I finished reading A New World: Storm a few minutes ago. I was going to wait to write the review until I had a chance to process the story and its ending but decided not to. I want to write while my mind and emotions are still bound to the story.
I am simultaneously "wowed" beyond words and feeling something else that I will not describe. If I try, I will fail miserably and will most likely end up creating an unintentional spoiler.
In past reviews, I think I have made it clear that John O'Brien is my favorite writer in this genre. I hope I've also made it clear that he is one of my favorite writers of all the genres I've read. Storm solidifies that conviction for me. Why? The answer is simply this: John O'Brien is a talented writer and an amazing story-teller.
The first part of the book is dedicated to tying some loose ends together and setting the stage for the rest. There is not much action during this portion, which is unusual for most of the books in the series. Rest assured, the necessity to slow down for a bit does not mean it's boring. I mean, this is John O'Brien. Are his stories ever boring? No.
The action picks up once Jack sets out to take care of some unfinished business. It continues through the rest of the book as he and his group encounter new threats, as well eliminate some old ones. In addition, a couple new groups of survivors are introduced and plans to work with them are established. Meanwhile, Jack is doing his best to lead, although he is tired and not always certain he knows the direction he needs to take.
It is the last part of the book that made me clench my Kindle in a state of tightly-wound emotions and caused me to scowl at any poor soul who dared to interrupt my reading. As I write this, I am still reeling from the roller coaster ride Mr. O'Brien created. The ending packs a punch so be prepared, but do NOT read ahead. You will be kicking yourself forever.
As with all of the A New World books, I appreciate the hard work and pride O'Brien obviously poured into writing Storm. He is a first-class writer and can tell a story with the best of them.