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Prepper #1
Prepper
Ashley Keller was prepared for the end of the world. She wasn’t prepared for Jake Parker to need her help surviving it.
Ashley Keller’s life is a series of worst-case scenarios, literally. Her mother creates them to teach Ashley and her brother survival skills. Shooting, foraging, picking locks… The constant training makes Ashley even more of an outcast at her school full of rich kids, with an ex-girlfriend who doesn’t speak to her anymore and a major crush, Jake Parker, who doesn’t know she exists.
A few months ago, the end of the world seemed just as likely as Jake ever talking to Ashley, but when the power flickers, the grocery stores empty, and their high school shuts down, desperation brings him straight to her door.
Forced out by her mother for what she does for him, Ashley must find the courage to ask Jake for help in turn, and find out if her embarrassing skills can not only keep them alive, but bring them together as the world falls apart.
Ashley Keller’s life is a series of worst-case scenarios, literally. Her mother creates them to teach Ashley and her brother survival skills. Shooting, foraging, picking locks… The constant training makes Ashley even more of an outcast at her school full of rich kids, with an ex-girlfriend who doesn’t speak to her anymore and a major crush, Jake Parker, who doesn’t know she exists.
A few months ago, the end of the world seemed just as likely as Jake ever talking to Ashley, but when the power flickers, the grocery stores empty, and their high school shuts down, desperation brings him straight to her door.
Forced out by her mother for what she does for him, Ashley must find the courage to ask Jake for help in turn, and find out if her embarrassing skills can not only keep them alive, but bring them together as the world falls apart.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2023
17 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Kate Gilronan
2 books3 followersKate Gilronan is a writer, mother and prepper, though without ninety-nine percent of Ashley’s skills. She does have a master’s degree in Emergency Management though, so that provided depth and background for her first series, PREPPER. Kate was raised in a place where the major environmental threat was tornadoes, went to college the first time in a place where it was blizzards, and now lives in a place where it’s hurricanes and floods. Her first favorite thing to do is spend time with her children and husband. Her second favorite thing to do is write. She has two dogs and a cat who severely complicate all of her bug out plans. You can find her on her website and on Instagram @kategilronan.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 14, 2023
Great in a Gripping Kind of Way
Very addictive story. In fact I was supposed to be working just now but instead I was busy finishing this book. Excellent characters, well constructed plot, all around worth your time. Read it!
Very addictive story. In fact I was supposed to be working just now but instead I was busy finishing this book. Excellent characters, well constructed plot, all around worth your time. Read it!
January 6, 2024
Kate Gilronan's #PREPPER is a beautiful story that takes readers from the world as we know it to "the end of the world as we know it" (also known as TEOTWAWKI). It's a cautionary tale, a survival tale, a coming-of-age story, a love story. It's about preppers, family, High School, dandelions, food scarcity, power outages, and so much more.
Ashley Keller was never popular in school, but it doesn't help that her mom has been preparing for the end of the world most of her life. When power outages become a common occurrence, schools close, people start to evacuate, and grocery stores run out of food, Ashley's mother can only say I told you so. After Ashley gives a 12-day supply of food to her two High School crushes -- baseball star Jake Parker and his girlfriend Sarah-Lynn Evanston -- her mother kicks her out of the house for 12 days. Ashley decides to ask Jake Parker for help, taking up refuge with him and his 4-year-old brothers. But it's Ashley who helps them, teaching them how to survive on the little bit they have left.
This was such a fun read! And while I’ve seen preppers make guest appearances in other stories, I’ve never read/seen anything like this before.
And Gilronan did such a great job with the characters; through Ashley and Jake she shows us two very different perspectives on popularity, family, and life in general; through Ashley’s little bother, Hunter, she shows us the larger perspective of how the country and world got to this point; and through the various minor characters, Gilronan shows us how much she understands human nature.
Kate Gilronan and I have been writing buddies for more than a decade, and I'm so excited to be holding her book in my hands!
Ashley Keller was never popular in school, but it doesn't help that her mom has been preparing for the end of the world most of her life. When power outages become a common occurrence, schools close, people start to evacuate, and grocery stores run out of food, Ashley's mother can only say I told you so. After Ashley gives a 12-day supply of food to her two High School crushes -- baseball star Jake Parker and his girlfriend Sarah-Lynn Evanston -- her mother kicks her out of the house for 12 days. Ashley decides to ask Jake Parker for help, taking up refuge with him and his 4-year-old brothers. But it's Ashley who helps them, teaching them how to survive on the little bit they have left.
This was such a fun read! And while I’ve seen preppers make guest appearances in other stories, I’ve never read/seen anything like this before.
And Gilronan did such a great job with the characters; through Ashley and Jake she shows us two very different perspectives on popularity, family, and life in general; through Ashley’s little bother, Hunter, she shows us the larger perspective of how the country and world got to this point; and through the various minor characters, Gilronan shows us how much she understands human nature.
Kate Gilronan and I have been writing buddies for more than a decade, and I'm so excited to be holding her book in my hands!
December 13, 2024
Completely scary in how realistic this reads, a compelling story that focuses on the lead into and start of the end of the world as we know it.
We mainly follow Ashley who understands and is ready for what is coming (although I do think she is a little to kind for people) but we also get little trips into other view points along the way. One which allows us to see the way someone who wasn't prepared grows over the course of events and begins to understand reality with a small amount of wishful thinking that it will get better. The other main character whose POV we get to see is her brother who struck me as almost a check in with the larger global and country position whilst Ashley is having to focus more on the small scale of survival.
I will say (with no spoilers so don't worry!) that whilst reading this book I was about 3/4 of the way through and I was explaining it in a broad sense to a friend and I said I'm surprised "x" hasn't happened... Then I got to the last few chapters and "x" happened and now I'm annoyed with myself for jinxing it. We were left on quite a cliffhanger so I'm very glad that I have the second book and can go and start it now!!
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems.
We mainly follow Ashley who understands and is ready for what is coming (although I do think she is a little to kind for people) but we also get little trips into other view points along the way. One which allows us to see the way someone who wasn't prepared grows over the course of events and begins to understand reality with a small amount of wishful thinking that it will get better. The other main character whose POV we get to see is her brother who struck me as almost a check in with the larger global and country position whilst Ashley is having to focus more on the small scale of survival.
I will say (with no spoilers so don't worry!) that whilst reading this book I was about 3/4 of the way through and I was explaining it in a broad sense to a friend and I said I'm surprised "x" hasn't happened... Then I got to the last few chapters and "x" happened and now I'm annoyed with myself for jinxing it. We were left on quite a cliffhanger so I'm very glad that I have the second book and can go and start it now!!
I read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems.
January 27, 2024
Freaking Fantastic!!
What an amazing YA Dystopian Romance story!! Their mother might seem like a fanatic to some, but she was a Prepper and completely prepared when things started to fall apart!!
Ashley Keller, and her younger Hunter, were brought up to be prepared, by their mother creating worse case scenarios, ever since they were very young. So when things start to fall apart they are not caught off guard. They know what to expect.
Ashley’s longtime crush, Jake Parker, shows up at her house looking for food. Ashley is then “forced” to confront a world where her embarrassing skills could keep them alive and bring her and Jake together.
You really see what people are made of, deep down, when things become life or death! If you enjoy dystopian romance stories centered around preppers, you will love this!!!
What an amazing YA Dystopian Romance story!! Their mother might seem like a fanatic to some, but she was a Prepper and completely prepared when things started to fall apart!!
Ashley Keller, and her younger Hunter, were brought up to be prepared, by their mother creating worse case scenarios, ever since they were very young. So when things start to fall apart they are not caught off guard. They know what to expect.
Ashley’s longtime crush, Jake Parker, shows up at her house looking for food. Ashley is then “forced” to confront a world where her embarrassing skills could keep them alive and bring her and Jake together.
You really see what people are made of, deep down, when things become life or death! If you enjoy dystopian romance stories centered around preppers, you will love this!!!
September 16, 2025
Imagine your mom spends your entire childhood training you for the end of the world, and then it actually happens.
That’s the setup for Prepper by Kate Gilronan. We follow Ashley Keller, a teen who knows how to shoot, forage, even pick locks, thanks to her survivalist mom. At school, those skills make her a total outcast… but when society collapses, they might be the only thing that keeps her, and her crush, Jake Parker alive.
This book is part survival thriller, part YA romance. It’s fast-paced, a little dramatic, with some funny and tender moments mixed in. Think Hatchet meets a CW teen drama, with a doomsday twist.
If you like YA dystopian survival stories with a dash of romance, Prepper is worth checking out. Solid middle shelf read for me.
That’s the setup for Prepper by Kate Gilronan. We follow Ashley Keller, a teen who knows how to shoot, forage, even pick locks, thanks to her survivalist mom. At school, those skills make her a total outcast… but when society collapses, they might be the only thing that keeps her, and her crush, Jake Parker alive.
This book is part survival thriller, part YA romance. It’s fast-paced, a little dramatic, with some funny and tender moments mixed in. Think Hatchet meets a CW teen drama, with a doomsday twist.
If you like YA dystopian survival stories with a dash of romance, Prepper is worth checking out. Solid middle shelf read for me.
March 21, 2025
Ashley Keller is the loner kid whose mother has trained her to survive the end of the world. Jake Parker is the star of the high school baseball team and one of the most popular guys in school. They're thrown together when things go terribly wrong and the world falls apart. This YA apocalyptic romance was a first for me and I had such a great time reading it! The premise is such a unique concept, blending the idea of an opposites attract romance with how well are you prepared for when shit hits the fan? Prepper sets the stage for Ashley and Jake's relationship/survival journey and I immediately started book 2 once I was done!
June 29, 2024
I love a good book that takes you by surprise. Prepper did just that. It seemed a fairly tame Young Adult book in the beginning but then turned into a fast-paced page-turner with lots of suspense. I also learned a lot of very interesting facts about survival. The characters are superb and Ashley is unique. I can't wait for the sequel to come out to know what will happen with Ashley, Hunter and Jake. Highly recommended!
January 22, 2024
Her mother has taught her all the skills she would ever need if life became too difficult. She knew what ever happen she could survive but she did not expect to need his help. Will he help her? Can they get on? Can they survive what is in front of them? See where they will take you
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review
May 31, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It took a little bit to finish, but only because I am a mood reader. It was easy to be invested in the characters, and the story as a whole. I kind of wish there had been a little more story development, but I still think it was a good read. I recommend for those who like the "end of the world" type of books. Thank you Hidden Gems for the ARC, this is my free, honest review.
January 22, 2024
A very realistic emergency story With good characters it felt like this could happen unlike some other books where I think that it is very unlikely scenario this one feels real with real characters emotions and a realistic story thanks for the great book/story
January 24, 2024
This book was SO GOOD. Could not put it down! The fmc Ashley is both a super badass and a scared child. The author was able to really show both sides of her in a very poignant way. I cannot wait for the second book!
December 17, 2023
Loved the book! New self published author. Teenage love story as world comes to a gradual decline. Climate change and other world ending topics included.
March 14, 2024
interesting
Dry unique read, very YA but with quite a bit of spice. It ends on a cliffhanger of sorts with no closure on what happens. What happens to Jake!?!?
Dry unique read, very YA but with quite a bit of spice. It ends on a cliffhanger of sorts with no closure on what happens. What happens to Jake!?!?
September 9, 2024
Good End of the world story
The character were flawed and believable. Give this book a few chapters and you can't put it down. You get invested in them quickly.
The character were flawed and believable. Give this book a few chapters and you can't put it down. You get invested in them quickly.
November 2, 2025
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books for this free ARC. This review is voluntary and unbiased.
This is it. This is my favourite book of the year, and January is not even over. I have never read a book so incredibly perfect. The tension, the doomsday-Apocalypse domestic drama happening, the character growth, the romance. Everything is perfect. The pacing is fast and tense and feels like you're actually there. There wasn't a single second I was thinking about this book since I started it and I need a sequel so badly.
I beg you, if you want to read something good this year : read this book !
This is it. This is my favourite book of the year, and January is not even over. I have never read a book so incredibly perfect. The tension, the doomsday-Apocalypse domestic drama happening, the character growth, the romance. Everything is perfect. The pacing is fast and tense and feels like you're actually there. There wasn't a single second I was thinking about this book since I started it and I need a sequel so badly.
I beg you, if you want to read something good this year : read this book !
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews