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No Safety in Numbers #3
No Dawn without Darkness
Perfect for fans of Life As We Knew It and Michael Grant's Gone--the conclusion to the thrilling No Safety in Numbers trilogy
First--a bomb released a deadly flu virus and the entire mall was quarantined.
Next--the medical teams evacuated and the windows were boarded up just before the virus mutated.
Now--the power is out and the mall is thrown into darkness. Shay, Marco, Lexi, Ryan, and Ginger aren't the same people they were two weeks ago. Just like the virus, they've had to change in order to survive. And not all for the better. When no one can see your face, you can be anyone you want to be, and, when the doors finally open, they may not like what they've become.
If you think it's silly to be afraid of the dark, you're wrong.
Very wrong.
First--a bomb released a deadly flu virus and the entire mall was quarantined.
Next--the medical teams evacuated and the windows were boarded up just before the virus mutated.
Now--the power is out and the mall is thrown into darkness. Shay, Marco, Lexi, Ryan, and Ginger aren't the same people they were two weeks ago. Just like the virus, they've had to change in order to survive. And not all for the better. When no one can see your face, you can be anyone you want to be, and, when the doors finally open, they may not like what they've become.
If you think it's silly to be afraid of the dark, you're wrong.
Very wrong.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
59 people are currently reading
1899 people want to read
About the author
Dayna Lorentz
13 books167 followersDayna is a writer of children's, young adult, and adult literature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 181 reviews
June 25, 2014
I find myself conflicted after finishing this book. Let me start from the beginning.
I really liked the first book. We've got a great mystery here. There's some kind of bomb, people are getting sick, they can't leave the man and not everything is as it seems. The second book was a little clunky and whole sections could have been edited out. But I understand that Lorentz was trying to explore the chaos that would erupt with this kind of situation. Betrayal everywhere, power struggles, not knowing who to trust in this situation, unsupervised, horny teenagers who want to hook up even though there's a deadly flu going around.
But I'm sorry to say that it all just seemed to go downhill for me after the revelation at the end of book 2: I was looking forward to something more devastating I guess, something that would take a little more time to fix.
But I even could have lived with that if not for a problematic technique that Lorentz implemented with this final book. Why did she go into first person point of view? As many people have stated before about this series, the characters tend to be a cookie cutters and I wasn't too bother by that because the third person point of view helped distinguish them. But I find this story hard to follow when the story was switched into first person point of view. The perspectives began to blend together because there's no uniqueness, not distinguishing between the voices in the novel. This is especially problematic with the female characters. To me and some people may disagree, Ginger and Shay sounded like the same character and even with more... unique characters like Marco, I kept getting having to check back to the beginning of the chapter to see whose point of view I was reading even when the voices were supposed to be different genders and varying cultures.
I do have to say though, Lorentz finally pulls through at the end with showing how the characters have evolved and changed after a crisis, although I was felt feeling like "okay... now what." Or in the great words of my English professor in college, "so what?" But I guess that's the point. What do you do after living through something like that.
All in all, I was let conflicted about this book. It kind of felt flat towards the end for me and I wasn't left with the same excitement I had when I picked up the first book. The series as a whole has a great premise, but I feel like the execution was lacking and it has some serious pacing issues with a lot of wasted space. To be honest, this could have been one long book. However, I still enjoyed it.
I really liked the first book. We've got a great mystery here. There's some kind of bomb, people are getting sick, they can't leave the man and not everything is as it seems. The second book was a little clunky and whole sections could have been edited out. But I understand that Lorentz was trying to explore the chaos that would erupt with this kind of situation. Betrayal everywhere, power struggles, not knowing who to trust in this situation, unsupervised, horny teenagers who want to hook up even though there's a deadly flu going around.
But I'm sorry to say that it all just seemed to go downhill for me after the revelation at the end of book 2: I was looking forward to something more devastating I guess, something that would take a little more time to fix.
But I even could have lived with that if not for a problematic technique that Lorentz implemented with this final book. Why did she go into first person point of view? As many people have stated before about this series, the characters tend to be a cookie cutters and I wasn't too bother by that because the third person point of view helped distinguish them. But I find this story hard to follow when the story was switched into first person point of view. The perspectives began to blend together because there's no uniqueness, not distinguishing between the voices in the novel. This is especially problematic with the female characters. To me and some people may disagree, Ginger and Shay sounded like the same character and even with more... unique characters like Marco, I kept getting having to check back to the beginning of the chapter to see whose point of view I was reading even when the voices were supposed to be different genders and varying cultures.
I do have to say though, Lorentz finally pulls through at the end with showing how the characters have evolved and changed after a crisis, although I was felt feeling like "okay... now what." Or in the great words of my English professor in college, "so what?" But I guess that's the point. What do you do after living through something like that.
All in all, I was let conflicted about this book. It kind of felt flat towards the end for me and I wasn't left with the same excitement I had when I picked up the first book. The series as a whole has a great premise, but I feel like the execution was lacking and it has some serious pacing issues with a lot of wasted space. To be honest, this could have been one long book. However, I still enjoyed it.
November 6, 2015
Thank God it is over. I couldn't even imagine picking up another book from this series. I checked the entire series out from the library, so I felt compelled to finish. The only thing better about this book compared to the second book, is the fact that it was so much shorter. The characters were still under developed. I didn't mind that they added Ginger in, but I think it was stupid that after all that she didn't want her story to be told. I think the series was just too far fetched. I don't know what adults would just let these kids run around shooting people and creating chaos. At the end, I still didn't like any of the main characters. I still hated Marco. That character bothered me the most. What a hypocrite. I'm a good hardworking kid.. till some girl uses me. Then I'm an idiot and kill people and I'm a dick to everyone round me. Just dumb. This book series had a lot of potential. It could have been so much more than 4 teens drinking and being stupid. I am glad to be done with it.
July 1, 2014
*sigh* This trilogy really should have been published as one book. This last book just felt...I don't know, lazy? For one, hardly anything happened. I can't recall anything (other than a character death) that stuck out in my mind. Then there's basically a forty page epilogue which is freaking boring. But I have to say that the biggest problem I had with this final installment was that my two favorite characters were non-existent. Marco doesn't get a point of view until over halfway through the book and Lexi might as well have not been in the damn thing at all because even when she does get a point of view it's like a freaking text conversation that lasts for a page or two. I really hate Ryan and Shay and I'm neutral or just don't care during Ginger's chapters so the book was pretty unenjoyable for me.
June 11, 2022
hilarious series you're telling me that marco never pays for his crimes against humanity
May 25, 2016
i liked it but some parts i was a bit confused to what was happening :o i liked the ending but i wanted something to happened but it didnt (two characters didnt stay together) the ending of when they got out of the mall i wanted to have been another characters point of view instead of marco.. and when the leave we have news and some texts from lexi and then the normal kind of point of view of marco ryan, shay and ginger.. i wish it hadnt skipped of 3 weeks i would have liked to see each point of view the moment they all get outside, and what they do but i guess to skip 3 weeks its good too.. :P anyways i liked this trilogy :)
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July 10, 2014That's It?
I mean yeah they get out of the mall but that's it? I knew this was the last book so that was an obvious thing but the author didn't include anything more suspenseful. The first book was amazing but the second and the third books were awful. I think the only thing the author did right in this book was make the book 200 pages shorter than the second book.
I mean yeah they get out of the mall but that's it? I knew this was the last book so that was an obvious thing but the author didn't include anything more suspenseful. The first book was amazing but the second and the third books were awful. I think the only thing the author did right in this book was make the book 200 pages shorter than the second book.
July 23, 2017
I'm upset this series is over, but I'm thrilled I picked it up on a whim. Highly recommend this series if you are looking for a quick and entertaining read.
June 23, 2023
4.5 ⭐️ This one was my favorite of the three! It really went crazy in this one and it was interesting to see what actually became of the mall/the people in it after so long.
February 14, 2024
This is definitely the best book out of the series. It is good, but it’s just kind of like a let down. Like all this anticipation and drama was built up for it to just end with a let down. Like it had so much more potential and the ending just seemed kind of rushed. Still a fast paced, quick read.
There were some editing errors, which isn’t a biggie, just at times there’s a few misspelled words.
Ginger becomes a main POV character in this book, since Lexi really doesn’t have parts to herself until the very end. And this book does switch back to each section being the POV of one of the characters, so that’s cool.
Shay was iffy while they were still in the mall, she definitely still kind of sucked as a sister but she does redeem herself.
Marco was terrible there’s no shocker there.
And Maddie definitely deserved better.
It’s an alright book though, like I said definitely the best in the series. But it’s just an eh series, like it’s all build up with no big ending, just let down after let down.
There were some editing errors, which isn’t a biggie, just at times there’s a few misspelled words.
Ginger becomes a main POV character in this book, since Lexi really doesn’t have parts to herself until the very end. And this book does switch back to each section being the POV of one of the characters, so that’s cool.
Shay was iffy while they were still in the mall, she definitely still kind of sucked as a sister but she does redeem herself.
Marco was terrible there’s no shocker there.
And Maddie definitely deserved better.
It’s an alright book though, like I said definitely the best in the series. But it’s just an eh series, like it’s all build up with no big ending, just let down after let down.
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September 6, 2018 I personally loved the beginning of the book. It didn't fail to draw me in. The story and plot started to pick up the pace a little later than I hoped. But the context never fell flat. This book really shocked me cause I didn't have interest in it at all. But my older sister had the book and after I had do my required summer reading for I couldn't figure out what book to read. Love and behold my sister showed me her bookshelf and bet that I would like and to no one's surprise I did. I actually liked it better than The Maze Runner and that book was a hit. For those who really liked maze runner You might like how "No Dawn Without Darkness" turns out in the end. Just to add on those who have asthma there were for sure some situations I could relate to.
September 20, 2024
The ending kinda went to crap lol. Marco sucked and turned into a villain halfway through. Didn’t understand why that was necessary or needed. No real wrapping up of the story just a jump to “three weeks later”. Seemed like a cop out
October 24, 2014
The book that I read No Dawn Without Darkness Was the 3rd book in a series written by Dayna Lorentz. Its a great book full of action and romance. This book was about 6 teenagers Maddie, Shay, Marco, Lexi, Ryan, and Ginger being trapped in a mall that was quarantined because somebody put a box on the air vents that released a toxin that infected everyone with a very dangerous virus that killed of over ¾ of the mall by the end of the third book. While all 6 teenagers are fighting to survive the epidemic they also have to try and fight each other of because there have been groups formed to scavenge for food and take over the mall. This book was separated into chapters of diffrent people and and the first was Maddie and Ginger being stuck in a jail when the lights went out.
They were trapped and the other people busted out and they followed. The next was Ryan and he was stuck trying to hobble around because he completely destroyed his ankle when he was trampled the night before. Then the next day comes and its the 15th day in the mall. Then its Maddie and ginger again and they are trying to find Lexi because when the riots happened someone kidnapped her. Then its Shay and she is in the med center because she had the virus but survived it and she found out that the doctor figured out how to cure it but got shot in the process. But he left his notes with shay.
Then its Ryan again and he finds out that there is food in the bookstore so he goes there to get it and finds shay and them two are like boyfriend and girlfriend and they lost each other during the riots so they are really happy to see each other. But before they have a chance to say anything one of the members of one of the gangs in the mall disrupts it and they have to split up. Then it goes to Ginger and Maddie and nothing happens until the end when a fire starts and Maddie has asthma so something happens that really was terrible but i’m not gonna say. Then its Marco who is the leader of one of the gangs and he wants to take out one of the other gangs so they go and attack them and win. Shay is on the way to see the senator so she can reach the outside world and tell them that everything is ok and they can stop the quarantine but something happens that could stop her from getting his notes to the senator. Will shay get the notes to the senator what happened to Maddie and Ginger? Will they find Lexi? Will all of them survive read to find out!!
I would give this book a 9/10 because it was a great book but the author sometimes put in so much detail that it was hard to understand what she was saying. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes a combination of action, romance and a great story line.
They were trapped and the other people busted out and they followed. The next was Ryan and he was stuck trying to hobble around because he completely destroyed his ankle when he was trampled the night before. Then the next day comes and its the 15th day in the mall. Then its Maddie and ginger again and they are trying to find Lexi because when the riots happened someone kidnapped her. Then its Shay and she is in the med center because she had the virus but survived it and she found out that the doctor figured out how to cure it but got shot in the process. But he left his notes with shay.
Then its Ryan again and he finds out that there is food in the bookstore so he goes there to get it and finds shay and them two are like boyfriend and girlfriend and they lost each other during the riots so they are really happy to see each other. But before they have a chance to say anything one of the members of one of the gangs in the mall disrupts it and they have to split up. Then it goes to Ginger and Maddie and nothing happens until the end when a fire starts and Maddie has asthma so something happens that really was terrible but i’m not gonna say. Then its Marco who is the leader of one of the gangs and he wants to take out one of the other gangs so they go and attack them and win. Shay is on the way to see the senator so she can reach the outside world and tell them that everything is ok and they can stop the quarantine but something happens that could stop her from getting his notes to the senator. Will shay get the notes to the senator what happened to Maddie and Ginger? Will they find Lexi? Will all of them survive read to find out!!
I would give this book a 9/10 because it was a great book but the author sometimes put in so much detail that it was hard to understand what she was saying. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes a combination of action, romance and a great story line.
July 25, 2024
“I climb onto the bus and see that my favorite spot is open. Not only that, but no one’s giving me that hairy eyeball look I’ve been getting every other morning. I drop onto the seat and watch the world whip past and feel—for the first time in a long time—maybe she’s right.”
This last book has left me with a mix of emotions and thoughts. First off, I loved that we went back to the original structure of the chapters. I think that the fact that it said where they were added a nice touch. I wanna start by saying what I thought about the characters before the doors were open. I feel like Marco was more tolerable in this book. This probably has to do with the fact that Marco didn’t have as many chapters this time. On top of that, this was mostly because of the fact that we found out that he was taking care of Lexi while she was sick. By the end, I genuinely felt so bad that he didn’t end up with Lexi. I know he was a jerk in the 2nd book, but I thought Lexi would be more appreciative about the fact that he SAVED HER LIFE (do you get deja vu?). At the same time, the chapter where he was pretending to speak to her in his inner monologue was…kinda creepy. It might’ve just been that I didn’t love him at that point. As for Shay, she was definitely making less dumb decisions than in the last book. I liked how we got to see her be a bit more independent, and how she actually had a mission to accomplish. One complaint I had about her was that I expected her to have to put up more of a fight to protect the notebook (kinda like Marco with the card), but nope. Even Marco, who knew what it was, simply disregarded it. Talking about that, I would’ve loved to have seen more that scene, especially since they hadn’t seen each other in ages. Her second fault for me was that she never properly thanked Marco for all that he did for her (“Thanks” just doesn’t cut it for me). I think out of everyone, Ryan had the best character development throughout the books. I wanna start by saying that I think this book truly showcased how much he would do for Shay. Their relationship felt more mature on both sides, which was appreciated. “He might be the first and only person ever to call a five-foot-one, ninety-pound Indian girl ‘badass’ and really mean” The fact that he was so proud of her was justttt🤭. Finally, I liked how Kris and Ryan worked together. It was unexpected, but their differences made them work together really well. I was a Ginger hater in the previous books, so I was surprised at how much I loved her character. She was very flawed, but it somehow worked really well. The fact that she had a fear of the dark really emphasized the eerie mood in her chapters. I believe that the fact that she stuck with Maddie until her death made up for the mistakes she made in the first book (btw, I was so sad when Maddie died💔). Her quick-thinking and caring personality made quickly made me adore her. To end this section off, I really liked how it included the calls the Senator made. The thing that’s scary to think about is that, if the fire hadn’t started, would the government leave them in the mall to die? Now, for everything that happened during and after they were let out. I liked that it didn’t end once the roof was opened, and that we got to see their recovery. I also liked the fact that we got to see the more into their new relationship with their friends and family. The thing is, I wish it didn’t skip 3 weeks, I would’ve loved the immediate reaction of each character from seeing the outside world. Also, I knew the news article portion was necessary to show the reaction of those who had lost people on the mall, but it was wayyyy too long. I preferred the previous ones since they were 1-2 pages. Starting with Marco, his inner monologue about the struggle to return back to normal, if it was even possible, really made me think. I thought it showed the extent to which events that occurred in the mall had changed them. The fact that he ended the book was nice because it showed that even though he had been the most ruthless and had been betrayed by many, he was still beginning to see the positive side of things, leaving the reader with a sense of hopefulness rather than dread. Shay’s creativity definitely radiated during the last few chapters. I thought the henna she drew on her body was such a touching thing to do, and I’m glad that she had the courage to discuss it with her mom. I’m also really happy that she honored her Nani by drawing the original henna. On top of that, I had been hoping she would write a poem sometime during or after the quarantine, but I think the fact that it was post-quarantine made it hit different. As I had previously said, Ryan’s character development was extremely evident once he left the mall. I loved how Ryan quit football, since it showed that he truly gave no fucks about not being true to himself. It also showed a huge change in the sense that he stopped feeling pressure from his dad, unlike in the first book. I really liked the talk that Ryan had with his brother, since it showed both how mature he had become and how much his relationship with his brother had improved. The only thing I didn’t love about his perspective after escaping was the football scene. Not because of what occurred while he was talking with Shay and Thad, it was just the description of what was occurring in the game itself. Like, why did it have to be so long? I didn’t need a narraration of the game. Besides that, I loved Ryan’s chapters, and I liked that he got his happy ending with Shay. Lastly, Ginger’s authenticity really made her stand out in the last few chapters. It was sad having to see how she dealt with Maddie’s death, but I’m glad she stood up for her at the assembly. As much as I loved that Ginger spoke about Maddie in the interview, I would’ve preferred if she exposed the government’s shady actions during the quarantine. Even though she technically couldn’t have many chapters, I was very disappointed that Lexi’s perspective was written in text messages. It took away from getting to see her perspective on finally exiting the mall, and what she thought about the fact that Marco saved her. Talking about that, why did Lexi start randomly dating Darren? You would think she would be hesitant since, in the first book, it was mentioned that she felt like he didn’t care about her. Some honorable mentions who made an impact, despite not being one of the main four, were Kris and Mike. I was so relieved that Kris survived the virus, and I’m glad that he kept in touch with Shay. As for Mike, I wasn’t expecting him to be suicidal, but I’m glad he got the help he needed. The only big problem I had with the second half of the book was the fact that there were some scenes I would’ve loved having to tie up loose ends. For one, I would’ve loved to see what happened to Ruthie, especially if we got to see a reunion with her and Ryan. Also, I would’ve loved to see if anyone from the postal office group survived, especially after the massacre done by Marco’s team. Lastly, it would’ve been nice to learn about the motives of the criminals who caused the quarantine in the first place, and about what happened to the car that crashed into the fence. I know it was meant to leave a sense of mystery, but it just felt like more unnecessary loose ends. Despite its flaws, the pacing was an improvement over the second book. I didn’t notice the transition from third to first person, so it didn’t bother me. Overall, I’m glad I didn’t stop reading after the second book, and I’m glad to be done with this series
P.S. After this, I’m gonna read a super happy book that makes me feel no stress whatsoever😭
This last book has left me with a mix of emotions and thoughts. First off, I loved that we went back to the original structure of the chapters. I think that the fact that it said where they were added a nice touch. I wanna start by saying what I thought about the characters before the doors were open. I feel like Marco was more tolerable in this book. This probably has to do with the fact that Marco didn’t have as many chapters this time. On top of that, this was mostly because of the fact that we found out that he was taking care of Lexi while she was sick. By the end, I genuinely felt so bad that he didn’t end up with Lexi. I know he was a jerk in the 2nd book, but I thought Lexi would be more appreciative about the fact that he SAVED HER LIFE (do you get deja vu?). At the same time, the chapter where he was pretending to speak to her in his inner monologue was…kinda creepy. It might’ve just been that I didn’t love him at that point. As for Shay, she was definitely making less dumb decisions than in the last book. I liked how we got to see her be a bit more independent, and how she actually had a mission to accomplish. One complaint I had about her was that I expected her to have to put up more of a fight to protect the notebook (kinda like Marco with the card), but nope. Even Marco, who knew what it was, simply disregarded it. Talking about that, I would’ve loved to have seen more that scene, especially since they hadn’t seen each other in ages. Her second fault for me was that she never properly thanked Marco for all that he did for her (“Thanks” just doesn’t cut it for me). I think out of everyone, Ryan had the best character development throughout the books. I wanna start by saying that I think this book truly showcased how much he would do for Shay. Their relationship felt more mature on both sides, which was appreciated. “He might be the first and only person ever to call a five-foot-one, ninety-pound Indian girl ‘badass’ and really mean” The fact that he was so proud of her was justttt🤭. Finally, I liked how Kris and Ryan worked together. It was unexpected, but their differences made them work together really well. I was a Ginger hater in the previous books, so I was surprised at how much I loved her character. She was very flawed, but it somehow worked really well. The fact that she had a fear of the dark really emphasized the eerie mood in her chapters. I believe that the fact that she stuck with Maddie until her death made up for the mistakes she made in the first book (btw, I was so sad when Maddie died💔). Her quick-thinking and caring personality made quickly made me adore her. To end this section off, I really liked how it included the calls the Senator made. The thing that’s scary to think about is that, if the fire hadn’t started, would the government leave them in the mall to die? Now, for everything that happened during and after they were let out. I liked that it didn’t end once the roof was opened, and that we got to see their recovery. I also liked the fact that we got to see the more into their new relationship with their friends and family. The thing is, I wish it didn’t skip 3 weeks, I would’ve loved the immediate reaction of each character from seeing the outside world. Also, I knew the news article portion was necessary to show the reaction of those who had lost people on the mall, but it was wayyyy too long. I preferred the previous ones since they were 1-2 pages. Starting with Marco, his inner monologue about the struggle to return back to normal, if it was even possible, really made me think. I thought it showed the extent to which events that occurred in the mall had changed them. The fact that he ended the book was nice because it showed that even though he had been the most ruthless and had been betrayed by many, he was still beginning to see the positive side of things, leaving the reader with a sense of hopefulness rather than dread. Shay’s creativity definitely radiated during the last few chapters. I thought the henna she drew on her body was such a touching thing to do, and I’m glad that she had the courage to discuss it with her mom. I’m also really happy that she honored her Nani by drawing the original henna. On top of that, I had been hoping she would write a poem sometime during or after the quarantine, but I think the fact that it was post-quarantine made it hit different. As I had previously said, Ryan’s character development was extremely evident once he left the mall. I loved how Ryan quit football, since it showed that he truly gave no fucks about not being true to himself. It also showed a huge change in the sense that he stopped feeling pressure from his dad, unlike in the first book. I really liked the talk that Ryan had with his brother, since it showed both how mature he had become and how much his relationship with his brother had improved. The only thing I didn’t love about his perspective after escaping was the football scene. Not because of what occurred while he was talking with Shay and Thad, it was just the description of what was occurring in the game itself. Like, why did it have to be so long? I didn’t need a narraration of the game. Besides that, I loved Ryan’s chapters, and I liked that he got his happy ending with Shay. Lastly, Ginger’s authenticity really made her stand out in the last few chapters. It was sad having to see how she dealt with Maddie’s death, but I’m glad she stood up for her at the assembly. As much as I loved that Ginger spoke about Maddie in the interview, I would’ve preferred if she exposed the government’s shady actions during the quarantine. Even though she technically couldn’t have many chapters, I was very disappointed that Lexi’s perspective was written in text messages. It took away from getting to see her perspective on finally exiting the mall, and what she thought about the fact that Marco saved her. Talking about that, why did Lexi start randomly dating Darren? You would think she would be hesitant since, in the first book, it was mentioned that she felt like he didn’t care about her. Some honorable mentions who made an impact, despite not being one of the main four, were Kris and Mike. I was so relieved that Kris survived the virus, and I’m glad that he kept in touch with Shay. As for Mike, I wasn’t expecting him to be suicidal, but I’m glad he got the help he needed. The only big problem I had with the second half of the book was the fact that there were some scenes I would’ve loved having to tie up loose ends. For one, I would’ve loved to see what happened to Ruthie, especially if we got to see a reunion with her and Ryan. Also, I would’ve loved to see if anyone from the postal office group survived, especially after the massacre done by Marco’s team. Lastly, it would’ve been nice to learn about the motives of the criminals who caused the quarantine in the first place, and about what happened to the car that crashed into the fence. I know it was meant to leave a sense of mystery, but it just felt like more unnecessary loose ends. Despite its flaws, the pacing was an improvement over the second book. I didn’t notice the transition from third to first person, so it didn’t bother me. Overall, I’m glad I didn’t stop reading after the second book, and I’m glad to be done with this series
P.S. After this, I’m gonna read a super happy book that makes me feel no stress whatsoever😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2021
Very satisfying ending, and I appreciate seeing how our characters handle their new freedom. This one was less horrifying, mostly because this is the end of it all.
April 29, 2015
Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH! I honestly found this series to be fantastic! The first book really sets the stage for you. You meet all the characters, get an idea of their personalities, get an idea of the situation that's happening in the Mall. You get this semblance of structure which you know can't last. Then in the second book, as expected, all hell breaks lose and people change right before your eyes. This book just brings all that to an amazing climax.
I was thrown a bit by the difference in writing style. Going from 3rd person to 1st person, but after the first chapter or two, you really get engrossed in the story and it doesn't even occur to you anymore. This book really explores the depravity and evil of mankind in this kind of survival/apocalyptic situation while also giving you glimpses of hope and kindness. Oh the feels I got from this book.
And finally, in the last few chapters
Just a phenomenal trilogy. Must read!
I was thrown a bit by the difference in writing style. Going from 3rd person to 1st person, but after the first chapter or two, you really get engrossed in the story and it doesn't even occur to you anymore. This book really explores the depravity and evil of mankind in this kind of survival/apocalyptic situation while also giving you glimpses of hope and kindness. Oh the feels I got from this book.
And finally, in the last few chapters
Just a phenomenal trilogy. Must read!
June 21, 2014
As I've mentioned in previous reviews, this series is best read as one long novel rather than three, and as such this volume is a big step up by actually showing the growth of several characters and realizing the potential of their plot arcs.
This book is marred some by the long disappearances of Marco and Lexi (Marco goes through major changes which are mainly seen through the eyes of other characters before becoming getting his first point-of-view chapter about halfway through; Lexi is more or less displaced in reader attention by Ginger).
This book is marred some by the long disappearances of Marco and Lexi (Marco goes through major changes which are mainly seen through the eyes of other characters before becoming getting his first point-of-view chapter about halfway through; Lexi is more or less displaced in reader attention by Ginger).
October 26, 2016
The book I'm reading is No Dawn Without Darkness by Dayana Lorentz.
The book is about a whole group of friends trapped in a mall without knowing what's happening outside of the mall all they know is there infected by a contagious infection and they have been trapped in there for months there has been fights,deaths and starvation they wanna get out of the mall so look for a way to escape but then find something that can get them out of there. In my opinion I liked this book because there was lots of action fights but also a bit of suspense wondering who was gonna die next of there group.
I thought it was a good book because there was fights going on in the book because people were making there own little gangs and controlling parts of the mall and it was suspenseful because in the quote “shay , Marco , Lexi , ryan and ginger aren't the same people the once were just like the virus they had to change in order to survive”pg7I would give this book five stars because I really liked it. Teenagers that like action and suspense in there books I would encourage them to read this book because it has lots of action and suspense. I would recommend this book to a classmate because it's a really good book lots of action and suspense a good book to read on your free time.
The book is about a whole group of friends trapped in a mall without knowing what's happening outside of the mall all they know is there infected by a contagious infection and they have been trapped in there for months there has been fights,deaths and starvation they wanna get out of the mall so look for a way to escape but then find something that can get them out of there. In my opinion I liked this book because there was lots of action fights but also a bit of suspense wondering who was gonna die next of there group.
I thought it was a good book because there was fights going on in the book because people were making there own little gangs and controlling parts of the mall and it was suspenseful because in the quote “shay , Marco , Lexi , ryan and ginger aren't the same people the once were just like the virus they had to change in order to survive”pg7I would give this book five stars because I really liked it. Teenagers that like action and suspense in there books I would encourage them to read this book because it has lots of action and suspense. I would recommend this book to a classmate because it's a really good book lots of action and suspense a good book to read on your free time.
January 17, 2016
This was probably my favorite installment of the series. The mall is officially in chaos, they are reviewing no outside help from the government, and each of our main characters are dealing with their own frightful issues. Ginger and Maddy had been tasked with finding Lexi but she's no where to be found. Marco is leading the gang who has resorted to desperate and violent measures to survive. Ryan is consumed with finding Shay and questioning the actions of Mike and Drew. It's unbelievable to imagine the circumstances that could arise in this situation and this book definitely explored those possibilities. I love books that do not shy away from the uncomfortable situations and this book met them head on. Great final installment.
July 31, 2017
Okay this series was pretty bad but I just had to see if they got out of the mall. This book is thankfully much shorter than its predecessor, however the ending is really abrupt and I actually would have liked to see more of the kids after the incident. The lack of consistency in this series is astounding. The first two books are written in the third person and this book is written in the first person, which is a big no-no. You don't just switch your entire writing style for the last book, regardless of which one you think works better. Also one of the POV characters in the first two books really wasn't even in this one, which was disappointing. Overall, this series has not made my strange love for quarantine books disappear, but it hasn't improved it either.
August 22, 2014
The conclusion to the No Safety in Numbers and it totally follows through. Things have gotten worse than imaginable at the mall, but there just might be a glimmer of hope for escape. Will the quartined make it out alive? Will the outside be everything that it is cracked up to be.
I loved this series and the books stayed great throughout. Though I would like to mention that I freaking hate Marco.
I loved this series and the books stayed great throughout. Though I would like to mention that I freaking hate Marco.
November 30, 2014
A decent enough airplane book: straight-forward teen thriller of the sort you might stumble across in film form on SyFy. I was halfway through before I looked up the series, only to find that I was reading the last in the trilogy. I get the fascination with threes and the power of a trilogy, but please have enough of a story to truly warrant three books. When the third book stands alone, it's a clear sign you didn't need the first two.
July 31, 2020
Read in one sitting. The book claims it’s the “thrilling conclusion to the No Safety in Numbers trilogy” but that would be a gross understatement. The book jumped from first person view to first person view, it was overall difficult to follow and unenjoyable. I usually hate to write an unflattering review but this one could not be helped.
June 13, 2024
One of the worst endings I have read in a while, felt like the author forgot what story she was trying to tell and just wrote something down and submitted it to her editor. characters stories don’t feel done or even slightly finished. Very unrealistic how everyone signed the non-disclosure papers when obviously people would have not and told how horrible it was to anybody they could
February 7, 2017
So I rarely say this but thank goodness this series is over!!! The first book was pretty good, but it went downhill quickly from there. The whole series could have been cut in half and in a single book!
December 10, 2019
i liked the book it was really good i wood defently read the other books because this book was very interesting and it gave really good details but it was not really my type of book because it was about a virus and these people had to survive and i like books that are fun and enjoyable to read .
January 22, 2015
It was a great book
August 16, 2022
This was a great ending to a great series. I love how well the actual ending was done. I was sad to say goodbye to all the characters.
July 16, 2020
oh marco they done you dirty bb :,(
March 15, 2021
sudden pov change lost my immersion
August 2, 2018
I'm gonna keep this review short because I have twenty minutes to write it. If you read my previous two reviews about No Safety in Numbers and No Easy Way Out, the first two books in the series, you know that I loved No Safety in Numbers and wasn't a fan of the sequel. While the first book was blood-pumping and fast-paced, the second book was slow and dragged for what felt like forever. I was ready to be finished with this series, and was happy to find that the last book was the shortest.
First off, this book is written in first person instead of third person like the first two books. I don't understand the change; it didn't help readers feel for the characters, and it only made things confusing because the characters don't have unique voices. I just found this choice useless and unnecessary, but the author did change it to the characters being the chapter titles instead of the locations. This helped because certain characters, like Lexi and Marco, aren't focused on a lot.
Instead, the author introduces Ginger and Maddie as main characters, and I could not be happier. I loved their friendship/gay crushes on each other, and wished they had been bigger characters in the previous books. I was actually very upset when Maddie was killed off (they literally could've killed off Mike), but it gave Ginger some great ambitions. If the whole book was written in Ginger's perspective, I would've been happy. She seemed relatable and was the only one not trying to be a badass.
Another thing I liked about this book was Kris and Ryan's friendship. The author must have a soft spot for Ryan, because he always gets the best arcs. Like the last book, he's helping little kids escape, and finally quits the football team.
Also Marco was barely in this book, and I could not be happier. I hated his voice in the last book, and he went through a huge character change. I think there was maybe one chapter narrated by him, and I couldn't give a shit while reading it.
While the book was much shorter and easier to get through, the ending was a little disappointed. Spoiler alert, the teens escape from the mall about halfway through the book, meaning we get four unnecessary chapters afterwards telling us what happened to them after the quarantine. The only one I cared about was Ginger because, once again, she's my queen.
I'm giving this book 3/5 stars, and I'm so happy this series is over. If you're thinking about reading this series, I'd recommend the first book and stopping there, unless you care about and like the characters.
First off, this book is written in first person instead of third person like the first two books. I don't understand the change; it didn't help readers feel for the characters, and it only made things confusing because the characters don't have unique voices. I just found this choice useless and unnecessary, but the author did change it to the characters being the chapter titles instead of the locations. This helped because certain characters, like Lexi and Marco, aren't focused on a lot.
Instead, the author introduces Ginger and Maddie as main characters, and I could not be happier. I loved their friendship/gay crushes on each other, and wished they had been bigger characters in the previous books. I was actually very upset when Maddie was killed off (they literally could've killed off Mike), but it gave Ginger some great ambitions. If the whole book was written in Ginger's perspective, I would've been happy. She seemed relatable and was the only one not trying to be a badass.
Another thing I liked about this book was Kris and Ryan's friendship. The author must have a soft spot for Ryan, because he always gets the best arcs. Like the last book, he's helping little kids escape, and finally quits the football team.
Also Marco was barely in this book, and I could not be happier. I hated his voice in the last book, and he went through a huge character change. I think there was maybe one chapter narrated by him, and I couldn't give a shit while reading it.
While the book was much shorter and easier to get through, the ending was a little disappointed. Spoiler alert, the teens escape from the mall about halfway through the book, meaning we get four unnecessary chapters afterwards telling us what happened to them after the quarantine. The only one I cared about was Ginger because, once again, she's my queen.
I'm giving this book 3/5 stars, and I'm so happy this series is over. If you're thinking about reading this series, I'd recommend the first book and stopping there, unless you care about and like the characters.
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