What do you think?
Rate this book
The Blast
After a series of atomic blasts force Beatrice Hicks and her family into their prepper bunker, they emerge to discover they are among the survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. Fighting against rogue groups and coping with deaths are just some of the adjustments Beatrice must make to survive, but how will she maintain her humanity after the blast?
Praise for THE BLAST:
“This is the most impressive and heartfelt apocalypse story I’ve ever read in my life!”
“A real tour de force… [It’s] refreshing to have a YA book which focuses on the important things in a person’s life – family, love and death.”
“What a beautiful story. A wonderful look at the human ability to survive, rebuild, and grow through survival.”
“One of the best post-apocalypse stories I have read.”
“This book easily stacks up against my favourites and has an originality that many books seem to lack these days. [The] writing style is impeccable and this book is utterly breathtaking!”
Praise for THE BLAST:
“This is the most impressive and heartfelt apocalypse story I’ve ever read in my life!”
“A real tour de force… [It’s] refreshing to have a YA book which focuses on the important things in a person’s life – family, love and death.”
“What a beautiful story. A wonderful look at the human ability to survive, rebuild, and grow through survival.”
“One of the best post-apocalypse stories I have read.”
“This book easily stacks up against my favourites and has an originality that many books seem to lack these days. [The] writing style is impeccable and this book is utterly breathtaking!”
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 25, 2014
5 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Perlmutter
3 books116 followersSarah Perlmutter is a young adult fiction writer and English teacher in Pennsylvania. She graduated with her BA in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh, where she continued to earn her MAT in Secondary English Education. Her debut novel The Blast won a Watty Award in 2014, and was a featured novel on Wattpad while still posted in its entirety. The Blast is available now on Amazon. When she is not reading and writing, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, cooking food that is far too spicy, making arts and crafts, and teaching her amazing students.
For more about Sarah, check out her website at www.SarahPerlmutter.com.
For more about Sarah, check out her website at www.SarahPerlmutter.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 29, 2015
Four stars of five? My brain is spinning from past few hours over this question. Anyway I've decided to go with the mid way. So 4.5 brilliant stars for this brilliant book.
I'm still a clutter of emotions this book left me in. The most amazing thing about it was that it is beautiful in every possible way. Whether it is the plot, the narration, the characters, the theme, the beautiful woods, field where the story revolves around, name it. When I started I thought things are moving too fast for me to catch, it was only after the tenth chapter when I realized that this is the beauty about this book and to be true somewhere inside me I'd been craving for this fast-paced beautiful novel. That is why I instantly fell into the rhythm of the story after only a few pages. I won't deny that even after leafing through the brilliance of the beautifully knitted words, I unconsciously kept looking for faults to satisfy my critical brain. At some point I obviously had to abandon my quest for errors in this book and that was the point when I fell into the deep well of emotions and lost my own self completely between the world that was lying beneath the pages. This was my first Sarah Perlmutter read and it was awesome beyond words. The world around me had melted for a second and I was living in this book.
About the characters-
I don't always feel like talking about the characters unless I really love them. This book was brilliant in whole but I couldn't connect myself to any specific character and despite the fact that the book was awesome I felt like characters were like shadows from some other tale, you know them, you know their life but if your stretch your hands to touch them they'd vanish. What I meant to say is that you can not delve into their hearts, you can not live them emotionally. Though Beatrice is an exception, we see the entire book through her eyes so of course we feel her emotions but other characters are just like translucent paper, they are there but at the same time they are not. They are hollow inside and outside. Without any depth.
I loved the book very much. And I'd recommend it to everyone. This author is genius, try reading her.
I'm still a clutter of emotions this book left me in. The most amazing thing about it was that it is beautiful in every possible way. Whether it is the plot, the narration, the characters, the theme, the beautiful woods, field where the story revolves around, name it. When I started I thought things are moving too fast for me to catch, it was only after the tenth chapter when I realized that this is the beauty about this book and to be true somewhere inside me I'd been craving for this fast-paced beautiful novel. That is why I instantly fell into the rhythm of the story after only a few pages. I won't deny that even after leafing through the brilliance of the beautifully knitted words, I unconsciously kept looking for faults to satisfy my critical brain. At some point I obviously had to abandon my quest for errors in this book and that was the point when I fell into the deep well of emotions and lost my own self completely between the world that was lying beneath the pages. This was my first Sarah Perlmutter read and it was awesome beyond words. The world around me had melted for a second and I was living in this book.
About the characters-
I don't always feel like talking about the characters unless I really love them. This book was brilliant in whole but I couldn't connect myself to any specific character and despite the fact that the book was awesome I felt like characters were like shadows from some other tale, you know them, you know their life but if your stretch your hands to touch them they'd vanish. What I meant to say is that you can not delve into their hearts, you can not live them emotionally. Though Beatrice is an exception, we see the entire book through her eyes so of course we feel her emotions but other characters are just like translucent paper, they are there but at the same time they are not. They are hollow inside and outside. Without any depth.
I loved the book very much. And I'd recommend it to everyone. This author is genius, try reading her.
April 7, 2015
4.5
THE BLAST tells us a story of a girl who made herself hard as steel and brave as a soldier.
Going into this book, I didn't know what to expect. I already know that I considered Hunger Games as the best dystopian book. However, hunger game was all about the nitty gritty things, while this one is all about the good things to look forward to. I'm not saying that it didn't have bad things in it. I'm just saying that the point of this book is all about the end result which is to have a brighter future for everyone.
In short, this has a happy ending. :)
Sorry if some of you will find that to be a spoiler, but I just had to get it out there.
Let me try to break it down.
Our heroine might just be the youngest (well, when it started) dystopian heroine I've ever read about. She was of course, innocent and all before the blast. She just wanted to play outside for crying out loud. Then suddenly, everything changes. Everything isn't how it used to be, everything isn't how it's supposed to be. In my opinion, she grew up FAST right after the blast. Her mind adapted quickly to the changes that came to their lives. She learned how to arm herself, how to fight, how to scavenge and how to not trust anybody besides her family. I think her best trait is her sense of survival. She has an inherent view of what could happen if she did/didn't do something. She's awesome!
The other characters have very unique set of traits. For example, we have Beatrice's best friend, Ellie. She's the hearts and flowers type. Complete opposite of Ellie, but they get along. I actually love their friendship. With the way that they grew up after the blast, I expected for them to drift apart or even fight, but no, these characters are tight. There's also Beatrice's parents... mygawd ain't they the pair! Strong parents! Strong, no-nonsense parents. If I call Beatrice a survivor, it's all thanks to her parents. The other characters especially the boys also have stories to tell. You can't miss them. I don't love what happened to them, but I like their camaraderie.
The story is all about them trying to find a piece of normalcy after everything that happened to them.This is about survival, fighting while trying to find where you stand.
I don't want to give out spoilers regarding what went on in the story.
However, I can tell you this: It's heartfelt.
I cried so many times.
But I also smiled at some point.
I guess that's how I would describe this book.
It's sad, what with the world ending and all, but it's still beautiful.
THE BLAST tells us a story of a girl who made herself hard as steel and brave as a soldier.
Going into this book, I didn't know what to expect. I already know that I considered Hunger Games as the best dystopian book. However, hunger game was all about the nitty gritty things, while this one is all about the good things to look forward to. I'm not saying that it didn't have bad things in it. I'm just saying that the point of this book is all about the end result which is to have a brighter future for everyone.
In short, this has a happy ending. :)
Sorry if some of you will find that to be a spoiler, but I just had to get it out there.
Let me try to break it down.
Our heroine might just be the youngest (well, when it started) dystopian heroine I've ever read about. She was of course, innocent and all before the blast. She just wanted to play outside for crying out loud. Then suddenly, everything changes. Everything isn't how it used to be, everything isn't how it's supposed to be. In my opinion, she grew up FAST right after the blast. Her mind adapted quickly to the changes that came to their lives. She learned how to arm herself, how to fight, how to scavenge and how to not trust anybody besides her family. I think her best trait is her sense of survival. She has an inherent view of what could happen if she did/didn't do something. She's awesome!
The other characters have very unique set of traits. For example, we have Beatrice's best friend, Ellie. She's the hearts and flowers type. Complete opposite of Ellie, but they get along. I actually love their friendship. With the way that they grew up after the blast, I expected for them to drift apart or even fight, but no, these characters are tight. There's also Beatrice's parents... mygawd ain't they the pair! Strong parents! Strong, no-nonsense parents. If I call Beatrice a survivor, it's all thanks to her parents. The other characters especially the boys also have stories to tell. You can't miss them. I don't love what happened to them, but I like their camaraderie.
The story is all about them trying to find a piece of normalcy after everything that happened to them.This is about survival, fighting while trying to find where you stand.
I don't want to give out spoilers regarding what went on in the story.
However, I can tell you this: It's heartfelt.
I cried so many times.
But I also smiled at some point.
I guess that's how I would describe this book.
It's sad, what with the world ending and all, but it's still beautiful.
April 12, 2015
Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours and author Sarah Perlmutter for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Blast by Sarah Perlmutter is a post-apocalyptic tale of family and survival that sees one girl grow up in a world destroyed and is a story of learning to live despite the chaotic state of the new world.
Beatrice Hicks is only ten years old when a series of blasts see Beatrice, her family and their closest neighbors seek refuge in her family's bunker and then emerge some time later to discover they are among only a few to have survived the nuclear blast that has destroyed the world around them. Over the course of many months and years, Beatrice and those she loves fight to survive in their new world, experiencing vast loss and pain along the way that see them battle to remain their humanity and survive when desperation makes people dangerous and hard choices must be made if Beatrice and her family ever hope to survive.
I've only read a couple of apocalyptic tales like this. The Last Girl by Michael Adams and Red Hill by Jamie McGuire come to mind, although there are no zombies or paranormal elements to be found within the pages of The Blast. The Blast isn't like a lot of the apocalyptic and dystopian stories that seem to be all the range right now in the sense that it's very real and authentic as opposed to supernatural or futuristic.
The events of the story and the experiences our heroine Beatrice goes through are very easy to visualize within today's day and age and are what you would expect to witness should the world end in the same fashion that Bea's does.
The Blast is told entirely through Beatrice's eyes and sees Beatrice grow from a frightened child to a capable young woman over the course of the story. I'm going to be honest here; I struggled with Bea in the first half of the book. Bea came across as a spoilt and bratty child, and her parents didn't do a lot to help this as far as I'm concerned, but I understand why Sarah Perlmutter wrote Bea and her parents this way. The end of the world as they know it forces them all to grow, and make tough choices, and I liked that Perlmutter made Bea question her choices and decisions. By the end of the novel I was much more of a fan of Beatrice.
There's a lot of pain and loss within this novel. Perlmutter doesn't shy away from death and disease in this novel where the modern technology and medicine we so rely on in everyday life is long gone. Over six years the characters slowly build a new life for themselves; simpler, but still effective and mange to fall in love, find powerful new friendships and continue to survive.
The Blast sees Sarah Perlmutter explore the power of human survival and our capacity to thrive in dire circumstances. Solidly written and engaging, The Blast is an authentic apocalyptic tale that is sure to be a hit with those who enjoy genuine tales......
Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!
The Blast by Sarah Perlmutter is a post-apocalyptic tale of family and survival that sees one girl grow up in a world destroyed and is a story of learning to live despite the chaotic state of the new world.
Beatrice Hicks is only ten years old when a series of blasts see Beatrice, her family and their closest neighbors seek refuge in her family's bunker and then emerge some time later to discover they are among only a few to have survived the nuclear blast that has destroyed the world around them. Over the course of many months and years, Beatrice and those she loves fight to survive in their new world, experiencing vast loss and pain along the way that see them battle to remain their humanity and survive when desperation makes people dangerous and hard choices must be made if Beatrice and her family ever hope to survive.
I've only read a couple of apocalyptic tales like this. The Last Girl by Michael Adams and Red Hill by Jamie McGuire come to mind, although there are no zombies or paranormal elements to be found within the pages of The Blast. The Blast isn't like a lot of the apocalyptic and dystopian stories that seem to be all the range right now in the sense that it's very real and authentic as opposed to supernatural or futuristic.
The events of the story and the experiences our heroine Beatrice goes through are very easy to visualize within today's day and age and are what you would expect to witness should the world end in the same fashion that Bea's does.
The Blast is told entirely through Beatrice's eyes and sees Beatrice grow from a frightened child to a capable young woman over the course of the story. I'm going to be honest here; I struggled with Bea in the first half of the book. Bea came across as a spoilt and bratty child, and her parents didn't do a lot to help this as far as I'm concerned, but I understand why Sarah Perlmutter wrote Bea and her parents this way. The end of the world as they know it forces them all to grow, and make tough choices, and I liked that Perlmutter made Bea question her choices and decisions. By the end of the novel I was much more of a fan of Beatrice.
There's a lot of pain and loss within this novel. Perlmutter doesn't shy away from death and disease in this novel where the modern technology and medicine we so rely on in everyday life is long gone. Over six years the characters slowly build a new life for themselves; simpler, but still effective and mange to fall in love, find powerful new friendships and continue to survive.
The Blast sees Sarah Perlmutter explore the power of human survival and our capacity to thrive in dire circumstances. Solidly written and engaging, The Blast is an authentic apocalyptic tale that is sure to be a hit with those who enjoy genuine tales......
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2015
***SPOILER-FREE REVIEW!***
The Blast is a science fiction/post-apocalyptic novel written by first time novelist Sarah Perlmutter. Here is a synopsis from Goodreads:
“After a series of blasts force Beatrice Hicks and her family into their prepper bunker, they emerge to discover they are among the survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. Fighting against rogue groups and coping with deaths are just some of the adjustments Beatrice must make to survive, but how will she maintain her humanity after the blast?”
Doesn’t that sound exciting? That was my first reaction to the idea. It gave off a vibe similar to The Compound by S.J. Bodeen, a book I found very interesting. However, there were some key flaws in that book that made it so I didn’t really like it. Which is why I was wary when I started this one. I didn’t want that experience again, but was willing to give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did!
This book starts off with a bang, both literally and figuratively. Within the first chapter, Beatrice is forced into her family’s bunker by the nuclear blast, and it only gets more interesting from there. Her family has to battle obstacles such as a lack of food, winter weather, and other people who want to survive too. This book looks into so many parts of life that many dystopian novels, and novels in general, don’t anymore. It talks about religion in the midst of the end of the world, and how the characters deal with how the changes in the world affect what they believe. It also starts off from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl, and follows her into her teenage years. This is not seen in most novels, as they do not typically follow a character over a period of years. You get to see so many instances of dramatic character change that make the story wonderful.
I also love the character’s voice. It is unique and real, and throughout the entire book, you can see the parallels between the growth of the voice and the growth in the character. It is something that does not happen a lot in books, and I loved that it did in this one.
And while this book deals with some very heavy topics, such as love, loss, and religion, it is still a fast-paced read. I read this throughout the span of about a day. It only took me two sittings to get through it, and the only reason it wasn’t one is because I had to go somewhere. The action keeps you going, but the other topics make it a thought-provoking experience. All in all, The Blast was one of the most unique dystopian novels I have read in recent times, and for that I applaud Mrs. Perlmutter.
I would recommend this book to people who read science fiction, people who don’t, pretty much anybody. This book is science fiction, but it reads almost like a contemporary. It is a very unique book, and I would rate it five out of five stars.
***Note: I read this book for free on Wattpad. There may have been some changes made to the final version, I am just reviewing the copy that I read.***
The Blast is a science fiction/post-apocalyptic novel written by first time novelist Sarah Perlmutter. Here is a synopsis from Goodreads:
“After a series of blasts force Beatrice Hicks and her family into their prepper bunker, they emerge to discover they are among the survivors of a nuclear apocalypse. Fighting against rogue groups and coping with deaths are just some of the adjustments Beatrice must make to survive, but how will she maintain her humanity after the blast?”
Doesn’t that sound exciting? That was my first reaction to the idea. It gave off a vibe similar to The Compound by S.J. Bodeen, a book I found very interesting. However, there were some key flaws in that book that made it so I didn’t really like it. Which is why I was wary when I started this one. I didn’t want that experience again, but was willing to give it a try. And boy, am I glad I did!
This book starts off with a bang, both literally and figuratively. Within the first chapter, Beatrice is forced into her family’s bunker by the nuclear blast, and it only gets more interesting from there. Her family has to battle obstacles such as a lack of food, winter weather, and other people who want to survive too. This book looks into so many parts of life that many dystopian novels, and novels in general, don’t anymore. It talks about religion in the midst of the end of the world, and how the characters deal with how the changes in the world affect what they believe. It also starts off from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl, and follows her into her teenage years. This is not seen in most novels, as they do not typically follow a character over a period of years. You get to see so many instances of dramatic character change that make the story wonderful.
I also love the character’s voice. It is unique and real, and throughout the entire book, you can see the parallels between the growth of the voice and the growth in the character. It is something that does not happen a lot in books, and I loved that it did in this one.
And while this book deals with some very heavy topics, such as love, loss, and religion, it is still a fast-paced read. I read this throughout the span of about a day. It only took me two sittings to get through it, and the only reason it wasn’t one is because I had to go somewhere. The action keeps you going, but the other topics make it a thought-provoking experience. All in all, The Blast was one of the most unique dystopian novels I have read in recent times, and for that I applaud Mrs. Perlmutter.
I would recommend this book to people who read science fiction, people who don’t, pretty much anybody. This book is science fiction, but it reads almost like a contemporary. It is a very unique book, and I would rate it five out of five stars.
***Note: I read this book for free on Wattpad. There may have been some changes made to the final version, I am just reviewing the copy that I read.***
April 9, 2015
I received a review copy for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
The Blast is a fast-paced, post-apocalyptic young adult novel with a very young heroine, Beatrice, at the core of the story. After the blasts force Beatrice, her younger brother Henry, and their parents into their bunker, things are never going to be the same for them again. Lucky for Beatrice, her parents prepared for an emergency such as this and had made and stocked the bunker with all kinds of supplies.
The Blast had some major surprises in store. The grittiness of the world after it goes to crap is so realistic, it feels like it could really happen. In a situation like this, where your life changes forever, bad things are bound to happen, and Perlmutter doesn't shy away from from those kind of things happening. I knew life wasn't going to be pretty for this family, but I had no idea they were going to go through so much grief. What really helped them out was the preparation Beatrice's parents had done in case something like this happened.
The nuclear winter was really freaky. The description of what it was like when the family went out scavenging for supplies with ash surrounding them and completely frigid temperatures making it impossible to venture far from home was so realistic. It was just like I imagined a nuclear winter to be like, and it gave me chills!
As I mentioned before, The Blast was very fast paced, taking place over five years, but I wished the pace was slower, taking its time a little more. The story is so rich with so much potential it felt a bit rushed at times. I wanted more!
Beatrice is literally just a kid at eleven-years-old, yet she's had to kill people to protect her family. She isn't even a teen at the beginning of the novel. The things she's had to do for herself and her family to survive keep haunting her, and are things no kid her age should have to see let alone do. Though it was necessary, it changes her forever. There's no going back. She's forced to grow up quickly.
There's foreshadowing here and there of things to come, but the way those events unfold is what will keep you riveted. I couldn't put this book down! The Blast is the kind of story I read in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I was pulled in right away, and the suspense and grittiness of this new world post-apocalypse had me enthralled.
The Blast is a fast-paced, post-apocalyptic young adult novel with a very young heroine, Beatrice, at the core of the story. After the blasts force Beatrice, her younger brother Henry, and their parents into their bunker, things are never going to be the same for them again. Lucky for Beatrice, her parents prepared for an emergency such as this and had made and stocked the bunker with all kinds of supplies.
The Blast had some major surprises in store. The grittiness of the world after it goes to crap is so realistic, it feels like it could really happen. In a situation like this, where your life changes forever, bad things are bound to happen, and Perlmutter doesn't shy away from from those kind of things happening. I knew life wasn't going to be pretty for this family, but I had no idea they were going to go through so much grief. What really helped them out was the preparation Beatrice's parents had done in case something like this happened.
The nuclear winter was really freaky. The description of what it was like when the family went out scavenging for supplies with ash surrounding them and completely frigid temperatures making it impossible to venture far from home was so realistic. It was just like I imagined a nuclear winter to be like, and it gave me chills!
As I mentioned before, The Blast was very fast paced, taking place over five years, but I wished the pace was slower, taking its time a little more. The story is so rich with so much potential it felt a bit rushed at times. I wanted more!
Beatrice is literally just a kid at eleven-years-old, yet she's had to kill people to protect her family. She isn't even a teen at the beginning of the novel. The things she's had to do for herself and her family to survive keep haunting her, and are things no kid her age should have to see let alone do. Though it was necessary, it changes her forever. There's no going back. She's forced to grow up quickly.
There's foreshadowing here and there of things to come, but the way those events unfold is what will keep you riveted. I couldn't put this book down! The Blast is the kind of story I read in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I was pulled in right away, and the suspense and grittiness of this new world post-apocalypse had me enthralled.
July 26, 2015
This was a great read. The summary above pretty much says it all so I'll get right to the review.
Beatrice was an amazing heroine. She was strong and brave but also quite vulnerable. When her world ends, she does all she has to to save her family but sometimes it's not enough. My heart broke for her a lot because she is forced to grow up really quick.
The author isn't afraid to kill of characters!! I cried a few times over the deaths but one in particular really got to me. You know which one when you read the book!! It was absolutely heartbreaking.
I loved the premise of the story though did find that it dragged a bit. The idea of a nuclear apocalypse is believable and the author really knew her stuff. I loved that the author focused on how life changes for people rather than focusing on the whole world and the chaos that follows. She focused on one family and their journey to survive the apocalypse in their own home.
Now there was a few things that annoyed me and stopped me from loving the book so much. Drew was one thing!! What he did and why he did it was, in my opinion, ridiculous. I can't say more because of spoilers but it really annoyed me! There is also a case of insta love (which I hate!!!!)
Anyway, despite the little things that annoyed me, I really enjoyed The Blast. The blast happens at the start and the story flows well, though it's not the most action packed book. This deals with love, loss, survival and what humanity does when the end comes. What would you do if the world you knew ended with a bang?
In all, a well written and developed story. The characters are tough and believable and the plot was scarily real. A Nuclear Apocalypse could happen!!! 3.5 stars.
Beatrice was an amazing heroine. She was strong and brave but also quite vulnerable. When her world ends, she does all she has to to save her family but sometimes it's not enough. My heart broke for her a lot because she is forced to grow up really quick.
The author isn't afraid to kill of characters!! I cried a few times over the deaths but one in particular really got to me. You know which one when you read the book!! It was absolutely heartbreaking.
I loved the premise of the story though did find that it dragged a bit. The idea of a nuclear apocalypse is believable and the author really knew her stuff. I loved that the author focused on how life changes for people rather than focusing on the whole world and the chaos that follows. She focused on one family and their journey to survive the apocalypse in their own home.
Now there was a few things that annoyed me and stopped me from loving the book so much. Drew was one thing!! What he did and why he did it was, in my opinion, ridiculous. I can't say more because of spoilers but it really annoyed me! There is also a case of insta love (which I hate!!!!)
Anyway, despite the little things that annoyed me, I really enjoyed The Blast. The blast happens at the start and the story flows well, though it's not the most action packed book. This deals with love, loss, survival and what humanity does when the end comes. What would you do if the world you knew ended with a bang?
In all, a well written and developed story. The characters are tough and believable and the plot was scarily real. A Nuclear Apocalypse could happen!!! 3.5 stars.
March 13, 2015
This book is brilliant, very well written and has a great plot.
The author has done an amazing job with this book. It's exciting, and had me hooked at the first page itself.
A must read for dystopian and YA lovers.
The author has done an amazing job with this book. It's exciting, and had me hooked at the first page itself.
A must read for dystopian and YA lovers.
January 23, 2015
I'm more into dystopia than I am post-apocalyptic, but despite that, I absolutely loved The Blast !
Quick Notes:
The Premise
Beatrice Hicks is a ten-year-old girl who lives with her parents and her little brother Henry on their family farm. Then, one day, there's a nuclear explosion and she and her family, along with some of her neighbors, are forced into Beatrice's family's shelter. When it's finally safe to come out, the world is a changed place. Other survivors wander around in nomadic bands, pillaging homes and killing people who stand in their way. There's no longer any public education, supermarkets for fresh food, and many modern conveniences. The Blast is the story of how Beatrice grows up in the apocalypse.
Really interesting premise! The nuclear explosion bit is pretty common, but I haven't read a book that deals with a child's perspective growing up amidst all this before, and it did a very good job on that count!
The Plot
The Blast is relatively fast paced, but not so fast that it leaves you confused. It has a few slow parts- every book does- but anything that isn't constant action (which gets a bit old, let's face it) is something that's also really essential to the book and to the characters. Not a ton of books get me emotionally invested in the characters to make me cry, but this one did! I was literally sobbing at parts, and laughing and smiling unnaturally big at others. I didn't feel like anything that happened in The Blast was at all unnecessary and it all flowed together nicely. Generally, books that start with a young character who ages annoy me somewhat, because I don't usually want to hear about a ten-year-old character (I don't read children's fiction for a reason), but The Blast did this very well, and the progression of time as Beatrice got older really helped to enhance the story. It also has a skip like in Jane Eyre where the character goes from being a child to a teenager or young woman; in this case, Beatrice goes from eleven and a half to being seventeen. The transition here feels almost effortless and there isn't any confusing backstory about what happened in the years there wasn't any narration about.
The World-Building
The original setting- a rural community in present day- didn't require much world-building, but since the world after the nuclear explosion is almost a different place, there's definitely some needed in some parts. I am happy to say that The Blast did this really well. It explained the Nomads perfectly, we found out how they got their food source, and we basically got to see life go on, which is always inspiring. There is nothing confusing about the world after the explosion.
The Character
Most people who heard that the character was ten in a more YA-geared book would just be like "uhhh..." Well, she only starts at ten, she does age as it goes on. And for a ten-year-old narrator, she sounds incredibly smart and descriptive, but it's age-authentic at the same time. I have no idea how the author managed to pull that off, but it worked! So while she starts at ten, she isn't annoying and childish, and she matures pretty quickly due to the change in the world. Beatrice was a great narrator, and I absolutely loved her as a character.
The Writing
The writing in The Blast was amazing. It's descriptive, but not in an overwhelming way; it's emotional, but not forced. Again, it's age-authentic to the character but it's also detailed and mature. Beatrice's emotions are all captured perfectly; there's no annoying syntax issues (I read this one book where they pretty much only used periods, never commas); there's pretty much nothing bothersome. It's the kind of really good writing that often doesn't get noticed by readers, but it's beautiful and lyrical. The Blast is very well written, in other words.
The Romance
Something that really annoys me is books that seem like they're going to have an interesting plot and then turn out to be just romance. Like, the whole novel. And I know some people like this, and in some books it's great, but when I read action/adventure type books, I don't want the "action" to be all kissing.
That said, there is a tiny bit of romance in The Blast . It's later on in the story, and it's really, really cute. This is not a romance novel in a dystopian or post-apocalyptic setting; it's a story with romance on the side.
The romance that is there does not overdo the kissing. That also bothers me in books- characters that say they love each other but all they do is kiss. Sure, there's a tiny bit of kissing (and that's all that's described) but the two characters in question actually get to know each other- with words- and to me that makes the romance in The Blast a ton better than in books like Shatter Me , which was a really good book but had mainly physical romance.
I actually ended up having a bit of a crush on the love interest. It's just that good.
Other Randomness
The cover is beautiful.
Also, I cried a lot and squealed at times too. The Blast is surprisingly a really emotional story, and I loved this aspect of it.
Overall
The Blast is definitely one of those few really good books that I would recommend to almost anyone. All its aspects merge together perfectly into one amazing book. I loved it!!!
Quick Notes:
- The Blast is written in first person past tense
-The main character is a girl named Beatrice, whose age changes throughout the book, so the reader gets to watch her grow up.
-I don't remember if there's cursing, but I don't think there really is.
-There's a bit of romance but nothing R-rated. It's an appropriate read, if that's a concern.
-The genre is post-apocalyptic science fiction
The Premise
Beatrice Hicks is a ten-year-old girl who lives with her parents and her little brother Henry on their family farm. Then, one day, there's a nuclear explosion and she and her family, along with some of her neighbors, are forced into Beatrice's family's shelter. When it's finally safe to come out, the world is a changed place. Other survivors wander around in nomadic bands, pillaging homes and killing people who stand in their way. There's no longer any public education, supermarkets for fresh food, and many modern conveniences. The Blast is the story of how Beatrice grows up in the apocalypse.
Really interesting premise! The nuclear explosion bit is pretty common, but I haven't read a book that deals with a child's perspective growing up amidst all this before, and it did a very good job on that count!
The Plot
The Blast is relatively fast paced, but not so fast that it leaves you confused. It has a few slow parts- every book does- but anything that isn't constant action (which gets a bit old, let's face it) is something that's also really essential to the book and to the characters. Not a ton of books get me emotionally invested in the characters to make me cry, but this one did! I was literally sobbing at parts, and laughing and smiling unnaturally big at others. I didn't feel like anything that happened in The Blast was at all unnecessary and it all flowed together nicely. Generally, books that start with a young character who ages annoy me somewhat, because I don't usually want to hear about a ten-year-old character (I don't read children's fiction for a reason), but The Blast did this very well, and the progression of time as Beatrice got older really helped to enhance the story. It also has a skip like in Jane Eyre where the character goes from being a child to a teenager or young woman; in this case, Beatrice goes from eleven and a half to being seventeen. The transition here feels almost effortless and there isn't any confusing backstory about what happened in the years there wasn't any narration about.
The World-Building
The original setting- a rural community in present day- didn't require much world-building, but since the world after the nuclear explosion is almost a different place, there's definitely some needed in some parts. I am happy to say that The Blast did this really well. It explained the Nomads perfectly, we found out how they got their food source, and we basically got to see life go on, which is always inspiring. There is nothing confusing about the world after the explosion.
The Character
Most people who heard that the character was ten in a more YA-geared book would just be like "uhhh..." Well, she only starts at ten, she does age as it goes on. And for a ten-year-old narrator, she sounds incredibly smart and descriptive, but it's age-authentic at the same time. I have no idea how the author managed to pull that off, but it worked! So while she starts at ten, she isn't annoying and childish, and she matures pretty quickly due to the change in the world. Beatrice was a great narrator, and I absolutely loved her as a character.
The Writing
The writing in The Blast was amazing. It's descriptive, but not in an overwhelming way; it's emotional, but not forced. Again, it's age-authentic to the character but it's also detailed and mature. Beatrice's emotions are all captured perfectly; there's no annoying syntax issues (I read this one book where they pretty much only used periods, never commas); there's pretty much nothing bothersome. It's the kind of really good writing that often doesn't get noticed by readers, but it's beautiful and lyrical. The Blast is very well written, in other words.
The Romance
Something that really annoys me is books that seem like they're going to have an interesting plot and then turn out to be just romance. Like, the whole novel. And I know some people like this, and in some books it's great, but when I read action/adventure type books, I don't want the "action" to be all kissing.
That said, there is a tiny bit of romance in The Blast . It's later on in the story, and it's really, really cute. This is not a romance novel in a dystopian or post-apocalyptic setting; it's a story with romance on the side.
The romance that is there does not overdo the kissing. That also bothers me in books- characters that say they love each other but all they do is kiss. Sure, there's a tiny bit of kissing (and that's all that's described) but the two characters in question actually get to know each other- with words- and to me that makes the romance in The Blast a ton better than in books like Shatter Me , which was a really good book but had mainly physical romance.
I actually ended up having a bit of a crush on the love interest. It's just that good.
Other Randomness
The cover is beautiful.
Also, I cried a lot and squealed at times too. The Blast is surprisingly a really emotional story, and I loved this aspect of it.
Overall
The Blast is definitely one of those few really good books that I would recommend to almost anyone. All its aspects merge together perfectly into one amazing book. I loved it!!!
April 10, 2015
READ MY REVIEW ON MY BLOG
http://thebookishangel.wordpress.com
Copy provided by for the blog tour.
I think this is the first time I actually read a post-apocalyptic book and I was not let down. The Blast is a promising first book for a series and I can’t wait to read more!
I promise you that in this big world of hurt, you will find love.
I liked how the story started when the main character, Beatrice, is only a kid. It showed how she has grown up in the world learned through hardships. She was such a badass character. The other characters are all unique, they have their own personalities. The world building is good though it has some little faults.
…we find people who make us feel special and we love them for all they are. We love them for their imperfections.
One of the things I liked most about this book is that it is realistic. If the world would be like the world in The Blast (but please don’t let that happen pretty please) I can really picture that there is one girl who would be like Beatrice. The book and characters are consistent. It’s like they really are real people.
…realize that everything that has ever happened to you, all the heartache, all the pain, everything, led to this person who loves you. This is the greatest happiness we can ask for in this life.
The romance is pretty good. There is insta-love but it’s not the annoying kind. I still have some questions and I hope they would be answered in the next book.
The Blast is a heart-pounding post-apocalypse novel. I was always nervous as to what will happen next and the best thing about this book is that it kept me wanting more! I hope I would get the opportunity to read and review the second story/book! :)
http://thebookishangel.wordpress.com
Copy provided by for the blog tour.
I think this is the first time I actually read a post-apocalyptic book and I was not let down. The Blast is a promising first book for a series and I can’t wait to read more!
I promise you that in this big world of hurt, you will find love.
I liked how the story started when the main character, Beatrice, is only a kid. It showed how she has grown up in the world learned through hardships. She was such a badass character. The other characters are all unique, they have their own personalities. The world building is good though it has some little faults.
…we find people who make us feel special and we love them for all they are. We love them for their imperfections.
One of the things I liked most about this book is that it is realistic. If the world would be like the world in The Blast (but please don’t let that happen pretty please) I can really picture that there is one girl who would be like Beatrice. The book and characters are consistent. It’s like they really are real people.
…realize that everything that has ever happened to you, all the heartache, all the pain, everything, led to this person who loves you. This is the greatest happiness we can ask for in this life.
The romance is pretty good. There is insta-love but it’s not the annoying kind. I still have some questions and I hope they would be answered in the next book.
The Blast is a heart-pounding post-apocalypse novel. I was always nervous as to what will happen next and the best thing about this book is that it kept me wanting more! I hope I would get the opportunity to read and review the second story/book! :)
June 4, 2018
Review Coming 7 April as part of the book tour :) !
May 2, 2015
The characters in this were okay, but I didn't love them.
This wasn't a bad read, but there was quite a few times where I felt bored, as the action didn't always interest me.
This wasn't a bad read, but there was quite a few times where I felt bored, as the action didn't always interest me.
July 21, 2020
Lack of any details regarding the titular "blast" or how anyone nearby could have survived radiation poisoning notwithstanding, I was enjoying this book well enough (for a self-published work) as a sort of quiet story about one sheltered teenage girl's very insular experience of the end of the world.
Then the last few chapters really brought it down: super rushed and utterly focused on weddings and babies. WTF? It was like it suddenly became a different book entirely.
Then the last few chapters really brought it down: super rushed and utterly focused on weddings and babies. WTF? It was like it suddenly became a different book entirely.
November 11, 2018
With no warning, the world as ten year old Beatrice knows it ends. After weeks spent in a bunker her parents fortunately had the foresight to build into their home, it’s clear that everything has changed. Now they must make their own way, grow their own food, and defend themselves against roving nomadic scavengers who would take what little they have left to survive.
The Verdict: I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked this one up; I think I just wanted something different. And The Blast is different in the very best way.
Beatrice is just a child when she spots the giant mushroom cloud that announces the end of American society. Rushed into a concrete bunker by her parents, she hides out with her family and a couple of neighbors, not fully understanding just what has happened. When they emerge, their entire world has changed, and the threat is no longer nuclear bombs but random strangers against whom they must defend their lives and their resources.
In The Blast we see Beatrice lose her childhood overnight, and then we watch her grow up into a resourceful young woman in a changed world. It’s interesting to see things unfold through her eyes; she’s just old enough to see clearly what’s happening around her but just young enough that she’s still completely reliant on her parents to interpret the world for her. Her parents weren’t what I would call Doomsday Preppers. While they had a bunker and some ways to provide for themselves, they didn’t have a whole underground mansion outfitted for years of survival. Fortunately, they had guns, first to defend themselves and then to hunt, and they were more than capable of growing a garden and maintaining the basics for survival.
Unlike other post-apocalyptic stories I’ve read, Beatrice’s family doesn’t set out for parts unknown or wait for the government to rescue them. They just sort of hunker down and continue their lives on their property just outside of town. In this way, we see more of the normal day-to-day life after the bombs, with threats coming in the form of armed and violent scavengers as opposed to makeshift militias, zombies, or plague victims. Over time, they find other survivors like themselves, some lost and still alive thanks to nothing but dumb luck and circumstance, and together they become a small circle of makeshift families.
Beatrice’s initial coming of age destroys her innocence in an instant. Not only does she find herself killing in defense of herself and her family, but she also watches someone she loves die because there is simply no medical help available. These two events in fairly quick succession send her mind to a dark place, but she eventually emerges as a strong, capable teen. Of course, no story of growing up would be complete without the bickering between friends, a crush, and wondering what the future will bring. It’s nearly impossible for her to dream of a happily ever after, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t grow into wanting someone for herself.
I feel like if I list out all the things that were so wonderful about this story, I’ll end up spoiling it. It’s heartbreaking, hopeful, and so damned terrifying all at once, and scenes play out as simply and as poignantly as they do in the non-fiction world. In Beatrice’s mind, we struggle to comprehend the sudden absence of civilization, seek normalcy in the remnants of society, and press on in an effort to survive and perhaps thrive. I would imagine this is the most realistic post-apocalyptic story I’ve ever read, though I hope I never get to confirm that. With life, loss, and eventually love, The Blast quite frankly blew me away.
April 12, 2015
I picked up this book because I like science fiction. I like post apocalyptic stories. I like stories that involves survival. I expected The Blast to be something like the usual novels - the world breaks, people unite, a government is establish then start oppressing people and blah-blah-blah... But it exceeded my expectations.
The Blast stared off well. Beatrice Hicks saw an oncoming bomb. Her family along with a couple of neighbors took shelter in Beatrice's family basement. From there, it was literally a survival - they hunt, grow vegetables, look for canned foods, watch themselves from 'nomads' (survivors who kill other people and take all their things), and other more things.
I like the development on Beatrice. The bomb exploded when she was 10. A lot of things happened since then and it was a really crazy. You can really see where she's coming from all the time. She's brave. She's reliable. While there would be times when she just emotionally break down, it never really bothered me. In fact, I really feel so much for her.
One of the things I really love about here is Beatrice's closeness to her family. The story not only revolves around Beatrice but also on the people around her. It really made me feel that when an apocalypse happen, it's not just about the bigger things like how the government will bring the society back up again or the scientific explanation of the apocalypse. It's about surviving. It's about surviving with the people you care about. It's finding finding out ways how to help each other, how to keep yourselves alive. It's about taking care of each other no matter what.
Aside from how family oriented this story is, I like the somehow realistic take on the story. It's not always that I can find something like this - something that literally takes the life right after an apocalypse (because usual stories go around the society that was built after the apocalypse then they turn into some kind of dystopian society. yup.). I like the emotion in this novel. There were fear, bravery, sadness, desperation. Perlmutter successfully pulled these things.
The romance aspect of the story is pretty sweet. It's insta-love but it's something I can accept. Beatrice and Todd just met. They were both young - young in years but in experience, if we're talking about such an apocalypse, I'd say they were old enough. There certainly was development on Beatrice and Todd's relationship and while it was a bit quick, I'd say it was pretty good.
While I really loved this story, these characters, and how it was presented, there were a couple of things that kind of bothered me. There a clear lack of world development. The story was too focused on the family, on Beatrice, on how they'll survive each day that the world was set aside - like what's really happening out there? Why was there a blast to begin with? Nothing was explained.Then there was this odd moment which bothered me for a moment - there were still canned foods 5years after the apocalypse! Like how is that even possible? I know canned goods last long but I think that 5years is over doing it.
Overall, The Blast is A MUST READ post-apocalyptic story. It shows real survival. It shows that when things like this happens, it's not always about a corrupt government or about an over the top science experiment. It focuses on family, losing love ones, surviving, and living for the future.
this review can also be found at: the Blacksheep Project
The Blast stared off well. Beatrice Hicks saw an oncoming bomb. Her family along with a couple of neighbors took shelter in Beatrice's family basement. From there, it was literally a survival - they hunt, grow vegetables, look for canned foods, watch themselves from 'nomads' (survivors who kill other people and take all their things), and other more things.
I like the development on Beatrice. The bomb exploded when she was 10. A lot of things happened since then and it was a really crazy. You can really see where she's coming from all the time. She's brave. She's reliable. While there would be times when she just emotionally break down, it never really bothered me. In fact, I really feel so much for her.
One of the things I really love about here is Beatrice's closeness to her family. The story not only revolves around Beatrice but also on the people around her. It really made me feel that when an apocalypse happen, it's not just about the bigger things like how the government will bring the society back up again or the scientific explanation of the apocalypse. It's about surviving. It's about surviving with the people you care about. It's finding finding out ways how to help each other, how to keep yourselves alive. It's about taking care of each other no matter what.
Aside from how family oriented this story is, I like the somehow realistic take on the story. It's not always that I can find something like this - something that literally takes the life right after an apocalypse (because usual stories go around the society that was built after the apocalypse then they turn into some kind of dystopian society. yup.). I like the emotion in this novel. There were fear, bravery, sadness, desperation. Perlmutter successfully pulled these things.
The romance aspect of the story is pretty sweet. It's insta-love but it's something I can accept. Beatrice and Todd just met. They were both young - young in years but in experience, if we're talking about such an apocalypse, I'd say they were old enough. There certainly was development on Beatrice and Todd's relationship and while it was a bit quick, I'd say it was pretty good.
While I really loved this story, these characters, and how it was presented, there were a couple of things that kind of bothered me. There a clear lack of world development. The story was too focused on the family, on Beatrice, on how they'll survive each day that the world was set aside - like what's really happening out there? Why was there a blast to begin with? Nothing was explained.
Overall, The Blast is A MUST READ post-apocalyptic story. It shows real survival. It shows that when things like this happens, it's not always about a corrupt government or about an over the top science experiment. It focuses on family, losing love ones, surviving, and living for the future.
this review can also be found at: the Blacksheep Project
May 5, 2015
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Review also posted in href="http://www.paperboulevard.com/2015/04...
What would you do when the world is ending? Of course, the first thing we think of is our family. We will get them safe. Hide for our lives. Get everyone in the basement. And, hope that tomorrow you and your family will get rescued. But to Beatrice Hicks, it's different.
Beatrice ran on their farm's field noticing a big firework on the horizon, as a ten year old girl would describe, but it was a nuclear bomb that changed everyone's lives. Her family made each other safe on their bunker including her bestfriend Ellie and her dad. They waited for the world to calm but things are just getting worse. The parents were eager to keep their family safe with loads of guns and ammo but it ended in a twist...
Through the words that came from Beatrice's mom, "Be brave.", she changed. Bea have lost her ten year old self and become the girl you would never think of. She thought it as her time to be brave. The time to protect her family. She then exploded and went blank. There was nothing else before her but what she needed to do. Beatrice have done the most violent thing a girl could do — KILL. Not just one but three.
The world was black and grey, not pink. Not airy. Not full of niceties and parties and dolls. Instead, it was full of ash and corpses and guns. Told by the voice of Beatrice Hicks, a girl who have transformed in one pull of the trigger, 'The Blast' is set to nurture us with love, family, self-reliance, perfidy, and between death and happiness. It delineates the life of Beatrice and the people around her for five years of post-apocalypse and is bound to left readers a breathtaking read.
Perlmutter wrote The Blast letting Beatrice Hicks find something else in the broken world to believe in. It is an astounding read for everyone who loves turns and dystopia.
Review also posted in href="http://www.paperboulevard.com/2015/04...
What would you do when the world is ending? Of course, the first thing we think of is our family. We will get them safe. Hide for our lives. Get everyone in the basement. And, hope that tomorrow you and your family will get rescued. But to Beatrice Hicks, it's different.
Beatrice ran on their farm's field noticing a big firework on the horizon, as a ten year old girl would describe, but it was a nuclear bomb that changed everyone's lives. Her family made each other safe on their bunker including her bestfriend Ellie and her dad. They waited for the world to calm but things are just getting worse. The parents were eager to keep their family safe with loads of guns and ammo but it ended in a twist...
Through the words that came from Beatrice's mom, "Be brave.", she changed. Bea have lost her ten year old self and become the girl you would never think of. She thought it as her time to be brave. The time to protect her family. She then exploded and went blank. There was nothing else before her but what she needed to do. Beatrice have done the most violent thing a girl could do — KILL. Not just one but three.
The world was black and grey, not pink. Not airy. Not full of niceties and parties and dolls. Instead, it was full of ash and corpses and guns. Told by the voice of Beatrice Hicks, a girl who have transformed in one pull of the trigger, 'The Blast' is set to nurture us with love, family, self-reliance, perfidy, and between death and happiness. It delineates the life of Beatrice and the people around her for five years of post-apocalypse and is bound to left readers a breathtaking read.
Perlmutter wrote The Blast letting Beatrice Hicks find something else in the broken world to believe in. It is an astounding read for everyone who loves turns and dystopia.
October 20, 2015
The first thing that caught my attention about this book was the cover. Gray, so much gray, and that's what the world would look like for many years after a nuclear apocalypse.
The next thing that caught my attention when I turned the first pages was Beatrice's age, 10. Nearly all young adult fiction begins when the protagonist is already a teen but, in The Blast, we get to go along with Beatrice as she grows up in this world of gray. That is an interesting way for Ms. Perlmutter to tell the story, allowing the reader to truly understand this young girl's impressions and how they and her surroundings shape her future. In more ways than the obvious one, Beatrice will never be 10 again.
The writing here is a little lightweight and stilted, for lack of better terms, meaning things happen too quickly and are sort of glazed over and the dialogue, in particular, is not always natural. The aftermath of the bombing is not terribly realistic and there were occasional blips in the story such as Mr. Timmons, a science professor, being so naive about the aftermath of a bomb and believing the government would take care of everything. Also, Beatrice's dad and then the others go outside the safe room mere hours after the bomb fell when that surely would have doomed them to a very painful death from the radiation but, when all is said and done, Ms. Perlmutter has crafted a tale that is much more than the usual post-apocalyptic story. Not much attention is paid to the world outside but this is a study of some decent people who survive such an event and how they continue to survive and, yet, still retain some of the kindness and love that is in the best of us. It's a story of family and that makes The Blast a bit different from the usual nuclear holocaust novel.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2015.
The next thing that caught my attention when I turned the first pages was Beatrice's age, 10. Nearly all young adult fiction begins when the protagonist is already a teen but, in The Blast, we get to go along with Beatrice as she grows up in this world of gray. That is an interesting way for Ms. Perlmutter to tell the story, allowing the reader to truly understand this young girl's impressions and how they and her surroundings shape her future. In more ways than the obvious one, Beatrice will never be 10 again.
The writing here is a little lightweight and stilted, for lack of better terms, meaning things happen too quickly and are sort of glazed over and the dialogue, in particular, is not always natural. The aftermath of the bombing is not terribly realistic and there were occasional blips in the story such as Mr. Timmons, a science professor, being so naive about the aftermath of a bomb and believing the government would take care of everything. Also, Beatrice's dad and then the others go outside the safe room mere hours after the bomb fell when that surely would have doomed them to a very painful death from the radiation but, when all is said and done, Ms. Perlmutter has crafted a tale that is much more than the usual post-apocalyptic story. Not much attention is paid to the world outside but this is a study of some decent people who survive such an event and how they continue to survive and, yet, still retain some of the kindness and love that is in the best of us. It's a story of family and that makes The Blast a bit different from the usual nuclear holocaust novel.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2015.
April 8, 2015
I do love a good dystopian but the one thing that I find missing a lot of the time is the immediate aftermath, when the bombs drop.
The Blast satisfies this missing ingredient, starting off as a perfectly normal day with two young kids innocently playing, little do they know their lives are about to change dramatically and very much for the worst.
Our POV for the book is young Beatrice who is ten when the book starts, thinking she sees fireworks in the distance her family which consists of her parents and brother along with their neighbour and his two kids hurry to the prepped basement of their house, her father tells her a big bomb has exploded but they will be safe in the basement, it has been filled with supplies for a long time.
Above ground they hear the blast pass over head, eventually they look out from their basement to see what has happened. There is fire everywhere , fire and destruction. The group lay low until they start hearing people moving above. The grown ups decide they need to defend their house and this is when the book steps up a notch.
The question is would you let complete strangers share your carefully saved food stock or would you shoot first and ask questions later? Beatrice is shocked by what happens and she changes over night from a happy go lucky young girl to a hardened survivor.
The Blast is a great read, as the story continues it follows Beatrice and her family as they struggle to survive in the horrific aftermath. If you enjoy your YA/Dystopia then you'll enjoy this.
Thank you to YA Book tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
The Blast satisfies this missing ingredient, starting off as a perfectly normal day with two young kids innocently playing, little do they know their lives are about to change dramatically and very much for the worst.
Our POV for the book is young Beatrice who is ten when the book starts, thinking she sees fireworks in the distance her family which consists of her parents and brother along with their neighbour and his two kids hurry to the prepped basement of their house, her father tells her a big bomb has exploded but they will be safe in the basement, it has been filled with supplies for a long time.
Above ground they hear the blast pass over head, eventually they look out from their basement to see what has happened. There is fire everywhere , fire and destruction. The group lay low until they start hearing people moving above. The grown ups decide they need to defend their house and this is when the book steps up a notch.
The question is would you let complete strangers share your carefully saved food stock or would you shoot first and ask questions later? Beatrice is shocked by what happens and she changes over night from a happy go lucky young girl to a hardened survivor.
The Blast is a great read, as the story continues it follows Beatrice and her family as they struggle to survive in the horrific aftermath. If you enjoy your YA/Dystopia then you'll enjoy this.
Thank you to YA Book tours for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
May 21, 2015
Imbued with that which makes us who we are, both that which inspires and that which calls into question the virtue, vice, and purpose of humanity here on earth, in terms not too abstruse nor too distilled, The Blast does not impugn its readers upon the nature of right or wrong, religion and relationships, nor upon self-identity or doubt, but rather challenges them to discover for themselves these things. The journey of the young protagonist Beatrice Hicks is wonderfully errant and ambiguous, fraught with an obscurity which abstains from portraying human morality and choice in no uncertain terms. Herein lies the fulcrum upon which hinges the emotional and intellectual force of the novel, for it expertly balances the personal with the philosophical, teetering as it does--and during such a pivotal time in life, those formative years through which we all construct our conceptions of this world-- between the story of a young girl and the implications of the choices she makes as so concerns that of which we are all capable, for better and for worse. And so it is that through a myriad of characters this book examines not only individual struggle, but represents the vox populi in any collective endeavor, a microcosm of the human experiment.
April 8, 2015
Full review to come with blog tour this coming week!
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
The Blast by Sarah Perlmutter was an exhilarating read! The author wastes no time in introducing us to the main character, a ten-year-old Beatrice. Shortly thereafter, the author takes the reader on an unforgettable post-apocalyptical ride.
I loved the way the author allowed the reader to follow Beatrice from girl to teenager, giving the reader a glimpse into how the perspective can change as we age.
The Blast didn't shy away from the perils created in a post-apocalyptical world. The author tackled some serious situations including how does one survive? Food? Water? Love? Loss? Religion is even a discussion. All these elements can get lost when tackling a post-apocalyptical world, but Ms. Perlmutter hit this head on making the world so much more believable and made it hard to put the book down.
I would highly recommend The Blast to lovers of Dystopian themed societies and great YA reads delving into post-apocalyptical worlds.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
The Blast by Sarah Perlmutter was an exhilarating read! The author wastes no time in introducing us to the main character, a ten-year-old Beatrice. Shortly thereafter, the author takes the reader on an unforgettable post-apocalyptical ride.
I loved the way the author allowed the reader to follow Beatrice from girl to teenager, giving the reader a glimpse into how the perspective can change as we age.
The Blast didn't shy away from the perils created in a post-apocalyptical world. The author tackled some serious situations including how does one survive? Food? Water? Love? Loss? Religion is even a discussion. All these elements can get lost when tackling a post-apocalyptical world, but Ms. Perlmutter hit this head on making the world so much more believable and made it hard to put the book down.
I would highly recommend The Blast to lovers of Dystopian themed societies and great YA reads delving into post-apocalyptical worlds.
April 8, 2015
Most post-apocalyptic books I have read are a bit more gloomy and doomy. Yes, I just said doomy. I found this story incredibly refreshing due to the focus on familial relationships, hope after heartache and the struggle of survival after everything has been destroyed in the nuclear blast. The growth that Beatrice experiences as her innocence is stolen due to the necessity of defending her family was moving. I admired her strength and her fortitude as she learned to face death with unflinching determination, and to recognize that death isn't necessarily as final as some might think.
Her ability to welcome love in her life after so much loss is inspiring simply because it is natural to fear such attachments after enduring so much loss. The love interest in this book is a loveable and lighthearted addition to the developing story line. I found the writing to be poetic in nature and the pacing exceptional. I highly recommend this novel to those interested in perfectly imperfect happily ever afters.
Her ability to welcome love in her life after so much loss is inspiring simply because it is natural to fear such attachments after enduring so much loss. The love interest in this book is a loveable and lighthearted addition to the developing story line. I found the writing to be poetic in nature and the pacing exceptional. I highly recommend this novel to those interested in perfectly imperfect happily ever afters.
April 11, 2015
Books & Sweet Epiphany
https://booksandsweetepiphany.wordpre...
Shockingly good read.
These are the three words that came into my head as my eyes trail the deliciously imaginative work of Sarah Perlmutter. Shockingly good read. Let me repeat that again because ‘The Blast’ is unlike any apocalyptic book I’ve ever read. Amazingly descriptive and chronologically placed, ‘The Blast’ tells the story of Beatrice, which kinda reminded me of Divergent’s main character. It’s engaging, suspenseful from the start and amazingly fresh. Perfectly captures the pain, the loss of childhood innocence and produced waterworks (and I don't cry for characters in books, EVER) However, there are times when I thought the story was going a tad too fast but it could be just the pace that I’m reading. Expect an unexpected yet expected romance, multitude of emotions while you ponder about the characters and resignation that you might never know what actually happened.
https://booksandsweetepiphany.wordpre...
Shockingly good read.
These are the three words that came into my head as my eyes trail the deliciously imaginative work of Sarah Perlmutter. Shockingly good read. Let me repeat that again because ‘The Blast’ is unlike any apocalyptic book I’ve ever read. Amazingly descriptive and chronologically placed, ‘The Blast’ tells the story of Beatrice, which kinda reminded me of Divergent’s main character. It’s engaging, suspenseful from the start and amazingly fresh. Perfectly captures the pain, the loss of childhood innocence and produced waterworks (and I don't cry for characters in books, EVER) However, there are times when I thought the story was going a tad too fast but it could be just the pace that I’m reading. Expect an unexpected yet expected romance, multitude of emotions while you ponder about the characters and resignation that you might never know what actually happened.
February 7, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! It is a definate must read if you like sci-fi, apocalypse type things. I thought the writing was excellent, the style was really nice to read and Beatrice's narration was strong and consistant. There is a strong cast of characters, although it would have been nice to see a little more development of the minor characters. The main characters were well developed and had likable personalities. It was great to see Beatrice change over the course of the book, she has a really good character arc. In some places it is quite dark (what else would you expect from a book about the apocalypse though? xD) and these sections were handled very well. There are also some precious happy moments. I geniunly felt emotional throughout this book, from sadness to happiness. Overall, I loved it!
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
April 9, 2015
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review when I signed up to host the book tour.
I LOVED this story! This was truly an emotional read for me because it is the way I can see such a post apostalistic event to occur and I also got attached to the characters.
It's a beautiful day with people doing everyday things and out of nowhere it happens; the world as we know it suddenly changes. Two families come together and bear witness to the end of our way of living. I found myself becoming a part of the storyline and feeling like I had to do whatever necessary to survive and protect the ones I loved not only from the elements but from other survivors as well.
This intricate and well written story will pull you in and your heart will pound as you turn the pages. You'll find yourself shedding tears of sadness and joy. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
I LOVED this story! This was truly an emotional read for me because it is the way I can see such a post apostalistic event to occur and I also got attached to the characters.
It's a beautiful day with people doing everyday things and out of nowhere it happens; the world as we know it suddenly changes. Two families come together and bear witness to the end of our way of living. I found myself becoming a part of the storyline and feeling like I had to do whatever necessary to survive and protect the ones I loved not only from the elements but from other survivors as well.
This intricate and well written story will pull you in and your heart will pound as you turn the pages. You'll find yourself shedding tears of sadness and joy. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
February 6, 2015
"The Blast" is one of my favorite books! The way that it is written to paint a realistic picture of not only ways of survival, but also the way that a "family" came together to nurture, protect, and grow together. All of the characters, major and minor, come to life through the pages of this book! If you like a character, you will find yourself loving them by the end of the book. There are parts of the book where you will find yourself welling up with tears of joy and sadness because of the author's eloquent writing. If you are looking for a book in which by chapter 2, you will not be able to put down, "The Blast" is the one for you!
January 6, 2015
This story was a great book. It had, action, adventure, friendship, Romance, Super natural, suspense and whateva you need!! So come on and try the book. You may think this is just some typical review BUT here is what I say, "I dare you NOT to read this book." Why? I thought you want others to read this book? Yes, that's true, I just want to see if many are willing and are brave enough to read this book that they will DARE to read the book. :) That's all :)
February 14, 2015
We never know what's awaiting in the future for us. It could be great success or complete destruction. The book amazingly describes the conditions we'd have to face in case of a nuclear attack from the point of view of a little girl and how she grows up facing the consequences. What I've learnt from the story is ... life goes on no matter what. There are some things which are inevitable but what we do is in our hands and we've got to make the best out of it!
January 6, 2015
The Blast is my top ten of 2014. This beautiful story exhibits a new and improved version of any other apocalypse story I've read. The way Beatrice reacts to some situations is interesting and made me want to read more. I love Sarah Perlmutter's style of writing and the way she uses realistic emotions in her amazing debut novel, The Blast.
January 6, 2015
Hey,
You girls/boys should really read this book.. It has some drama and also some romance and action.. When I first started reading this book just from the first chapter I wanted to already get to the next chapter and keep going.
Read it I promise you will fall in love ♥
You girls/boys should really read this book.. It has some drama and also some romance and action.. When I first started reading this book just from the first chapter I wanted to already get to the next chapter and keep going.
Read it I promise you will fall in love ♥
March 11, 2015
This book was inspired by the Hunger Games. I was easily intruged by this book, the war atmosphere made you emphasise the characters and their circumstances. Overall, this story was tense with the world ending and the survival of the fittest rivals. To add the extra tension were the gruesome killings and the deaths of the protagonists cherished ones.
January 10, 2015
This was a book that I could not take my eyes off of. I stayed way up until the late hours of the night/morning to read. I never wanted it to end! Luckily, there is a trilogy being written that I CANNOT wait for. Great book for anyone who has read The Hunger Games.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews