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Colorado Chapters #1
What Survives of Us
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree and National Indie Excellence Award Winner!
Naomi sees her first corpse in a Colorado Springs grocery store, but it won’t be her last. With devastating speed, a plague sweeps first the city, then the state, then the world, leaving less than 1% of the population to go on. Naomi, a gentle and sheltered housewife, finds herself fighting for survival in a world populated by desperate people, where might-makes-right, and mercy and compassion are in short supply. Fellow survivors Jack, a youth minister from Woodland Park; Grace, a 17-year-old high school student from Limon; and Naomi’s daughter Piper, a student at the University of Northern Colorado, all find themselves searching for a safe path forward…because it’s not just the world that has changed.
The plague that decimates the human race also pushes mankind into evolutionary change. Those who survive are different, profoundly so, in ways they are just beginning to comprehend. As Naomi struggles to protect and reunite what’s left of her family, she must also learn to understand and accept the changes in herself. In this strange new world, her survival, and the survival of those she loves, depends on it.
Naomi sees her first corpse in a Colorado Springs grocery store, but it won’t be her last. With devastating speed, a plague sweeps first the city, then the state, then the world, leaving less than 1% of the population to go on. Naomi, a gentle and sheltered housewife, finds herself fighting for survival in a world populated by desperate people, where might-makes-right, and mercy and compassion are in short supply. Fellow survivors Jack, a youth minister from Woodland Park; Grace, a 17-year-old high school student from Limon; and Naomi’s daughter Piper, a student at the University of Northern Colorado, all find themselves searching for a safe path forward…because it’s not just the world that has changed.
The plague that decimates the human race also pushes mankind into evolutionary change. Those who survive are different, profoundly so, in ways they are just beginning to comprehend. As Naomi struggles to protect and reunite what’s left of her family, she must also learn to understand and accept the changes in herself. In this strange new world, her survival, and the survival of those she loves, depends on it.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 30, 2014
437 people are currently reading
1112 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Miner
5 books44 followersKathy Miner lives in Colorado with her family and her critters. She has a degree in English with an emphasis in both creative and practical writing, and has called herself a writer since she was eight years old. She worked as a high school English teacher for several years and loved every minute of classroom time, but would rather have root canal than grade another 5 paragraph essay EVER again.
Kathy’s interest in futuristic fiction began during her high school years with Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell. The Colorado Chapters trilogy started when she dreamed about the main character, Naomi, and wondered, “What could transform a suburban housewife so completely?” Her novels answer that question, and many more. She is planning a related series to take place in her home state of Michigan.
When Kathy isn’t writing or “momming,” she enjoys reading everything from current scientific research to the Harry Potter series to Shakespeare. She also loves hiking in all kinds of weather, especially when she can bully her ridiculously fluffy dog into coming along, and she will try her hand at any kind of hand-craft there is. You can learn more about her, and her novels, at www.kathy-miner.com, or find her on Facebook at Kathy Miner Books.
Kathy’s interest in futuristic fiction began during her high school years with Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell. The Colorado Chapters trilogy started when she dreamed about the main character, Naomi, and wondered, “What could transform a suburban housewife so completely?” Her novels answer that question, and many more. She is planning a related series to take place in her home state of Michigan.
When Kathy isn’t writing or “momming,” she enjoys reading everything from current scientific research to the Harry Potter series to Shakespeare. She also loves hiking in all kinds of weather, especially when she can bully her ridiculously fluffy dog into coming along, and she will try her hand at any kind of hand-craft there is. You can learn more about her, and her novels, at www.kathy-miner.com, or find her on Facebook at Kathy Miner Books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
February 19, 2016
*****5 ++++++ FLOORED Stars*****
WOW...just freakin WOW!! This book totally transported me to a time where only 1% of the world survived a plague.
The author weaves 4 stories ranging from a New Adult POV, to a YA POV, to a Middle Aged woman's POV, and finally a Middle Aged Youth Minister's POV.
The each have their own story dealing with the end of world as we know it...No....there aren't any zombies for them to battle...only each other and the monsters people have become.
While reading this, I kept referencing back to "The Stand" by Stephan King (one of my favorite books) and yes, it is similar but has it's own twist.
Not only are these 4 separate stories going to in-twine together - but there is a bit of an edge - a special 6th sense each individual survivor incorporates that differs and helps them survive as a whole.
We have:
Naomi (mom, Martha Stewart wanna-be) - soft and will do anything for her daughters. Macy her youngest got the plague but survived and now they are searching for Piper (college).
Jack (youth minister) - he is the leader and has problems with Layla since she is Wiccan.
Grace & Quinn - High school students - Quinn is the little brother (16) of Grace's boyfriend who died in the plague. Grace is looking for her dad who may or may not have survived.
Piper - stuck in a military type commune and is more or less now a captive. Can feel a connection to her mother.
So yeah, this book had me weeping a few times and all out bawling towards the end.
Beautiful - Exceptional
WOW...just freakin WOW!! This book totally transported me to a time where only 1% of the world survived a plague.
The author weaves 4 stories ranging from a New Adult POV, to a YA POV, to a Middle Aged woman's POV, and finally a Middle Aged Youth Minister's POV.
The each have their own story dealing with the end of world as we know it...No....there aren't any zombies for them to battle...only each other and the monsters people have become.
While reading this, I kept referencing back to "The Stand" by Stephan King (one of my favorite books) and yes, it is similar but has it's own twist.
Not only are these 4 separate stories going to in-twine together - but there is a bit of an edge - a special 6th sense each individual survivor incorporates that differs and helps them survive as a whole.
We have:
Naomi (mom, Martha Stewart wanna-be) - soft and will do anything for her daughters. Macy her youngest got the plague but survived and now they are searching for Piper (college).
- Naomi can talk to animals and ease other people
- Macy can talk to the dead and see the future
Jack (youth minister) - he is the leader and has problems with Layla since she is Wiccan.
- Jack is an emphatic and can manipulate
Grace & Quinn - High school students - Quinn is the little brother (16) of Grace's boyfriend who died in the plague. Grace is looking for her dad who may or may not have survived.
- Grace - can sense dangerous situations
- Quinn - knows by looking at a plant what medicinal properties it has and can see a bit of the future
Piper - stuck in a military type commune and is more or less now a captive. Can feel a connection to her mother.
- Piper can learn things at a quick pace and retain the knowledge
So yeah, this book had me weeping a few times and all out bawling towards the end.
Beautiful - Exceptional
July 23, 2015
Post-apocalyptic fiction novels seem to be a dime a dozen these days so it is greatly satisfying to discover one that is truly written well. Kathy Miner has crafted a first novel in what will likely be a trilogy, or perhaps a longer series, that is fundamentally about survival after a super plague wipes out 99% of the world’s population in just a few weeks. A “lucky” few seem to be immune and a few more are able to recover after their bodies are ravaged by the disease. This first novel is about those survivors in Colorado (mostly Colorado Springs and nearby areas) and their desperate attempts to forge some sort of direction for themselves in the aftermath.
I’ve read similar novels before, my two favorites being Stephen King’s The Stand and Robert McCammon’s Swan Song. Both of those books are humongous doorstopper novels, and set the gold standard for this type of post-apocalyptic fiction. I have yet to read another novel in this vein that captures the horror of what it must be like to live in such a world; to struggle with the grief of lost family and friends while at the same time make the tough decisions on how to carry on.
Until now.
"What Survives of Us" could not be more appropriately titled. Ms. Miner’s research is evident as she unfolds this new world. Everything from her description of medicinal herbs, to firearms, to the human psyche seems extremely authentic. Her plot is well thought out and keeps the pages turning briskly. And for a first time author, the pacing of this novel is spot on. I only wish the second book was ready now because the various story lines are just getting started.
What really drives the plot, as in all really good novels, is the characters. The reader has to feel them, to know them, and above all, to care about what happens to them. This is where this novel truly excels. This is a realistic portrayal of what a post-apocalyptic situation might well be like, with humanity’s remnants rapidly forming into groups just to survive. Some want power and will make their own rules to get it. Others want nothing more than to help others and start to rebuild and avoid the mistakes of the past. Almost all want to know if their family has survived. Beware, this book is brutally realistic in many places and will tug at your heartstrings often. Chapters are broken down into point-of-view character perspectives. Naomi is a housewife, Jack is a youth minister, Grace is a 17 year old high school student, and Naomi’s daughter Piper is a college student. All face near insurmountable challenges and are forced to dig deep within themselves to find strengths they didn’t know they had. And that’s not all. For it seems the plague has caused other changes to those who are left, changes that may be the manifestation of the next wave of human evolution. Survivors are discovering latent sixth sense abilities that affect everybody in profound ways.
I read my fair share of new, first time indie authors, and have often been disappointed by an unmistakable sense of amateur writing. Even when plots are well thought out, the rest of the story suffers from one shortcoming or another. Often it’s the characters that just aren’t worth reading about. Kathy Miner is the real deal and able to bring the whole package. It is rare that a novel will bring me to tears but this one did. I will be following Kathy Miner’s career with great interest.
I’ve read similar novels before, my two favorites being Stephen King’s The Stand and Robert McCammon’s Swan Song. Both of those books are humongous doorstopper novels, and set the gold standard for this type of post-apocalyptic fiction. I have yet to read another novel in this vein that captures the horror of what it must be like to live in such a world; to struggle with the grief of lost family and friends while at the same time make the tough decisions on how to carry on.
Until now.
"What Survives of Us" could not be more appropriately titled. Ms. Miner’s research is evident as she unfolds this new world. Everything from her description of medicinal herbs, to firearms, to the human psyche seems extremely authentic. Her plot is well thought out and keeps the pages turning briskly. And for a first time author, the pacing of this novel is spot on. I only wish the second book was ready now because the various story lines are just getting started.
What really drives the plot, as in all really good novels, is the characters. The reader has to feel them, to know them, and above all, to care about what happens to them. This is where this novel truly excels. This is a realistic portrayal of what a post-apocalyptic situation might well be like, with humanity’s remnants rapidly forming into groups just to survive. Some want power and will make their own rules to get it. Others want nothing more than to help others and start to rebuild and avoid the mistakes of the past. Almost all want to know if their family has survived. Beware, this book is brutally realistic in many places and will tug at your heartstrings often. Chapters are broken down into point-of-view character perspectives. Naomi is a housewife, Jack is a youth minister, Grace is a 17 year old high school student, and Naomi’s daughter Piper is a college student. All face near insurmountable challenges and are forced to dig deep within themselves to find strengths they didn’t know they had. And that’s not all. For it seems the plague has caused other changes to those who are left, changes that may be the manifestation of the next wave of human evolution. Survivors are discovering latent sixth sense abilities that affect everybody in profound ways.
I read my fair share of new, first time indie authors, and have often been disappointed by an unmistakable sense of amateur writing. Even when plots are well thought out, the rest of the story suffers from one shortcoming or another. Often it’s the characters that just aren’t worth reading about. Kathy Miner is the real deal and able to bring the whole package. It is rare that a novel will bring me to tears but this one did. I will be following Kathy Miner’s career with great interest.
October 11, 2018
It's not often I read apocalyptic fair. To make matters worse I have read 100's of novels between 2014 and now and I have utterly failed my GoodReads family! I confess to the near unpardonable sin of reading for my pleasure alone and skipping my honor bound duty to follow up with a review.
Kathy Miner's What Survives of Us is everything promised by Benjamin Thomas (a trusted GoodReads comrade). At 20% into the novel I splurged and purchased the 2nd one in the series.
And now I'm angry. And selfish. And hell bent emotionally. And it's all Kathy Miner's doing. Really, it's her fault.
Dammit! Where is book #3??
Kathy Miner's What Survives of Us is everything promised by Benjamin Thomas (a trusted GoodReads comrade). At 20% into the novel I splurged and purchased the 2nd one in the series.
And now I'm angry. And selfish. And hell bent emotionally. And it's all Kathy Miner's doing. Really, it's her fault.
Dammit! Where is book #3??
March 27, 2024
Excellent. Different, but very good.
Looking forward to book 2 and 3!
Perhaps a trigger warning should be included, though people familiar with this genre usually know what some of the triggers can be. Still, this book was a bit more graphic than others and a warning couldn't hurt.
Looking forward to book 2 and 3!
Perhaps a trigger warning should be included, though people familiar with this genre usually know what some of the triggers can be. Still, this book was a bit more graphic than others and a warning couldn't hurt.
March 9, 2015
I have read so many zombie books and this one by far is one of my favs. If you have not read this story, pick up a copy. There are so many different elements to this story, it is not just your run of the mill zombie stories. There are other things going on that just add to the story and really set it apart from other reads in it's genre. I can not wait for the second book in this series. I also have been trying to find stories like this one, even with similarities and have found none as good as this one. So if you do not have this book yet and you are getting a bit tired of the same ol, same ol...give What Survives of Us a go. You won't regret it! Thank you for a wonderful story Kathy Miner! Can't wait for the second part!!
September 27, 2018
What Survives Us by Kathy Miner is a supernatural dystopian thriller that begins where most of the rest of the human population ends, with the the surviving 1% following a worldwide epidemic of plague.
It was untreatable.
There was no vaccine
It was 99-100% fatal.
Miner's introductions include the characters followed in the plot, who are each given their own point of view within the story: Naomi, Jack, Grace, Quinn, and Piper. As the survivors descend into chaos two interesting twists emerge. The first is that those who have outlived the virus cannot outrun the violent and destructive demise of humanity. Brutality and complete degradation run rampant, with rape, murder, and torturous revenge fueling those who are left. The second is that those same people have all been imparted with unique powers. How they choose to use it – and abuse it – is up to them.
What Survives Us is the first in Kathy Miner's Colorado Chapters series, and as a note of warning it does end with a cliffhanger. Thankfully this isn't nearly as painful as what happens within the pages of this exquisitely written novel, since book two, Where the Light Enters, has already been released. Miner has taken an overly saturated genre and reinvigorated it with a skilled balancing act of realism and the supernatural. The darkness and whole abandonment of morality is laid bare with not even the most likable characters spared...which is where the realism seeps in. All of the usual tropes are cast off as Miner builds a world that, superhuman abilities aside, is likely to be a more accurate representation of descent than any I have read before. There's no question that this series will appeal to lovers of Stephen King's The Stand, giving rise to a formidable new author who is deserving of the comparison in every regard.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
It was untreatable.
There was no vaccine
It was 99-100% fatal.
Miner's introductions include the characters followed in the plot, who are each given their own point of view within the story: Naomi, Jack, Grace, Quinn, and Piper. As the survivors descend into chaos two interesting twists emerge. The first is that those who have outlived the virus cannot outrun the violent and destructive demise of humanity. Brutality and complete degradation run rampant, with rape, murder, and torturous revenge fueling those who are left. The second is that those same people have all been imparted with unique powers. How they choose to use it – and abuse it – is up to them.
What Survives Us is the first in Kathy Miner's Colorado Chapters series, and as a note of warning it does end with a cliffhanger. Thankfully this isn't nearly as painful as what happens within the pages of this exquisitely written novel, since book two, Where the Light Enters, has already been released. Miner has taken an overly saturated genre and reinvigorated it with a skilled balancing act of realism and the supernatural. The darkness and whole abandonment of morality is laid bare with not even the most likable characters spared...which is where the realism seeps in. All of the usual tropes are cast off as Miner builds a world that, superhuman abilities aside, is likely to be a more accurate representation of descent than any I have read before. There's no question that this series will appeal to lovers of Stephen King's The Stand, giving rise to a formidable new author who is deserving of the comparison in every regard.
Review written for Readers' Favorite.
August 21, 2015
A colourful and imaginative book. I started off thinking this was going to be another run-of-the-mill after the apocalypse book, but it had a new dimension added to it. People are slowly revealing new abilities. Not flying or anything like that, but subtle ones.
My only annoyance was that I had to put it down to reach for the tissues at one part, when a beautifully written piece about a death was being read. I couldn't see for my tears.
Fantastic!
I can't wait for book 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bfdW...
My only annoyance was that I had to put it down to reach for the tissues at one part, when a beautifully written piece about a death was being read. I couldn't see for my tears.
Fantastic!
I can't wait for book 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bfdW...
April 20, 2016
I don't know why this book is tagged as zombie… there’s no zombie anywhere… it is not even mentioned! All the dead remain dead!!!
This is pure dystopia. A plague (it is not explained if it is a man-made bug, or if it is natural…) have decimated the human race. The mortality rate is 99%... the world as we know it is no more…
The story is told from various POV and it is very, very dark tale.
This book ask a question: What would you do if all the people around you, all your family, friends, acquaintances, were dead?
And the various survivors answer it each one in his, or her, own way.
It takes place in Colorado. It doesn’t explain what is happening anywhere else, but I could very well imagine that it was the same.
The survivors are a mixed age group: teenagers, middle-agers, older people, children, male, female. They’re alone and ill prepared for the tough living the new reality requires.
The towns are not safe anymore. On the contrary: they’re ruled by gangs. Awful thing are happening there. There’s no safe place. You could get killed for a chunk of bread, or you could be raped till death…
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The hope is slowly fading, but that’s the only thing that is making them go on. But not the only one…
Those who have tasted on their own skin the brutality and bestiality of the gangs or the power hungry survivalists group live also for revenge. The bloodier, the better.
This is the story of a complete turnover of humanity, where all the softer emotions are annihilated. Where just the strongest survive either by guile or by will or by burning need for revenge.
The brutality and the worst character traits are described. Every blow delivered is felt. Every degradation revealed. Every pain suffered fully.
You can feel the desperation and the slow descent into madness and despair.
Then, when you least expect it a birth of different paranormal abilities occurs. Many of those who survived are surprised by them being able to manipulate people by words, to communicate with animals, to see relationships like glowing threads, to know when somebody is lying, to see sickness…
The religion is in doubt. Was the plague God’s punishment? Is this Armageddon? Where is God? Why he doesn’t do anything? Why innocents die while the monsters prosper? Why???
This book is so strong, so gut-punching, but so, so good!
This is pure dystopia. A plague (it is not explained if it is a man-made bug, or if it is natural…) have decimated the human race. The mortality rate is 99%... the world as we know it is no more…
The story is told from various POV and it is very, very dark tale.
This book ask a question: What would you do if all the people around you, all your family, friends, acquaintances, were dead?
And the various survivors answer it each one in his, or her, own way.
It takes place in Colorado. It doesn’t explain what is happening anywhere else, but I could very well imagine that it was the same.
The survivors are a mixed age group: teenagers, middle-agers, older people, children, male, female. They’re alone and ill prepared for the tough living the new reality requires.
The towns are not safe anymore. On the contrary: they’re ruled by gangs. Awful thing are happening there. There’s no safe place. You could get killed for a chunk of bread, or you could be raped till death…
[image error]
The hope is slowly fading, but that’s the only thing that is making them go on. But not the only one…
Those who have tasted on their own skin the brutality and bestiality of the gangs or the power hungry survivalists group live also for revenge. The bloodier, the better.
This is the story of a complete turnover of humanity, where all the softer emotions are annihilated. Where just the strongest survive either by guile or by will or by burning need for revenge.
The brutality and the worst character traits are described. Every blow delivered is felt. Every degradation revealed. Every pain suffered fully.
You can feel the desperation and the slow descent into madness and despair.
Then, when you least expect it a birth of different paranormal abilities occurs. Many of those who survived are surprised by them being able to manipulate people by words, to communicate with animals, to see relationships like glowing threads, to know when somebody is lying, to see sickness…
The religion is in doubt. Was the plague God’s punishment? Is this Armageddon? Where is God? Why he doesn’t do anything? Why innocents die while the monsters prosper? Why???
This book is so strong, so gut-punching, but so, so good!
Want to read
September 21, 2018💝FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (9/21/18)!💝
October 6, 2018
When I first started this book, I was not sure I was going to like it. There were so many different characters thrown in at once it got a little bit confusing. Then more than half of those characters died within the first like two chapters and I was even more confused. Once the story started going it was easier to tell apart the different characters and locations. I did enjoy that a name and place labelled the chapters, so we could bounce back and forth easily. It was a longer read than I anticipated, by page number it didn’t seem that it would be. It was not a book I would have typically gone for, so I guess just not my style of a book. That being said, it wasn’t a bad read, just different.
We read as a deadly plague kills most of the people off and puts those who are still alive in survival mode. For Naomi, thanks to her husbands need to be prepared she has a stock of food and water. Piper is with Noah. They are meeting up with his family who are survivalists. Grace is with Quinn, her boyfriends brother, trying to survive together. And lastly, Jack and Layla. A Christian priest and someone who chooses to live more of a gypsy style healing life. We find out right away they don’t care for each other, but that may cause some issues considering she nurses him back to health lol
We read as a deadly plague kills most of the people off and puts those who are still alive in survival mode. For Naomi, thanks to her husbands need to be prepared she has a stock of food and water. Piper is with Noah. They are meeting up with his family who are survivalists. Grace is with Quinn, her boyfriends brother, trying to survive together. And lastly, Jack and Layla. A Christian priest and someone who chooses to live more of a gypsy style healing life. We find out right away they don’t care for each other, but that may cause some issues considering she nurses him back to health lol
June 22, 2018
I hoped this would be good. It's excellent!
I took a chance on this series and my instincts have been proven right. First of three books, it's tightly and skillfully written with layered and nuanced characters who are always more than they seem. The soft hearted housewife with the core of solid steel and her daughters, the preacher caught in his hide bound paradigms, anguished as they are assaulted by th he new reality, the young girl who survives such horror and the strong, kind boy who loves her -- and so many more dimensional characters. You won't just read about them, you will know them and walk their journey through the author's deftly textured world. This is a series to keep and reread. Quite an achievement in a world where good storytellers abound.
I took a chance on this series and my instincts have been proven right. First of three books, it's tightly and skillfully written with layered and nuanced characters who are always more than they seem. The soft hearted housewife with the core of solid steel and her daughters, the preacher caught in his hide bound paradigms, anguished as they are assaulted by th he new reality, the young girl who survives such horror and the strong, kind boy who loves her -- and so many more dimensional characters. You won't just read about them, you will know them and walk their journey through the author's deftly textured world. This is a series to keep and reread. Quite an achievement in a world where good storytellers abound.
June 10, 2018
It's hard to believe this is the author's first book. The writing style is consistent with a much more experienced writer.
The story follows a number of characters after a plague wipes out almost everybody on the planet. From there it develops into far more than the standard tale of survival which is typical of the genre.
There are some fairly dark aspects to the story, so not for the faint-hearted.
I would have preferred a bit more resolution, but that's a very minor quibble.
The story follows a number of characters after a plague wipes out almost everybody on the planet. From there it develops into far more than the standard tale of survival which is typical of the genre.
There are some fairly dark aspects to the story, so not for the faint-hearted.
I would have preferred a bit more resolution, but that's a very minor quibble.
March 30, 2015
Super-bubonic plague causes the collapse of civilisation and the survivors develop psychic powers in this well-executed end-of-the-world survival story.
The story opens with animal loving, stay-at-home mother Naomi witnessing the first death while out shopping. After which things rapidly get much worse.
The writing is very readable throughout and well edited. Several characters are followed as they deal with the disaster and its aftermath. Some are stronger than others, but all the plot threads are interesting.
The kinds of things that happen in the aftermath of the disaster are somewhat predictable and I was inclined to pick holes in the premise, but even so, the story gripped from start to finish as engaging characters faced life-and-death problems.
This is the beginning of a series, but it works reasonably well as a standalone book. Not everything is resolved at the end but all the characters have made some progress with their problems, so I felt the ending was satisfactory though I would have been happy to keep reading.
As you might expect, features a lot of death, corpses, and violence including rape. YMMV, but I thought the subject matter was sensitively handled.
The story opens with animal loving, stay-at-home mother Naomi witnessing the first death while out shopping. After which things rapidly get much worse.
The writing is very readable throughout and well edited. Several characters are followed as they deal with the disaster and its aftermath. Some are stronger than others, but all the plot threads are interesting.
The kinds of things that happen in the aftermath of the disaster are somewhat predictable and I was inclined to pick holes in the premise, but even so, the story gripped from start to finish as engaging characters faced life-and-death problems.
This is the beginning of a series, but it works reasonably well as a standalone book. Not everything is resolved at the end but all the characters have made some progress with their problems, so I felt the ending was satisfactory though I would have been happy to keep reading.
As you might expect, features a lot of death, corpses, and violence including rape. YMMV, but I thought the subject matter was sensitively handled.
June 1, 2015
What Survives of Us is book about survival. It is about human nature and how people's nature can bring out the evil or good in people but also the will to survive and protect out loved ones. I would recommend this for adults only as it has graphic violence, rape and some graphic language. The book delves into plausible scenarios of how people might react if a plague killed off all but one percent of the population in a matter of days. The story follows Naomi a gentle insecure sheltered housewife who herself in a world of desperate people who are short of mercy and compassion. Jack a youth minister survives the plague to find himself in a world where his beliefs are shaken. Grace a seventeen year old and Naomi's daughter Piper find them fighting for survival among men who use force and the belief that might makes right and care very little for the morals and laws that restrained them before the plague. Th e survivors find that not only their world has changed but that they they are changing as the plague pushes mankind into evolutionary change This book is only the beginning of the story and I look forward to where it will lead.
April 26, 2015
Wonderful read
This was well written. I love post apocalyptic stories but frankly a lot of them are short on character development and story line not to mention editing. This is maybe not your standard story line but it all fit together well. I liked the characters and the slightly supernatural tone was nicely done. Kept my interest all the way through. It ends with an obvious set up for the next book which I will read when it's out.
This was well written. I love post apocalyptic stories but frankly a lot of them are short on character development and story line not to mention editing. This is maybe not your standard story line but it all fit together well. I liked the characters and the slightly supernatural tone was nicely done. Kept my interest all the way through. It ends with an obvious set up for the next book which I will read when it's out.
April 13, 2015
Not what I was expecting. It was actually much better. Thought it would be like the " Walking Dead", but turns out surviving in this apocalyptic world is a lot scarier/more brutal than being surround by the un-dead. Couldn't put it down and finished it in a weekend, mostly on a Saturday! Looking forward to Book 2.
July 14, 2015
Super good book, I read it in like 3 days, I got hooked from the beginning. There's a few stories that come together and each one goes thru their own difficulties and struggles trying to keep themselves safe from people that survived the plague.
it makes you think of what we are capable of doing in order to survive and keep the people we love safe.
it makes you think of what we are capable of doing in order to survive and keep the people we love safe.
August 27, 2021
I loved this so much when I read this on my kindle edition that I ordered the whole series in book form. The second time reading this is just as good. Basically It starts with a strange dead body in a Colorado grocery store. A pandemic spreads until less than one percent of mankind is left alive. The living is altered and new survival begins. NOT A ZOMBIE BOOK.
March 20, 2015
Excellent book by a first time author. Wonderful characters with pacing that pulls you through to the end. This book leaves you needing to know where these characters will be going in the next book. I highly recommend this book!
February 24, 2015
Great book!
Loved the story, characters were very believable! Also loved all the location detail, being a Springs native! I could totally picture all the scenes. :D
Loved the story, characters were very believable! Also loved all the location detail, being a Springs native! I could totally picture all the scenes. :D
September 4, 2014
Really good but not a happy read. Be prepared for the sorrow. Wish the second book was out, it is a abrupt ending.
May 28, 2015
Really enjoyed this book and was very disappointed that she had not yet written number two in the sequence.
May 30, 2015
Wow!
An interesting and amazing take on a post-apocalyptic world. Well worth the time, you won't be disappointed. Psychic powers emerge in the survivors.
An interesting and amazing take on a post-apocalyptic world. Well worth the time, you won't be disappointed. Psychic powers emerge in the survivors.
October 28, 2015
Mediocre post-apocalyptic fare that I stopped reading at 30% in.
October 28, 2015
Great zombie book. Lots of different stuff going on that makes it interesting.
September 16, 2014
Quick read, abrupt ending...but makes you eager for next book!
February 12, 2020
5 stars for the "Colorado Chapters" trilogy, where I'll definitely be rating Books 1 & 2 with the same rating but will drop (reluctantly!!!) Book 3 down to 4 stars, simply because it left some incredible story-lines hanging (the death of Ignacio, the further adventures of, well, just about anyone, etc.) and jumped a bit fast from one scene to the next (e.g. Jack is riding away from a dire situation and suddenly Jack is with Cass at their parents' home). Otherwise, at the risk of being accused of hyperbole, this is the most beautiful dystopian series I have ever read. Yeah, you don't read that sentence all the time...
I am combining my reviews for all 3 books into a repeated (copy/paste) format simply because I did not take a break from the beginning of Book 1 until the end of Book 3. Well, that's not true, I think I stopped briefly between the end of Book 2 and the start of Book 3 simply because I was emotionally exhausted. These books will leave you that breathless and spent. Anyway, if you asked me to separate the actual books from the story-lines, I wouldn't be able to do it without a lot of prompts.
Yes, I generally love dystopian tales anyway (noting as well that this series does NOT include zombies no matter what someone posted on goodreads) but find they SOMETIMES too bogged down in either the jorney from point A to point B or with testosterone laden gun-play. Sure that has its place and there are damn good tales out there that follow this structure (see Nicholas Sansbury Smith et.al.). But every now and then, you'll come across a book that gets it so right - from how humanity nearly gets wiped out to the real effects on the survivors, from grief to the violence that arises to the hope (or lack thereof) that we eventually can embrace, no matter how tenuously. Another author I can put in this category would be Alice Sabo, who's "Changed World" books were amazing!
OK but enough small-talk. Kathy Miner has put together an incredibly believable, stunningly emotional and wildly ranging set of stories that shook me to my very core. I have - with no exaggeration or whatever you want to call it - never CRIED this much reading a set of books in my life. The characters are AMAZING, from the craziest to the most evil to all in between. Honestly, if these books don't pull you in and rip at your heart strings (or make you bellow on occasion in rage or frustration) then I would suggest this isn't the genre for you. Just looking back at how these characters evolve - from Naomi to Piper, Grace, Martin and even many of the bad guys, heck even many of the animals - still makes me teary-eyed!
Conclusion? These books are extremely!!! well-written, expertly structured, with edge-of-your-seat tension and sickening horror that is at least handled with as much 'taste' as can be managed under the circumstances (yes, there is sexual violence and some gore for those that don't follow and shy away from current events). Kids, I can't do these stories justice with my own words. I truly treasured this experience and will revisit them again some day. That good. I can only stress that I hope Kathy Miner is still writing. Just wow.
I am combining my reviews for all 3 books into a repeated (copy/paste) format simply because I did not take a break from the beginning of Book 1 until the end of Book 3. Well, that's not true, I think I stopped briefly between the end of Book 2 and the start of Book 3 simply because I was emotionally exhausted. These books will leave you that breathless and spent. Anyway, if you asked me to separate the actual books from the story-lines, I wouldn't be able to do it without a lot of prompts.
Yes, I generally love dystopian tales anyway (noting as well that this series does NOT include zombies no matter what someone posted on goodreads) but find they SOMETIMES too bogged down in either the jorney from point A to point B or with testosterone laden gun-play. Sure that has its place and there are damn good tales out there that follow this structure (see Nicholas Sansbury Smith et.al.). But every now and then, you'll come across a book that gets it so right - from how humanity nearly gets wiped out to the real effects on the survivors, from grief to the violence that arises to the hope (or lack thereof) that we eventually can embrace, no matter how tenuously. Another author I can put in this category would be Alice Sabo, who's "Changed World" books were amazing!
OK but enough small-talk. Kathy Miner has put together an incredibly believable, stunningly emotional and wildly ranging set of stories that shook me to my very core. I have - with no exaggeration or whatever you want to call it - never CRIED this much reading a set of books in my life. The characters are AMAZING, from the craziest to the most evil to all in between. Honestly, if these books don't pull you in and rip at your heart strings (or make you bellow on occasion in rage or frustration) then I would suggest this isn't the genre for you. Just looking back at how these characters evolve - from Naomi to Piper, Grace, Martin and even many of the bad guys, heck even many of the animals - still makes me teary-eyed!
Conclusion? These books are extremely!!! well-written, expertly structured, with edge-of-your-seat tension and sickening horror that is at least handled with as much 'taste' as can be managed under the circumstances (yes, there is sexual violence and some gore for those that don't follow and shy away from current events). Kids, I can't do these stories justice with my own words. I truly treasured this experience and will revisit them again some day. That good. I can only stress that I hope Kathy Miner is still writing. Just wow.
June 11, 2018
The thing about reading apocalyptic fiction is that you go in expecting certain things to happen: people are going to die, bad guys are going to do bad things, mass destruction on a grand scale etc. In spite of knowing this, there are things I really hate to see. I'm putting these things under a spoiler cut.
SPOILER
What saved this book for me was the interesting spiritual/psychic changes in humanity. That's what kept me hooked. Naomi's connection to animals was fascinating, and I'm curious about Grace and Piper's tactical abilities.
I liked Naomi, and her dogs! Hades and Persephone are awesome! And I settled into Piper's story line, but I don't like Grace's story very much. It'll probably play an important part in the next book, but for now, I'm a bit disappointed.
This was definitely a mixed bag. Smooth, intense writing, characters that I liked, but a couple of plot elements that I hated.
SPOILER
What saved this book for me was the interesting spiritual/psychic changes in humanity. That's what kept me hooked. Naomi's connection to animals was fascinating, and I'm curious about Grace and Piper's tactical abilities.
I liked Naomi, and her dogs! Hades and Persephone are awesome! And I settled into Piper's story line, but I don't like Grace's story very much. It'll probably play an important part in the next book, but for now, I'm a bit disappointed.
This was definitely a mixed bag. Smooth, intense writing, characters that I liked, but a couple of plot elements that I hated.
November 16, 2018
“…That no path is written. That no future is better or worse than another. There is simply the path, which is created as people choose it.”
Have you ever wondered what might happen if the world as you know it changed into something you were scared to trust? Post apocalyptic literature is hard to review sometimes because spoilers abound. This focuses on three small groups of survivors and how they begin to adapt after the worst happens.
I read this book in 2 sittings. In light of reports of how stress on animals is changing them, adapting for survival [National Geographic Nov.2018] this book just blew me away! One of the best parts is that Kathy Miner addresses the religious elephant in the room with Pastor Jack, who has to deal with his own prejudices around the differing ways people come to spirituality, which even though he claims to be open to, he really isn’t.
I love how Kathy Miner goes into great detail about some things. Her “playing” with people’s names; how concise about alternative spiritualities as well as the spectrum of theologies and the ideas of power over, against and with. This is the first of three books, and I can hardly wait to read 2 and 3!
I highly recommend this book, and even with what might be considered “triggers”, I’d say it is ranked high on my Best Books of 2018. 5/5 #indiebrag.
Have you ever wondered what might happen if the world as you know it changed into something you were scared to trust? Post apocalyptic literature is hard to review sometimes because spoilers abound. This focuses on three small groups of survivors and how they begin to adapt after the worst happens.
I read this book in 2 sittings. In light of reports of how stress on animals is changing them, adapting for survival [National Geographic Nov.2018] this book just blew me away! One of the best parts is that Kathy Miner addresses the religious elephant in the room with Pastor Jack, who has to deal with his own prejudices around the differing ways people come to spirituality, which even though he claims to be open to, he really isn’t.
I love how Kathy Miner goes into great detail about some things. Her “playing” with people’s names; how concise about alternative spiritualities as well as the spectrum of theologies and the ideas of power over, against and with. This is the first of three books, and I can hardly wait to read 2 and 3!
I highly recommend this book, and even with what might be considered “triggers”, I’d say it is ranked high on my Best Books of 2018. 5/5 #indiebrag.
September 29, 2018
In "What Survives in Us" by Kathy Miner started off okay but halfway through, it didn't appear like it was going in the direction I expected. A plague descends upon the world and kills 99% of the inhabitants; of the remaining 1%, some are immune, others get sick and slowly recover. Once they recover, they find that they've changed: some seeing future events in their dreams, some able to communicate with animals, others becoming knowledgeable in certain areas (farming, botany, and other specialties). Family's are split up and spread across the country, all members are trying to get back to Colorado and their loved ones. Enroute, they must evade other groups of survivors who have become sadists, rapists, and stone cold killers. The story is told from several different viewpoints and of the trials and tribulations they experience during their trek. I found the most interesting POV from Naomi and her daughter and found myself skimming or skipping pages during the other storylines. The book ended abruptly and without a hint of what readers may expect in the next installment. I wasn't left overly excited at the end and don't really have an interest in reading more about this tale, so, I'll pass on moving forward.
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