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After the Fall
Aftermath
AN ALIEN APOCALYPSE
16-year old Paige O’Connor awakens to find the world in ruins, and humanity under the dominion of a hostile alien race.
And the attacks were only the beginning...
Aftermath is the first in the After the Fall dystopian action series, which follows a young girl’s struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic new world where humans are no longer the dominant species.
16-year old Paige O’Connor awakens to find the world in ruins, and humanity under the dominion of a hostile alien race.
And the attacks were only the beginning...
Aftermath is the first in the After the Fall dystopian action series, which follows a young girl’s struggle for survival in a post-apocalyptic new world where humans are no longer the dominant species.
174 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 28, 2015
88 people are currently reading
490 people want to read
About the author
Tom Lewis
6 books255 followersHey All. I’ve revised my bio yet again so it doesn’t sound like I’m describing myself in third person. I’m an entertainment attorney (I draft contracts for movies), writer, filmmaker, and former Marine. I write scary books and laugh-out-loud spice-free rom-coms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
December 11, 2025
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane!
It's
Paige O'Connor (part-time sarcastic snit, part-time teenage hoodlum) along with her brother are having just about the worst possible day ever.
Actually, most of the world is having the worst day ever.
Paige and her brother know a thing or two about survival and decide to make a break for it...
“This isn’t the end of humanity, but rather a new beginning. Under our guidance, mankind has been given a second chance...While we mean your species no further harm, any disobedience will be met with your annihilation."
Only their escape doesn't nearly go to plan and soon Paige is forced to do the unthinkable - infiltrate the aliens and steal back the person who means the world to her.
I was thoroughly entertained throughout this story. It had all the elements of a great YA book - witty banter, common sense and great humor.
Tom Lewis does such an amazing job with the teenagers in his book. When I read Paige's words, it honestly felt like I was reading my own high school conversations (well, if all my conversations were as witty as Paige's):
I also wholly appreciated how (nearly) everyone was so grounded - so full of common sense.
"And you, Paige O'Connor, are going to make such a pretty little spinster if you don't get over your whole 'guys suck' thing."
"Guys do suck."
Shelby just shook her head, and handed the cup back to Paige. “Better start practicing those knitting skills, girl.”
It was almost disarming to see characters in YA lit being so darn logical. No one ran headlong into danger (well, at least no one did that without good reason).
Heck, when the invasion began, Paige and her brother made a beeline to the sports store. Why? They decided stock up and to skip town to avoid death, destruction and dismemberment.
Honestly, why do the main characters in the YA lit I read never think of this?
I enjoyed the humor sprinkled in throughout - especially when there characters had to do something dangerous.
Overall, I was just absolutely swept up in this story. I had such a fun time reading this one that I honestly wish it was longer. There was so much more that could've happened that I'm sorry it ended so quickly.
“Everyone ready?” Drew asked, as he and Randy joined the girls.
“I guess,” Paige shrugged, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. “But for the record, I think this is a really stupid idea.”
“Objection noted."
Fingers crossed that there will be a sequel!
“Did you know you look cute when you’re wet.”
She was too tired for this. “Do you wanna feel how hard I can punch?”
With many, many thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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October 9, 2015
First off, I would like to thank Tom Lewis for randomly picking me to read and review his book which I honestly enjoyed! Again, thank you so much!^^
This is a very promising start to what could be an epic dystopian series for young adults and even for children especially for those who love alien invasion- apocalyptic stories.
This has a fast-paced, suspenseful and action-packed plot that starts off in a very engaging opening. The opening conversations between Paige and her friend instantly caught my attention. It’s funny that zombie apocalypse planning was a favorite topic between the two girls. (Good use of foreshadowing!)
The heroine, Paige, is a smart, pretty, sarcastic but strong-willed 16 year old who finds herself not only surviving the apocalypse as aliens invaded Los Angeles, but also discovering herself and humanity in the midst of complete chaos.
Although I think Paige’s characterization could use more depth, I still find it fascinating when a male author creates female characters. It makes me imagine how he tries to put his feet in the shoes of a teenage girl trying to act and talk like one. He probably looks something like this:
The author, I believe, is a fellow inspired and awed by these popular dystopian books and thought about combining them altogether to make a very entertaining dystopian world of his own. Sometimes, it also felt like a spoof of several familiar scenes and elements like those present in Hunger Games, The Host, Divergent, This is Not a Test, etc. especially with the comic tone prevalent throughout the story.
Below is a list of such familiar elements:
1. Aliens
2. People acting like zombies/robots aka crazies
3. This is not a test flashing on the screen
4. Spaceships and drones
5. Implants
6. Insta-deaths ^^
7. Force fields
8. Hosts
9. Mutts/hybrids
10. The mist
11. Cruel, violent guards
12. And of course, somebody really important dies in the end!^^
The writing is simple but creative with imaginative descriptions and effective use of sensory imagery. I only spotted a few forgivable typos.^^
Regardless of the very minor flaws, this is one cool, YA/middle school dystopian novel that fans of this genre will enjoy!
June 5, 2015
** I received this book, courtesy of the author, with no expectations beyond an honest review **
My personal opinion - which may differ either way for readers and shouldn't discourage them necessarily - is AFTERMATH is a book that contains a decent story but is executed in a way that doesn't do it adequate justice.
While reading I was reminded of THE HOST - Stephanie Meyer's version of an alien invasion. This comparison isn't in the sense I felt these books had a lot in common but THE HOST was a doorstopper that - for better or worse - fleshed out the impact of an alien invasion while exploring characters and their emotional reactions to this shift and finding a place in it. AFTERMATH, conversely, has a novel's worth of plot confined to a novella's word count.
For that reason the book moves quickly but leaves little to latch onto at times. It's like when someone begins with "It all happened so fast..." and describes a scene - you'll get details and reactions, but not a whole lot of descriptions.
Bottom line - this book would have benefited from about 50 pages devoted to developing characters as well as the scenes. It's also targeting a YA demographic and the premise supports that but it's presentation is closer to Middle Grade in terms of pacing and vocabulary.
If you don't mind a book with a lot going on told in a simple way - consider this book. Otherwise, you might be frustrated or underwhelmed with the telling if you need more emotions applied to a story.
My personal opinion - which may differ either way for readers and shouldn't discourage them necessarily - is AFTERMATH is a book that contains a decent story but is executed in a way that doesn't do it adequate justice.
While reading I was reminded of THE HOST - Stephanie Meyer's version of an alien invasion. This comparison isn't in the sense I felt these books had a lot in common but THE HOST was a doorstopper that - for better or worse - fleshed out the impact of an alien invasion while exploring characters and their emotional reactions to this shift and finding a place in it. AFTERMATH, conversely, has a novel's worth of plot confined to a novella's word count.
For that reason the book moves quickly but leaves little to latch onto at times. It's like when someone begins with "It all happened so fast..." and describes a scene - you'll get details and reactions, but not a whole lot of descriptions.
Bottom line - this book would have benefited from about 50 pages devoted to developing characters as well as the scenes. It's also targeting a YA demographic and the premise supports that but it's presentation is closer to Middle Grade in terms of pacing and vocabulary.
If you don't mind a book with a lot going on told in a simple way - consider this book. Otherwise, you might be frustrated or underwhelmed with the telling if you need more emotions applied to a story.
January 11, 2016
I stumbled upon this book on my to-read list and realized with a start that I have already read it sometime ago. Does the name Paige O'Connor ring a bell? Yes, yes, yes!
Now that's what I call a memorable read . I almost remember Paige saying,
But, did the male lead just die?? No way. Can't wait to have Paige play house with her brother's close friend in the next book! Wait, did her brother also die? Just like that? The horror!
Now that's what I call a memorable read . I almost remember Paige saying,
But, did the male lead just die?? No way. Can't wait to have Paige play house with her brother's close friend in the next book! Wait, did her brother also die? Just like that? The horror!
August 8, 2015
First thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to read an e-copy of this title. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, it really had a pretty good story, and even had some very unique parts to it. Parts that definitely kept my interest. I did have a few issue with the story though, and I'll mention those at the end. Definitely a good science fiction story. Reminded me some of the show Falling Skies on TNT. Just a few issues I had with it.
You can read my full review on my blog, Lisa Loves Literature
You can read my full review on my blog, Lisa Loves Literature
October 16, 2023
2.5
Aftermath is a story that surrounds a high school student named Paige after an alien invasion occurs in her town. After the attack Paige and her friend decide to head house since they aren't really sure whats going down. Shortly after arriving home, and talking to her brother and friends, they find out via news report that there are attacks happening all over the world... At first when hearing this I thought "Hellz Yeah! I love me a good alien invasion".... But actually this ended up being kind of a problem for me a littler later on. Further into this book we find out that they are actually stuck inside a dome like state. So this kind of had me a little confused. These attacks are suppose to be happening everywhere yet there are people and military outside of the dome where I guess the aliens aren't. This might sound a little confusing as I'm explaining it, but that's all I can really give you because it's never fully explained to us. I assuming it's more of a contained situation but I don't know. This leads me into my next point, I didn't feel I got enough information. When it came to the aliens and their invasion I have so many unanswered questions. We are given a blush at the reason to why they have come and what they have in mind. We're told that they have come because they have been watching us and see that we are abusing out earth and they want to right the wrong... From what I have gathered from several alien reads this is pretty normal, so again this has be back to being excited. BUT then that's all were really told about them. We only get a very quick description of what they look like, what they arrive in, and really nothing further. This leaving me with even more questions. I wanted to know so much more about these invaders. The thing I did love about these attacks was how they were played out. I really enjoyed The Crazies-I am Legend- meets The Host feel we got for it. I liked that the invaders put a chip in everyone and that when that switch was flipped, everyone went insane.
This gave this book a lot of edge and was a huge highlight. The only part that had me baffled with the implant of chips was that they also received one in their hand that would track where they are, who they talk to, etc. etc. Yet our leading lass Paige is able to sneak around everywhere. Don't you think these wise aliens would have just pulled up her log and tracker where she was and then catch her?!
I thought as far as the world building went that it was definitely stronger towards the middle-end than it was at the start. After the first wave of events we really got to see more of how/what the world was becoming and where things might be headed. I wanted to wait to go over the main character Paige until I started talking about the plot and the pace of this book because I think they go hand-in-hand for me. The pace of Aftermath is full steam ahead the whole time. I liked the action scenes and how well written they are, but the amount of action that happened at times overwhelmed me and I think it did the same for the characters as well. We get non-stop action from the first few pages until the very end. Sometimes I just wanted them to stop, regroup, actually make a solid plan then act. What I got was Paige constantly throwing them into things without thinking thing through. It was so slammed with action that I didn't get the amount of dialogue I wanted or the connections I needed to love Paige. This stopped me from not just connecting with Paige but with the sub-characters too (I'll get to them in a minute). I had such a hard time relating to her... One minute she would start acting like a normal teenage girl and just when I thought I was starting to get a grasp on her she would do something so out there she would slip through my fingers. She has this strong survival instinct rooted into her from an yearly age, but yet I didn't find it believable. Like when we found out she knew how to use a bow and arrow, I could get behind that, but then she would be like Macgyvering weapons out of like nothing and it would have me rolling my eyes. Plus she was always saying "I have an idea" when they got into a pickle and then would come up with some off the wall plan. All that being said I absolutely love action packed books, and this one is definitely full of it and the scenes are amazingly written, but it got too the point where I asked myself "is this too much action? Is there this much action happening to cover up the lack of dialogue?"... So I guess I just wanted a little more character development and back-story and a little less running around.
As far as sub characters went we have Trish Drew, and Chad as our main ones. Trish is Paige's new friends and again someone I struggled to connect with. Drew and Chad were both characters I enjoyed, but again wanted more out of. I liked that Drew brought some comic relief to the story. I was secretly hoping for some kind of love triangle, but sadly this didn't happen. When it came to the "romance" aspect between Drew and Paige I just didn't get it. The few moments we have with them are sweet, but still lacking something. I just didn't fall in love with their love.
Aftermath was a book with nonstop action and an amazing concept. It was a quick read, one I was able to knock out in an afternoon. Lewis writing is both strong and fun. I feel like this book could have been longer, and that the amount of action, if spread out, wouldn't have felt so overpowering. I think if this book was anywhere from 50-100 pages more we could have gotten so much more out of it and it's characters. I believe this is the first book in a series and I'm very interested to see where it heads and hopefully get some answers too all my questions.
Aftermath is a story that surrounds a high school student named Paige after an alien invasion occurs in her town. After the attack Paige and her friend decide to head house since they aren't really sure whats going down. Shortly after arriving home, and talking to her brother and friends, they find out via news report that there are attacks happening all over the world... At first when hearing this I thought "Hellz Yeah! I love me a good alien invasion".... But actually this ended up being kind of a problem for me a littler later on. Further into this book we find out that they are actually stuck inside a dome like state. So this kind of had me a little confused. These attacks are suppose to be happening everywhere yet there are people and military outside of the dome where I guess the aliens aren't. This might sound a little confusing as I'm explaining it, but that's all I can really give you because it's never fully explained to us. I assuming it's more of a contained situation but I don't know. This leads me into my next point, I didn't feel I got enough information. When it came to the aliens and their invasion I have so many unanswered questions. We are given a blush at the reason to why they have come and what they have in mind. We're told that they have come because they have been watching us and see that we are abusing out earth and they want to right the wrong... From what I have gathered from several alien reads this is pretty normal, so again this has be back to being excited. BUT then that's all were really told about them. We only get a very quick description of what they look like, what they arrive in, and really nothing further. This leaving me with even more questions. I wanted to know so much more about these invaders. The thing I did love about these attacks was how they were played out. I really enjoyed The Crazies-I am Legend- meets The Host feel we got for it. I liked that the invaders put a chip in everyone and that when that switch was flipped, everyone went insane.
This gave this book a lot of edge and was a huge highlight. The only part that had me baffled with the implant of chips was that they also received one in their hand that would track where they are, who they talk to, etc. etc. Yet our leading lass Paige is able to sneak around everywhere. Don't you think these wise aliens would have just pulled up her log and tracker where she was and then catch her?!
I thought as far as the world building went that it was definitely stronger towards the middle-end than it was at the start. After the first wave of events we really got to see more of how/what the world was becoming and where things might be headed. I wanted to wait to go over the main character Paige until I started talking about the plot and the pace of this book because I think they go hand-in-hand for me. The pace of Aftermath is full steam ahead the whole time. I liked the action scenes and how well written they are, but the amount of action that happened at times overwhelmed me and I think it did the same for the characters as well. We get non-stop action from the first few pages until the very end. Sometimes I just wanted them to stop, regroup, actually make a solid plan then act. What I got was Paige constantly throwing them into things without thinking thing through. It was so slammed with action that I didn't get the amount of dialogue I wanted or the connections I needed to love Paige. This stopped me from not just connecting with Paige but with the sub-characters too (I'll get to them in a minute). I had such a hard time relating to her... One minute she would start acting like a normal teenage girl and just when I thought I was starting to get a grasp on her she would do something so out there she would slip through my fingers. She has this strong survival instinct rooted into her from an yearly age, but yet I didn't find it believable. Like when we found out she knew how to use a bow and arrow, I could get behind that, but then she would be like Macgyvering weapons out of like nothing and it would have me rolling my eyes. Plus she was always saying "I have an idea" when they got into a pickle and then would come up with some off the wall plan. All that being said I absolutely love action packed books, and this one is definitely full of it and the scenes are amazingly written, but it got too the point where I asked myself "is this too much action? Is there this much action happening to cover up the lack of dialogue?"... So I guess I just wanted a little more character development and back-story and a little less running around.
As far as sub characters went we have Trish Drew, and Chad as our main ones. Trish is Paige's new friends and again someone I struggled to connect with. Drew and Chad were both characters I enjoyed, but again wanted more out of. I liked that Drew brought some comic relief to the story. I was secretly hoping for some kind of love triangle, but sadly this didn't happen. When it came to the "romance" aspect between Drew and Paige I just didn't get it. The few moments we have with them are sweet, but still lacking something. I just didn't fall in love with their love.
Aftermath was a book with nonstop action and an amazing concept. It was a quick read, one I was able to knock out in an afternoon. Lewis writing is both strong and fun. I feel like this book could have been longer, and that the amount of action, if spread out, wouldn't have felt so overpowering. I think if this book was anywhere from 50-100 pages more we could have gotten so much more out of it and it's characters. I believe this is the first book in a series and I'm very interested to see where it heads and hopefully get some answers too all my questions.
April 18, 2015
Wow!! This is a fast paced adventure about a amazing girl Paige. I couldn't put it down. I was even late to work just to read one more chapter. After it was all done I just want more. I want to know what happens next. I want to know more about all the main characters. I would love to see this on the big screen. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a strong and brave female lead with tons of fast paced action. I want to thank the author for giving me a opportunity to read it.
April 5, 2015
I was asked by Tom Lewis to read the book and give an honest review. So here it goes: Loved it!!!!! What a great debut!!! I could not put it down. It had me from the first page. I just had to know what happened next. It is an easy, thriller, exciting and at times scary read. The characters are strong. Very well done Tom!!! I will recommend this book to everyone who likes YA/dystopian books
Can't wait for the next book!!!
Can't wait for the next book!!!
April 8, 2015
Well now, that was one fast read full of non-stop action from beginning to end. Giving it 3.5 stars.
First of all, I'd like to thank the author, Tom Lewis for providing me a copy of Aftermath in exchange for my honest review. And I'm being completely honest when I say that I really enjoyed this fast-paced, action-packed debut novel.
It has everything you can ask in a scifi, alien invasion, post-apocolayptic story about a kick-ass protagonist that takes the end as nothing but a means to survive and revenge those aliens that took everything and everyone away from her. We are introduced from the word go to the destruction of the world as we know it through the eyes of sixteen-year-old, Paige O'Conner. We literally were hurled right into this devastation at the same time that Paige was and through her, we took reigns and fought our way through it all. It actually felt like I was watching the events unfold in front of me on a movie screen. Given the epic theme, stories about the end of the world, often have that affect on me while I read them.
In saying that though, the story did have its flaws. Connection is a really big thing for me. I need to feel connected not only to the story, which I did feel in Aftermath but to the characters as well, which lacked a great deal for me. Yes, Paige O'Conner is strong-willed and determined, but I didn't feel any real emotion from her. No feelings or sentiments to what was happening around her and to her. No link to Paige except for the fact that she was on a mission to find out what was going on and to get the hell out of the situation. When she did show the slightest bit of emotion, like finally cry, I just read over it like it was nothing. This bothered me quite a bit and that's why it didn't get 5 stars. Story is there, plot twists are executed, it's not having enough feelings and emotions that let it down. However, I'm definitely hooked to find out what the next instalment to this series is going to be like and I do hope we get more umf with character development, especially with connecting to the readers, amongst the action, which I know will be there.
Good debut novel from Tom Lewis and I hope the rest of the series will be great, if not better.
First of all, I'd like to thank the author, Tom Lewis for providing me a copy of Aftermath in exchange for my honest review. And I'm being completely honest when I say that I really enjoyed this fast-paced, action-packed debut novel.
It has everything you can ask in a scifi, alien invasion, post-apocolayptic story about a kick-ass protagonist that takes the end as nothing but a means to survive and revenge those aliens that took everything and everyone away from her. We are introduced from the word go to the destruction of the world as we know it through the eyes of sixteen-year-old, Paige O'Conner. We literally were hurled right into this devastation at the same time that Paige was and through her, we took reigns and fought our way through it all. It actually felt like I was watching the events unfold in front of me on a movie screen. Given the epic theme, stories about the end of the world, often have that affect on me while I read them.
In saying that though, the story did have its flaws. Connection is a really big thing for me. I need to feel connected not only to the story, which I did feel in Aftermath but to the characters as well, which lacked a great deal for me. Yes, Paige O'Conner is strong-willed and determined, but I didn't feel any real emotion from her. No feelings or sentiments to what was happening around her and to her. No link to Paige except for the fact that she was on a mission to find out what was going on and to get the hell out of the situation. When she did show the slightest bit of emotion, like finally cry, I just read over it like it was nothing. This bothered me quite a bit and that's why it didn't get 5 stars. Story is there, plot twists are executed, it's not having enough feelings and emotions that let it down. However, I'm definitely hooked to find out what the next instalment to this series is going to be like and I do hope we get more umf with character development, especially with connecting to the readers, amongst the action, which I know will be there.
Good debut novel from Tom Lewis and I hope the rest of the series will be great, if not better.
April 8, 2015
I received a free copy from the author for an honest and unbiased review.
I can count the number of books I have read in the dystopian genre on one hand. So, for a bit of a change, I got this e-book to break my fantasy streak and try out something different. Was I disappointed? No and yes!
The first impression of a book is always from its cover and this book cover is good and fits the genre and the book plot. From the blurb, I expected a good paced series of events but what I got was the " FAST and FURIOUS" of a dystopian plot. The story kept me on my toes trying to stay abreast of the events unfolding one after the other. The plot was good but it could have been a bit slower and more attention could have been given to the world building. A book is balanced only when equal attention is given to both the plot and the world building.
As for the characters, I liked the determination of the lead, Paige and her friends and I was cheering them every step of their journey in spite of their crazy stunts. But I was expecting more from Paige. I would start thinking that she isn't a normal teenager when she would prove that she does have emotions.She showed the most growth as a character. The levity exhibited by Paige and Drew was okay in the beginning but didn't mesh with the story later on. The Drew situation was so unexpected! I guess I was thinking that their luck would run true till the end. So I got misty eyed towards the end, especially the way it played out. Chad and Trish stood out among the other characters and I would like to read more about them.
So was I totally disappointed? No! Was I a little bit let down? Yes! Would I read it again in hindsight? Yes, I would! I regret that it ended so soon though. In spite it of all, it was a quick read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
My one line review : A short and furious Apocalypse page turner!
My rating: 3.5/5
My reread factor: 3.5/5
Floryie
I can count the number of books I have read in the dystopian genre on one hand. So, for a bit of a change, I got this e-book to break my fantasy streak and try out something different. Was I disappointed? No and yes!
The first impression of a book is always from its cover and this book cover is good and fits the genre and the book plot. From the blurb, I expected a good paced series of events but what I got was the " FAST and FURIOUS" of a dystopian plot. The story kept me on my toes trying to stay abreast of the events unfolding one after the other. The plot was good but it could have been a bit slower and more attention could have been given to the world building. A book is balanced only when equal attention is given to both the plot and the world building.
As for the characters, I liked the determination of the lead, Paige and her friends and I was cheering them every step of their journey in spite of their crazy stunts. But I was expecting more from Paige. I would start thinking that she isn't a normal teenager when she would prove that she does have emotions.She showed the most growth as a character. The levity exhibited by Paige and Drew was okay in the beginning but didn't mesh with the story later on. The Drew situation was so unexpected! I guess I was thinking that their luck would run true till the end. So I got misty eyed towards the end, especially the way it played out. Chad and Trish stood out among the other characters and I would like to read more about them.
So was I totally disappointed? No! Was I a little bit let down? Yes! Would I read it again in hindsight? Yes, I would! I regret that it ended so soon though. In spite it of all, it was a quick read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
My one line review : A short and furious Apocalypse page turner!
My rating: 3.5/5
My reread factor: 3.5/5
Floryie
April 21, 2015
3.5 Stars
Aftermath begins with the destruction of civilisation by an alien race. Paige survives the initial invasion and has to fight hard to continue to survive the violent aliens now controlling the earth.
I think the characters would have benefited from more development. The story is quite short and I definitely think there's room for more depth to be added. I think Paige could definitely be fleshed out a bit more. I didn't really connect with her as I didn't feel a lot of emotion from her. Saying that, I did appreciate the effort to make her a strong character. She wasn't reliant on the boys around her to save her and in fact came up with most of the plans herself. She was smart, resilient and not afraid to fight back.
I really enjoyed the plot. It's fast paced and has good twists and turns to keep you engaged. There are similarities to some other dystopian novels (such as force fields and disguising yourself in mud à la The Hunger Games and an entire population being controlled via an implant à la Divergent) but as a huge fan of dystopia, this just added to my enjoyment of the story as I like those kinds of elements.
Overall I think it's a well executed story that could probably benefit from a bit of an extension but it reads well and kept me engrossed. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
---
You can also find this review on my blog: Nicola Reads YA
Aftermath begins with the destruction of civilisation by an alien race. Paige survives the initial invasion and has to fight hard to continue to survive the violent aliens now controlling the earth.
I think the characters would have benefited from more development. The story is quite short and I definitely think there's room for more depth to be added. I think Paige could definitely be fleshed out a bit more. I didn't really connect with her as I didn't feel a lot of emotion from her. Saying that, I did appreciate the effort to make her a strong character. She wasn't reliant on the boys around her to save her and in fact came up with most of the plans herself. She was smart, resilient and not afraid to fight back.
I really enjoyed the plot. It's fast paced and has good twists and turns to keep you engaged. There are similarities to some other dystopian novels (such as force fields and disguising yourself in mud à la The Hunger Games and an entire population being controlled via an implant à la Divergent) but as a huge fan of dystopia, this just added to my enjoyment of the story as I like those kinds of elements.
Overall I think it's a well executed story that could probably benefit from a bit of an extension but it reads well and kept me engrossed. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
---
You can also find this review on my blog: Nicola Reads YA
April 4, 2015
I was asked by Tom Lewis to read and review his book
and I'm so glad that I did,becouse once I started to read I couldn't stop reading it ,it had me setting on the edge of my bed ,as well as cheering for his main character Paige and her friends.it's an exciting read,action packed,and a little scary at times at lest I thought so,the characters are and were strong,and it's a stand out from others in the post apocalyptic genre.can't wait for the next one, So last night I was up and I reread it and its even better a second time around.
and I'm so glad that I did,becouse once I started to read I couldn't stop reading it ,it had me setting on the edge of my bed ,as well as cheering for his main character Paige and her friends.it's an exciting read,action packed,and a little scary at times at lest I thought so,the characters are and were strong,and it's a stand out from others in the post apocalyptic genre.can't wait for the next one, So last night I was up and I reread it and its even better a second time around. 
April 26, 2015
The generic alien invasion aftermath
It was okay. I mean I didn't hate this book, but nor did I love it. It brought nothing new to the YA or sci-fi genre. I feel like I've read this story before and I enjoyed it a lot more the first time.
The writing was okay. Nothing crazy to talk about. There was no magic to his words. I didn't really feel like the story came to life. It was just....words. Not that I'm saying it was badly written because it wasn't. It just wasn't phenomenally written like a lot of other books I've read.
The plot was....well...okay. I felt like it had potential to be amazing. The ideas were there but it was just executed poorly. Everything happened too fast. There was no time for anything to really develop. One minute she's riding a bike and then the next her friend's leg gets stabbed. It needed to be fleshed out. In addition, I wished it was deeper that it played with my mind sort of like how The 5th Wave did. That book was about a similar concept of aliens attacking Earth, however, that one had you on the edge of your seat, constantly second guessing everything that was happening. I wished this one wasn't so generic. Aliens-bad Humans-good okay...seems too simple for me.
Then, there were the characters. I don't really know how to react to them because we didn't really get to know them. I liked the potential of Paige, but I don't think I would cry if she died. Same with the other characters she met. Trish, Randy,Drew was I supposed to feel attached to them? And how come they trusted her so easily? They were like okay "you're alive, we're alive let's be friends." Too simple. The works doesn't work like that especially after aliens invade it. Then, there was this whole romance between Drew and Paige. What?? How do you get from thinking he's cute to saying "I love you." No, just no. I didn't see any chemistry between them. Like everything else in this book it needed to be fleshed out a bit. I will say I liked Chad. Yes, he was flat like the other characters, but I did enjoy him. I hope we get to see how the experimentation on him effects him in the future.
Overall, the book was fine. I would recommend it is you are into scifi and quick reads. Enjoy.
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review***
June 19, 2015
WOW!!! This is Tom Lewis' first book? WOW Tom, that was incredible!! I became so invested in the characters Paige, Drew and Trish. Paige is a survivor and a great character. I hope as the series continues we learn more about her.
This is an alien invasion, but it's more than that, it is about Paige and her struggle to survive. I feel that she has been introduced to us very well, but there is room for growth and I am looking forward to that in the next book in this series! She is a butt-kickin' heroine and If I were in an alien invasion I would definitely want Paige around.
I thought the world building was good, the alien city Tom created was awesome, although more detail would have been welcomed. The hybrids were interesting and learning a little about how they were made. I hope we get to learn more about the aliens, where they're from and exactly why they're there. But I do like how the focus is not on the aliens, but on human survival.
If you like a book that is action packed from beginning to end, this is it! If you like a strong-female lead, you'll love Paige! This should definitely be on everyone's to-read list!!
This is an alien invasion, but it's more than that, it is about Paige and her struggle to survive. I feel that she has been introduced to us very well, but there is room for growth and I am looking forward to that in the next book in this series! She is a butt-kickin' heroine and If I were in an alien invasion I would definitely want Paige around.
I thought the world building was good, the alien city Tom created was awesome, although more detail would have been welcomed. The hybrids were interesting and learning a little about how they were made. I hope we get to learn more about the aliens, where they're from and exactly why they're there. But I do like how the focus is not on the aliens, but on human survival.
If you like a book that is action packed from beginning to end, this is it! If you like a strong-female lead, you'll love Paige! This should definitely be on everyone's to-read list!!
April 6, 2015
AFTERMATH - After The Fall - Book One
Author: Tom Lewis
Publication Date: March 28, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Fiction
Length: 174 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First I have to mention the cover art. I absolutely love it. It gives off the perfect dystopian future with aliens vibe.
The book begins with:
"Destiny can be defined as a series of events that will necessarily happen to us. As inevitable as it is unpredictable, it's a journey we're all thrown into. Along the way it defines us, shows us what we're made of. And when we reach the end, we often find that it's taken us in a direction we never could have imagined. This is one girl's journey."
Paige O'Connor just turned sixteen. She is pretty and petite, but she is definitely not weak.
Paige is having a bad day and it's about to get worse, much worse.
From the time the Emergency Broadcast Warning flashed on the television until the entire city of Los Angeles was destroyed was a matter of minutes.
When alien ships appear in the sky overhead and everyone around her starts to act like crazed lunatics Paige realizes that life as she knows it is about to change forever.
This book is an action packed thrill ride that maintains it's appeal from beginning to end.
The fact that this is Tom Lewis's first book is surprising to me. He has a knack for both character building and world building.
I read this book in one day and did not want to put it down. The story has a wonderful arc that leads to a satisfying conclusion while still leaving readers wanting to know what happens next.
This is the first book in the AFTER THE FALL series and I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment.
Tom Lewis is definitely a new author that you will want to keep an eye on. He has a bright future ahead in the Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic fiction genre.
Buy this eBook. You will not be disappointed. I wanted to rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars and if I was rating just the story, that is the rating I would give. However due to the fact that there were quite a few proofreading and editing errors I have to take away one of the stars. BUT, once those errors are fixed this book will definitely receive many more 5 star reviews. For now I rate this book as 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This book is a mixture of "V" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with a bit of "The Day After" mixed in for good measure. What I really liked about this book is that it isn't the same dystopian/zombie storyline that seems to be so popular right now.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Even in the apocalypse, boys were still boys."
To view the book trailer go to https://vimeo.com/124008432
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tom Lewis is a former Marine who is now a lawyer practicing entertainment law. He has written several screenplays, but "Aftermath" is his debut novel.
He lives in California and is currently working on the next book in this series.
Check out his author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Lewis/e/B00...
To read more of my reviews visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Follow me on Twitter @Amieroger
Author: Tom Lewis
Publication Date: March 28, 2015
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Fiction
Length: 174 pages
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
First I have to mention the cover art. I absolutely love it. It gives off the perfect dystopian future with aliens vibe.
The book begins with:
"Destiny can be defined as a series of events that will necessarily happen to us. As inevitable as it is unpredictable, it's a journey we're all thrown into. Along the way it defines us, shows us what we're made of. And when we reach the end, we often find that it's taken us in a direction we never could have imagined. This is one girl's journey."
Paige O'Connor just turned sixteen. She is pretty and petite, but she is definitely not weak.
Paige is having a bad day and it's about to get worse, much worse.
From the time the Emergency Broadcast Warning flashed on the television until the entire city of Los Angeles was destroyed was a matter of minutes.
When alien ships appear in the sky overhead and everyone around her starts to act like crazed lunatics Paige realizes that life as she knows it is about to change forever.
This book is an action packed thrill ride that maintains it's appeal from beginning to end.
The fact that this is Tom Lewis's first book is surprising to me. He has a knack for both character building and world building.
I read this book in one day and did not want to put it down. The story has a wonderful arc that leads to a satisfying conclusion while still leaving readers wanting to know what happens next.
This is the first book in the AFTER THE FALL series and I can't wait to get my hands on the second installment.
Tom Lewis is definitely a new author that you will want to keep an eye on. He has a bright future ahead in the Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic fiction genre.
Buy this eBook. You will not be disappointed. I wanted to rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars and if I was rating just the story, that is the rating I would give. However due to the fact that there were quite a few proofreading and editing errors I have to take away one of the stars. BUT, once those errors are fixed this book will definitely receive many more 5 star reviews. For now I rate this book as 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This book is a mixture of "V" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" with a bit of "The Day After" mixed in for good measure. What I really liked about this book is that it isn't the same dystopian/zombie storyline that seems to be so popular right now.
FAVORITE QUOTE:
"Even in the apocalypse, boys were still boys."
To view the book trailer go to https://vimeo.com/124008432
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tom Lewis is a former Marine who is now a lawyer practicing entertainment law. He has written several screenplays, but "Aftermath" is his debut novel.
He lives in California and is currently working on the next book in this series.
Check out his author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Lewis/e/B00...
To read more of my reviews visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Follow me on Twitter @Amieroger
fell-victim-to-the-pda-tism
March 9, 2019I have also posted this review on my blog -> https://bookandbastille.wordpress.com...
Aftermath by Tom Lewis
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I did not finish this book and I will explain in this post why I did not.
I don’t like turning people down and I grant basically all of the requests I get to read someone’s book. I especially feel bad when I get one of these and I just can’t get through it. This was one of these times. I had a six hour road trip ahead of me and I figured I’d get some NetGalley and author ARC’s read. I chose to read this one first because it was about 150 pages long. That way I could knock out a lot of books on the trip. So I got to reading this book. I didn’t like the whole teen drinking/disrespect towards adults that happened in the first scene. As I was dealing with the dislike towards those things, BOOM! Birds start falling out of the sky. Okay…. weird. Fast forward through twenty minutes of bike rides and some unimportant to this review dialogue and then people get cannabalistic. Um… ew! Then after that – MORE BIKE RIDING!!!!! As far as I could tell, that was the most action in the book besides the fight with the “Crazies” (the cannibals). After all of that, I decided that I just couldn’t continue. Beleive me, I tried and I felt bad that I couldn’t continue on. I have a lot of books to read and I don’t want to waste time reading something that I am just glancing at words on a page trying to find something to catch my eye and make me want to finish the book.
Love at last word?: Nope. Stopped reading this book and I feel bad that I couldn’t go on but as I stated, I didn’t want to just breeze through the book and know nothing because I didn’t like the book.
-BookNerd
Aftermath by Tom Lewis
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I did not finish this book and I will explain in this post why I did not.
I don’t like turning people down and I grant basically all of the requests I get to read someone’s book. I especially feel bad when I get one of these and I just can’t get through it. This was one of these times. I had a six hour road trip ahead of me and I figured I’d get some NetGalley and author ARC’s read. I chose to read this one first because it was about 150 pages long. That way I could knock out a lot of books on the trip. So I got to reading this book. I didn’t like the whole teen drinking/disrespect towards adults that happened in the first scene. As I was dealing with the dislike towards those things, BOOM! Birds start falling out of the sky. Okay…. weird. Fast forward through twenty minutes of bike rides and some unimportant to this review dialogue and then people get cannabalistic. Um… ew! Then after that – MORE BIKE RIDING!!!!! As far as I could tell, that was the most action in the book besides the fight with the “Crazies” (the cannibals). After all of that, I decided that I just couldn’t continue. Beleive me, I tried and I felt bad that I couldn’t continue on. I have a lot of books to read and I don’t want to waste time reading something that I am just glancing at words on a page trying to find something to catch my eye and make me want to finish the book.
Love at last word?: Nope. Stopped reading this book and I feel bad that I couldn’t go on but as I stated, I didn’t want to just breeze through the book and know nothing because I didn’t like the book.
-BookNerd
March 21, 2016
Sometimes a book resonates with you for reasons that shouldn't quite work, you know? In this case, I was particularly pulled in by two things, action that rarely slows down enough to take a breath and Paige herself, along with a little girl named Trish.
Mr. Lewis has crammed about three books' worth of story into this novella so the pacing necessarily is rapidfire. That's detrimental in some ways---we hardly have time to think about what just happened because the next scene is upon us and character development is a bit hampered---but it's also what kept me flying through as fast as I could swipe the screen and I really liked that. There's no bogging down in a sea of details but I still saw what Paige and the others saw and heard those ominous sounds.
As for Paige, this is an interesting girl. By turns rebellious and caring, she's got just the personality needed to defy the aliens and try to survive if not get the better of them. Paige is roiling with fear and heartbreak and determination but perhaps the most intriguing thing about her is her willingness (at times) to let others into her heart. She's exactly the kind of human being who has the best chance to find a way out of terrible adversity. And Trish, ahh, Trish---now here's a girl, really a child, who has answers way beyond her age and I truly adored her.
All in all, Mr. Lewis has crafted a tale well worth reading, especially if you want something quick and exciting mixed with a good deal of pathos. He doesn't leave Aftermath with a true cliffhanger but there's definitely more to come and I'm ready for it PDQ ;-)
Mr. Lewis has crammed about three books' worth of story into this novella so the pacing necessarily is rapidfire. That's detrimental in some ways---we hardly have time to think about what just happened because the next scene is upon us and character development is a bit hampered---but it's also what kept me flying through as fast as I could swipe the screen and I really liked that. There's no bogging down in a sea of details but I still saw what Paige and the others saw and heard those ominous sounds.
As for Paige, this is an interesting girl. By turns rebellious and caring, she's got just the personality needed to defy the aliens and try to survive if not get the better of them. Paige is roiling with fear and heartbreak and determination but perhaps the most intriguing thing about her is her willingness (at times) to let others into her heart. She's exactly the kind of human being who has the best chance to find a way out of terrible adversity. And Trish, ahh, Trish---now here's a girl, really a child, who has answers way beyond her age and I truly adored her.
All in all, Mr. Lewis has crafted a tale well worth reading, especially if you want something quick and exciting mixed with a good deal of pathos. He doesn't leave Aftermath with a true cliffhanger but there's definitely more to come and I'm ready for it PDQ ;-)
May 21, 2015
2.5 Stars
Eekk... I hate giving books bad reviews. I feel like I'm betraying someone.
Okay. Well, I like the cover. I really do. It's one of the things that drew me in.
The storyline seemed cool enough. It reminded me of The 5th Wave*gushes*...
Erm.. It's just... It wasn't very original. At the beginning I was intrigued. I liked the characters and I liked what was going on. It definitely semi-hooked me. But then I got maybe 50 pages in and just.. sigh.
My main problems:
Too fast paced = too much happened in too little time. It didn't flow.
Too repetitive = I read the word charred about 20 times on the same page.
Unbelievable = I couldn't get into it.
Cheesy & Corny... Not in a good way.
Annoying = She's all the sudden in love with a boy and I couldn't even connect with it. I couldn't connect with the characters or anything that happened. I never got sad or happy.
Not enough information = So much happened in so little time, and we are still given nothing.
Bottom line, the author told me a story. He didn't make me believe it.
Eekk... I hate giving books bad reviews. I feel like I'm betraying someone.
Okay. Well, I like the cover. I really do. It's one of the things that drew me in.
The storyline seemed cool enough. It reminded me of The 5th Wave*gushes*...
Erm.. It's just... It wasn't very original. At the beginning I was intrigued. I liked the characters and I liked what was going on. It definitely semi-hooked me. But then I got maybe 50 pages in and just.. sigh.
My main problems:
Too fast paced = too much happened in too little time. It didn't flow.
Too repetitive = I read the word charred about 20 times on the same page.
Unbelievable = I couldn't get into it.
Cheesy & Corny... Not in a good way.
Annoying = She's all the sudden in love with a boy and I couldn't even connect with it. I couldn't connect with the characters or anything that happened. I never got sad or happy.
Not enough information = So much happened in so little time, and we are still given nothing.
Bottom line, the author told me a story. He didn't make me believe it.
October 15, 2018
This was a fun little read. It was a pretty unique take on a space alien invasion and I look forward to the next book.
Absolutely loved the main character. Mad at the author for something I won't say cause it is a spoiler. I forgive him tho, cause it was a good story.
Short review cause I am dog tired. But well worth buying.
Absolutely loved the main character. Mad at the author for something I won't say cause it is a spoiler. I forgive him tho, cause it was a good story.
Short review cause I am dog tired. But well worth buying.
May 16, 2015
Sixteen year old Paige is at school when aliens invade Earth and by the time she makes it home, those around her are turned into crazy, uncontrollable, deadly beings and she makes an escape together with her friend Chad. While on the run Chad gets wounded and Paige has to go out there alone to get medical equipment to save him. Along the way she meets some homeless teens who have been living in an abandoned tunnel and who are unaffected by the invasion. They go back to get Chad to return to the safety of the tunnels but he’s missing, taken away by the aliens. With the help of her new friends, can Paige save Chad from becoming another victim or will they all end up at the mercy of the aliens?
This is a fast paced story with action starting early on with the invasion by aliens and building from there right through to the end. There were a few details missing from the story (like how the implants got there) but none were enough to throw you off the story. The description of the alien beings was creepy and the things the aliens did while on Earth were abhorrent, making it easy to detest them and their invasion and fully support the characters in trying to survive in this new world.
The main character, Paige, is a strong female lead character, and her exposure to the military and weaponry thanks to her military father, came in handy many times. Paige was a likeable character but it was a bit difficult to connect with her because she didn’t show much in the way of emotions. Trish, on the other hand, was a lovely character I could warm to. Chad was also a likeable and realistic character, and Drew, the love interest, was a charming and sweet guy.
This book was quite a page turner and I couldn’t put it down. There were plenty of plot twists and turns and action to keep you interested throughout the entire story and the ending was so unexpected, I found myself being a little teary eyed at the events that unfolded at the end.
This is the first book in the After The Fall series by the author and I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.
I would recommend this book to those who like post apocalyptic stories and those who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Divergent series because it contains similar elements found in these books.
This is a fast paced story with action starting early on with the invasion by aliens and building from there right through to the end. There were a few details missing from the story (like how the implants got there) but none were enough to throw you off the story. The description of the alien beings was creepy and the things the aliens did while on Earth were abhorrent, making it easy to detest them and their invasion and fully support the characters in trying to survive in this new world.
The main character, Paige, is a strong female lead character, and her exposure to the military and weaponry thanks to her military father, came in handy many times. Paige was a likeable character but it was a bit difficult to connect with her because she didn’t show much in the way of emotions. Trish, on the other hand, was a lovely character I could warm to. Chad was also a likeable and realistic character, and Drew, the love interest, was a charming and sweet guy.
This book was quite a page turner and I couldn’t put it down. There were plenty of plot twists and turns and action to keep you interested throughout the entire story and the ending was so unexpected, I found myself being a little teary eyed at the events that unfolded at the end.
This is the first book in the After The Fall series by the author and I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.
I would recommend this book to those who like post apocalyptic stories and those who enjoyed The Hunger Games and Divergent series because it contains similar elements found in these books.
August 4, 2015
Review to come.
June 3, 2015
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/0...
This book contains so many good ideas! Really.
But there were several major issues which caused me to lose interest shortly after having begun reading the book.
For instance, the writing was just dreadful. In those first few lines, three of my pet peeves immediately stood out:
- Exclamation points. I hate seeing exclamation points in a narrative. Words should be powerful enough not to need those to make us feel excited.
- Repetitiveness, both entire descriptions in general - I kept feeling I was reading the same thing over and over again - and specific words.
The same word would be used to describe something shortly after just being used. And I grew so tired of reading those phosphorescent stones and as she was now thinking of it and other expressions I kept seeing.
Example which includes these two points, right from the 4th chapter (13% into the book): Jeff's fist smashed through the window! He grabbed Chad, yanking him through the window(...).
- Again, a punctuation issue: ending a question with a period. It kept happening more often with rhetorical questions and in dialogues, and it was just so annoying to me.
There were several misspellings, wrong verb tenses, syntax and grammar errors, etc, etc.
I hate to rub it in, but I felt the writing was so bad that on several occasions I seriously contemplated putting the book down. I was sick and tired of rolling my eyes at some of the things I read, and trudging through the mess of words. But I endured because I did not want this to be the first book I marked as DNF ever since I started reading and reviewing books.
But the fact is that it wasn't just the issues I mentioned above. Plotwise, the book was equally messy. From the beginning:
- some things seemed to be assumed out of the blue, just for the sake of keeping the plot in motion;
- there is no emotion at all;
- everything that needed a build up to provoke any impact whatsoever in the reader does not have one, it is all so rushed!
All this and more made me constantly feel like I was reading the rough idea of what a book should be like instead of the finished project.
The characters... I often found myself thinking they did not sound the age they were, particularly the youngest - Trish and Randy.
And don't even get me started about our main character. Although I truly appreciated the two bits of narration of Paige's past, because they served to understand at least a bit of why she became so angry, as a whole, Paige's character annoyed the heck out of me. She goes from this annoying, rebellious girl to a hero in a heartbeat, with no transition whatsoever. One minute she is a prettier than average, normal high school student, rude and full of teenage angst, and the next she is hollering strategic orders like a well-trained general. Why? Because her dad was an Army Ranger, apparently. As if that explains anything. What does that even mean?? Did he take her to work? Did he teach his rebellious daughter how to handle machine guns (which work even when wet!!) and explosives, and what tear gas look/felt/smelled like (or however she figured it out) and how to handle it? Cause she acts like she was born knowing how to do it and, with all her I have an ideas, is just plain perfect in everything she does.
Mind you, she never drops the annoying, rebellious act (which is, apparently, supposed to be something endearing about her). It just softens the tiniest bit because a guy was kind to her. From then on, we proceed to hear all about how her walls are dropping. Or there are like fissures in them. Over. And over. Again.
I get it, that is supposed to be the main thing we take from the book as far as character growth comes for Paige. It's just a shame that it was so exhaustively repetitive, and that it was the only instance in which she grew at all during the whole process.
The way the whole book developed was like Paige and the people she met along the way knew exactly what to do, how to handle all situations, almost as if it had already happened or someone had planned what to do in case something like this happened.
And their attitudes... They were being invaded by aliens with technology they could not possibly even begin to fathom, but were all like you hurt my friend(s), I am gonna kill you scum. It all just sounded so unrealistic.
Everything was presented in an overly simplistic manner, there was no progression of feeling or skill development, and I constantly felt that important things like information, transitions and build-up kept being skipped.
For example, right in the beginning, Paige immediately figures out what the implants were doing. There is no build up whatsoever, everything moves way too fast.
There are so many plot holes I would not even know where to begin.
Sorry, it just didn't cut it for me.
I was also extremely upset at how the aliens were portrayed.
As I mentioned, there is also not much emotion. People who are supposedly very dear to our main character die in a horrible manner and she does not seem affected at all by it.
And much later, when everyone is used to their new environment (how??), there is way too much laughing and chuckling and flirting and I am like... What the hell?? That much humour seemed completely out-of-place. A couple of times in key situations was ok but, again, I got the feeling that every single person I was reading about was easily settled in this new reality, to the point where they kept making jokes and always knew what to do and were just utterly unrealistically brave and capable.
Believe it or not, I really, really hate giving harsh input about a book like this. And underneath all these issues, I really do believe there is a great story, with a fast, engaging pace. The strength of this book is all in the world creation, even though it literally happened overnight. But still, some descriptions of that world were creepy and stunning and I truly enjoyed them. Or the idea of them, if not the way they were convened. Especially The different effects the implants could produce was also one of the highlights for me, and kept me guessing the entire time. The language itself is crystal clear; it was very easy to understand what was going on. The cover looks equally impressive. And because of all that I am rounding the rating up instead of down.
But the book utterly fails when it comes to proper explanations of what is happening, backstory, character development, and just some oomph! Something that made me love what I was reading, capable of fully engaging me in the story. Too often I felt like I was being dragged around without having had any time to process anything, or had info to do it, for that matter.
It just needs a lot of work and there is no way I would mark this as a finished product.
I am, however, quite certain that someone much younger would enjoy this book a whole lot more than I did. Sadly, it was not my cup of tea.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the author for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book contains so many good ideas! Really.
But there were several major issues which caused me to lose interest shortly after having begun reading the book.
For instance, the writing was just dreadful. In those first few lines, three of my pet peeves immediately stood out:
- Exclamation points. I hate seeing exclamation points in a narrative. Words should be powerful enough not to need those to make us feel excited.
- Repetitiveness, both entire descriptions in general - I kept feeling I was reading the same thing over and over again - and specific words.
The same word would be used to describe something shortly after just being used. And I grew so tired of reading those phosphorescent stones and as she was now thinking of it and other expressions I kept seeing.
Example which includes these two points, right from the 4th chapter (13% into the book): Jeff's fist smashed through the window! He grabbed Chad, yanking him through the window(...).
- Again, a punctuation issue: ending a question with a period. It kept happening more often with rhetorical questions and in dialogues, and it was just so annoying to me.
There were several misspellings, wrong verb tenses, syntax and grammar errors, etc, etc.
I hate to rub it in, but I felt the writing was so bad that on several occasions I seriously contemplated putting the book down. I was sick and tired of rolling my eyes at some of the things I read, and trudging through the mess of words. But I endured because I did not want this to be the first book I marked as DNF ever since I started reading and reviewing books.
But the fact is that it wasn't just the issues I mentioned above. Plotwise, the book was equally messy. From the beginning:
- some things seemed to be assumed out of the blue, just for the sake of keeping the plot in motion;
- there is no emotion at all;
- everything that needed a build up to provoke any impact whatsoever in the reader does not have one, it is all so rushed!
All this and more made me constantly feel like I was reading the rough idea of what a book should be like instead of the finished project.
The characters... I often found myself thinking they did not sound the age they were, particularly the youngest - Trish and Randy.
And don't even get me started about our main character. Although I truly appreciated the two bits of narration of Paige's past, because they served to understand at least a bit of why she became so angry, as a whole, Paige's character annoyed the heck out of me. She goes from this annoying, rebellious girl to a hero in a heartbeat, with no transition whatsoever. One minute she is a prettier than average, normal high school student, rude and full of teenage angst, and the next she is hollering strategic orders like a well-trained general. Why? Because her dad was an Army Ranger, apparently. As if that explains anything. What does that even mean?? Did he take her to work? Did he teach his rebellious daughter how to handle machine guns (which work even when wet!!) and explosives, and what tear gas look/felt/smelled like (or however she figured it out) and how to handle it? Cause she acts like she was born knowing how to do it and, with all her I have an ideas, is just plain perfect in everything she does.
Mind you, she never drops the annoying, rebellious act (which is, apparently, supposed to be something endearing about her). It just softens the tiniest bit because a guy was kind to her. From then on, we proceed to hear all about how her walls are dropping. Or there are like fissures in them. Over. And over. Again.
I get it, that is supposed to be the main thing we take from the book as far as character growth comes for Paige. It's just a shame that it was so exhaustively repetitive, and that it was the only instance in which she grew at all during the whole process.
The way the whole book developed was like Paige and the people she met along the way knew exactly what to do, how to handle all situations, almost as if it had already happened or someone had planned what to do in case something like this happened.
And their attitudes... They were being invaded by aliens with technology they could not possibly even begin to fathom, but were all like you hurt my friend(s), I am gonna kill you scum. It all just sounded so unrealistic.
Everything was presented in an overly simplistic manner, there was no progression of feeling or skill development, and I constantly felt that important things like information, transitions and build-up kept being skipped.
For example, right in the beginning, Paige immediately figures out what the implants were doing. There is no build up whatsoever, everything moves way too fast.
There are so many plot holes I would not even know where to begin.
Sorry, it just didn't cut it for me.
I was also extremely upset at how the aliens were portrayed.
As I mentioned, there is also not much emotion. People who are supposedly very dear to our main character die in a horrible manner and she does not seem affected at all by it.
And much later, when everyone is used to their new environment (how??), there is way too much laughing and chuckling and flirting and I am like... What the hell?? That much humour seemed completely out-of-place. A couple of times in key situations was ok but, again, I got the feeling that every single person I was reading about was easily settled in this new reality, to the point where they kept making jokes and always knew what to do and were just utterly unrealistically brave and capable.
Believe it or not, I really, really hate giving harsh input about a book like this. And underneath all these issues, I really do believe there is a great story, with a fast, engaging pace. The strength of this book is all in the world creation, even though it literally happened overnight. But still, some descriptions of that world were creepy and stunning and I truly enjoyed them. Or the idea of them, if not the way they were convened. Especially The different effects the implants could produce was also one of the highlights for me, and kept me guessing the entire time. The language itself is crystal clear; it was very easy to understand what was going on. The cover looks equally impressive. And because of all that I am rounding the rating up instead of down.
But the book utterly fails when it comes to proper explanations of what is happening, backstory, character development, and just some oomph! Something that made me love what I was reading, capable of fully engaging me in the story. Too often I felt like I was being dragged around without having had any time to process anything, or had info to do it, for that matter.
It just needs a lot of work and there is no way I would mark this as a finished product.
I am, however, quite certain that someone much younger would enjoy this book a whole lot more than I did. Sadly, it was not my cup of tea.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the author for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 12, 2015
It’s review time again! Thank you so much, Tom, for this novel to review. First time being asked to review a book by an authors request so here we go!
Okay, so this novel is all about Aliens, or rather Aliens with spider like legs and crab heads. Wasn’t a lovely image and it really played as a factor of grotesqueness. You made it really easy to despise these strange “we walk among the humans” inhabitants or “hosts.” This novel only has one POV and it is Paige, who at being sixteen has trouble connecting and communicating with people. The action basically starts right off the bat and it didn’t take long at all for the crap to hit the fan.
We find Paige and her friends trying to figure out what the hell is going on and something that I haven’t read about takes shape. Although the Aliens arrival was somewhat clichéd, it soon didn’t become a problem. What was neat about their arrival is that they somehow implanted a spider like robot thingy to everyone in the L.A. area. Even better was what happened when certain noises sounded from the giant spaceship occupying the sky to watch over the earthens. What a scary F’d up way to use mind control. Thank you for helping me fear those sounds that were described (well only two of the four.)
Poor L.A. doesn’t last even a night as our new enemies demolish it and make their own city. What a bland and boring city it was too, but they made no attempt to care what they did as long as they had control. Which brings us to the part where they make sure everything is monitored. Oh yes, these aliens mean business from the way they “punish” and control what occurs (jobs and even curfew.) Paige doesn’t like that and neither would I and starts planning how to escape. With the help of new friends, they figure what’s the best way to leave but of course not without complications. Paige is actually a smart character and it was interesting what came into her mind when her group of friends got into trouble.
There was very little romance in this first installment and it fit. Paige is a character that is determined to find the one person who was taken from her, which made her one serious person. The only thing that we witnessed from her was forcing down a blush.
There were some things about this novel that I couldn’t quite get over. I understand that books may come with a few errors but this, I hate to say it, had a lot of things that need to be looked over. One of the things that were bothersome was that some sentences were bigger than the others. For example, it looked that like this:
“Aliens sure are creepy and when it involves mind control, you should really run for your lives. It was a tad confusing reading sentences like this but at least it only occurred a few times. Okay, back to the review.”
Other than errors, this was a fast pace novel that had very interesting ideas and were gruesome at times. Aliens really do make good subjects to write about and I wonder what mischief they come up with in the second book.
Okay, so this novel is all about Aliens, or rather Aliens with spider like legs and crab heads. Wasn’t a lovely image and it really played as a factor of grotesqueness. You made it really easy to despise these strange “we walk among the humans” inhabitants or “hosts.” This novel only has one POV and it is Paige, who at being sixteen has trouble connecting and communicating with people. The action basically starts right off the bat and it didn’t take long at all for the crap to hit the fan.
We find Paige and her friends trying to figure out what the hell is going on and something that I haven’t read about takes shape. Although the Aliens arrival was somewhat clichéd, it soon didn’t become a problem. What was neat about their arrival is that they somehow implanted a spider like robot thingy to everyone in the L.A. area. Even better was what happened when certain noises sounded from the giant spaceship occupying the sky to watch over the earthens. What a scary F’d up way to use mind control. Thank you for helping me fear those sounds that were described (well only two of the four.)
Poor L.A. doesn’t last even a night as our new enemies demolish it and make their own city. What a bland and boring city it was too, but they made no attempt to care what they did as long as they had control. Which brings us to the part where they make sure everything is monitored. Oh yes, these aliens mean business from the way they “punish” and control what occurs (jobs and even curfew.) Paige doesn’t like that and neither would I and starts planning how to escape. With the help of new friends, they figure what’s the best way to leave but of course not without complications. Paige is actually a smart character and it was interesting what came into her mind when her group of friends got into trouble.
There was very little romance in this first installment and it fit. Paige is a character that is determined to find the one person who was taken from her, which made her one serious person. The only thing that we witnessed from her was forcing down a blush.
There were some things about this novel that I couldn’t quite get over. I understand that books may come with a few errors but this, I hate to say it, had a lot of things that need to be looked over. One of the things that were bothersome was that some sentences were bigger than the others. For example, it looked that like this:
“Aliens sure are creepy and when it involves mind control, you should really run for your lives. It was a tad confusing reading sentences like this but at least it only occurred a few times. Okay, back to the review.”
Other than errors, this was a fast pace novel that had very interesting ideas and were gruesome at times. Aliens really do make good subjects to write about and I wonder what mischief they come up with in the second book.
June 22, 2015
Book: Aftermath
Author: Tom Lewis
Rating: 4 Out of Five Stars
I would first like to thank Tom Lewis for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
One thing that I liked right away with this book was the fact that we are thrown right into the action. While I do like buildup, I also do not like endless pages of nothing happening. I just like being thrown right into the fight. However, with being thrown into action so quickly, there was a few things that I noticed where lacking. There simply was not a lot of details and we really do not get a clear idea of what is going on. I know, I know, it is for suspense, but something was just missing.
I also found the characters to be very likeable and very realistic. I also love how well Tom Lewis showed us the Crazies. The idea of something or someone controlling the human being is just very interesting to read about. I also loved how there was some kind of resistance with the characters to join the Crazies. I do not like it whenever characters just go along with what is expected instead of branching out and being their own sort of army.
The only issue that I had with Paige was the fact that she was your typical story girl. What this means is she is described as cute. This is kind of dying thing in young adult books. Authors are now attempting to make their female characters appeal to everyday girls and this is not it I am not saying that a character cannot be cute, but it is just getting to be very uncommon. Now, she does have the strong will and is a fighter that is very common in young adult books.
The one thing that kind of bothered me about this book was that I got about halfway through the book and there was no end in sight. I could tell that this was going to be one of those of books that I would have to read the next book to find out how it was actually going to end. I know, I know. One of my series on fictionpress is exactly like this, but it really does keep the reader involved. However, I also know that not having a clear ending can also cause readers to lose interest in the series.
Overall, this was not a bad read. I think that with time Tom Lewis will work out all the small little imperfections. Hey, this is his first book! It is also very clear that he enjoys the world he created and enjoys writing his characters. As far as the grammar goes, I really did not see any issues and the writing was pretty good too.
Author: Tom Lewis
Rating: 4 Out of Five Stars
I would first like to thank Tom Lewis for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
One thing that I liked right away with this book was the fact that we are thrown right into the action. While I do like buildup, I also do not like endless pages of nothing happening. I just like being thrown right into the fight. However, with being thrown into action so quickly, there was a few things that I noticed where lacking. There simply was not a lot of details and we really do not get a clear idea of what is going on. I know, I know, it is for suspense, but something was just missing.
I also found the characters to be very likeable and very realistic. I also love how well Tom Lewis showed us the Crazies. The idea of something or someone controlling the human being is just very interesting to read about. I also loved how there was some kind of resistance with the characters to join the Crazies. I do not like it whenever characters just go along with what is expected instead of branching out and being their own sort of army.
The only issue that I had with Paige was the fact that she was your typical story girl. What this means is she is described as cute. This is kind of dying thing in young adult books. Authors are now attempting to make their female characters appeal to everyday girls and this is not it I am not saying that a character cannot be cute, but it is just getting to be very uncommon. Now, she does have the strong will and is a fighter that is very common in young adult books.
The one thing that kind of bothered me about this book was that I got about halfway through the book and there was no end in sight. I could tell that this was going to be one of those of books that I would have to read the next book to find out how it was actually going to end. I know, I know. One of my series on fictionpress is exactly like this, but it really does keep the reader involved. However, I also know that not having a clear ending can also cause readers to lose interest in the series.
Overall, this was not a bad read. I think that with time Tom Lewis will work out all the small little imperfections. Hey, this is his first book! It is also very clear that he enjoys the world he created and enjoys writing his characters. As far as the grammar goes, I really did not see any issues and the writing was pretty good too.
April 21, 2015
Aftermath by Tom Lewis
First, I wanna say thank you to Tom Lewis for giving me a copy of this book. I really appreciate it! Thank you so much for the trust!
Now the book,
Surprisingly, it was good.
It was kinda short though.
What I like on my YA books are longer, but even though this one is short it worked.
I think this book is perfect for those who are travelling and those just chilling out. *thumbs up*
*MC's Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• The story/concept is brilliant. I like it.
• I love the way the story started. It was fun, action-filled and gory! So awesome!
• The way it was written is very simple. There's not much detailing, everything was straight forward.
• I think the concept is original, but as the same time its not that fresh. Its a book you can read if you’re extremely bored and you dont have anything to do or you dont have any other book that you wish to read.
• I like the book; I finished it after three and a half hours of reading.
• There are some elements of this book that reminds me of some YA books.
• There were like those scenes on these books were compiled together. It should be a bad thing but it’s really not. Im not feeling bitchy right now so I'm kinda kind, so yeah. *grin*
• I kinda have a little issue on Paige O'Connor's expertise on handling those (I think) high powered firearms (gosh! I dont know anything about guns.) It was kinda hard to believe. Yeah she has some background... blah blah blah. Now Im bitchy. O.O
• Is there a book two or something?
@gleekidMC
First, I wanna say thank you to Tom Lewis for giving me a copy of this book. I really appreciate it! Thank you so much for the trust!
Now the book,
Surprisingly, it was good.
It was kinda short though.
What I like on my YA books are longer, but even though this one is short it worked.
I think this book is perfect for those who are travelling and those just chilling out. *thumbs up*
*MC's Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• The story/concept is brilliant. I like it.
• I love the way the story started. It was fun, action-filled and gory! So awesome!
• The way it was written is very simple. There's not much detailing, everything was straight forward.
• I think the concept is original, but as the same time its not that fresh. Its a book you can read if you’re extremely bored and you dont have anything to do or you dont have any other book that you wish to read.
• I like the book; I finished it after three and a half hours of reading.
• There are some elements of this book that reminds me of some YA books.
• There were like those scenes on these books were compiled together. It should be a bad thing but it’s really not. Im not feeling bitchy right now so I'm kinda kind, so yeah. *grin*
• I kinda have a little issue on Paige O'Connor's expertise on handling those (I think) high powered firearms (gosh! I dont know anything about guns.) It was kinda hard to believe. Yeah she has some background... blah blah blah. Now Im bitchy. O.O
• Is there a book two or something?
@gleekidMC
April 8, 2015
Oh my goodness! I enjoyed the start to this series a lot. It is full of snarky characters and so much action. It has the potential to be a real skin crawling kind of series with it's creepy spider like creatures. It may leave the reader checking behind his/her ear during and/or after reading...
There was one little thing that bothered me... Perhaps, the answer to that little tidbit will be revealed in the future books for this series.
I received a copy of this book from the author and the above review is my honest opinion.
There was one little thing that bothered me... Perhaps, the answer to that little tidbit will be revealed in the future books for this series.
I received a copy of this book from the author and the above review is my honest opinion.
July 17, 2015
I was given this book to read in exchange for an honest review by LoP group.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters are very memorable, especially the main character, Paige. I love her take charge attitude and that she possesses all the skills to back up said attitude. Parts of this book made me scared for her, while other parts really made me happy for her...while still other parts made me sad for her. Every part of this book made me root for Paige to come out on top. I mean, who doesn't like when an underdog kicks some butt? That's exactly what Paige does in Aftermath and I can't wait to read the next in the series! Great writing Tom! You grabbed my attention at page 1 and I couldn't stop reading until I finished.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. The characters are very memorable, especially the main character, Paige. I love her take charge attitude and that she possesses all the skills to back up said attitude. Parts of this book made me scared for her, while other parts really made me happy for her...while still other parts made me sad for her. Every part of this book made me root for Paige to come out on top. I mean, who doesn't like when an underdog kicks some butt? That's exactly what Paige does in Aftermath and I can't wait to read the next in the series! Great writing Tom! You grabbed my attention at page 1 and I couldn't stop reading until I finished.
August 11, 2015
I really enjoyed this fast paced read. The story begins almost instantly. However, the author still manages to establish the main character prior to diving into the main plot. I liked the sci-fi storyline and somewhat fantastical elements woven into it. The characters are likable and believable. This book is definitely engaging. There are action sequences throughout; ensuring never a dull moment. If you like action with a sci-fi twist, I recommend this book.
April 21, 2015
Thanks Tom for sending me a copy of your book :)
I really enjoyed this book
I thought the characters were awesome especially Drew
And it's sounds like a great series
The only thing is that ending really just ruined t for me. I don't know if I can handle reading the second book after what happened in the first.
I really enjoyed this book
I thought the characters were awesome especially Drew
And it's sounds like a great series
The only thing is that ending really just ruined t for me. I don't know if I can handle reading the second book after what happened in the first.
June 16, 2015
I left a longer review on amazon but wanted to say this book was both fascinating and exciting and what a pleasant surprise it was compared to what I thought it would be like. Congrats to a job well done and can't wait for the next book.
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