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After the Pretty Pox: The Attic
“It’s worse than that. God will ignore us entirely.”A searing act of bioterrorism. A catastrophic plague they call the Pretty Pox.Most of the human race is dead, and for two years Arie McInnes has been alone, riding out the aftermath of the Pretty Pox, waiting for her own inevitable end. Hidden in the attic of her ruined home, Arie survives by wit and skill, ritual and habit.Convinced that humans are a dangerous fluke, a problematic species best allowed to expire, she chooses solitude…even in matters of life and death.Arie’s precarious world is upended when her youngest brother – a man she’s never met – appears out of nowhere with a badly injured woman. Their presence in the attic draws the attention of a dark watcher in the woods, and Arie is forced to choose between the narrow beliefs that have sustained her and the stubborn instinct to love and protect.In Book One of August Ansel’s captivating post-apocalyptic series, After the Pretty Pox casts an unwavering eye on what it means to be human in a world where nature has the upper hand, and the only rules left to live by – for good or ill – are the ones written on our hearts.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 11, 2020
An interesting story with a very complicated character.
Arie is one of the few survivors of Pretty Pox - a pandemic which wiped out a large number of people including Arie's grandparents.
She had run away from her previous life when she had some to her grandparent's house.
She is fifty two years old when the story starts. She lets in other survivors into her life and that starts the change in her life.
The story is about her beliefs and how her interaction with the other survivors causes changes in it.
Very well written story with deeply etched characters.
Arie is one of the few survivors of Pretty Pox - a pandemic which wiped out a large number of people including Arie's grandparents.
She had run away from her previous life when she had some to her grandparent's house.
She is fifty two years old when the story starts. She lets in other survivors into her life and that starts the change in her life.
The story is about her beliefs and how her interaction with the other survivors causes changes in it.
Very well written story with deeply etched characters.
August 4, 2020
This book got under my skin and wouldn't leave me alone. It was so different, and yet so familiar. The main character is about the same age as I am, so I could relate to her in that way, and her bravery and persistence shone through so much that I couldn't help but root for her. All of the characters, except the bad guys of course, were wonderful. So real I could hear them breathing, and feel their desperation. The setting - the house mainly was equally vivid for me. I could smell the decay of the house and hear the crunch of glass under my imaginary feet.
I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book but I so glad I did. It has changed me, at least in the way I look at my own house and surroundings now.
If you like post-apocalyptic stories without a ton of in-your-face death, or even just stories about human survival on a person and psychological scale, you'll like this one.
I'm not sure why I waited so long to read this book but I so glad I did. It has changed me, at least in the way I look at my own house and surroundings now.
If you like post-apocalyptic stories without a ton of in-your-face death, or even just stories about human survival on a person and psychological scale, you'll like this one.
August 4, 2019
After most of humanity dies in a pandemic called the Pretty Pox, Ari chooses to hide in the attic of her grandparent's home. As a girl, Ari ran away from an evangelical home to live with her grandmother, and never went back. Ari's peace and acceptance of her life is broken when her younger brother turns up.
Ari is a complicated character. She has her own spiritual beliefs, and they conflict with that of her family. Ari doesn't want to go back with her brother, she's been doing well living by herself, and on her own terms.
Other's show up seeking shelter, and Ari discovers that there is a group nearby forcing people to join them, whether they want to or not. Her hiding place may not be enough to keep her safe any more, but she's willing to take that chance.
The main focus of the story is on the characters, and they're all well drawn. I really love books that are character driven, but more action would have been welcome. The book dragged in places, and some of the internal thoughts could have been tightened up.
SPOILER:
Ari is a complicated character. She has her own spiritual beliefs, and they conflict with that of her family. Ari doesn't want to go back with her brother, she's been doing well living by herself, and on her own terms.
Other's show up seeking shelter, and Ari discovers that there is a group nearby forcing people to join them, whether they want to or not. Her hiding place may not be enough to keep her safe any more, but she's willing to take that chance.
The main focus of the story is on the characters, and they're all well drawn. I really love books that are character driven, but more action would have been welcome. The book dragged in places, and some of the internal thoughts could have been tightened up.
SPOILER:
February 16, 2024
This is a wonderful post-apocalyptic story which avoids falling into the standard tropes. For a start, the protagonist is a 52-year-old woman surviving in an attic with no special skills. What a refreshing change for the protagonist to not be an ex-special forces superman.
We are introduced to Arie’s daily battle for existence in exquisite detail and find out she has survived by keeping under the radar and avoiding everyone. Her life as a hermit is rudely interrupted and her relationship with the interlopers forms the major thrust of the story.
However, half-way through the book, the real antagonist appears, causing the story to move up a gear towards a thrilling climax.
The book is beautifully written with plenty of plot twists and surprises. I look forward to book 2 in the series.
We are introduced to Arie’s daily battle for existence in exquisite detail and find out she has survived by keeping under the radar and avoiding everyone. Her life as a hermit is rudely interrupted and her relationship with the interlopers forms the major thrust of the story.
However, half-way through the book, the real antagonist appears, causing the story to move up a gear towards a thrilling climax.
The book is beautifully written with plenty of plot twists and surprises. I look forward to book 2 in the series.
July 25, 2020
A good post apocalyptic read. Arie McInnes has been surviving alone in her attic after a virus has decimated the world's population, when she hears someone downstairs. That is when Handy, her younger brother born after she left home, arrives into her life along with Renna, and followed shortly by Curran ans his dog Talus. Her life changes drastically as she learns to live and love others.
January 14, 2024
Great story telling
So many books are filled with characters that you don't care for or about. that is not true for the characters in this story. I was so emotionally invested in each of them. They survived when 99% of the world was wiped out. That was the easy part. This was a great read!
So many books are filled with characters that you don't care for or about. that is not true for the characters in this story. I was so emotionally invested in each of them. They survived when 99% of the world was wiped out. That was the easy part. This was a great read!
January 15, 2024
Wonderful and Intriguing
I really enjoyed the storyline and the way answers were slowly revealed throughout the book about the past and the events that had led up to the story line.
At first I didn't take to the main character Arie but by the end of the book i think I was her biggest fan.
I can't wait to read book 2
I really enjoyed the storyline and the way answers were slowly revealed throughout the book about the past and the events that had led up to the story line.
At first I didn't take to the main character Arie but by the end of the book i think I was her biggest fan.
I can't wait to read book 2
June 22, 2017
Good beginning to an ongoing saga
Really enjoyed this read. Looking forward to seeing what happens next! Great characters particularly Arie, want to know more about her and her origins in gods land.
Really enjoyed this read. Looking forward to seeing what happens next! Great characters particularly Arie, want to know more about her and her origins in gods land.
September 23, 2020
As good as the first book in the series
I don't read much anymore but I found this series to be just what I was looking for. Entertaining and adventurous. Well written. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
I don't read much anymore but I found this series to be just what I was looking for. Entertaining and adventurous. Well written. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
September 29, 2019
An excellent, well written book. The main character is in her fifties and surviving. There are no zombies and no constant, needless sex and violence. Just a good story.
July 3, 2020
5 stars
A bit mystical to me but I was quickly drawn in to the story. Can’t wait for book 2 !
A bit mystical to me but I was quickly drawn in to the story. Can’t wait for book 2 !
September 8, 2020
Excellent - a real nail-biter
The main character was original and engaging. I have read many post-apocalyptic novels, and this one is a real winner.
The main character was original and engaging. I have read many post-apocalyptic novels, and this one is a real winner.
March 7, 2022
Loved this book!
This was a great escape - and well written. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. Can't wait to read the sequel...
This was a great escape - and well written. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. Can't wait to read the sequel...
October 9, 2022
Interesting
Very different dystopian story. It was a little slow in the beginning. The characters grabbed me & I wanted to know more about them.
Very different dystopian story. It was a little slow in the beginning. The characters grabbed me & I wanted to know more about them.
October 10, 2022
An awesome book
One of the best,if not the best, post-apocalyptic books I have read. I read the 1st book in one night and can't wait to start on Book 2.
One of the best,if not the best, post-apocalyptic books I have read. I read the 1st book in one night and can't wait to start on Book 2.
March 30, 2023
Good book
The story was excellent. It was very intriguing and well written. I can't wait to see what happens next in their journey.
The story was excellent. It was very intriguing and well written. I can't wait to see what happens next in their journey.
July 9, 2024
Compelling storytelling
A story full of good characters with a penchant for survival and family. Exciting action, too! I’m hooked. I already got the next two in the series.
A story full of good characters with a penchant for survival and family. Exciting action, too! I’m hooked. I already got the next two in the series.
July 31, 2025
Very well written. Very interesting story. Really enjoyed it
September 14, 2025
The first book read by this author, and I enjoyed it. I will continue checking books by this author.
October 15, 2016
This is different from many other post-apocalyptic novels in that it is not centered on teenage characters. Quite the opposite. The central character of this story is Arie, who left her seemingly abusive, cult-like home to live with her grandparents. They are dead, along with almost everyone else, and Arie gets along quite nicely using her wits and knowledge of hunting and plants.
It is interesting that although Arie ran away from her previous life, she still seems to believe in many of its rituals.
She has quite ingeniously survived by setting up a secret space for herself. She has been alone for a few years until her younger brother shows up one day and wants her to come home with him. Arie is 52 and her brother is around 30. She never met him before. He brings along another character with him and she reluctantly allows them into her life. Another character shows up and, again, she lets him into their little world. Before she knows it and against all she believes about herself, she finds she likes having people around and they become almost like a little family.
They make plans to leave Arie's home to travel to the home she left years ago, but she doesn't plan to go with them. There are some people who come along to complicate both her plans and her companions' plans and that is pretty much where this book end.
At one point, one of the characters says they have to travel forty miles, which will be a difficult journey and take them weeks. That made me think about how much we take things for granted. Today, if we have to travel forty miles, we get in the car and are there in about an hour. How many of us could make a forty mile journey--on foot--in the winter?
This was an interesting book. Arie is a complicated woman, but we still have much to learn about her past. Sometimes the prose seems flowery and old-fashioned and was not easy to get through because it seemed to take pages to say what could have been said in paragraphs. That mostly changes when other people come into Arie's life and maybe represents her life--how time passes slowly for her, as she is alone with only her memories in a destroyed world.
I liked the book, and I want to read the next installment, but it did move a bit slowly. There were a few times I passed through multiple pages without reading them all because I just wanted to get on with the story. That's really my only criticism. The author paints a realistic portrait (I think and never hope to find out) of a post-apocalyptic world that Arie seems to like and fit into better than the old world.
It is interesting that although Arie ran away from her previous life, she still seems to believe in many of its rituals.
She has quite ingeniously survived by setting up a secret space for herself. She has been alone for a few years until her younger brother shows up one day and wants her to come home with him. Arie is 52 and her brother is around 30. She never met him before. He brings along another character with him and she reluctantly allows them into her life. Another character shows up and, again, she lets him into their little world. Before she knows it and against all she believes about herself, she finds she likes having people around and they become almost like a little family.
They make plans to leave Arie's home to travel to the home she left years ago, but she doesn't plan to go with them. There are some people who come along to complicate both her plans and her companions' plans and that is pretty much where this book end.
At one point, one of the characters says they have to travel forty miles, which will be a difficult journey and take them weeks. That made me think about how much we take things for granted. Today, if we have to travel forty miles, we get in the car and are there in about an hour. How many of us could make a forty mile journey--on foot--in the winter?
This was an interesting book. Arie is a complicated woman, but we still have much to learn about her past. Sometimes the prose seems flowery and old-fashioned and was not easy to get through because it seemed to take pages to say what could have been said in paragraphs. That mostly changes when other people come into Arie's life and maybe represents her life--how time passes slowly for her, as she is alone with only her memories in a destroyed world.
I liked the book, and I want to read the next installment, but it did move a bit slowly. There were a few times I passed through multiple pages without reading them all because I just wanted to get on with the story. That's really my only criticism. The author paints a realistic portrait (I think and never hope to find out) of a post-apocalyptic world that Arie seems to like and fit into better than the old world.
August 7, 2016
Pretty Pox? No zombies...
When I first opened this to read, I thought, well I will try a few pages to get an idea of the story. I was hooked! This is probably one of the better books that I have read on my kindle.
The "pretty pox" has devastated 99.9 % of the population. Arie, our heroine, has lived years alone in the attic of her grandparents home. (I loved the description of her nest.) After being alone for so many years her brother finds her and brings a girl almost killed by wild dogs. Also, we have another character who descends within their midst.
I won't give away any more of the story except to say you have good dogs, bad dogs, and of course, as always, some very bad humans who want what you have and intend on making slaves of people who can't resist. This is such a good storyline and I love the characters. They as almost take shape before your eyes.
I will be following this author. I can't wait for the next chapters
When I first opened this to read, I thought, well I will try a few pages to get an idea of the story. I was hooked! This is probably one of the better books that I have read on my kindle.
The "pretty pox" has devastated 99.9 % of the population. Arie, our heroine, has lived years alone in the attic of her grandparents home. (I loved the description of her nest.) After being alone for so many years her brother finds her and brings a girl almost killed by wild dogs. Also, we have another character who descends within their midst.
I won't give away any more of the story except to say you have good dogs, bad dogs, and of course, as always, some very bad humans who want what you have and intend on making slaves of people who can't resist. This is such a good storyline and I love the characters. They as almost take shape before your eyes.
I will be following this author. I can't wait for the next chapters
July 25, 2020
I absolutely loved Talus (the dog) in this well-written, clean, inspiring story. The author has done a fantastic job with character development as the reader is drawn into each of the attic's inhabitant's lives. Arie’s survival skills - her snares, gardens, tools, heating source, cooking, and preserving abilities - all give a sense of reality to the story. And Arie, a middle-aged woman with painful joints, presents a more genuine character than some Rambo-like individual.
Storms had blown over a great many trees, more than a few power poles (which had been trees once, too) and dragged useless lines down into snarled nests. All those entertaining pulses of data and power, all those houses tethered like angular fetuses on twisted umbilici, all silent now.
The wind thrashed outside, and the lights of the kerosene lamps flickered so that their shadows rose and fell, faded and sharpened.
Storms had blown over a great many trees, more than a few power poles (which had been trees once, too) and dragged useless lines down into snarled nests. All those entertaining pulses of data and power, all those houses tethered like angular fetuses on twisted umbilici, all silent now.
The wind thrashed outside, and the lights of the kerosene lamps flickered so that their shadows rose and fell, faded and sharpened.
December 19, 2016
Post Apocalyptic Human Perspective
There are a great abundance of post apocalyptic books written for preppers, fanatically fixated on the gear and various preparation methods they believe would give them an advantage in a post apocalyptic world. There are not nearly enough books that highlight the mental, emotional, human preparation and skill that makes the difference when adversity strikes. Carla Baku has done an amazing job utilizing historical fiction to highlight the qualities that propel people through adversity, as well as those that lead some to their own inevitable demise. Now her altar ego has taken her first masterful stroke at achieving the same with the post apocalyptic genre.
Looking forward to the next installment in this series!
There are a great abundance of post apocalyptic books written for preppers, fanatically fixated on the gear and various preparation methods they believe would give them an advantage in a post apocalyptic world. There are not nearly enough books that highlight the mental, emotional, human preparation and skill that makes the difference when adversity strikes. Carla Baku has done an amazing job utilizing historical fiction to highlight the qualities that propel people through adversity, as well as those that lead some to their own inevitable demise. Now her altar ego has taken her first masterful stroke at achieving the same with the post apocalyptic genre.
Looking forward to the next installment in this series!
October 5, 2016
I keep thinking about the characters in this story. I want to pick up my Kindle and keep reading about what they are doing now that they've left Arie's home. Then I remember I finished the book. After the Pretty Pox is one of the best stories I've read. It's very well written and well-formatted for Kindle. Now I wait for August Ansel's next book in the series to be available.
December 28, 2016
Fantastic
I bought this book on a whim; a fortuitous one as it turned out. The characters are what make this book great, especially the main. One or two of the concepts, especially the lack of stuff that should have been lying about so soon after a sudden fall, rang tin, but detracted little from the stellar writing and suspense.
I bought this book on a whim; a fortuitous one as it turned out. The characters are what make this book great, especially the main. One or two of the concepts, especially the lack of stuff that should have been lying about so soon after a sudden fall, rang tin, but detracted little from the stellar writing and suspense.
August 26, 2016
A Very unique read
I really enjoyed this book! I love the older character because I have a few things in common with her. The plot is very good and different because you hear very little about how things ended. You read more on how they survive. A very enjoyable read!
I really enjoyed this book! I love the older character because I have a few things in common with her. The plot is very good and different because you hear very little about how things ended. You read more on how they survive. A very enjoyable read!
Read
October 14, 2016I couldn't put it down. Mesmerizing.
This dystopian story has everything- characters that are realistic, survival savvy, love, a feel for the natural world. I can't wait for more!
This dystopian story has everything- characters that are realistic, survival savvy, love, a feel for the natural world. I can't wait for more!
October 24, 2016
A really good book
This book didn't have an implausible plot line like so many self published books these days (At least I believe it was self published). I liked the characters. I liked the story. Definitely looking forward to the next book.
This book didn't have an implausible plot line like so many self published books these days (At least I believe it was self published). I liked the characters. I liked the story. Definitely looking forward to the next book.
October 27, 2016
Excellent Read!
Good storyline and strong characters that are well defined and likable. I especially liked the main character, Aire, and her quirkiness and little sayings. Can't wait for the next! Would like to learn more about the Pretty Pox and where it came from.
Good storyline and strong characters that are well defined and likable. I especially liked the main character, Aire, and her quirkiness and little sayings. Can't wait for the next! Would like to learn more about the Pretty Pox and where it came from.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews