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Wasteland #1
Diamond in the Rough
WELCOME TO THE WASTELANDS
It’s been thirty years since the devastating Virus hit, leaving the world in shambles. In the newly formed Safe Zones of America, the key to survival is to stay behind the Zones’ impenetrable walls—and out of the mutant-infested lands beyond.
Former assassin Ethan Ellis used to answer directly to the president. When he is betrayed by another agent and convicted of his crimes, he finds himself facing exile as punishment. Thrown into the cold reality of day-to-day survival—fighting both the mutants and the rogue groups of exiles that roam the wastelands—Ethan finds it hard to put the past behind him as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal that knocked his world upside-down.
Then he meets Laiken. Bubbly, charismatic, and always wearing a smile, Laiken annoys Ethan to no end. But when a band of exiles threatens both of their lives, forcing them together, Ethan realizes that he might need Laiken more than he thought.
In this debut novel by Jayden Thompson, Ethan is forced to decide if living is enough—or if enjoying the life he has is the true key to survival.
It’s been thirty years since the devastating Virus hit, leaving the world in shambles. In the newly formed Safe Zones of America, the key to survival is to stay behind the Zones’ impenetrable walls—and out of the mutant-infested lands beyond.
Former assassin Ethan Ellis used to answer directly to the president. When he is betrayed by another agent and convicted of his crimes, he finds himself facing exile as punishment. Thrown into the cold reality of day-to-day survival—fighting both the mutants and the rogue groups of exiles that roam the wastelands—Ethan finds it hard to put the past behind him as he struggles to come to terms with the betrayal that knocked his world upside-down.
Then he meets Laiken. Bubbly, charismatic, and always wearing a smile, Laiken annoys Ethan to no end. But when a band of exiles threatens both of their lives, forcing them together, Ethan realizes that he might need Laiken more than he thought.
In this debut novel by Jayden Thompson, Ethan is forced to decide if living is enough—or if enjoying the life he has is the true key to survival.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 12, 2024
12 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
Jayden Thompson
5 books75 followersJayden Thompson first discovered her love of writing at fifteen years old. Her first novel, Diamond in the Rough, was published when she was eighteen. A Kentucky native, Jayden spends her time reading, hanging out with family, watching too many YouTube videos, and daydreaming about fictional worlds.
For sneak peeks of upcoming books and more content, you can check out her YouTube channel (@jaydenthompsonauthor), her Instagram (@authorjaydenthompson), and her website (jaydenthompson.com).
For sneak peeks of upcoming books and more content, you can check out her YouTube channel (@jaydenthompsonauthor), her Instagram (@authorjaydenthompson), and her website (jaydenthompson.com).
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 30, 2024
I just want to start off by saying that you did an absolutely amazing job writing this book Jayden and I’m very proud of you! Considering you’re only 18 and wrote this book shows that you’ll be as famous as J.K. Rowling some day if you continue writing your books! I absolutely loved Ethan and Laiken and their chemistry, I was so happy when the finally kissed 🤭 I liked all of the action and personality you put into this book. I loved your writing style and when I got to the part when they were in the rain storm and soaking wet, it felt like I was in that scene with them if that makes any sense 😂 Congrats on publishing your first book and I hope there’s more to come!
August 23, 2024
Ok, so, Jayden let me just start off by saying amazing job!!! The plot was immersive and it got me out of a slump. I read the whole book last night before bed because it was so fast paced and i didn't want to put it down! The characters are absolutely awesome and Laiken is literally so sweet!!! Keep up the good work, Jayden 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽
Want to read
August 13, 2024Ahhhh congrats to my friend Jayden on publishing your book!!! I’m so excited to read it!!
August 25, 2024
This book is so good!! I love Ethan (Bull 🤭) and Laiken so much ❤️ They are so cute together! I hope to see more by this author in the future.
May 14, 2025
This was an absolutely amazing book. I found myself looking forward to going to bed and reading it every night. Laiken is relatable and genuinely fun tobread about, something rare these day. Good job Jayden, you created a masterpiece, can't wait tos ee what else you do!
August 30, 2024
Jayden this was so good!!!! I’m obsessed w the Shatter Me and Maze runner vibes! I’m so so impressed and want to read everything you ever write 👀👀👀
January 5, 2025
I enjoyed it so much, it was amazing book! I loved the plot ,the characters and the story was so entertaining, fast paced and overall just amazing!! Laiken is such a fun and bubly character and I just love her so much.
You did a great job writing this book Jayden, and you’re an amazing author. I’m looking forward to getting and reading Stars In The Sky soon!❤️
You did a great job writing this book Jayden, and you’re an amazing author. I’m looking forward to getting and reading Stars In The Sky soon!❤️
October 4, 2024
oh my gosh. congrats on this WONDERFUL debut novel. this book was so encapsulating, and i honestly just loved how we were with the main male character- ethan. i loved ethan as a character as well as laiken. it was such a nice fasted pace read, and honestly one of my favorite things was the way they went from like alliances to lovers. DONE. SO. WELL. i found myself rooting for them since day onee. i loved how they weren’t out right like, “i hate you,” because it wasn’t like that. it was more like alliances to lovers, and honestly not like tropey. i loved watching him break down his barriers, and realized he really cared for laiken. and i really just loved her too. it was almost like a slow burn, like i was feigninggg.
anyways, i DEFINITELY recommend this book, it was such a fun dystopian, but maybe one thing i wished, was that somehow he got his revenge on slater? or like the ending connected more to the beginning. but also, i see how by the end, he was happy with laiken.
congrats jayden this book was amazing.
anyways, i DEFINITELY recommend this book, it was such a fun dystopian, but maybe one thing i wished, was that somehow he got his revenge on slater? or like the ending connected more to the beginning. but also, i see how by the end, he was happy with laiken.
congrats jayden this book was amazing.
May 6, 2025
Let me start off by saying this book was so amazing! It definitely gave me Attack on Titan × Divergent vibes! This book had me turning the pages wanting Ethan and Laiken to meet up again after they went separate ways. Also, the chemistry between them was so good, and I loved the last page so much!
Amazing debut book, and now I want to buy Stars in the Sky in order to read Laiken's POV!
Amazing debut book, and now I want to buy Stars in the Sky in order to read Laiken's POV!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2025
i loved this book so much!! i love dystopia and some romance, so this is like the perfect mix for me! i may or may not have thrown my kindle across the room at the end of chapter 25 lol. i’m really excited for your next book! i will patiently check your youtube channel while i wait 💕
January 15, 2025
I loved it 😍
September 30, 2024
AMAZING
December 19, 2025
I loved this book so much! I read well over half in ONE DAY! This book was so fun and easily bingeable! I loved Ethan and Laiken‘s chemistry so much! I found myself worried, nervous, scared, excited, smiling, and even laughing over this book! I‘m honestly so shocked that this was a DEBUT NOVEL, but not just that but that fact the author was ONLY EIGHTEEN?! I look up to Jayden a lot as a teen author also! This book was phenomenal and I would even go as far to say this is better than the most famous young adult dystopian books! (ie: the hunger games, divergent, the maze runner, the 100, shatter me, etc.) Overall I gave this book a five stars for the plot, characters, the imagery, the writing style and SO MUCH MORE! I‘m so glad that this book was free on kindle for the holiday season because I got to read it sooner than I expected! I DEFINITELY will be buying a physical copy of this and the other book in the series soon!
August 7, 2025
Hi so I just finished this book and I have a lot of words that I need to say in this review. SEPTEMBER FIRST ISNT SOON ENOUGH FOR SHADES OF RED TO BE OUT I NEED IT NOW!!! Second I practically ate this book I no joke read this in one sitting(with multiple crapshoots bc of ETHAN). This book is so well written and definitely makes it onto my list of favorite books. Jayden you just became one of my if not the favorite authors. I am also an author and I don’t think words can express how much you and others have taught me the value of writing my own story. I have serious insecurities with my writing but somehow reading DITR healed that part of me even if it was just a little. This book has a special place in my heart. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THIS WHAT SRE YOU DOING!?!
August 17, 2025
I almost DNF'd this book at 205. I thought I was going to end up in pain and wanted to spare myself.
But I didn't do that.
I need SOR, like right now, as well as the second book in the series.
Page 40 - ordered the novella, barely into the book. Five stars, I loved this so much, please go read it.
Laiken is amazing; she is my new best friend, and she deserves so much better than what she received.
I was just talking about sassy men in books. Ethan is unintentionally sassy.
I loved it.
I'm telling you nothing about the book and everything at the same time. I finished this two hours ago, but I had to process what I had finished.
But I didn't do that.
I need SOR, like right now, as well as the second book in the series.
Page 40 - ordered the novella, barely into the book. Five stars, I loved this so much, please go read it.
Laiken is amazing; she is my new best friend, and she deserves so much better than what she received.
I was just talking about sassy men in books. Ethan is unintentionally sassy.
I loved it.
I'm telling you nothing about the book and everything at the same time. I finished this two hours ago, but I had to process what I had finished.
March 23, 2025
Ok, so as soon as I found out that the main character is a male, I had to get it!
I just wanna say, I was sucked into this book. The writing and everything was insanely good, and so was the chemistry between Laiken and Ethan ;)
The end definitely surprised me as well, I wasn’t expecting Ethan to come back at all!
So anyways, this book is def a must read for teenagers all ages!!
I just wanna say, I was sucked into this book. The writing and everything was insanely good, and so was the chemistry between Laiken and Ethan ;)
The end definitely surprised me as well, I wasn’t expecting Ethan to come back at all!
So anyways, this book is def a must read for teenagers all ages!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2025
I LOVED IT SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ honestly my new favorite book right alongside the maze runner!
December 26, 2025
4.05
Omg I loved this!! I really loved the worldbuilding! I discovered Jayden Thompson on YouTube, then I read Shades of Red and now I absolutely love this book too! There was always something going on and the end was insane! I can't wait for Bullet to the Head!!
➥ "𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧."
Omg I loved this!! I really loved the worldbuilding! I discovered Jayden Thompson on YouTube, then I read Shades of Red and now I absolutely love this book too! There was always something going on and the end was insane! I can't wait for Bullet to the Head!!
➥ "𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧."
December 8, 2025
I just finished this book today and I am absolutely overwhelmed by so many feelings. It was like I read that last sentence and then someone came by and dumped a huge bag of emotions right on top of me.
Like what did I just read, where can I get more of it, and WHY THE HECK DID IT HAVE TO END.
I had been following Jayden for a while bc I am a writer as well, but I never actually read her books so I was like, "Alr, got Kindle Unlimted for a sec, why not give it a try?"
See, I didn't have the highest expectations at first because I have read several other published books written by teen authors. They were good-but there was always something that was off about them. The pacing was slow or off, sometimes the characters didn't just have as much depth, yaknow-small things that still impact the book.
But boy was I wrong about this masterpiece.
I judge a book based on how I feel when I read that last sentence. I look for a specific feeling-that one that leaves you almost depressed for a few days after, not able to get your mind off that book.
And guess what-this is exactly what I felt when I read that sentence. I wanted more, and I absolutely loved the story in itself.
Pacing? Perfect.
Writing? Phenomenal-I'm jealous as a writer myself.
Character Depth and Growth-probably the best thing out of the whole book.
Ethan and Laiken were amazing. I haven't read a lot of Grumpy x Sunshine, but after this I almost want to read more. I loved Laiken's personality, and it was such a fresh breath of air after reading the same watered-down FMC's in every book nowadays. Ethan-or Bull (loved this)-was brooding and strong and dark for sure-but he also grew throughout the book. By the end he wasn't the same person that he was in the beginning, and that made him different from other MMC's. I loved his character, and their chemistry was amazing. The tension, the slow burn, and that final kiss? IT FELT EARNED.
Also when Ethan left I totally did not crash out...yeah, totally chill about the whole thing...
So in the end, Jayden I am genuinely impressed by this. I really hope one day you are recognized for this book and take a chance at trad publishing, because honestly? I see you getting in one day. (Also, if you do end up becoming a famous author, I really hope this book is turned into a movie bc that's what it felt like when I was reading it. :)
Like what did I just read, where can I get more of it, and WHY THE HECK DID IT HAVE TO END.
I had been following Jayden for a while bc I am a writer as well, but I never actually read her books so I was like, "Alr, got Kindle Unlimted for a sec, why not give it a try?"
See, I didn't have the highest expectations at first because I have read several other published books written by teen authors. They were good-but there was always something that was off about them. The pacing was slow or off, sometimes the characters didn't just have as much depth, yaknow-small things that still impact the book.
But boy was I wrong about this masterpiece.
I judge a book based on how I feel when I read that last sentence. I look for a specific feeling-that one that leaves you almost depressed for a few days after, not able to get your mind off that book.
And guess what-this is exactly what I felt when I read that sentence. I wanted more, and I absolutely loved the story in itself.
Pacing? Perfect.
Writing? Phenomenal-I'm jealous as a writer myself.
Character Depth and Growth-probably the best thing out of the whole book.
Ethan and Laiken were amazing. I haven't read a lot of Grumpy x Sunshine, but after this I almost want to read more. I loved Laiken's personality, and it was such a fresh breath of air after reading the same watered-down FMC's in every book nowadays. Ethan-or Bull (loved this)-was brooding and strong and dark for sure-but he also grew throughout the book. By the end he wasn't the same person that he was in the beginning, and that made him different from other MMC's. I loved his character, and their chemistry was amazing. The tension, the slow burn, and that final kiss? IT FELT EARNED.
Also when Ethan left I totally did not crash out...yeah, totally chill about the whole thing...
So in the end, Jayden I am genuinely impressed by this. I really hope one day you are recognized for this book and take a chance at trad publishing, because honestly? I see you getting in one day. (Also, if you do end up becoming a famous author, I really hope this book is turned into a movie bc that's what it felt like when I was reading it. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2026
4.75 rounded up
This was just as amazing as I was expecting 💕 i love to support fellow teen authors and this is why. Jayden Thompson truly has so much talent and I cant express how amazing reading her book was. I finished it cover-to-cover in one sitting and regret nothing. The World building was amazing, and I will definitely be checking out more of Thompson's work!! I cant wait for the second one to come out!! Diamond in the Rough deserves so much more hype, I can tell so much care was put into this and im so diaspointed it doesnt get more love. Please read this book, it was excellent 👌 Good job, Jayden!!
(Also Jayden, if you're reading this i love your videos and genuinely aspire to be you when it comes to writing)
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ᶜᴸᵁˢᵀᴱᴿᴴᵁᴳ - ᴵᴰᴷᴴᴼᵂ
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47
This was just as amazing as I was expecting 💕 i love to support fellow teen authors and this is why. Jayden Thompson truly has so much talent and I cant express how amazing reading her book was. I finished it cover-to-cover in one sitting and regret nothing. The World building was amazing, and I will definitely be checking out more of Thompson's work!! I cant wait for the second one to come out!! Diamond in the Rough deserves so much more hype, I can tell so much care was put into this and im so diaspointed it doesnt get more love. Please read this book, it was excellent 👌 Good job, Jayden!!
(Also Jayden, if you're reading this i love your videos and genuinely aspire to be you when it comes to writing)
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ᶜᴸᵁˢᵀᴱᴿᴴᵁᴳ - ᴵᴰᴷᴴᴼᵂ
1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47
June 11, 2025
Amazing.
I love dystopian and hot guys (ETHAN AHHH!!) and this was exactly it.
A MUST read in my opinion.
I love dystopian and hot guys (ETHAN AHHH!!) and this was exactly it.
A MUST read in my opinion.
October 16, 2025
This needs to be a movie.
October 26, 2025
🌟4.25
I need a novella of ethan and laiken🤞 I LOVE THEM SO MUCH🥹🥹
I need a novella of ethan and laiken🤞 I LOVE THEM SO MUCH🥹🥹
October 26, 2025
3.5! I liked this a lot, and the action was good!
December 29, 2025
Honestly SO MUCH FUN. I love Ethan and Laiken ❤️ My only major qualm is that the plot was a little TOO simple for my liking. But overall a great book.
February 13, 2026
Vivid character development, but lacked a solid plot. The characters wandered around quite a bit, which left me confused or disinterested in the setting. The harshness of life is clearly communicated, but there is no real issue the characters are struggling against. They have obstacles, but not an issue, which would have been tied directly to the plot.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews