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Among These Bones #1
Among These Bones
Doomsday was bad enough...but then they took her son. Alison and her teenage son Arie survived a global pandemic, but the cure that keeps them alive also steals their memories. Living under the harsh rule of The Agency is grim, but Alison's world is torn apart when Arie goes missing. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking down to the day when her memories will be erased again. Among These Bones asks, how far would a mother go to discover the truth? Among These Bones is intended for fans of dystopian, post-apocalyptic, survival, and pandemic fiction. Read the complete three book series today.
“Creative, page-turning science fiction.” -Goodreads reviewer “This was a story that grabs you by the imagination and takes you for a ride.” – Bookbub Reviewer “The writing is great, the characters are well developed and the story is a perfect mix of everything that makes a 5 star read.” -Goodreads reviewer
Read.Freely October 2019 Book of the Month Review What it's about
The world, as you know it, is gone. A global pandemic has razed through the population, wiping out 80% of all humanity. The survivors are hanging on by their fingertips, living in ragtag communities. The only reason they are alive is because of "the serum" administered to them annually by The Agency. It keeps them alive, but it has one side effect... — it completely wipes away their memories. Each year they take the serum and they forget everything, everyone. This is the world that Alison and her son Arie live in. They have one year to learn to know each other, love each other ... before they lose all their memories again. What we love about it
Can I take my serious reviewer hat off for a second and speak from the heart? I bloody loved this book. So, so much. I devoured the first half of it in one sitting, barely breathing. It's that good. Arie and Alison ransack the deserted homes in the neighbourhood, looking for old magazines, tapes, home videos - any echoes of the world before. Because even though their memories have been erased repeatedly, they know that something is going on, and The Agency is not to be trusted. But soon things escalate when they fall in with wise old Ruby and her band of rebels. There is risk, and danger, and violence, as together they seek the answers that they know must be out there. And all the time the clock is ticking down to the day when their memories will be erased again.
“Creative, page-turning science fiction.” -Goodreads reviewer “This was a story that grabs you by the imagination and takes you for a ride.” – Bookbub Reviewer “The writing is great, the characters are well developed and the story is a perfect mix of everything that makes a 5 star read.” -Goodreads reviewer
Read.Freely October 2019 Book of the Month Review What it's about
The world, as you know it, is gone. A global pandemic has razed through the population, wiping out 80% of all humanity. The survivors are hanging on by their fingertips, living in ragtag communities. The only reason they are alive is because of "the serum" administered to them annually by The Agency. It keeps them alive, but it has one side effect... — it completely wipes away their memories. Each year they take the serum and they forget everything, everyone. This is the world that Alison and her son Arie live in. They have one year to learn to know each other, love each other ... before they lose all their memories again. What we love about it
Can I take my serious reviewer hat off for a second and speak from the heart? I bloody loved this book. So, so much. I devoured the first half of it in one sitting, barely breathing. It's that good. Arie and Alison ransack the deserted homes in the neighbourhood, looking for old magazines, tapes, home videos - any echoes of the world before. Because even though their memories have been erased repeatedly, they know that something is going on, and The Agency is not to be trusted. But soon things escalate when they fall in with wise old Ruby and her band of rebels. There is risk, and danger, and violence, as together they seek the answers that they know must be out there. And all the time the clock is ticking down to the day when their memories will be erased again.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2018
91 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 17, 2025
Stars: 2.5 out of 5.
This started pretty strong but petered out by the end.
The premise is fantastic - a global pandemic destroyed society as we know it. The survivors must take a serum every year in order not to contract the disease that killed most of humanity. The unfortunate side effect of this serum is that it wipes your memories. So every year you start as a blank slate, with the Agency telling you who you are, who your family is, and what you did in life. But who is to say that any of it is true? Is that child that the Agency shoved into your arms really your son or a random stranger? Is your name really Allison?
I believe the author wasted the potential of this premise because there could have been so much more she could have done there!
Allison in particular seems prone to accept these facts at face value and not even question them until the later part of the book. She is content just to keep her head down, get her rations, and hole up in a ratty house for the rest of her life. It's Arie that is trying to push the limits of their world and to discover what really happened on Year One.
And I think that was ultimately the biggest issue for me. Allison is the protagonist, and she is boring as fish. I couldn't care less for her tribulations because she didn't really commit to anything until the end of the book. Until then, she just kind of floated along the current and followed whichever person of authority she happened to be with, be it Arie or Ruby.
Also, she is written as a bit dim. I mean you know an Agency supervisor took a special interest in you and your son, and you discovered that Arie was being tracked via his chip. Why oh why would you bring a very recognizable truck straight to your house? Especially when working vehicles are so rare? And why would you rush back there after the stint you pulled at the serum storage facility? That's next level stupid.
Actually, all the characters in this book are written as not very bright, even if the author says otherwise about some of them. They survive and pull a successful heist only because of plot contrivances and kevlar-thick plot armor. And once I realized that, I couldn't really care for their well-being because it felt like they would survive no matter how dire the situation was. Apart from Gracy that is, but then again, we barely knew the girl. I'm almost convinced that she was introduced only for the purpose of fridging her to create some motivation for Allison.
All in all, this was a rather disappointing read. It started great but devolved into the standard and stereotypical story of an evil corporation doing something to common people for nefarious but nebulous reasons. Also, the bad guys in this story had no shades of gray whatsoever. I don't think I will be continuing with this series.
This started pretty strong but petered out by the end.
The premise is fantastic - a global pandemic destroyed society as we know it. The survivors must take a serum every year in order not to contract the disease that killed most of humanity. The unfortunate side effect of this serum is that it wipes your memories. So every year you start as a blank slate, with the Agency telling you who you are, who your family is, and what you did in life. But who is to say that any of it is true? Is that child that the Agency shoved into your arms really your son or a random stranger? Is your name really Allison?
I believe the author wasted the potential of this premise because there could have been so much more she could have done there!
Allison in particular seems prone to accept these facts at face value and not even question them until the later part of the book. She is content just to keep her head down, get her rations, and hole up in a ratty house for the rest of her life. It's Arie that is trying to push the limits of their world and to discover what really happened on Year One.
And I think that was ultimately the biggest issue for me. Allison is the protagonist, and she is boring as fish. I couldn't care less for her tribulations because she didn't really commit to anything until the end of the book. Until then, she just kind of floated along the current and followed whichever person of authority she happened to be with, be it Arie or Ruby.
Also, she is written as a bit dim. I mean you know an Agency supervisor took a special interest in you and your son, and you discovered that Arie was being tracked via his chip. Why oh why would you bring a very recognizable truck straight to your house? Especially when working vehicles are so rare? And why would you rush back there after the stint you pulled at the serum storage facility? That's next level stupid.
Actually, all the characters in this book are written as not very bright, even if the author says otherwise about some of them. They survive and pull a successful heist only because of plot contrivances and kevlar-thick plot armor. And once I realized that, I couldn't really care for their well-being because it felt like they would survive no matter how dire the situation was. Apart from Gracy that is, but then again, we barely knew the girl. I'm almost convinced that she was introduced only for the purpose of fridging her to create some motivation for Allison.
All in all, this was a rather disappointing read. It started great but devolved into the standard and stereotypical story of an evil corporation doing something to common people for nefarious but nebulous reasons. Also, the bad guys in this story had no shades of gray whatsoever. I don't think I will be continuing with this series.
January 18, 2021
This a bit bizarre and took some time to get involved in the story but I am glad I hung in there because it got much better about half way through. Look forward to reading the next one in this series. Happy reading!
January 30, 2020
love this series so far, an easy but interesting read
August 3, 2020
Having encountered Ms. Luzzader through her short fiction first, I wasn't sure what to expect with a longer work. Happily, Among These Bones is an excellent post-apocalyptic thriller with skillful writing and characters I cared deeply about. The descriptive prose put me right in this world where a plague has left humanity isolated in zones that are controlled by a shadowy government agency. The main character, Alison, does her best to survive in a primitive dwelling she shares with her older son, Arie which they use as a base to scavenge for supplies and information about the past. The story is twisting and unpredictable and the conflicts plausible enough to make the suspense weighty and real. Luzzader's world is populated with a variety of characters, both heroic and despicable, and she handles the writing with confidence. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2019
This is perhaps the most unique post-apocalyptic book I have read in a long time. My curiosity was piqued and when I wasn't actively reading, I was wondering and thinking about what turn awaited. At the end of the book I needed the next one, and eagerly await it's release. Typically, I don't enjoy this kind of literature but Amanda managed to grab and hold my attention. Read it.
March 7, 2019
A bit scary and mysterious. Can’t wait for the sequel.
May 11, 2019
This author has written an interesting take on a dystopian world where memory is dependent upon an annual cure. When Alison's son Arie goes missing she goes on a journey to find him before she forgets him. The writing is great, the characters are well developed and the story is a perfect mix of everything that makes a 5 star read. I can't wait to read the sequel. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
January 13, 2020
Who are you? Better still, who am I ?
Similar to Big brothers watching you from a womans perspective. A really great read. Quite interesting to say the least.
Similar to Big brothers watching you from a womans perspective. A really great read. Quite interesting to say the least.
July 1, 2020
Amanda wrote a convincing world that had me turning pages. I got pulled into this story and lost a couple of hours of sleep trying to finish it. Very nice world-building. I can't wait to know what happens in the next book.
May 14, 2019
Allison and her son (or so they tell her) Arie make their way as best they can in a world gone crazy after a pandemic that wiped out a huge portion of the population. Once a year they must be given a serum to keep the disease away but which also has a side effect of taking away their memory. The effect is that they must relearn almost everything and just as they are settling in they must go back for another dose. When Allison woke up from the last dose of serum they told her Arie was her son and she believed them as she feels it in her heart that it is the truth. Seems are going along not so badly until the day Arie gets sick and after she takes him to the clinic for help they whisk him away and he seems to just disappear. Allison is desperate to not forget her son and to find out what really happened to him. A gripping read will keep you on the edge of your seat eager to know what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 8, 2019
Creative, page-turning science fiction. The writing is engaging and thought-provoking. I'm excited for the next book!
May 23, 2019
This is the book I have read by this author. I enjoyed reading this story set in a dysfunctional dystopia. The main female character, Allison, goes through a lot of angst as she navigates her way through this strange world attempting to survive and relocate her son. The plot is an interesting one and the author has presented it in a way that is engaging and made me want to continue reading. The characters are well developed and interesting. I’m looking forward to more in this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 6, 2020
Really good different take on the apocalypse!
A woman, Alison, and her son Arie live in a world decimated by a virus. Each year they have to take a serum to protect them from catching it. The downside: their memories are wiped.
This is a very unique tale of an apocalypse and it took me with it completely. The writing is very good, the characters captivating and real.
It could happen.
On to the second book in this tale.
A woman, Alison, and her son Arie live in a world decimated by a virus. Each year they have to take a serum to protect them from catching it. The downside: their memories are wiped.
This is a very unique tale of an apocalypse and it took me with it completely. The writing is very good, the characters captivating and real.
It could happen.
On to the second book in this tale.
July 7, 2019
Doomsday has happened but worse was to come when her son disappears. She will do anything to find the truth and him before she losses all her memories of him. Will she find him? Why was he taken? See if he will reappear
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 11, 2019
This was a story that grabs you by the imagination and takes you for a ride. I really enjoyed this story. Really good plot to the story. Very well written.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 10, 2019
This incredible dystopian will knock your socks off! Fast-paced with so many twists and turns your head will spin. Love everything about it and am waiting for the next book (im)patiently.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 25, 2021
This book was awesome. While I did manage to figure a bit of the plot out ahead of time, it was written in such a way that still easily kept me reading. The characters are well-written. If you like reading about the end of the world and what might happen after... you need to read this book!
February 18, 2019
For a post apocalypse book, this one was alright. No zombies, no rabid animals around every corner. The story was fast paced and kept me wanting to turn the page.
January 19, 2021
Okay, I'll bite. This one captured my attention enough to keep reading the series. I liked the characters, the world building and the plot. It left me wanting more and eager to continue.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews