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In Strange Worlds
What would you do if you woke up one morning to find that you were the only person left alive?
“Well, this one kept me engrossed right to the end, and I consider that a five star win.”
“I highly recommend this book to everybody who is interested in good quality literary fiction. This book has it all: an amazing plot, good portrayals of the novel's characters, mystery and suspense.”
“Brenda Cheers writes with almost simplistic style that has its own melodic rhythm.”
“'In Strange Worlds' is an intriguing book and one that leaves you thinking for days after.”
‘It is the sort of novel you don't want to put down.”
“This is the most interesting novel I've read in years!”
“Well, this one kept me engrossed right to the end, and I consider that a five star win.”
“I highly recommend this book to everybody who is interested in good quality literary fiction. This book has it all: an amazing plot, good portrayals of the novel's characters, mystery and suspense.”
“Brenda Cheers writes with almost simplistic style that has its own melodic rhythm.”
“'In Strange Worlds' is an intriguing book and one that leaves you thinking for days after.”
‘It is the sort of novel you don't want to put down.”
“This is the most interesting novel I've read in years!”
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2014
20 people are currently reading
753 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Cheers
11 books31 followersBrenda Cheers is a novelist and short-story writer who lives in Brisbane, Australia. "Requiem for Titus" is her eighth published novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 1, 2019
This was such a treat to read! Meg wakes up in the hospital from a surgical procedure to discover the rest of the world has died off, seemingly without explanation. Everywhere she goes, there are dead bodies. Fires break out across the world. She searches for answers… was it a terrible virus? An attack from a hostile country? Alien invasion? Even Twitter is silent! (perish the thought!)
Part creepy sci-fi tale and part survivalist story, Meg is forced to figure out how to live off the grid, knowing eventually without anyone left to run the world, electricity and running water will go down. I loved the way author Brenda Cheers thought through what it would take to survive in a situation like this, and also the way information about what happened, or could have happened, is slowly meted out. I don’t want to give too much away, as the fun in this one is the way the surprises gradually unfold. As we slowly get more answers, and even more questions(!) the story only grows more engrossing. This was simply a delight to read, and I can’t wait to discover what happens in the sequel.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Part creepy sci-fi tale and part survivalist story, Meg is forced to figure out how to live off the grid, knowing eventually without anyone left to run the world, electricity and running water will go down. I loved the way author Brenda Cheers thought through what it would take to survive in a situation like this, and also the way information about what happened, or could have happened, is slowly meted out. I don’t want to give too much away, as the fun in this one is the way the surprises gradually unfold. As we slowly get more answers, and even more questions(!) the story only grows more engrossing. This was simply a delight to read, and I can’t wait to discover what happens in the sequel.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
September 14, 2015
I was looking for a Science Fiction book by an Australian author and a few friends recommended IN STRANGE WORLDS too me. I am glad I listened to their advice as I really enjoyed the story. Very slightly echoing the opening of another Sci-Fi favourite of mine ‘The Day of the Triffids’ Meg awakens in hospital in a big city (in this case Melbourne rather than London) and is the only one alive. Here the similarity ends – there are no man eating plants and only a few survivors, who don’t appear until later in the book. Meg is a middle-aged mother and ex-wife. She realises very quickly the child she has just given birth to has died, as too her nearest and dearest. She is utterly alone. For now the power is working, but she realises that won’t always be the case, she scans the internet to find any other signs of life. There is none. She decides to head north to south east Queensland to a small community in the hinterland she had heard of. She figured there would be places up there already set up for self-sufficiency, solar power, animals and close to a small community for supplies with a library for information when the Internet shuts down. There is a poignant moment as she leaves Melbourne when she writes about all the animals trapped in homes unable to get out. She hears their howls. Somehow that brought a tear to my eyes rather than the idea of millions of dead humans. Anyhow she makes her way to her new home – finds the perfect house – cleans out the bodies – and learns to be self-sufficient.
Told in the first person with very little dialogue (even when other people are introduced to the story – well it wouldn’t be much of a story without other humans now would it?). When she finds the young man she starts to wonder if there are any others alive. He is more a son than a potential lover. But if they’re the only two...? I found the story to be riveting. Just what exactly is happening? Meg certainly grows in strength from the broken woman at the start of the book to the determined woman at the end. How the story twists and turns and leaves you at the end wondering if this is the end and if it is how dare it ends that way. The reader doesn’t get all the answers – well you do get sort of a fair idea what is going on – just not the how, or the why. I am guessing/hoping more will be revealed in the sequel In a Time Where They Belong.
Told in the first person with very little dialogue (even when other people are introduced to the story – well it wouldn’t be much of a story without other humans now would it?). When she finds the young man she starts to wonder if there are any others alive. He is more a son than a potential lover. But if they’re the only two...? I found the story to be riveting. Just what exactly is happening? Meg certainly grows in strength from the broken woman at the start of the book to the determined woman at the end. How the story twists and turns and leaves you at the end wondering if this is the end and if it is how dare it ends that way. The reader doesn’t get all the answers – well you do get sort of a fair idea what is going on – just not the how, or the why. I am guessing/hoping more will be revealed in the sequel In a Time Where They Belong.
July 14, 2014
This is the most fun I've had with a book from times immemorial. And no, ladies and gentlemen, it is not erotica and I was not under the duvet with ‘gadgets.’
A novel need not be perfect; as long as it is entertaining and reads fast, I’m a happy bunny. I can turn a blind eye to little imperfections, which – frankly - every novel will have.
Here, the writing style is easily digestible and non-pretentious, which is always a huge relief for a reader and not such a simple thing to achieve. This gripping story made me pursue the plot to reach the end within hours of starting, which I found miraculous – I have the attention span of a Minion, and possibly similar physical aesthetics, just with more hair (under the armpit).
Having said that, I have a few complaints, but they are very minor here, not affecting my enjoyment much. I also have a major one, but we’ll get to that one later.
This is a third-person narrative from Meg’s point of view, which suggests that the first person narrative approach would be more appropriate, mainly because the third person adds no element of omniscience. Changing this would also highlight the pain of loneliness. Interestingly, there are diary elements in the book; the transition between the two narrative types is almost too conspicuous, with the narrator and Meg intruding upon each other each time.
Meg is very bland to start with, but she grew on me, perhaps because I understand her detachment from and scepticism about personal relationships very well. At the beginning, something is missing: she seems strangely calm finding all those corpses, not even shaking when she borrows somebody else’s car to go home from the hospital. Imagine waking up to a world where nobody is alive, seeing dead bodies strewn at your feet, and you’re like ‘meh,’ shrugging all the way back home. You would have thought Meg had been through apocalypse a dozen times before. Was she a robot now? No, she somehow ‘recovers’ into a bit more trauma later. What a relief.
Out of curiosity, I checked some other reviews after finishing this novel. Hmm… Yes, it could be a bit more inventive / convincing. Yes, it could be a bit more artistic / ambitious. Miraculously appearing people? Methinks that otherwise there would be nothing to write about, unless zombies were employed (with a good CV). I cannot comment on the probability of every single thing happening, or how quickly each appliance would turn off in reality as I am no engineer; blissful ignorance of a layman might be a blessing when reading any book. The communication via dreams being a naff move? I would have preferred for this to have been resolved in a less supernatural way, but hey, it was only a couple of times and I forgot about it instantly while chewing off my fingers.
What matters to me is that it is so damn hard to launch a novel with hardly any dialogues throughout much of it and make it such a smooth read. Each time I had to put it down, I was actually dying to resume. This is a rare occurrence but Brenda Cheers pulled it off.
Finally, my gripe…
As a reader, I had so many questions I craved answers for:
What happened to the whole human civilization?
Why were a handful of humans spared?
Why did Luke refuse to speak? Was he in any way similar to the strange medical staff at first?
Who were those mute people?
What happened to Derek?
I was utterly betrayed by the ending. Whilst I am happy there is more to come, the lack of any ‘series hint’ implied that it was a standalone piece of writing. It was a major disappointment to read a good but unfinished novel which answered no questions whatsoever towards the end. Even as an instalment, it should have revealed a bit more, but unfortunately it only added to this list of questions following a significant plot twist at the end. Naughty.
I was tempted to take off a star for that. Or half a star, say make my rating 4.5 stars but only give 4 of the red plump Goodreads ones and then rejoice in self-righteousness. But then, naw…, I just thought, stop being a b*tch, give the woman what she deserves, and don't you dare steal even one hard-earned star.
I couldn't live with myself.
A novel need not be perfect; as long as it is entertaining and reads fast, I’m a happy bunny. I can turn a blind eye to little imperfections, which – frankly - every novel will have.
Here, the writing style is easily digestible and non-pretentious, which is always a huge relief for a reader and not such a simple thing to achieve. This gripping story made me pursue the plot to reach the end within hours of starting, which I found miraculous – I have the attention span of a Minion, and possibly similar physical aesthetics, just with more hair (under the armpit).
Having said that, I have a few complaints, but they are very minor here, not affecting my enjoyment much. I also have a major one, but we’ll get to that one later.
This is a third-person narrative from Meg’s point of view, which suggests that the first person narrative approach would be more appropriate, mainly because the third person adds no element of omniscience. Changing this would also highlight the pain of loneliness. Interestingly, there are diary elements in the book; the transition between the two narrative types is almost too conspicuous, with the narrator and Meg intruding upon each other each time.
Meg is very bland to start with, but she grew on me, perhaps because I understand her detachment from and scepticism about personal relationships very well. At the beginning, something is missing: she seems strangely calm finding all those corpses, not even shaking when she borrows somebody else’s car to go home from the hospital. Imagine waking up to a world where nobody is alive, seeing dead bodies strewn at your feet, and you’re like ‘meh,’ shrugging all the way back home. You would have thought Meg had been through apocalypse a dozen times before. Was she a robot now? No, she somehow ‘recovers’ into a bit more trauma later. What a relief.
Out of curiosity, I checked some other reviews after finishing this novel. Hmm… Yes, it could be a bit more inventive / convincing. Yes, it could be a bit more artistic / ambitious. Miraculously appearing people? Methinks that otherwise there would be nothing to write about, unless zombies were employed (with a good CV). I cannot comment on the probability of every single thing happening, or how quickly each appliance would turn off in reality as I am no engineer; blissful ignorance of a layman might be a blessing when reading any book. The communication via dreams being a naff move? I would have preferred for this to have been resolved in a less supernatural way, but hey, it was only a couple of times and I forgot about it instantly while chewing off my fingers.
What matters to me is that it is so damn hard to launch a novel with hardly any dialogues throughout much of it and make it such a smooth read. Each time I had to put it down, I was actually dying to resume. This is a rare occurrence but Brenda Cheers pulled it off.
Finally, my gripe…
As a reader, I had so many questions I craved answers for:
What happened to the whole human civilization?
Why were a handful of humans spared?
Why did Luke refuse to speak? Was he in any way similar to the strange medical staff at first?
Who were those mute people?
What happened to Derek?
I was utterly betrayed by the ending. Whilst I am happy there is more to come, the lack of any ‘series hint’ implied that it was a standalone piece of writing. It was a major disappointment to read a good but unfinished novel which answered no questions whatsoever towards the end. Even as an instalment, it should have revealed a bit more, but unfortunately it only added to this list of questions following a significant plot twist at the end. Naughty.
I was tempted to take off a star for that. Or half a star, say make my rating 4.5 stars but only give 4 of the red plump Goodreads ones and then rejoice in self-righteousness. But then, naw…, I just thought, stop being a b*tch, give the woman what she deserves, and don't you dare steal even one hard-earned star.
I couldn't live with myself.
January 28, 2014
This well written "post apocalyptic" novel has a good, lucid style. It does strike me as being somewhat detached and regardless of whether the character is exploring or frightened, the tone seems unchanged. There appears to me to be an absence of plot, why the character(s) do what they do.
That the number of characters "left alive" multiplies without answers or questions is almost reason enough to put the book down. The book is readable, but I must confess that I asked myself why all the way. The reader does not learn much about the MC's concern about the (later) characters who can communicate with each other via "dreams" or about the uncoordinated men who fly helicopters. The Sunshine Coast may or may not be worth a visit, but the author clearly does not see herself as writing anything on the order of A Year in Provence.
All is revealed in the fullness of time, including a writing premise not often tried (for good reason); the reader must decide if this was worth the journey.
That the number of characters "left alive" multiplies without answers or questions is almost reason enough to put the book down. The book is readable, but I must confess that I asked myself why all the way. The reader does not learn much about the MC's concern about the (later) characters who can communicate with each other via "dreams" or about the uncoordinated men who fly helicopters. The Sunshine Coast may or may not be worth a visit, but the author clearly does not see herself as writing anything on the order of A Year in Provence.
All is revealed in the fullness of time, including a writing premise not often tried (for good reason); the reader must decide if this was worth the journey.
April 15, 2014
This novel takes us to a place within our own mind of sanity. What would we do if a deadly virus spread and killed off humanity as we know it? Would we break down, or would our natural DNA kick to survival mode? Well, this story is about a woman who's destiny leads her through trials and tribulations under strange circumstances.
As she re-counts all the bad things that happened to her, she is also pushing forward just to stay alive. Maybe her old life really wasn't as bad as she had once thought. A little Zen can go a long way when you are under more stress than a human can handle.
I enjoyed the cold skinned people mentioned in the book as well.
I would have liked the characters to have had a little more depth and connection to each other.
This book had a great way of making the reader reflect on their own life.
As she re-counts all the bad things that happened to her, she is also pushing forward just to stay alive. Maybe her old life really wasn't as bad as she had once thought. A little Zen can go a long way when you are under more stress than a human can handle.
I enjoyed the cold skinned people mentioned in the book as well.
I would have liked the characters to have had a little more depth and connection to each other.
This book had a great way of making the reader reflect on their own life.
September 11, 2014
I will out myself here and admit I wouldn't normally read a book in this genre. However my opinion changed about one page in as I realised it was a story I could relate to because of the way it is told.
Meg is just a normal woman living in Melbourne. Going into hospital to give birth she wakes after Caesarian surgery to find herself the only person alive. Everybody else around her lies dead from a mysterious virus. She has to make a decision - to give in and die alongside everybody else or to get herself together and fight to survive this alien new world.
I was totally drawn into Meg's day to day experiences - deciding where the best place to live would be, the ability to walk into any shop and take what you want and learning to become totally self sufficient. Aided at first by the internet she soon has to revert back to books as the servers drop out and the world wide web fades away. Meg soon knows the best way to break locks and how best to administer medical help to herself and the other two survivors who "find" Meg at her new home on the Sunshine Coast. As a Sunshine Coast local I loved the accurate local references and was chuffed Meg had chosen it as her base.
The tone changes as the story progresses from Meg's initial fight just for her own survival to dealing with other mysterious, sinister forces that begin to infiltrate the haven she has created. The ending was a total surprise taking the reader down a complete new path and certainly left me wanting more. I am certainly looking forward to the sequel.
Overall this is a gripping and suspenseful story told in a way that almost everybody could relate to.
Meg is just a normal woman living in Melbourne. Going into hospital to give birth she wakes after Caesarian surgery to find herself the only person alive. Everybody else around her lies dead from a mysterious virus. She has to make a decision - to give in and die alongside everybody else or to get herself together and fight to survive this alien new world.
I was totally drawn into Meg's day to day experiences - deciding where the best place to live would be, the ability to walk into any shop and take what you want and learning to become totally self sufficient. Aided at first by the internet she soon has to revert back to books as the servers drop out and the world wide web fades away. Meg soon knows the best way to break locks and how best to administer medical help to herself and the other two survivors who "find" Meg at her new home on the Sunshine Coast. As a Sunshine Coast local I loved the accurate local references and was chuffed Meg had chosen it as her base.
The tone changes as the story progresses from Meg's initial fight just for her own survival to dealing with other mysterious, sinister forces that begin to infiltrate the haven she has created. The ending was a total surprise taking the reader down a complete new path and certainly left me wanting more. I am certainly looking forward to the sequel.
Overall this is a gripping and suspenseful story told in a way that almost everybody could relate to.
January 24, 2014
The novel, In Strange Worlds, explores a commonly experienced nightmare, the Apocalypse. In this exploration, novelist Brenda Cheers casts her protagonist, Meg Atkins, as the last person alive. Loss and abandonment are central to this post-apocalypse survival story.
The main character, Meg Atkins, is a middle-aged mother and wife who experiences the death of a child and the loss of her husband. In spite of low self-expectations, Meg is a survivor who learns new skills quickly. In her quest to find a safe haven in a world bereft of other humans, she learns how to fish, remove a catheter, knit, and deliver a baby by reading books and searching the internet. She figures out, on her own, how to siphon petrol and build fences that can't be defeated by animals digging under them. She credits much of her problem-solving ability to her recent mentor and former boss, Angela, who encouraged her to fulfill her potential.
Her success with inanimate objects is in stark contrast to her failures with people and relationships. The author tells of Meg's sense of abandonment and shock when she was dumped by two men at different times in her life. She was later surprised and dismayed when confronted with evidence that one of those men was in a relationship with Sandy, her best friend. Meg's mom often questioned her sanity. Her relationships seemed to be characterized by her giving her all only to be used and then abandoned or discarded.
Although it would perhaps be unreasonable for many people, it is less than surprising that Meg seems to get along fine without the rest of the world. She says that she is thankful to be alone because it's so peaceful. She writes in her journal, "Since everyone died, the world had become a more vibrant place." Her relationships with men perhaps offer some justification for misandry but Meg seems to be a full-blown misanthrope in spite of her occasional desires for adult conversation and intimacy.
Alas, it wouldn't be much of a story if Meg was left in a one-person utopia so the author introduces a teenaged boy without a name who refuses to talk, or even write notes to Meg. She cares for him, providing food and shelter, in spite of the lack of communication.
Dog lovers should be prepared to be shocked. In a matter of weeks, domesticated canines are now wandering packs of wild animals ready to attack people. As the story progresses, at least one group of men demonstrates the same violent nature. Both packs provide challenges for Meg who fortunately had been taught how to handle a rifle by her father.
More characters continue to wander into Meg's life. None are made as real and vivid as Meg. In general, the men are cold, uncommunicative, and crude. They don't seem to listen much and use written notes instead of talking. The one gentle soul of a man who does eventually show up helps answer for her the question of what would happen if she were the last woman on earth.
The story takes us from Melbourne to the Sun Coast of Australia, mostly by automobile but there are also more sophisticated modes of transportation as complications pile up. The narrative had many unexpected elements. At the end, I was left wanting more answers. You will perhaps like this novel better if you are more concerned about the journey than the destination.
The main character, Meg Atkins, is a middle-aged mother and wife who experiences the death of a child and the loss of her husband. In spite of low self-expectations, Meg is a survivor who learns new skills quickly. In her quest to find a safe haven in a world bereft of other humans, she learns how to fish, remove a catheter, knit, and deliver a baby by reading books and searching the internet. She figures out, on her own, how to siphon petrol and build fences that can't be defeated by animals digging under them. She credits much of her problem-solving ability to her recent mentor and former boss, Angela, who encouraged her to fulfill her potential.
Her success with inanimate objects is in stark contrast to her failures with people and relationships. The author tells of Meg's sense of abandonment and shock when she was dumped by two men at different times in her life. She was later surprised and dismayed when confronted with evidence that one of those men was in a relationship with Sandy, her best friend. Meg's mom often questioned her sanity. Her relationships seemed to be characterized by her giving her all only to be used and then abandoned or discarded.
Although it would perhaps be unreasonable for many people, it is less than surprising that Meg seems to get along fine without the rest of the world. She says that she is thankful to be alone because it's so peaceful. She writes in her journal, "Since everyone died, the world had become a more vibrant place." Her relationships with men perhaps offer some justification for misandry but Meg seems to be a full-blown misanthrope in spite of her occasional desires for adult conversation and intimacy.
Alas, it wouldn't be much of a story if Meg was left in a one-person utopia so the author introduces a teenaged boy without a name who refuses to talk, or even write notes to Meg. She cares for him, providing food and shelter, in spite of the lack of communication.
Dog lovers should be prepared to be shocked. In a matter of weeks, domesticated canines are now wandering packs of wild animals ready to attack people. As the story progresses, at least one group of men demonstrates the same violent nature. Both packs provide challenges for Meg who fortunately had been taught how to handle a rifle by her father.
More characters continue to wander into Meg's life. None are made as real and vivid as Meg. In general, the men are cold, uncommunicative, and crude. They don't seem to listen much and use written notes instead of talking. The one gentle soul of a man who does eventually show up helps answer for her the question of what would happen if she were the last woman on earth.
The story takes us from Melbourne to the Sun Coast of Australia, mostly by automobile but there are also more sophisticated modes of transportation as complications pile up. The narrative had many unexpected elements. At the end, I was left wanting more answers. You will perhaps like this novel better if you are more concerned about the journey than the destination.
December 21, 2018
I found In Strange Worlds by Brenda Cheers to be a interesting tale of mystery and survival.
The beginning was very cliché and something seen before in countless books and movies, but the intrigue as to what had caused everyone to die this time was enough to keep reading.
I liked the use of a webcam site for Meg to see how the whole world had been affected, I hadn’t seen that before, and her using social media to contact everyone she knew was a really smart idea too. I liked that the MC was a middle-aged woman, which isn’t all that common for a main character, especially in a post-apocalypse book, and how she learned survival skills to keep herself alive throughout the novel.
The book lacked tension and a variety of emotion however. For example, Meg doesn’t seem too horrified finding her best friend dead and doesn’t look for her dog after it runs away. I did like the twist that Meg seemed happy at times to be left all alone, so maybe the detached narration throughout the novel was a clue to Meg’s mental state.
Although Meg was well fleshed out, absolutely none of the other characters were. It would’ve been nice to get an insight into at least one other person’s motivations. I was also disappointed that we weren’t given a definite answer to what had caused the vast majority of the world to die.
The beginning was very cliché and something seen before in countless books and movies, but the intrigue as to what had caused everyone to die this time was enough to keep reading.
I liked the use of a webcam site for Meg to see how the whole world had been affected, I hadn’t seen that before, and her using social media to contact everyone she knew was a really smart idea too. I liked that the MC was a middle-aged woman, which isn’t all that common for a main character, especially in a post-apocalypse book, and how she learned survival skills to keep herself alive throughout the novel.
The book lacked tension and a variety of emotion however. For example, Meg doesn’t seem too horrified finding her best friend dead and doesn’t look for her dog after it runs away. I did like the twist that Meg seemed happy at times to be left all alone, so maybe the detached narration throughout the novel was a clue to Meg’s mental state.
Although Meg was well fleshed out, absolutely none of the other characters were. It would’ve been nice to get an insight into at least one other person’s motivations. I was also disappointed that we weren’t given a definite answer to what had caused the vast majority of the world to die.
July 21, 2016
To be honest, I didn't care for this one. There were a lot of strong and intriguing elements, but some aspects of the narrative structure were jarring to me, and the characterizations didn't resonate. I'm hesitant to say too much about why I found it unsatisfying, since it would involve extensive spoilers. It's solidly written and presented, but I just had substantial problems with aspects of it, mostly the overall plotting and problematic or shallow characterizations. I didn't actually like or feel convinced by any of the characters, in part because of their problematic or cliché elements, and some aspects of the overall story arc were deeply unsatisfying, or unresolved, especially toward the end.
I received my copy in exchange for my honest review.
I received my copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 4, 2014
On its surface, “In Strange Worlds” is a viral-outbreak survival tale. Yet at its heart it’s a story about a fascinating woman and her solo journey through Australia.
I have only one complaint:
The last four chapters threw me off as reality deteriorated into parallel universes and hallucinations.
Other than that, this book was awesome. I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up all night reading it.
Of all my recent reads, this is currently my favorite novel, probably due to the emotional rawness and honesty of it. The narrator bares her soul and really lets you experience herself in detail, faults and all. For this reason, I consider this book a five-star work.
I have only one complaint:
The last four chapters threw me off as reality deteriorated into parallel universes and hallucinations.
Other than that, this book was awesome. I enjoyed this book so much that I stayed up all night reading it.
Of all my recent reads, this is currently my favorite novel, probably due to the emotional rawness and honesty of it. The narrator bares her soul and really lets you experience herself in detail, faults and all. For this reason, I consider this book a five-star work.
January 14, 2019
In Strange Worlds is a story of survival in a world after everyone dies from a mysterious virus. We follow her story as she struggles to survive alone and how she reacts to the changing circumstances around her.
The story starts with a bang with her waking in a hospital surrounded by the dead and as she acclimatizes to living alone. However, the story moves slow and while there are difficulties none of them seem to challenge or places her in any danger; it takes half the book before something significant happens.
The author focused a lot of the story on the people and everyday scenes and interactions with those in the protagonist’s new life. She weaves a wonderful story about having children and love almost to the detriment of what I believed to be the overarching story of the post-apocalyptic world.
The author uses journal entries to allow the reader to see what the protagonist is thinking. While this made it difficult to follow the story at times, once I got to the end things became clearer.
It’s hard to define the genre of this book after I’ve read it, but I would say if you enjoy stories about family and having children or love within a nonstandard setting, then this is a book for you.
The story starts with a bang with her waking in a hospital surrounded by the dead and as she acclimatizes to living alone. However, the story moves slow and while there are difficulties none of them seem to challenge or places her in any danger; it takes half the book before something significant happens.
The author focused a lot of the story on the people and everyday scenes and interactions with those in the protagonist’s new life. She weaves a wonderful story about having children and love almost to the detriment of what I believed to be the overarching story of the post-apocalyptic world.
The author uses journal entries to allow the reader to see what the protagonist is thinking. While this made it difficult to follow the story at times, once I got to the end things became clearer.
It’s hard to define the genre of this book after I’ve read it, but I would say if you enjoy stories about family and having children or love within a nonstandard setting, then this is a book for you.
September 3, 2016
I feel a little divided about how to rate this book. First, I would give the overall story a four. Second, the writing style would get a three. So, I have decided to rate it based on the writing style since an author's style is what I consider to be one of the most important factors for a reader. It's what turns a reader of one book into a fan who will read every future book.
The overall story was interesting. I found myself wanting to know what had happened to the world. Why had everyone died at once? What would become of the world? What I found to be a little lacking were descriptions. The story is told by a third person narrator, but the author included journal entries in Meg's own words. So, we did get some insight into her past and her motivations. But, there were so many things that the characters did that I have no idea why they did them or how they felt about them. I think the author could have explored more of the other characters' motivations since it is written in third person. The narrator certainly could have been omniscient and informed the reader what other characters thought. Or, it could have been done in different ways. But, I felt a lack of a connection because of this.
This issue became most apparent to me early on. I don't want to give too much away, but there were several things that happened with Meg, and eventually some other survivors, that I just thought to myself, "Why would she agree to this?" or " I would never let this happen, at least not without a fight." It pulled me out of the story a little because it didn't feel believable or real. I think this goes back to not connecting with the characters as much as I would have liked. I didn't know the characters very well because I didn't know enough about their internal motivations or thoughts or feelings.
But, the one thing that bothered me the most was Meg's self doubt brought on by her experience with men. Yes, she is a strong woman in many ways. She does many amazing things to keep herself alive and going in this new world. But, I actually rolled my eyes at a part near the end of the book. I won't tell what happens, but when you get to it, you will probably figure it out. But, something happens that further makes her feel lousy about herself and we get another glimpse into all of the bad things men have done to her that make her feel that way. And her feelings are valid based on her past. But, this particular event should have in no way contributed to her self-doubt because of the way it transpired. Common sense should have told her that she was being a little ridiculous. And, if we learned anything about Meg, it is certainly that she has common sense to spare. So, while the event itself has ramifications that move the story forward, her reaction seemed a little far fetched just based on the way that it happened. So, it felt a little out of character for her, no matter what her past with men had been.
The story ends without much of an explanation as to why things happened. It is very strongly implied that a certain theory that had been discussed between the characters was correct. But, the book has a sequel coming out in September. So, I'm sure we'll find out then. Personally, I feel it would have done well as a stand alone story that was complete. There were just some things that didn't get fully fleshed out, but I feel that there should be one heck of an explanation coming in book two since it must have been too large to include in book one.
Overall, the story was enjoyable and I wanted to know what happened. My issues with the book were in the composition, but the author shows promise and I enjoyed the premise of the story. I just wish there had been a bit more to it. I plan to read the second book so that I can know what happened.
The overall story was interesting. I found myself wanting to know what had happened to the world. Why had everyone died at once? What would become of the world? What I found to be a little lacking were descriptions. The story is told by a third person narrator, but the author included journal entries in Meg's own words. So, we did get some insight into her past and her motivations. But, there were so many things that the characters did that I have no idea why they did them or how they felt about them. I think the author could have explored more of the other characters' motivations since it is written in third person. The narrator certainly could have been omniscient and informed the reader what other characters thought. Or, it could have been done in different ways. But, I felt a lack of a connection because of this.
This issue became most apparent to me early on. I don't want to give too much away, but there were several things that happened with Meg, and eventually some other survivors, that I just thought to myself, "Why would she agree to this?" or " I would never let this happen, at least not without a fight." It pulled me out of the story a little because it didn't feel believable or real. I think this goes back to not connecting with the characters as much as I would have liked. I didn't know the characters very well because I didn't know enough about their internal motivations or thoughts or feelings.
But, the one thing that bothered me the most was Meg's self doubt brought on by her experience with men. Yes, she is a strong woman in many ways. She does many amazing things to keep herself alive and going in this new world. But, I actually rolled my eyes at a part near the end of the book. I won't tell what happens, but when you get to it, you will probably figure it out. But, something happens that further makes her feel lousy about herself and we get another glimpse into all of the bad things men have done to her that make her feel that way. And her feelings are valid based on her past. But, this particular event should have in no way contributed to her self-doubt because of the way it transpired. Common sense should have told her that she was being a little ridiculous. And, if we learned anything about Meg, it is certainly that she has common sense to spare. So, while the event itself has ramifications that move the story forward, her reaction seemed a little far fetched just based on the way that it happened. So, it felt a little out of character for her, no matter what her past with men had been.
The story ends without much of an explanation as to why things happened. It is very strongly implied that a certain theory that had been discussed between the characters was correct. But, the book has a sequel coming out in September. So, I'm sure we'll find out then. Personally, I feel it would have done well as a stand alone story that was complete. There were just some things that didn't get fully fleshed out, but I feel that there should be one heck of an explanation coming in book two since it must have been too large to include in book one.
Overall, the story was enjoyable and I wanted to know what happened. My issues with the book were in the composition, but the author shows promise and I enjoyed the premise of the story. I just wish there had been a bit more to it. I plan to read the second book so that I can know what happened.
June 10, 2014
I admire the author dedication for writing an incredible story. This story grabs my attention from the very start of the book and couldn't put it aside till I finish it. The tone changes as the story progresses. It was a wonderful read. I really enjoyed the ending and it was a total surprise. Overall this is a gripping and suspenseful story that almost everyone will love and relate to.From me, I will definitely rate this book and the author's hard efforts a 5-STAR. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I totally love it.
October 2, 2018
This book just absolutely sucked me in. I picked a random book on my Kindle app, intending to read maybe a couple dozen pages before bed. 3 hours later, and I just finished it.
I'm not even sure how I feel about it yet, but that was a wild ride.
I'm not even sure how I feel about it yet, but that was a wild ride.
September 9, 2016
Read in one sitting. Great ideas. Would have liked a reveal of the guys that did not talk, but mystery is okay. Loved the ending. Looking forward to more from this author.
July 8, 2014
As a general rule, I don’t like to give away too much about the plot of a book when reviewing. However, in this case it is very difficult to say what I think needs to be said without doing so. So, you have been warned. There is already a sizeable hint in the blurb about this book on the Amazon site, and even in the title, so perhaps I am not giving too much away. The Amazon blurb says: ‘Just as Meg is about to discover the truth about this new world, she finds the rules have changed yet again, and she is back where it all began.’
Meg Atkins wakes up in hospital, after having apparently undergone a caesarean, to find everyone else in the world—including her newborn child, the rest of her family and her friends—dead from some kind of disease—or so it appears. We follow her journey as she tries to cope with this fact. She proves to be amazingly resourceful and resilient. She travels north from Melbourne, to south-east Queensland, where she seeks to make a life for herself. Eventually it becomes apparent that she is not entirely alone in the world, and is joined in her life by Luke and Connie. She also encounters Derek, a paediatrician, and some less savoury characters. Things take a strange turn when they are visited on their small farm by some strange ‘men’ who seem not quite human, and who begin to undertake some medical procedures and to monitor the health of these survivors. Throughout all this, Meg has the sense that their lives are being manipulated by someone behind the scenes, and who communicates with them via their dreams.
The narrative is written in the third person, exclusively and very intimately from the point of view of Meg. The quality of the writing is quite good here: clear, concise, straightforward. It does not rise to great literary heights, but suits the very intimate third person narrative style, which differs little from a first person narrative. Although it is third person, it really reflects Meg’s voice. This is further accentuated by the use of entries from Meg’s journal. The interweaving of straightforward narrative with journal entries, and of present events with appropriately placed elements of Meg’s back story, works well to create a clear picture of Meg. She is an interesting character. Flashbacks to her earlier life show her as somewhat weak, lacking in self-confidence and dependent. But in this new life she reveals herself to be strong, decisive and able to take drastic action when necessary without hesitation. I thought the author glossed over rather lightly the impact on Meg of waking up to find everyone dead, including her children. She is separated from her husband, with whom the children live. Her reaction upon seeing her dead daughter is not quite convincing; and she doesn’t even look in on her dead son. Yes, she gets drunk, but then seems to virtually shrug her shoulders and move on. I felt the author was in too much of a hurry to get on with the ‘serious’ part of the story.
The other characters, particularly Connie and Luke, have their moments of reality, but serve more as background against which to see Meg, rather than as real people in their own right. I ended up with the sense that people and relationships were not particularly important to Meg, and I wonder if this was the impression the author wanted to leave. I had the same feeling when she ‘woke up’ again, back in a world similar to her own real world, in which she has just given birth to a son, to which she shows an amazing indifference. Yes, I can understand that she feels no connection with this child of whom she has no recollection of having carried for nine months; but her plans to simply leave the child—and her husband to whom, in this new version of the world, she is still apparently happily married—behind make her seem very callous. Nor does she seem particularly concerned by the fact that she is unlikely to see Connie and Luke, and their four children, ever again. There is a passing reference to finding Derek, but not so much from any sense of personal connection with him as to verify the reality of the world in which she had lived for the past two or three years. I think the author needs to be careful not to sacrifice these more personal elements in favour of the probably more exciting—and easier to write—mystery/adventure elements of the story.
The plot of shifting into alternative versions of reality—parallel universes—is not at all new. There are shades of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes here, as well as episodes of TV shows such as Sliders and the Stargate franchise. In terms of this specific plot, I wondered why the author had chosen this particular parallel reality—in which everyone else suddenly mysteriously died—for the first part of this story. I found myself wondering whether this idea came first, and the author only subsequently thought of the parallel worlds idea. There were several elements that left me dissatisfied. First, I thought it extremely unlikely, based on the evidence she had, that the protagonist, Meg, would come up with this as a possible explanation for what had happened to her. Perhaps later, after two or three subsequent shifts, this idea might occur to her, but not now. Secondly, this provides no explanation at all for why the events in this world have occurred, or, indeed, what is actually going on. As an explanation for ‘why did everyone die’ or ‘who are these strange not-quite-human men’, ‘I must have slipped into a parallel universe’ is no explanation at all. This left me very frustrated. Will we ever know what was going on in that world? This is part of the problem with a series, which this will, in all likelihood, become. I know at least one sequel is on the way, if it is not already available. If the explanations for this first world later become apparent, then this is really not a series of standalone books, but one book in several volumes. This would require that I make judgements about the plot only when the entire story is told. At the moment, though, this is all I have to go on, and it left me dissatisfied. I was also disappointed that the fate of Luke and Connie was unresolved. Will we learn more about them later? I don’t know.
There is another point in the plot that concerns me. It has to do with the ‘rules’ that are operating in the world the author is creating. When Meg makes her first ‘shift’, her life in the new world is entirely continuous with her past life. Her memories are intact. There is nothing, in fact, to indicate that this is not the same world, in which something terrible has occurred. However, when she makes the second shift, back to ‘this’ world, she has no memory of her ‘current’ life in this world. Her consciousness, if you like, is that which she had before the first shift and in that previous world. After this second shift, she doesn’t know where her husband works, she doesn’t remember carrying the child. The past has changed. This, then, is a very different ‘shift’ from the first one. To be consistent, she should have woken up again in the hospital having just had a caesarean, this time into another different world: the past would be the same, but the present and future different. The author needs to have clear in her mind what rules are operating here. Already we have seen two different kinds of shifts, one where her past remains unchanged and one where it doesn’t. I was left with a sense that the author may not have thought this through, which also added to my impression that the whole world-shifting idea was only developed after the everyone-dead idea.
It should be clear why I needed to discuss the plot in some detail, because it is here that the problems lie for me. I had a few other issues with less important plot points. For instance, as someone with solar panels on the roof, I know that when the mains power fails, the solar panels won’t operate. Not so in the author’s world. I have this and a few other minor quibbles. But the more important points I have discussed speak to the coherence and consistency of the story. Not knowing whether these points will be addressed in the future makes it difficult to give a star rating. However, I am inclined to give it 3.5 stars. I think it’s slightly on the upper side of this point at the moment, so I will round it up to four stars where required.
Meg Atkins wakes up in hospital, after having apparently undergone a caesarean, to find everyone else in the world—including her newborn child, the rest of her family and her friends—dead from some kind of disease—or so it appears. We follow her journey as she tries to cope with this fact. She proves to be amazingly resourceful and resilient. She travels north from Melbourne, to south-east Queensland, where she seeks to make a life for herself. Eventually it becomes apparent that she is not entirely alone in the world, and is joined in her life by Luke and Connie. She also encounters Derek, a paediatrician, and some less savoury characters. Things take a strange turn when they are visited on their small farm by some strange ‘men’ who seem not quite human, and who begin to undertake some medical procedures and to monitor the health of these survivors. Throughout all this, Meg has the sense that their lives are being manipulated by someone behind the scenes, and who communicates with them via their dreams.
The narrative is written in the third person, exclusively and very intimately from the point of view of Meg. The quality of the writing is quite good here: clear, concise, straightforward. It does not rise to great literary heights, but suits the very intimate third person narrative style, which differs little from a first person narrative. Although it is third person, it really reflects Meg’s voice. This is further accentuated by the use of entries from Meg’s journal. The interweaving of straightforward narrative with journal entries, and of present events with appropriately placed elements of Meg’s back story, works well to create a clear picture of Meg. She is an interesting character. Flashbacks to her earlier life show her as somewhat weak, lacking in self-confidence and dependent. But in this new life she reveals herself to be strong, decisive and able to take drastic action when necessary without hesitation. I thought the author glossed over rather lightly the impact on Meg of waking up to find everyone dead, including her children. She is separated from her husband, with whom the children live. Her reaction upon seeing her dead daughter is not quite convincing; and she doesn’t even look in on her dead son. Yes, she gets drunk, but then seems to virtually shrug her shoulders and move on. I felt the author was in too much of a hurry to get on with the ‘serious’ part of the story.
The other characters, particularly Connie and Luke, have their moments of reality, but serve more as background against which to see Meg, rather than as real people in their own right. I ended up with the sense that people and relationships were not particularly important to Meg, and I wonder if this was the impression the author wanted to leave. I had the same feeling when she ‘woke up’ again, back in a world similar to her own real world, in which she has just given birth to a son, to which she shows an amazing indifference. Yes, I can understand that she feels no connection with this child of whom she has no recollection of having carried for nine months; but her plans to simply leave the child—and her husband to whom, in this new version of the world, she is still apparently happily married—behind make her seem very callous. Nor does she seem particularly concerned by the fact that she is unlikely to see Connie and Luke, and their four children, ever again. There is a passing reference to finding Derek, but not so much from any sense of personal connection with him as to verify the reality of the world in which she had lived for the past two or three years. I think the author needs to be careful not to sacrifice these more personal elements in favour of the probably more exciting—and easier to write—mystery/adventure elements of the story.
The plot of shifting into alternative versions of reality—parallel universes—is not at all new. There are shades of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes here, as well as episodes of TV shows such as Sliders and the Stargate franchise. In terms of this specific plot, I wondered why the author had chosen this particular parallel reality—in which everyone else suddenly mysteriously died—for the first part of this story. I found myself wondering whether this idea came first, and the author only subsequently thought of the parallel worlds idea. There were several elements that left me dissatisfied. First, I thought it extremely unlikely, based on the evidence she had, that the protagonist, Meg, would come up with this as a possible explanation for what had happened to her. Perhaps later, after two or three subsequent shifts, this idea might occur to her, but not now. Secondly, this provides no explanation at all for why the events in this world have occurred, or, indeed, what is actually going on. As an explanation for ‘why did everyone die’ or ‘who are these strange not-quite-human men’, ‘I must have slipped into a parallel universe’ is no explanation at all. This left me very frustrated. Will we ever know what was going on in that world? This is part of the problem with a series, which this will, in all likelihood, become. I know at least one sequel is on the way, if it is not already available. If the explanations for this first world later become apparent, then this is really not a series of standalone books, but one book in several volumes. This would require that I make judgements about the plot only when the entire story is told. At the moment, though, this is all I have to go on, and it left me dissatisfied. I was also disappointed that the fate of Luke and Connie was unresolved. Will we learn more about them later? I don’t know.
There is another point in the plot that concerns me. It has to do with the ‘rules’ that are operating in the world the author is creating. When Meg makes her first ‘shift’, her life in the new world is entirely continuous with her past life. Her memories are intact. There is nothing, in fact, to indicate that this is not the same world, in which something terrible has occurred. However, when she makes the second shift, back to ‘this’ world, she has no memory of her ‘current’ life in this world. Her consciousness, if you like, is that which she had before the first shift and in that previous world. After this second shift, she doesn’t know where her husband works, she doesn’t remember carrying the child. The past has changed. This, then, is a very different ‘shift’ from the first one. To be consistent, she should have woken up again in the hospital having just had a caesarean, this time into another different world: the past would be the same, but the present and future different. The author needs to have clear in her mind what rules are operating here. Already we have seen two different kinds of shifts, one where her past remains unchanged and one where it doesn’t. I was left with a sense that the author may not have thought this through, which also added to my impression that the whole world-shifting idea was only developed after the everyone-dead idea.
It should be clear why I needed to discuss the plot in some detail, because it is here that the problems lie for me. I had a few other issues with less important plot points. For instance, as someone with solar panels on the roof, I know that when the mains power fails, the solar panels won’t operate. Not so in the author’s world. I have this and a few other minor quibbles. But the more important points I have discussed speak to the coherence and consistency of the story. Not knowing whether these points will be addressed in the future makes it difficult to give a star rating. However, I am inclined to give it 3.5 stars. I think it’s slightly on the upper side of this point at the moment, so I will round it up to four stars where required.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
In Strange Worlds is a gripping post-apocalyptic mystery that kept me reading much longer than I expected. Brenda Cheers creates a world in which almost everyone has died. Meg, the main character is a broken, confused person who must draw on the little she knows to survive.
One of the great things about post-apocalypse stories is that the new world brings the freedom for the main character to be someone other than they were. Cheers skilfully shows how Meg does her level best to be this new person, but then very realistically brings her emotional baggage with her. Just because you’re alone with people you think are the last on Earth, doesn’t mean you won’t get annoyed and want alone time like everyone does.
It is perhaps this lovingly crafted portrayal that highlights what is the book’s biggest weakness because Meg is so real, she makes the other characters seem one-dimensional. Men largely don’t speak and are portrayed as lumpen brutes. I get that the author tried to make these portrayals reflective of a certain character’s world view, but I felt that Cheers doesn’t quite pull this off.
I’m not a fan of the style of ending, but I can’t say any more without creating spoilers. Suffice it to say that there are some well-known fantasy series that have used this device, and I didn’t like it there either.
One of the great things about post-apocalypse stories is that the new world brings the freedom for the main character to be someone other than they were. Cheers skilfully shows how Meg does her level best to be this new person, but then very realistically brings her emotional baggage with her. Just because you’re alone with people you think are the last on Earth, doesn’t mean you won’t get annoyed and want alone time like everyone does.
It is perhaps this lovingly crafted portrayal that highlights what is the book’s biggest weakness because Meg is so real, she makes the other characters seem one-dimensional. Men largely don’t speak and are portrayed as lumpen brutes. I get that the author tried to make these portrayals reflective of a certain character’s world view, but I felt that Cheers doesn’t quite pull this off.
I’m not a fan of the style of ending, but I can’t say any more without creating spoilers. Suffice it to say that there are some well-known fantasy series that have used this device, and I didn’t like it there either.
April 22, 2020
I read this book a few years ago when it first came out. I liked it very much. Now that Amazon, and other tech giants, are looking for new indie stories to adapt into original content, I can't help but wonder if this book would make a good screenplay for a television series =]
September 22, 2014
I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Being a huge fan of Divergent, Maze Runner, The Selection Series, The Giver etc type genre books, I was quote excited to have won this post apocalyptic book. It starts our with the main character, Meg waking up in the hospital post c-section to find that everybody is dead. I'm a little disappointed in how slow she was to react to the situation but the denial of what was really going on only carried on a day or two before she realized she had to do something. From here the story follows her as she checks on those close to her and then heads to an eco-friendly self sufficient town she remembers from her previous travels and from a dream she had about her ex-husband. Along the way she's met with more devastation and death until she becomes almost immune to it. She also has to figure out a way to deal with the electricity that is slowing shutting off along the way and has to be quick to adapt to her surroundings. For example, she makes a pump that allows her to pump fuel from the storage tanks of gas stations since the pumps need electricity to run. Once she gets settled, a few more survivors appear, having dreamed of this place and each other. To this point, we still have no idea why everybody else has died and they're the only ones left alive. Then there is a mysterious appearance of cold men who come to do medical testing every so often but never utter a word. Meg finally comes to terms with what is happening, when there is a shift or something? in the universe and she's thrown back into her old world waking up at the hospital surrounded by everybody who had previously been dead and her ex who is still her husband at that current time. Wish we could've found out more but I guess we need to wait for book 2 to find out what is happening, alternate universe? what killed everybody? It was a good quick read, just wish we weren't left hanging at the end.
Being a huge fan of Divergent, Maze Runner, The Selection Series, The Giver etc type genre books, I was quote excited to have won this post apocalyptic book. It starts our with the main character, Meg waking up in the hospital post c-section to find that everybody is dead. I'm a little disappointed in how slow she was to react to the situation but the denial of what was really going on only carried on a day or two before she realized she had to do something. From here the story follows her as she checks on those close to her and then heads to an eco-friendly self sufficient town she remembers from her previous travels and from a dream she had about her ex-husband. Along the way she's met with more devastation and death until she becomes almost immune to it. She also has to figure out a way to deal with the electricity that is slowing shutting off along the way and has to be quick to adapt to her surroundings. For example, she makes a pump that allows her to pump fuel from the storage tanks of gas stations since the pumps need electricity to run. Once she gets settled, a few more survivors appear, having dreamed of this place and each other. To this point, we still have no idea why everybody else has died and they're the only ones left alive. Then there is a mysterious appearance of cold men who come to do medical testing every so often but never utter a word. Meg finally comes to terms with what is happening, when there is a shift or something? in the universe and she's thrown back into her old world waking up at the hospital surrounded by everybody who had previously been dead and her ex who is still her husband at that current time. Wish we could've found out more but I guess we need to wait for book 2 to find out what is happening, alternate universe? what killed everybody? It was a good quick read, just wish we weren't left hanging at the end.
September 19, 2014
In Strange Worlds is a post-apocalyptic tale that takes place in Australia and follows the main character Meg. Anyone similar with 28 Days Later or the Walking Dead tv show will recognize the beginning of the story, possibly to the work's detriment. Fortunately the story only spends a small amount of time here.
The author is very descriptive of what is taking place in this world, and her intimate knowledge of the locales shows through in the writing. The plot plods along at a good pace. It follows a typical post-apocalyptic story line: Initial shock and confusion over what has happened, wondering around desolate landscapes, settling down, rebuilding.
I had a few problems with character actions, namely inconsistency with how they come to trust or distrust new characters. Meg is also a bit of a mess. The author tries to balance her as a strong or determined individual, while trying to make her seem emotionally vulnerable. There are times the vulnerability of the character seems a bit overplayed or cliche, especially when Meg describes her past romantic relationships. Some of the dialogue comes of as a bit off and hokey as well.
There are a lot of mysteries introduced in the plot that go unsolved and aren't even looked into all that deeply by the characters/plot. Shared dreams, strange men in helicopters, and a bombshell of an ending that completely flips the story on its head and leaves the reader with nothing more than 'To Be Continued...'
There's a strong story here, and one that, given the abrupt change in plot near the end, seems like it could be unique to the post-apocalyptic genre. There is another book in this series which may address a lot of the concerns with the plot. The first entry in the series leaves me with a lot of questions and almost no answers.
The author is very descriptive of what is taking place in this world, and her intimate knowledge of the locales shows through in the writing. The plot plods along at a good pace. It follows a typical post-apocalyptic story line: Initial shock and confusion over what has happened, wondering around desolate landscapes, settling down, rebuilding.
I had a few problems with character actions, namely inconsistency with how they come to trust or distrust new characters. Meg is also a bit of a mess. The author tries to balance her as a strong or determined individual, while trying to make her seem emotionally vulnerable. There are times the vulnerability of the character seems a bit overplayed or cliche, especially when Meg describes her past romantic relationships. Some of the dialogue comes of as a bit off and hokey as well.
There are a lot of mysteries introduced in the plot that go unsolved and aren't even looked into all that deeply by the characters/plot. Shared dreams, strange men in helicopters, and a bombshell of an ending that completely flips the story on its head and leaves the reader with nothing more than 'To Be Continued...'
There's a strong story here, and one that, given the abrupt change in plot near the end, seems like it could be unique to the post-apocalyptic genre. There is another book in this series which may address a lot of the concerns with the plot. The first entry in the series leaves me with a lot of questions and almost no answers.
June 6, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed Brenda Cheers' previous title 'In Conversations with Strangers', so I decided to give this one - a sci-fi title - a read.
The author's writing is very straightforward and down to earth. What you read, is more or less exactly what you get, so to speak. I find her style refreshing yet she manages to install it with deep emotional impact. This book is no different. It differs in that it is science fiction and the post apocalyptic variety at that.
I found myself admiring the main character Meg for her resourcefulness (and the author's understanding of survival and what it would take to survive.) There is nothing far fetched. It makes perfectly logical sense, and she even mentioned a trick I hadn't thought of in regards to being possibly the last person left alive on the great grand Earth.
Through the whole book I was entranced by the woman's story and her skills. Then at the near the end, for me anyway, it kind of went off the rails. I have mixed feeling about the ending. I feel slightly cheated. But then again the journey was so enjoyable I find it difficult to slam the book.
Your mileage may vary but in the end I think the journey was worth the effort...
The author's writing is very straightforward and down to earth. What you read, is more or less exactly what you get, so to speak. I find her style refreshing yet she manages to install it with deep emotional impact. This book is no different. It differs in that it is science fiction and the post apocalyptic variety at that.
I found myself admiring the main character Meg for her resourcefulness (and the author's understanding of survival and what it would take to survive.) There is nothing far fetched. It makes perfectly logical sense, and she even mentioned a trick I hadn't thought of in regards to being possibly the last person left alive on the great grand Earth.
Through the whole book I was entranced by the woman's story and her skills. Then at the near the end, for me anyway, it kind of went off the rails. I have mixed feeling about the ending. I feel slightly cheated. But then again the journey was so enjoyable I find it difficult to slam the book.
Your mileage may vary but in the end I think the journey was worth the effort...
August 2, 2015
This is the third novel I've read by this author and I once again finished the novel deep in thought and needing time alone. In a really good way. In Strange Worlds begins right as Meg wakes up to find the rest of the human race have passed away over night. The thing I loved about this book, and in fact, all of the novels I've read by this author, is the pace. It's not fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants drama after drama of unrealistic twists and turns, it's subtle, intelligent, and draws you in. She describes so well the thought process of the main character that, at the times I had to put the book down to attend to reality, I found my head still in the story. Cooking dinner felt odd with such convenience as a running fridge, a hot oven and fresh vegetables. I cuddled my daughter a little longer before putting her to bed, and I even thought about making sure my laptop, phone and tablet were fully charged, you know, just in case. It's a story-telling technique that few authors possess to this level and although each of Brenda Cheers' novels are entirely different, her stories read with a voice that are unique and compelling in a manner I've never experienced. I loved this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
June 22, 2014
(swearing, sex, some violence)
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
In Strange Worlds by Brenda Cheers begins on page one with tension as the main character wakes in a Melbourne, Australia, hospital. The plotline is solid as the story unfolds we see the main character taking charge of her fate and learning to survive on her own. Plot twists keep the reader turning pages to unravel the mystery surrounding the new world the character has entered.
There were a few things I didn’t like. I thought the author had only done precursory research on some of her topics. However, I suppose it would be easy to brush these off as part of the plot twists, but I don’t like that excuse. I didn’t feel the things that were inconsistent were purposefully placed, but accidental. I also didn’t like the pacing of some of the story. However, this did fit in with the plot twists, so I can accept it.
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
In Strange Worlds by Brenda Cheers begins on page one with tension as the main character wakes in a Melbourne, Australia, hospital. The plotline is solid as the story unfolds we see the main character taking charge of her fate and learning to survive on her own. Plot twists keep the reader turning pages to unravel the mystery surrounding the new world the character has entered.
There were a few things I didn’t like. I thought the author had only done precursory research on some of her topics. However, I suppose it would be easy to brush these off as part of the plot twists, but I don’t like that excuse. I didn’t feel the things that were inconsistent were purposefully placed, but accidental. I also didn’t like the pacing of some of the story. However, this did fit in with the plot twists, so I can accept it.
August 20, 2016
I received this book as a gift, and am posting an honest review. 30-something Meg wakes up after the end of the world, to find that she seems to be the only survivor. The book explores how Meg decides who she will be, now that everything that previously constrained her is gone. But it turns out that the hurts of the previous life follow her into this new one, even though the people who caused those hurts no longer exist. I would have enjoyed a little more description of setting, to get a picture in my head of how this new world looks, but others will prefer it exactly as it is – and the fast pace certainly kept drawing me on and on. The twist at the end will grab you by the throat, and create more questions than it answers. Fortunately, the next book in the series already awaits! An intriguing and engrossing read.
October 3, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its concept. I really like post-apocalyptic shows so reading it was a bit different for me (in a good way). I really liked the issues brought up and the struggles the main character, Meg, had to go through right out of the gate. I think what held this story back for me was the amount of passive voice used. I often felt detached and distant from Meg, which pulled me out of the story sometimes even in the thick of the action. I wish the book would have honed in more on the specific thoughts and feelings Meg had instead of keeping me at arm's length. Nonetheless, I will read the other books in Brenda's collection. She obviously has a gift for big ideas and organizing a solid plot.
December 20, 2014
When Meg wakes up in the hospital after an emergency child birth, she finds that the world as she knew it no longer exists. I found In Strange Worlds to be an intriguing sci-fi or post-apocalyptic story. It kept me interested throughout. Ms. Cheers has a wonderfully breezy style of writing that doesn't get bogged down. The story is fast-paced and her characters grow as the story progresses, something I find crucial to good story telling. I could touch, feel and see the world she describes. Having never traveled to Australia, I truly enjoyed the descriptions of various locales involved in the story.
The ending is a devilish twist, which left me anxious to read book 2, In A Time Where They Belong.
The ending is a devilish twist, which left me anxious to read book 2, In A Time Where They Belong.
October 2, 2016
I found it fascinating as I love the topic of the book - but I was disappointed with the ending. It was also too short - the printed book wasn't very thick - and then I discovered that a quarter of it contained sample chapters of other books that she has written. There are two more books in the series (I feel it could have easily been a 2 book series - not a 3 book series). While I very much enjoyed it (it would have been 4 stars - but I don't like Meg being taken out of the "world" in the way that she was), but I can't see myself buying 2 more books to complete the story - if it had been one book - I wouldn't have hesitated - but 2 - I didn't enjoy it that much.
April 1, 2016
Where Am I ?
When Neg wakes up in a hospital room. She has no idea where anyone was. No one answered her call and no one was around. After checking the nurses station and finding corpses, she goes to check on her family. Eventually, she realizes no one was alive. She decides to drive to Queensland. After finding a car, she makes sure that she has everything she might need. She has a few problems finding a house that would fit with making a new beginning. She does find a boy and eventually, a girl to live with her. What will happen next-she has no idea.
When Neg wakes up in a hospital room. She has no idea where anyone was. No one answered her call and no one was around. After checking the nurses station and finding corpses, she goes to check on her family. Eventually, she realizes no one was alive. She decides to drive to Queensland. After finding a car, she makes sure that she has everything she might need. She has a few problems finding a house that would fit with making a new beginning. She does find a boy and eventually, a girl to live with her. What will happen next-she has no idea.
April 19, 2014
Well written, interesting concept.
Very quick to read with more emphasis on the characters rather than the world.
I wasn't a fan of the ending, I found it to raise more questions about what was going in.
Very quick to read with more emphasis on the characters rather than the world.
I wasn't a fan of the ending, I found it to raise more questions about what was going in.
December 21, 2015
A great read
I loved this book...characters were realistic. I searched for the second book and bought it a few minutes ago, and it seems that dinner is going to be on hold for a while..I give it five stars.
I loved this book...characters were realistic. I searched for the second book and bought it a few minutes ago, and it seems that dinner is going to be on hold for a while..I give it five stars.
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