The Afters: Book Two

by Christopher O'Connell

Fleeing their burning home and shattered lives, Charlie, Kalila, Trey, and Ellie sail south in search of a new life - somewhere they can be safe.

When they find Fort Morgan, Kalila is eager to join the fledgling society. Charlie, however, is suspicious. He knows that, just like Ellie, things are not always as they seem, and Fort Morgan has its own secrets...

When word of a cure for the zombie infection spreads, Charlie must choose between Kalila and the kids, or becoming the hero he's always imagined himself to be.

Genres: Horror

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of Charlie continue! I liked this, but it’s a little longer than it needs to be. There’s a lot going on, but one thing remains the same, and that is that humans will always have enemies, sometimes even amongst themselves. The novels ends with a pretty startling revelation, and I do want to read the next installment to see what happens. Again, as in Book One, the text suffers from some typos. This series has real promise—it just needs a good editor or two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC. I am writing this review voluntarily.

[C.E. Clayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's the thing with post-apocalyptic zombie books: they tend to all feel a bit the same. But I can confidently say that’s not the case with O’Connell’s zombie post-apocalyptic America! Be forewarned, as this is the second book in the series, there will be light spoilers for the first book, that’s just the nature of the beast. Because “Afters 2” starts off immediately after the events of the first book with Charlie, Kalila, Trey, and Ellie on their boat fleeing the wreckage of their last home. And much like the previous book, the author has a knack for making sure the real-world aspects of this world are authentic; like with amateurs piloting a sail boat as well as military structure and punishment. But that realism goes out the door with the zombies, which, fair. But these aren’t your Walking Dead zombies, either.

First, let it be known that the author writes amazing action scenes. But the problem I had with the action scenes was they tended to end on a tiny cliffhanger, just for the next chapter to be a bit of a leap forward in time. It made sense for keeping the timeline moving, but did tend to kill my excitement when starting some of those chapters. I would have also appreciated a bit more of a recap at the start of the book just because it had been so long between the first and second book being released, but after a bit things became clear so it wasn’t a huge deal, unlike one of the main bad guys. Not enough time was spent on building up (out?) this particular villain so I had a hard time remembering who they were in Fort Morgan or even really caring much about what they were doing. That’s not the case for the Albino zombies that make an appearance again, thank goodness! Because, as far as monsters go, those things are terrifyingly great!

Things speed up in this book pretty quickly, but the final quarter was even more so with the big battles. I will say the Albino zombies feel more like Resident Evil-esque monsters than classic zombies, but that’s also why O’Connell’s books stand out and will appeal to both zombie lovers and those who want a good monster horror book. Another thing that makes this book stand out? The smooth shifts in POV. We still get Charlie’s sarcastic first person POV (with the added bonus of seeing him grow and mature a bit as a character), but we also get Kalila’s POV, Trey’s and Ellie’s, all done in third. I never found these shifts jarring, and it actually kept me more focused on the story, so well done there! I’ve read very few books with shifts in POV like that, and this one was done very well.

Be warned: this book once more ends on a giant cliff-hanger. The twist was heartbreaking in a way, but I had been looking forward to more closure about Ellie and her abilities left from the first book, as well as more information about the Albino’s in general. Plus, there was that whole issue with the one bad guy and some pacing issues with the time jumps, which accounts for the 4 stars. However, while none of the closure I was hoping for happened, with the way things ended? You can bet your butt I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book!

[Anabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Afters: Book Two as the name states is book two of a dystopian post-apocalyptic book series, where we have “zombies” or infected, but with a twist. In the book we follow the life and survival of our found family Charlie, Kalila, Trey and sweet Ellie as they navigate the eastern coast of what's left of the USA and find themselves in trouble during a storm. Where they escape what could have been a possible hurricane they find themselves in a new place, and we are introduced to an array of new characters, places and feelings, oh so many feelings.


If you have read book one and thought damn this is good, the sequel is never any better… WRONG! This book is honest proof that the son is better than the father! We have new characters to fall in love with, new characters to absolutely hate and wish the earth could just swallow them up and give them slow, painful and agonizing death and we have sweet, sweet Ellie, who can do no wrong and must be protected at all costs.


I’ve laughed, I’ve had my adrenaline kick in with the action pack and fast pace at times and most importantly I’ve cried, and I haven’t cried like this over fictional characters in a while, whereas I’ve shed a few tears here and there with other books I’ve read I bawled my eyes. All I know is that I need a book three expeditiously, because I cannot go on without it. So please Chris, may I call you Chris? No? I’m going to anyway ... I NEED BOOK 3. 


I was given the privilege to read this absolute gem of a sequel by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I ordered my physical copies of both book one and two, absolutely recommend these books! What are you waiting for? Go on!

[Will Parra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got roped in by the end of book 1, and jumped right into this one!! I thought the character development and the pacing of the second book was definitely an improvement, and loved + was shocked by the ending!

Where’s book 3??? Excited to know what comes next

[eiei · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Afters: Book Two, O'Connell continues to weave a captivating narrative that pulls you deeper into the lives of his characters. I was particularly impressed by the development of the protagonist, whose internal struggles and growth felt authentic and relatable. The world-building is rich, with vivid descriptions that transport you to the unique setting, making it easy to lose track of time while reading.
However, I did find some pacing issues in the middle of the book, where the plot seemed to drag a bit. Additionally, while the supporting characters are intriguing, I wished some of them had received more depth and backstory to enhance their roles.
Overall, O'Connell's storytelling shines through, and despite a few minor flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and am eager to see where the series goes next.

[Kile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know why it took me so long to read book two!!! This book was filled with likable characters, fast paced chapters, and suspense. This is everything you could want from a dystopian zombie novel in a concise and page-turning package. Bravo! Can’t wait for book three!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read! I loved getting more of Charlie and the gang. In this installment they reach a settlement and try to have a bit of a "safe" space. I did enjoy getting to know these characters more and we get chapters from all of our main group (Charlie, Kalila, Trey, and Ellie!). I especially enjoyed the Ellie chapters as I liked seeing what she was thinking and doing and all the things!

We also get some great new characters (I loved Horatio!) and some new troubles of course. All in all another fun read. I read the first one and jumped right into this one and my only complaint is that I now have to wait for more! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book

[Madi Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I thought book 2 certainly couldn't keep me as hooked as book 1, but I was wrong. Maybe I secretly love zombie books.... well, no, but I love O'Connell's zombie books. I was afraid that this was going to turn out like the sequel to Bird Box, and I'm glad it didn't. My only complaint right now is that I need book 3 tomorrow, and it's not even listed on GoodReads at all, so who knows when I'll get some closure...

[Nettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

NICE!!!!!! A step up from book one with more drama and humour and I'm absolutely loving the new breed of zombie. Charlie still brings some lighthearted charm that stops it become dreary.

Will there be a Book 3? Please please please say yes.

[Natalie Coston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great continuation of the series, and even better than the first book! This was an absolute page turner, and I even more in love with all the characters. The story was inventive and unique and I can't wait for book three!

[Stephanie Givre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment! I never thought a zombie series would be able to keep my attention like this.