions as he spent time with her, it maybe could help getting into Grey’s history. Thus, we could understand Alien’s history of emotion banishment.
Things I liked about this book:
The plot, the characterizations, the idea of the story, the setting, and most of all the feeling and sensation emanated from the story; I liked them all. I liked the character Autumn. She’s too rationalist actually, but there were scenes when she experienced a breakdown from the depressing circumstance she was in making her seemed more normal. But sometimes I resented her for being too emotionally sensitive and went all heroic in the wrong time. Well, maybe it was just me because Grey was too-understanding over Autumn’s need to be a do-gooder. Love, people, what more I can say?
When I read Grey’s confession about his feeling toward Autumn, I was like,
“Wow, so I guess Alien could fall in love at the first sight as well?”
Because that’s exactly what happened to him. It’s kind of funny and sweet and weird… but sweet anyway. He might be absent from emotional feeling for million years but he showed his love for Autumn just the way normal human did. Oh Grey… <3
Grey was so gentle and caring and the fact that he was willing to take part in rescuing humans (even though he might have his own personal reason for this) showed that after all he had a kind heart.
Even though the whole feeling of this book was considered suspenseful and a little depressing, I liked that the authors also slipped some funny parts into the scenes. Autumn sometimes acted silly just like most 17 years old girl did. I laughed at some comical scenes and my favorite would be the scene where Grey went all proposing style in front of Autumn only to make her understand just who he truly was…
‘..nothing is going to pop out of your stomach if you kiss me..’ LOL!
About the setting, Ms. Authors did a great job describing it. I could easily picture it in my head how messed up the whole town was, how eerie the situation all around. And the sci-fi parts where Grey described Alien’s superpower were neat and easily understood. It’s kind of technical but not too technical… if you know what I mean…
Now about the ending. It’s kind of cruel. A bit.
Well, I’m never really a fan of cliffhanger and especially of those being put in the end of a series book and more especially those in books that I truly enjoyed. But oh well, that’s where the charm of series book lies: to make readers as frustrated as possible in the end of each book except the last one ;)
Review is also posted on Let’s Say It’s A Blog.
4.5 alien’s-experience-falling-in-love-at-the-first-sight Stars
Apparently this book wasn’t at all as I expected it would be. Not that I’m saying this in a negative tone, but I was surprised with what I’ve found in this book. Well, I guess I didn’t read the blurb properly…
I was so damn excited when I found out that the story was set in the middle of apocalypse happening on Earth. It’s definitely my cup of tea! The story was fast-paced and even though I felt like there were some points missing in the story, I truly enjoyed reading this book. I loved the feeling the authors built throughout the story. I could really sense the feeling of fear, anxious, frustration, depressed, and even hope along with the characters on the book. It was as if I was there with them and this very thing already earned this book a special spot in my heart.
Autumn had been living her 17 years of her life in a complete comfort and happiness. Her mother was a famous actress who never forgets to check up on her every so often. As her mother’s not always home to stay with her, her father always tried to make up for the absence. And when he’s not around to keep her company, Autumn was still safely tucked in the sanctuary of home her father built for them in the top of apartment building in Marina Del Rey. Simply said, Autumn was one lucky girl.
When the Plague attacked Los Angeles and the rest of the world, it seemed that her lucky charm once again worked for her. Autumn was one of the one percent populations who were proven to be immune. But when her parents didn’t come home at all after the long and torturous waiting, Autumn began to question whether she could call herself lucky or not.
When Autumn decided it was time to come out of the safety of her home, she discovered that new threat was lurking out there in disguise of survivor group trying to rebuild a good life. Even after such an apocalypse, there were still people wanted to take advantage of others within chaos. Autumn couldn’t believe her luck when a mysterious person came out of nowhere and saved her from being taken by the scam group. One minute she was hiding in a nook of chilled wall of abandoned building with a stranger pressed against her back holding her tight when next minute she opened her eyes to find out that she was already at home under warm blanket and all wounds bandaged. And her faceless savior was nowhere to be found, replaced by a note written in a newspaper rip saying he’ll come to get her when it’s safe. Autumn couldn’t be any happier to find that somewhere out there, there was someone who she could count on. But when he hadn’t come for months, she felt like all hope was completely vanished.
Months had passed when Autumn finally get to meet the mysterious savior. He was just like how Autumn had imagined him to be all the time. Brave, strong, talented, gentle, and now in person, he was even more beautiful and fascinating. But as she became closer to him, she noticed something that she hadn’t notice on their first encounter. There was something behind his sometimes less-expressive demeanor. But Autumn couldn’t deny that she also felt something growing inside her for the savior boy, Grey. When all secret was unraveled, Autumn realized that there was far worse thing behind the plague and as her body might be immune to the plague, her heart might not get through it this time.
First of all, there are two missing points that I would like to lay out here because as much as I enjoyed this book, I wished these points to be present in the book as well to enrich the awesomeness of this book. And after that, I would go through things that I loved about Autumn in the City of Angels.
Things I’d like to see in this book more:
One. I like fast-paced story. But for sci-fi books, especially those that involved big deals like apocalypse or invasion or things like that, I wished to read more about it before getting into the ‘after’ part. The idea of plague was kind of new to me and I wanted to know more about how this very thing happened. It’d be more real if there was a close individual scene of plague case happened to someone.
Two. I want Grey’s background story. As an alien who used to express no emotions in daily life, and now when he met Autumn he already changed into more showing emotions, it’s quite hard to picture he had no emotions. Maybe it’s about the perspective of the story was told. This book was told in first person perspective by Autumn so it’s quite not possible to get into Grey’s background story deeper. But maybe if Grey was described having no emotions when he first met Autumn and then slowly he finally could feel emotions as he spent time with her, it maybe could help getting into Grey’s history. Thus, we could understand Alien’s history of emotion banishment.
Things I liked about this book:
The plot, the characterizations, the idea of the story, the setting, and most of all the feeling and sensation emanated from the story; I liked them all. I liked the character Autumn. She’s too rationalist actually, but there were scenes when she experienced a breakdown from the depressing circumstance she was in making her seemed more normal. But sometimes I resented her for being too emotionally sensitive and went all heroic in the wrong time. Well, maybe it was just me because Grey was too-understanding over Autumn’s need to be a do-gooder. Love, people, what more I can say?
“I guess I was falling for you before I even knew it.”
(Grey; Chapter XX, Autumn in the City of Angels)
When I read Grey’s confession about his feeling toward Autumn, I was like,
“Wow, so I guess Alien could fall in love at the first sight as well?”
Because that’s exactly what happened to him. It’s kind of funny and sweet and weird… but sweet anyway. He might be absent from emotional feeling for million years but he showed his love for Autumn just the way normal human did. Oh Grey… <3
Grey was so gentle and caring and the fact that he was willing to take part in rescuing humans (even though he might have his own personal reason for this) showed that after all he had a kind heart.
Even though the whole feeling of this book was considered suspenseful and a little depressing, I liked that the authors also slipped some funny parts into the scenes. Autumn sometimes acted silly just like most 17 years old girl did. I laughed at some comical scenes and my favorite would be the scene where Grey went all proposing style in front of Autumn only to make her understand just who he truly was…
“My name is Greyson Alexander. I came to Earth in 1803, after leaving my home planet, Andros. I want to make sure you understand that I’m a human being, just like you are.” He said the last four words slowly, emphasizing each one. “I’m just from a different star system. Physiologically, I’m exactly like any other human male from Earth. This is my body that I was born with on Andros. I didn’t steal it from anyone. I’m not a parasite that inhabits people’s bodies. My parents didn’t send me here in a little space ship when I was a baby; I didn’t travel here in a lightning bolt, and nothing is going to pop out of your stomach if you kiss me.”
(Grey; Chapter XX, Autumn in the City of Angels)
‘..nothing is going to pop out of your stomach if you kiss me..’ LOL!
About the setting, Ms. Authors did a great job describing it. I could easily picture it in my head how messed up the whole town was, how eerie the situation all around. And the sci-fi parts where Grey described Alien’s superpower were neat and easily understood. It’s kind of technical but not too technical… if you know what I mean…
Now about the ending. It’s kind of cruel. A bit.
Well, I’m never really a fan of cliffhanger and especially of those being put in the end of a series book and more especially those in books that I truly enjoyed. But oh well, that’s where the charm of series book lies: to make readers as frustrated as possible in the end of each book except the last one ;)
July 2, 2015
**I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - it has not affected my review**
I received a copy of this book a few week ago and I am only just now reviewing this book. Why? Because I got so caught up in reading this book that I immediately purchased the sequel, read that and then started at the beginning of book one again, to form my review. The book is extremely fast paced and catching that I could not put it down and couldn’t physically wait until I reviewed the first to continue onto the second.
The book primarily follows the character of Autumn Winters, a typical 17 year old girl, who witnesses the onset of a plague (dubbed The Crimson Fever) that wipes out 99% of the world’s population; her family and friends and her life as she knew it, gone. Throughout the story we follow Autumn as she learns to adjust to this new world and figure out (from fellow survivors) who is trying to rebuild society for the greater good, and who is looking to create a more messed up world. Sound familiar? As much as I am a lover of all dystopian novels I find post apocalypse the most predictable; the world ends, society begins to reform in one way or another, good guys versus bad guys etc. Whilst I’m not going to say this novel strayed far from the norm, it was a breath of fresh air. There is romance, fantasy, drama, laughs, love, heartache and so much more to it.
I liked that in the aftermath of The Crimson Fever this novel focuses on the struggling of rationing supplies – a lot of others don’t seem to raise this issue much, particularly as, you would think with the majority of the world’s population gone this wouldn’t be an issue. Many novels don’t seem to take into account thieves and hoarders leaving other survivors struggling so it was nice to see this issue addressed.
One reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars is because, one of my favourite parts of Stephen King’s The Stand is the initial aftermath of the Plague; I liked how it explained how many of the survivors still died from the secondary issues e.g. drug addicts overdosing, orphaned children having fatal accidents, power lines electrocuting people etc. This book unfortunately did not have this and skipped straight from the first couple of days of the plague to 6 weeks later, but that’s just my opinion.
Autumn and The City of Angels also incorporates romance into is dystopian/sci-fi plot – she is rescued by a mysterious boy who helps her escape ‘the bad guys’ in the early stages of the book. She knows nothing about him except he is a young medic (called Grey, which she finds out later) but has no idea what he looks like. He promises to come back for her but as time passes she becomes less convinced. Enter new guy Ben and his 7 year old sister Rissi who become a sort of family unit with Autumn. I loved these characters and they gave Autumn a much more dimensional personality (which was something I thought was lacking up until this point) and Rissi is SO adorable – you just want to give her a hug. There is a slight love triangle which goes on in the novel but it is not overbearing and it is very believable.
I really liked the sci-fi element of the book; I have to admit, I kind of guessed where the book was going in this respect but I still really liked it none the less; it wasn’t shoved down your throat and it didn’t define the entire book which is good.
A couple of my personal dislikes of this book:
1) The cheesy names: I understand Autumn Winters due to her acting, showbiz mother but I just thought it was slightly OTT. As for Grey, all I could picture was a mixture between Christian Grey from 50 shades, Dorian Grey and Mr. Grey from The Dream Catcher by Stephen King – I would have preferred something more original.
2) Teenage love: I really love romance in my dystopian novels and I do understand that first love can be very intense but I really dislike when teenagers say ‘I love you’ within a couple of weeks of knowing each other, let alone being a couple. I think Autumn says this to before they are even properly together. But as I said these are just my opinions, I know a lot of young people like the swooning, head over heels in love stuff.
3) Predictable area: Wish this could have been set somewhere less mainstream, get fed up of novels being set in LA, NY etc. Would rather somewhere more original!
Overall a great read and something I will definitely read again. Should a third come out I will definitely be purchasing. Characters are great; the villains are evil, the good guys are easy to empathise with and you feel their struggles as they try to survive. The ending of the book is brilliant and leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more. If you are a young (or OLD!) adult who loves dystopia, drama, sci-fi, thrills and romance this is definitely a must read book for you and I would recommend to anybody over the age of 13.
Note: Mentioning this more for the authors sake than anybody else - I also found one continuity error in the novel but it didn’t affect my opinion on this novel) In Chapter 8 (sorry no page numbers) Autumn says:
‘I ran around it and came face to face with the same heavily muscled man I’d seen from my terrace the first week after The Plague’ – surely this should be ‘I’d seen from my terrace 6 weeks after The Plague? All chapters from 2 take place 6 weeks after the Crimson Fever hit. Not a big issue, I’m just being thorough.
I received a copy of this book a few week ago and I am only just now reviewing this book. Why? Because I got so caught up in reading this book that I immediately purchased the sequel, read that and then started at the beginning of book one again, to form my review. The book is extremely fast paced and catching that I could not put it down and couldn’t physically wait until I reviewed the first to continue onto the second.
The book primarily follows the character of Autumn Winters, a typical 17 year old girl, who witnesses the onset of a plague (dubbed The Crimson Fever) that wipes out 99% of the world’s population; her family and friends and her life as she knew it, gone. Throughout the story we follow Autumn as she learns to adjust to this new world and figure out (from fellow survivors) who is trying to rebuild society for the greater good, and who is looking to create a more messed up world. Sound familiar? As much as I am a lover of all dystopian novels I find post apocalypse the most predictable; the world ends, society begins to reform in one way or another, good guys versus bad guys etc. Whilst I’m not going to say this novel strayed far from the norm, it was a breath of fresh air. There is romance, fantasy, drama, laughs, love, heartache and so much more to it.
I liked that in the aftermath of The Crimson Fever this novel focuses on the struggling of rationing supplies – a lot of others don’t seem to raise this issue much, particularly as, you would think with the majority of the world’s population gone this wouldn’t be an issue. Many novels don’t seem to take into account thieves and hoarders leaving other survivors struggling so it was nice to see this issue addressed.
One reason I didn’t give the book 5 stars is because, one of my favourite parts of Stephen King’s The Stand is the initial aftermath of the Plague; I liked how it explained how many of the survivors still died from the secondary issues e.g. drug addicts overdosing, orphaned children having fatal accidents, power lines electrocuting people etc. This book unfortunately did not have this and skipped straight from the first couple of days of the plague to 6 weeks later, but that’s just my opinion.
Autumn and The City of Angels also incorporates romance into is dystopian/sci-fi plot – she is rescued by a mysterious boy who helps her escape ‘the bad guys’ in the early stages of the book. She knows nothing about him except he is a young medic (called Grey, which she finds out later) but has no idea what he looks like. He promises to come back for her but as time passes she becomes less convinced. Enter new guy Ben and his 7 year old sister Rissi who become a sort of family unit with Autumn. I loved these characters and they gave Autumn a much more dimensional personality (which was something I thought was lacking up until this point) and Rissi is SO adorable – you just want to give her a hug. There is a slight love triangle which goes on in the novel but it is not overbearing and it is very believable.
I really liked the sci-fi element of the book; I have to admit, I kind of guessed where the book was going in this respect but I still really liked it none the less; it wasn’t shoved down your throat and it didn’t define the entire book which is good.
A couple of my personal dislikes of this book:
1) The cheesy names: I understand Autumn Winters due to her acting, showbiz mother but I just thought it was slightly OTT. As for Grey, all I could picture was a mixture between Christian Grey from 50 shades, Dorian Grey and Mr. Grey from The Dream Catcher by Stephen King – I would have preferred something more original.
2) Teenage love: I really love romance in my dystopian novels and I do understand that first love can be very intense but I really dislike when teenagers say ‘I love you’ within a couple of weeks of knowing each other, let alone being a couple. I think Autumn says this to before they are even properly together. But as I said these are just my opinions, I know a lot of young people like the swooning, head over heels in love stuff.
3) Predictable area: Wish this could have been set somewhere less mainstream, get fed up of novels being set in LA, NY etc. Would rather somewhere more original!
Overall a great read and something I will definitely read again. Should a third come out I will definitely be purchasing. Characters are great; the villains are evil, the good guys are easy to empathise with and you feel their struggles as they try to survive. The ending of the book is brilliant and leaves you on the edge of your seat wanting to know more. If you are a young (or OLD!) adult who loves dystopia, drama, sci-fi, thrills and romance this is definitely a must read book for you and I would recommend to anybody over the age of 13.
Note: Mentioning this more for the authors sake than anybody else - I also found one continuity error in the novel but it didn’t affect my opinion on this novel) In Chapter 8 (sorry no page numbers) Autumn says:
‘I ran around it and came face to face with the same heavily muscled man I’d seen from my terrace the first week after The Plague’ – surely this should be ‘I’d seen from my terrace 6 weeks after The Plague? All chapters from 2 take place 6 weeks after the Crimson Fever hit. Not a big issue, I’m just being thorough.
December 6, 2018
Really good read
This book was a Great read and really sucked me in. He characters were great too. The storyline was well paced and Grey and Lydia through new little
This book was a Great read and really sucked me in. He characters were great too. The storyline was well paced and Grey and Lydia through new little
June 18, 2015
Autumn and the City of Angels is a YA Romance with a dystopian/scifi flavor. It can be compared to works such as The 5th Wave and Collide and I find this a very enjoyable twist on the 'Paranormal Romance' scene, which is slowly taking a backseat, making more room for this kind of work.
The series follows Autumn who's life is thrown upside down when the Crimson fever strikes and takes with it all of her family and friends. Autumn is left with an empty apartment and no direction and ultimately faces the decision to leave her shelter and walk into a world more dangerous then ever. Her first trip does not go well and she eventually gets aid from a guy whom she cannot see. He makes her a promise, he will rescue and take her with him when it is safe to do so. On her second trip for resources after her elicit rescue, she runs into Evie and her brother Ben and they decide to band together.
~ He chuckled quietly. "I Didn't claim to have extra-sensory gifts. Based on what I can hear and feel, I can fill in what I can't see." "Do you want to know what I sense?" " Dare I ask?" I smiled, even though I knew he couldn't see it.
Months go by and when the stranger still has not come for her and they once again get forced to venture out, circumstances separate the group and Autumn is able to find the elusive other band of people, bringing with it a whole lot of other issues.
~ "It was the least I could do to ensure his life not end in his moment of bravery," Grey said in a thoughtful voice. "That's a weird way to put it." "Is it?" he asked. "You could have just said something like, 'no man left behind.'" "I suppose I could have."
The story is a relatively light one given the circumstances the characters are living in. Even though there are deaths and tragedy, it is really only noticeable in the background. The book focuses on Autumn's connection and the secrets of the mysterious boy she meets. I'm okay with that since it is targeted to a YA/teen audience, however if you are after a bit of realism, then I would recommend you look elsewhere.
~ "It's a small plane. The kind that only seats a few people." I closed my eyes and pressed my face into the crook of his neck as I whispered into his ear. I heard another, louder crack as the pane of glass began to give. "The runway is long, and there's probably tall grass growing through the concrete." "Fòmhair..." I heard Grey whisper. Tears began spilling down my face.
Where as Autumn comes over as a little shallow in the beginning, I find she evolves throughout the book and comes more into her own at the last quarter. This is what has me curious to pick up the next installment. I am hoping the two authors of this series have continued the trend into the next and that we eventually get a stronger and more focused lead.
Ben and Evie are a good addition to this and I found Ben's reactions probably the most relatable. I can not help but feel a little sorry for him and I'm secretively hoping he will have a little bit of a bigger role in the next installment.
The ending is not entirely surprising. Even though some of their immediate issues are resolved, the bomb that gets dropped at the end (not entirely a surprising one) leaves this book on a nice little cliffhanger. Personally, I hope this gets resolved swiftly in the sequel Autumn in the Dark meadows so it can concentrate on some broader issues.
Would I recommend it?
Yes I would. All in all it is a very enjoyably read. The writing flows nicely and consistently and have the odd bits of humor shining through. This story would suit the younger YA audience and a great gift for any 13 year old and up.
June 19, 2014
When people suddenly start to get sick and die, everyone is told to go home and try to contain it. Its too late though because the status is raised to plague. Everyone who gets the plague dies, no exceptions! Luckily there are some immune people. Autumn is one of them. Her father liked to buy things in bulk so Autumn stays in her apartment for months. Its not till she hears a voice on the radio that says there are survivors and all are welcome that she ventures outside. Once there though she sees that this group isn't all it says and that they are dangerous. The first chance she gets she runs only to have them follow. Suddenly she is grabbed and dragged into a small space till the group pass. This person saved her and explained that the Front is ran by a madman who only wants power, there's another smaller group that will look after her. Who is this mysterious person and which group should she trust?
Id never heard of this prior to being approached to review it but when I read the blurb I knew I had to read it. I love Post Apocalyptic books and am glad to say that I really enjoyed this. You are brought into the action pretty much straight away. The plague hits and everyone who gets it dies. From there this is pretty much action packed.
Autumn was a great MC. She is smart, strong, sure and an all round nice girl. She is left alone in her apartment but she manages fine by herself. She trusts her instincts in regards The Front and I really liked that about her. When she is running out of supplies she decides to search the rooms in the building. When she goes to the lobby to get the keys she finds a little girl huddled in the air vents. From that moment on her loneliness is gone because of Rissi and her brother Ben. I loved seeing their relationship grow.
Then we have the mysterious Grey. The boy who saved Autumn from The Front. He is strong, handsome but also weird. Autumn is drawn to him and watching their relationship grow was really sweet.
Autumn in the City has a lot going for it. Since its first in the series its setting the stage so to speak. Its a book that's really easy to read because the pacing is fast and the story believable. You could imagine a plague like that hitting and the total devastation it would bring with it. You can see that because so little people are left some bad people would try to manipulate them. Its a story of loss but also one of survival. It shows how the human race can become stronger than ever despite the odds.
So overall I really enjoyed this. Its fast paced, well written and action packed. Im so glad I got a chance to read it and Im looking forward to more.
Id never heard of this prior to being approached to review it but when I read the blurb I knew I had to read it. I love Post Apocalyptic books and am glad to say that I really enjoyed this. You are brought into the action pretty much straight away. The plague hits and everyone who gets it dies. From there this is pretty much action packed.
Autumn was a great MC. She is smart, strong, sure and an all round nice girl. She is left alone in her apartment but she manages fine by herself. She trusts her instincts in regards The Front and I really liked that about her. When she is running out of supplies she decides to search the rooms in the building. When she goes to the lobby to get the keys she finds a little girl huddled in the air vents. From that moment on her loneliness is gone because of Rissi and her brother Ben. I loved seeing their relationship grow.
Then we have the mysterious Grey. The boy who saved Autumn from The Front. He is strong, handsome but also weird. Autumn is drawn to him and watching their relationship grow was really sweet.
Autumn in the City has a lot going for it. Since its first in the series its setting the stage so to speak. Its a book that's really easy to read because the pacing is fast and the story believable. You could imagine a plague like that hitting and the total devastation it would bring with it. You can see that because so little people are left some bad people would try to manipulate them. Its a story of loss but also one of survival. It shows how the human race can become stronger than ever despite the odds.
So overall I really enjoyed this. Its fast paced, well written and action packed. Im so glad I got a chance to read it and Im looking forward to more.
July 27, 2015
Seventeen year-old Autumn is one of the 1% who survived the Crimson Fever that wiped out most of Los Angeles and the world. Tucked away in the luxury penthouse she had shared with her architect father and famous mother, she is able to survive for months on food rations and water her father had stored in the safety of her secluded and secure hideaway. The need for human contact is met when she finds two other survivors, Ben and Rissi, a socially awkward, seventeen year-old mechanical whiz and his animated seven year-old sister. While out on a scout for more supplies, they run into members of the gang The Front, who are rebuilding a colony under the direction of their leader Kyle, a violent director with dubious motives. Having had a run-in with Kyle previously in which she was saved by the mysterious and personable Grey, she remembers Grey's mention of another colony formed in the underbelly of Hollywood High School, and makes her way there, soon joined by Ben and Rissi. But Grey isn't just a normal eighteen year-old boy, and racing against time, the group must relocate to avoid a war with The Front, while Autumn is forced to confront an uncomfortable truth about the young man she has fallen in love with in a world she no longer understands.
Autumn in the City of Angels is a light, easy read that young teenagers will enjoy. It isn't ground-breaking or singular for the genre of apocalyptic romance, but it is certainly entertaining. The characters are well developed and the story moves at a measured pace. Many may feel that there is a lot that goes unanswered, but I actually appreciated that Kirby Howell was able to write a quality teen novel without the usual information dump many debut novelists tend to cram into a book. Readers are allowed to inject their own visions within the context of a well-written and delightful story. The character Grey will certainly appeal to fans who adored Edward in the Twilight series, whereas Autumn is in a league of her own—a strong, independent teenager, and the every-woman that most teenage girls aspire to be. Recommended for teens who are looking for a taste of romance, nicely enveloped in a bit of fantasy.
Autumn in the City of Angels is a light, easy read that young teenagers will enjoy. It isn't ground-breaking or singular for the genre of apocalyptic romance, but it is certainly entertaining. The characters are well developed and the story moves at a measured pace. Many may feel that there is a lot that goes unanswered, but I actually appreciated that Kirby Howell was able to write a quality teen novel without the usual information dump many debut novelists tend to cram into a book. Readers are allowed to inject their own visions within the context of a well-written and delightful story. The character Grey will certainly appeal to fans who adored Edward in the Twilight series, whereas Autumn is in a league of her own—a strong, independent teenager, and the every-woman that most teenage girls aspire to be. Recommended for teens who are looking for a taste of romance, nicely enveloped in a bit of fantasy.
October 22, 2015
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book completely addictive! I felt every ounce of sadness, sorrow, suspense, hope and love! And I love it when a book does that to you, it shows a truly brilliant Author, one that can captivate you and make you feel all those emotions and more!
I really don't want to give and of this book away it's such a good story, with amazing strong solid characters! Autumn is amazing and I love how she grows throughout the book she starts of as this little panicked thing that thinks she can't cope, every bump makes her jump,and she turns into this strong brave character that is whiling to take risks, and can cope in dire situations!
Grey is brilliant i think Kirby Howell did very well to pick our interest with him and then kept him out of the lime light, with just enough supernatural appearances that we new he was a something and there was going to be a thing where Autumn was concerned but non us knew what, and that keeps us turning those pages in the hope we are going to find out the truth about him and see what buds between Grey and Autumn.
But what a brilliant story line! An Apocalypse a Fever named the Crimson Fever that wipes out 99% of Humanity, the tension and survival of the two groups os survivors the good guys and the not such good guys! Then you have the added romance! So quit literally you have Apocalypse, with most of humanity gone, Action, Suspense, Rebuilding and Romance all crammed into a book that you finish far to quickly!
I am 100% going onto book 2!! Can't wait to find out what happens after that bombshell Grey dropped on Autumn!
However I really do hope that somewhere in book 2 Grey and Autumn have the chance to work together and have a steamy Relationship!
I found this book completely addictive! I felt every ounce of sadness, sorrow, suspense, hope and love! And I love it when a book does that to you, it shows a truly brilliant Author, one that can captivate you and make you feel all those emotions and more!
I really don't want to give and of this book away it's such a good story, with amazing strong solid characters! Autumn is amazing and I love how she grows throughout the book she starts of as this little panicked thing that thinks she can't cope, every bump makes her jump,and she turns into this strong brave character that is whiling to take risks, and can cope in dire situations!
Grey is brilliant i think Kirby Howell did very well to pick our interest with him and then kept him out of the lime light, with just enough supernatural appearances that we new he was a something and there was going to be a thing where Autumn was concerned but non us knew what, and that keeps us turning those pages in the hope we are going to find out the truth about him and see what buds between Grey and Autumn.
But what a brilliant story line! An Apocalypse a Fever named the Crimson Fever that wipes out 99% of Humanity, the tension and survival of the two groups os survivors the good guys and the not such good guys! Then you have the added romance! So quit literally you have Apocalypse, with most of humanity gone, Action, Suspense, Rebuilding and Romance all crammed into a book that you finish far to quickly!
I am 100% going onto book 2!! Can't wait to find out what happens after that bombshell Grey dropped on Autumn!
However I really do hope that somewhere in book 2 Grey and Autumn have the chance to work together and have a steamy Relationship!
April 29, 2014
I really liked this book, so I will start there. But there was a moment during this book that I nearly rage-quit, hence the one star deduction. The book starts out great, and quite realistic. In so many of the books of the dystopian genre, the main character suffers some calamity, and then five minutes later is building a shelter and making soup out of tree bark. But not our Autumn, she is pretty much feeling the same way any of us would in an end-of-the-world situation: "Oh crap, now what?". I mean, of course she eventually gets her act together, because a book in which the protagonist loses their mind and promptly dies would not garner a ton of readers. But she does so in a much more realistic way than a lot of other books I've read.
I was loving the side characters too, and her relationships with them. And then, there was a plot twist. Kudos to the authors for me totally not seeing that one coming in any capacity, but I didn't love it. It made the book go from something you could kind of see happening for real (plague, people being awful, looking for safety) to something that was so completely unbelievable. I stopped reading for a few minutes and seriously considered if I wanted to continue. But I had already gotten about halfway through, and was invested in the characters, so along I chugged.
I am glad I did, because the rest of the book was really good. The ending was pretty fantastic too, setting up the next book amazingly. Once I got past the shock of the plot twist, I was okay again, but I assume the twist will throw a lot of readers off. So while I definitely recommend this book, if you are seeking pure realistic dystopia, this may not be ideal.
I was loving the side characters too, and her relationships with them. And then, there was a plot twist. Kudos to the authors for me totally not seeing that one coming in any capacity, but I didn't love it. It made the book go from something you could kind of see happening for real (plague, people being awful, looking for safety) to something that was so completely unbelievable. I stopped reading for a few minutes and seriously considered if I wanted to continue. But I had already gotten about halfway through, and was invested in the characters, so along I chugged.
I am glad I did, because the rest of the book was really good. The ending was pretty fantastic too, setting up the next book amazingly. Once I got past the shock of the plot twist, I was okay again, but I assume the twist will throw a lot of readers off. So while I definitely recommend this book, if you are seeking pure realistic dystopia, this may not be ideal.
July 14, 2015
Exciting and unexpected twists!!
I was immediately sucked into the story within the first few pages. There was a great vibe to the immediate momentum that gave me that feeling of “this is so my kind of story!” I couldn’t wait to really get into it.
And I did. I read the first seven chapters in one evening, which I never have time to do, but I gave up some sleep for a great read. The initial pace of the story was just perfect! Things were happening right away, which I loved! It was exciting. The characters were intriguing and well developed, and the writing was generally very good, with just a few minor rough spots.
It did kind of stall out for a little while as Autumn shuffled around her apartment a bit longer than necessary. I love this character and there is a lot about her that is so real and completely genuine. But I wanted this girl to step up and take control of her own destiny way more than she actually did. I still have faith that Autumn will really hit her stride in the next book because she showed some good growth toward the end of City of Angles.
But the twist! To be clear, it is definitely NOT a bad twist. In fact, it’s actually very clever and a unique aspect of the story. It shouldn’t deter you from reading the book. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting it! At all! There wasn’t enough information in the synopsis to prepare me for such an extreme, genre changing twist at such a late stage of the story. That said, I am definitely invested enough in this post apocalypse world to keep reading the series. I just wish I had been sufficiently prepared for slightly more sci-fi than I bargained for.
I was immediately sucked into the story within the first few pages. There was a great vibe to the immediate momentum that gave me that feeling of “this is so my kind of story!” I couldn’t wait to really get into it.
And I did. I read the first seven chapters in one evening, which I never have time to do, but I gave up some sleep for a great read. The initial pace of the story was just perfect! Things were happening right away, which I loved! It was exciting. The characters were intriguing and well developed, and the writing was generally very good, with just a few minor rough spots.
It did kind of stall out for a little while as Autumn shuffled around her apartment a bit longer than necessary. I love this character and there is a lot about her that is so real and completely genuine. But I wanted this girl to step up and take control of her own destiny way more than she actually did. I still have faith that Autumn will really hit her stride in the next book because she showed some good growth toward the end of City of Angles.
But the twist! To be clear, it is definitely NOT a bad twist. In fact, it’s actually very clever and a unique aspect of the story. It shouldn’t deter you from reading the book. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting it! At all! There wasn’t enough information in the synopsis to prepare me for such an extreme, genre changing twist at such a late stage of the story. That said, I am definitely invested enough in this post apocalypse world to keep reading the series. I just wish I had been sufficiently prepared for slightly more sci-fi than I bargained for.
July 30, 2015
The first book in The Autumn Series, Autumn in the City of Angels, is a fantastic start to a fantastic series. The writing is superb and draws the reader into the story from the get go. The character development is perfect and allows the reader to develop a relationship with each character, whether it is a love or hate relationship. The story starts off as most apocalyptic stories do, with a plague that wipes most of humanity from the world. However, that is where most of the similarities end. Autumn in the City of Angels takes the reader on a journey with a young girl and her surrogate survivor family. The young girl happens upon a group that seems too good to be true. Of course it turns out that Autumn is correct and the group is out to rule not help.
The biggest surprise of this novel is the major twist thrown in around the middle of the book with one of its major characters. This twist may seem strange at first, but then you see how unique it truly makes this story. It is with this twist, that this novel truly separates itself from all of the other typical apocalyptic stories.
With the ending we receive in this novel I guarantee that readers will be left on the edge of their seats waiting for the next book. I myself can not wait to see what happens and to see how many more obstacles the characters can overcome and how Autumn will overcome an extremely difficult reality and continue to survive.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
The biggest surprise of this novel is the major twist thrown in around the middle of the book with one of its major characters. This twist may seem strange at first, but then you see how unique it truly makes this story. It is with this twist, that this novel truly separates itself from all of the other typical apocalyptic stories.
With the ending we receive in this novel I guarantee that readers will be left on the edge of their seats waiting for the next book. I myself can not wait to see what happens and to see how many more obstacles the characters can overcome and how Autumn will overcome an extremely difficult reality and continue to survive.
http://novelideareviews.blogspot.com/...
July 16, 2015
It's the end of the world as we know it, and Autumn Winters does NOT feel fine.
When a horrible plague wipes out 99% of the Earth's population, 17-year-old Autumn's first reaction is to hole up in her palatial Los Angeles penthouse and wait for help. When it doesn't come, she ventures outside to learn that a militant survival group has effectively taken over the city. But this gang, let by the malicious and power-hungry Karl, are not the only survivors. She, along with Ben and Nissi, a pair of fellow young survivors, must find a way to flee through the dead calm of L.A. to survive.
Autumn is a great heroine. Though she comes from a glitzy family - her mother was an Oscar-winning, beloved actress - she finds strength within to protect herself and her new "family," strength that is tested even further when she meets Gray, a handsome yet enigmatic medical student who has a secret that ... well, I won't spoil it for you.
I must admit, this story went in quite a different direction I thought it would. I will also admit that the "twist" ending that was hinted at in other reviews did not catch me totally by surprise, but the story was well-written and engaging, with great characters and lots of action. I am very interested to read Part 2 of the series!
4.5 / 5 stars
Well done, Kirby!
When a horrible plague wipes out 99% of the Earth's population, 17-year-old Autumn's first reaction is to hole up in her palatial Los Angeles penthouse and wait for help. When it doesn't come, she ventures outside to learn that a militant survival group has effectively taken over the city. But this gang, let by the malicious and power-hungry Karl, are not the only survivors. She, along with Ben and Nissi, a pair of fellow young survivors, must find a way to flee through the dead calm of L.A. to survive.
Autumn is a great heroine. Though she comes from a glitzy family - her mother was an Oscar-winning, beloved actress - she finds strength within to protect herself and her new "family," strength that is tested even further when she meets Gray, a handsome yet enigmatic medical student who has a secret that ... well, I won't spoil it for you.
I must admit, this story went in quite a different direction I thought it would. I will also admit that the "twist" ending that was hinted at in other reviews did not catch me totally by surprise, but the story was well-written and engaging, with great characters and lots of action. I am very interested to read Part 2 of the series!
4.5 / 5 stars
Well done, Kirby!
October 7, 2013
This was a great beginning to what looks to be an amazing series. From the very beginning of the book, I was jumped into an amazing story. Autumn Winters is the main character in this series about a plague (the Crimson Fever) that kills 99% of the population.
There's a lot put into this book and the two authors who make up Kirby Howell really know how to deliver! There's action, romance, mixed with a little bit of Sci-fi. Once I started this book, I just kept reading it. I couldn't put it down. Every character written on the pages feel like they could jump off the page and become a real person. That's how real it felt while reading. I felt like I could really connect with Autumn.
There's a plot twist and you have to beware the fever and Grey, the dreamy and swoony love interest, may have more to them than you'd first think. It's very interesting. There's not too much that I can say without giving it away. But I really enjoyed this novel and I am looking forward to continuing on with this series. It was a very refreshing piece to add to the dystopian genre.
Do you like dystopians? Do you like action mixed with the perfect amount of romance and sci-fi? Then you should definitely pick this novel up! You won't regret it!
There's a lot put into this book and the two authors who make up Kirby Howell really know how to deliver! There's action, romance, mixed with a little bit of Sci-fi. Once I started this book, I just kept reading it. I couldn't put it down. Every character written on the pages feel like they could jump off the page and become a real person. That's how real it felt while reading. I felt like I could really connect with Autumn.
There's a plot twist and you have to beware the fever and Grey, the dreamy and swoony love interest, may have more to them than you'd first think. It's very interesting. There's not too much that I can say without giving it away. But I really enjoyed this novel and I am looking forward to continuing on with this series. It was a very refreshing piece to add to the dystopian genre.
Do you like dystopians? Do you like action mixed with the perfect amount of romance and sci-fi? Then you should definitely pick this novel up! You won't regret it!
September 18, 2015
I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Autumn in the City of Angels is about a girl trying to survive on her own after a deadly virus sweeps through the planet and kills almost everyone. She must learn who she can trust an how to outwit the ones she can't. Throw in a mysterious boy that won't get out of her head, warring factions of survivors, and a shocking surprise about the origins of some of the characters, and you have a well-written, well-developed piece of fiction.
Honestly, Kirby Howell had me at deadly virus. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The story-telling was nearly flawless, a picture of post-apocalyptic Los Angeles drawn so clearly, I felt like I was watching one of my favorite tv shows. Autumn has grit and determination even though she is scared and alone. The characters we meet along the way are all intriguing, whether they be endearing, mysterious, or downright evil.
I read whenever I had a spare moment, and when I didn't, I obsessed over what had happened, what was happening, and what I thought would happen in the next chapter. I seriously fell in love with this book. If they ever make a movie, I'll be first in the ticket line with my Team Grey shirt on.
Job well done.
Autumn in the City of Angels is about a girl trying to survive on her own after a deadly virus sweeps through the planet and kills almost everyone. She must learn who she can trust an how to outwit the ones she can't. Throw in a mysterious boy that won't get out of her head, warring factions of survivors, and a shocking surprise about the origins of some of the characters, and you have a well-written, well-developed piece of fiction.
Honestly, Kirby Howell had me at deadly virus. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The story-telling was nearly flawless, a picture of post-apocalyptic Los Angeles drawn so clearly, I felt like I was watching one of my favorite tv shows. Autumn has grit and determination even though she is scared and alone. The characters we meet along the way are all intriguing, whether they be endearing, mysterious, or downright evil.
I read whenever I had a spare moment, and when I didn't, I obsessed over what had happened, what was happening, and what I thought would happen in the next chapter. I seriously fell in love with this book. If they ever make a movie, I'll be first in the ticket line with my Team Grey shirt on.
Job well done.
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