Extinction Event

by Maria DeVivo

Griffin’s luck may have finally run out—for good.

After escaping their imprisonment on Plum Island, Griffin and Jarrod return to the mainland only to find that a second outbreak of the virus is ravaging the entire country. Only this time, help isn’t on the way.

Their only chance of survival is to get back to Dr. Oswald’s lab in Florida, where a unique Altered child could hold the key to a cure. Except, even if Griffin can find his way home, it may be too late to save mankind from its extinction event.

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2025

About the author

Maria DeVivo writes horror and dark fantasy for both a YA and adult audience. Each of her series has been Amazon best-sellers and have won multiple awards since 2012. A lover of all things dark and demented, the worlds she creates are fantastical and immersive. Get swept away in the lands of elves, zombies, angels, demons, and witches (but not all in the same place). Maria takes great pleasure in warping the comfort factor in her readers’ minds – just when you think you’ve reached a safe space in her stories, she snaps you back into her twisted reality.

Reviews

[Jonathan Pongratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, WOW!

This conclusion to The Altered series totally blew my mind!

Griffin and Jarod have escaped Plum Island and Dr. Traegor, only to find that they're too late. The world has changed yet again with a new wave of the Zorna flu, but who is left, and can this apocalypse even be stopped? With no other option, Jarod and Griffin flee to Florida, back where it all began.

Okay, so what really worked for me was the plot and premise of this installment. The gloves are truly off. There are no more reassimilation centers, no group meetings for the Altered, no bandages and kisses from your mom, nothing! Everything is chaos. I also loved that this series came back full circle and now Griffin has to go back where it all started. There's something poetic about that, and it really worked for me.

Griffin and Jarrod have been changed. To what is the main mystery, and there's some serious cause for concern. This made the book move along, and I think Griffin did everything he truly could to contain his infected nature.

Jarrod on the other hand embraced his brutal rage and complicated things many a time. I liked the constant tension this created between him and Griffin.

Griffin truly came to terms with everything in this novel, and that really fulfilled what I was hoping would happen.

The plot was great with lots of action. Griffin and Jarrod are heading hundreds of miles through a zombie-infested wasteland, so there are plenty of dangerous battles, traps, and discoveries along the way. I like that we finally got to experience a long romp in the outside untamed world and the desperation that comes along with it.

And that ending? All the feels!

If you love the living dead, you've gotta get your hands on this series. It's truly amazing!

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the third and final book of The Altered Experience trilogy.

I don’t want to give anything away - but I have to say that the end of this book wrecked me. Completely. It started at the very end of Chapter 18 with Graves and Jarrod and continued to the end of the book. I was crying so hard I almost couldn’t finish it. I honestly was not expecting for it to be so emotional given the nature of the storyline. The Graves and Griffin conversation puts many things into perspective that you don’t see at any other point in the book and I think it was a tremendous thing to do to the characters and their storylines.

My only complaint - I wish there had been more. Maybe a short epilogue or something that tells us what happened next. Did it work? Did it not? Did nuclear fallout happen? What about Toby, Eugene, Crystal, Graves, Dr. Oz? And what about Lana from 5th period? lol! Was the sacrifice worth it? Was it not?

5 stars but I’d give more if I could.

[JulieAnn Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect final installment to the Altered series! We pick up right where things left off, when Jarrod and Griffin leave the island and begin their journey to reach Dr Oz.

I love the addition of Jarrod—though at times he’s definitely one of those characters you love to hate and yet just want to hug at the same time. He adds a great deal of tension to the dynamic. After being in Griffin’s mind for three books, it’s almost jarring to hear the kind of psychological struggles Jarrod experiences.

This third book genuinely brought tears to my eyes. Every character’s story is thoughtfully wrapped up, so we’re never left wondering where anyone ends up. Most importantly, the book builds toward a surprising, yet inevitable and satisfying conclusion.

An amazing series that I wish I could experience again for the first time! Highly recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Griffin and Jarrod have escaped Plum island only to discover a second outbreak. Can they prevent an apocalypse? They've both been changed but how? An action packed, tense read. A fantastic conclusion to a fabulous zombie series. With an ending that leaves an impact.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the third entry in this series. The characters had that element that I was looking for and worked well in this universe.Maria DeVivo has a strong writing style and was glad I read this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and only slightly dark.