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Past This Point
Karis Hylen has been through the New York City dating wringer. After years of failed relationships, she abandons her social life and whittles her days down to work and spending time with her dog, Zeke. Her self-imposed exile ends up saving her life when an untreatable virus sweeps the east coast, killing millions.
Alone in her apartment building, Karis survives with only Zeke, phone calls to her mom, and conversations with two young girls living across the courtyard. With the city in a state of martial law, violence and the smell of rotting corpses surround her every day. But her biggest enemy is her own mind. As cabin fever sets in, vivid hallucinations make her question her sanity.
In addition to her dwindling food and water stash, Karis must now struggle to keep her mind in check. When a mysterious man enters the scene, she hopes she can convince him to help her make it to the quarantine border. With the world crumbling around her, Karis discovers her inner strength but may find that she needs people after all.
Alone in her apartment building, Karis survives with only Zeke, phone calls to her mom, and conversations with two young girls living across the courtyard. With the city in a state of martial law, violence and the smell of rotting corpses surround her every day. But her biggest enemy is her own mind. As cabin fever sets in, vivid hallucinations make her question her sanity.
In addition to her dwindling food and water stash, Karis must now struggle to keep her mind in check. When a mysterious man enters the scene, she hopes she can convince him to help her make it to the quarantine border. With the world crumbling around her, Karis discovers her inner strength but may find that she needs people after all.
300 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2019
14 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Mabry
3 books101 followersBe sure to follow Nicole on Bookbub for her latest sales! https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nicol...
Nicole Mabry spends her days as the Senior Manager of Photography Post Production at a television network. Her nights are reserved for writing novels. At the age of seven, she read The Boxcar Children, sparking a passion for reading and writing early on. Nicole grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California and went to college at UCLA for Art History. During a vacation, she fell in love with New York City and has lived in Queens for the past sixteen years. On weekends you can find her with a camera in hand and her dog, Jackson, by her side. Nicole is an animal lover and horror movie junkie. She is the author of the award winning apocalyptic novel, Past This Point (Red Adept), and co-author of the forthcoming thriller novel, The Family Tree. (HarperCollins/Avon Books)
Nicole Mabry spends her days as the Senior Manager of Photography Post Production at a television network. Her nights are reserved for writing novels. At the age of seven, she read The Boxcar Children, sparking a passion for reading and writing early on. Nicole grew up in the Bay Area in Northern California and went to college at UCLA for Art History. During a vacation, she fell in love with New York City and has lived in Queens for the past sixteen years. On weekends you can find her with a camera in hand and her dog, Jackson, by her side. Nicole is an animal lover and horror movie junkie. She is the author of the award winning apocalyptic novel, Past This Point (Red Adept), and co-author of the forthcoming thriller novel, The Family Tree. (HarperCollins/Avon Books)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 9, 2020
4.5 I stayed up till 3am reading this, I had to know what happened to the characters. This book shadows the current events in the world with the coronavirus worldwide outbreak. It was so creepy, I had goosebumps on more than one occasion with newscaster saying almost the same words, the government saying the same things, the reality of the characters actions we spot on. While reading this I kept hoping this wasn't a premonition, it's that realistic. I was riveted by her story, scared, and horrified, in the ned I was glad to have known her.
Karis is a woman living in New York with her dog living a semi hermit lifestyle when a virus breaks out and people start to die. The advice is to quarantine yourself, cover your mouth when you sneeze, wash your hands, but death still comes. Alone as the the world come apart around her she creates a world inside her apartment, she befriends a couple kids across in another building, she reads, works out, talks to her parents in CA and her dog. She starts surviving and doing the hardest of things to live another day and hope for a way to make it home to her family in CA. Things are really bad, but not as bad as they will get.
Karis is a woman living in New York with her dog living a semi hermit lifestyle when a virus breaks out and people start to die. The advice is to quarantine yourself, cover your mouth when you sneeze, wash your hands, but death still comes. Alone as the the world come apart around her she creates a world inside her apartment, she befriends a couple kids across in another building, she reads, works out, talks to her parents in CA and her dog. She starts surviving and doing the hardest of things to live another day and hope for a way to make it home to her family in CA. Things are really bad, but not as bad as they will get.
February 24, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
‘Past this Point’ is a post-apocalyptic novel by American-based author, Nicole Mabry. At the time of reviewing, this scenario is extremely topical with coronavirus still proving difficult to contain. The story is told in the first person and the past tense.
We meet our main character, Karis, just before she becomes holed up in her apartment with only her dog for company, due to a killer-virus sweeping the east coast. Inevitably Karis, has problems with loneliness and struggles at times with separating reality from fantasy. She has a lot of time for soul-searching and re-evaluation of her mind-set.
After a while, Karis is given foils in the form of two sisters, Julia and Emma, in a neighbouring apartment block, both of whom seem to be extremely mature for their age. This aspect of the story is very moving and evocative. By now, the infrastructure of New York is breaking down and Karis soon experiences the inevitable dangers that follow on from this.
In the second half of the story, Karis has Ollie for companionship, causing the focus to shift from survival to attraction. Nicole Mabry has given herself an unnecessary complication by deciding that Ollie is English. He’s from London and has been in New York for a few weeks; during that time, he seems to have embraced the American English language without difficulty, as did his wealthy English parents when contacted by phone. However, an international audience most probably won’t notice.
The structure of the plot is straightforward without twists or misdirection and many readers will enjoy its simplicity. It’s extremely difficult to carry a whole story with such a narrow focus without it becoming introspective and repetitive. By and large the author has coped well with her remit. We have a degree of foreshadowing with varying levels of suspense. The scene-setting is excellent and the cover helps in this regard.
I confess to feeling a little irritated with the amount of good fortune Karis and Ollie enjoy; finding petrol readily available and working freezers full of food. I wondered why people would have turned feral when there were still plentiful supplies around. The physicians Karis and Ollie encounter are knowledgeable in their understanding of the makeup of the virus. If the frontline clinicians are so efficient, why do they have difficulty in interpreting Karis’ blood results? Any workup on a patient with Karis’ profile would include the obvious cause for the anomaly found. By this point I was definitely overthinking it.
The ending was perhaps rather twee but for those who enjoy romance, it will be a satisfying conclusion to a competently-written story. I quite liked aspects of the book and objectively, award four stars.
‘Past this Point’ is a post-apocalyptic novel by American-based author, Nicole Mabry. At the time of reviewing, this scenario is extremely topical with coronavirus still proving difficult to contain. The story is told in the first person and the past tense.
We meet our main character, Karis, just before she becomes holed up in her apartment with only her dog for company, due to a killer-virus sweeping the east coast. Inevitably Karis, has problems with loneliness and struggles at times with separating reality from fantasy. She has a lot of time for soul-searching and re-evaluation of her mind-set.
After a while, Karis is given foils in the form of two sisters, Julia and Emma, in a neighbouring apartment block, both of whom seem to be extremely mature for their age. This aspect of the story is very moving and evocative. By now, the infrastructure of New York is breaking down and Karis soon experiences the inevitable dangers that follow on from this.
In the second half of the story, Karis has Ollie for companionship, causing the focus to shift from survival to attraction. Nicole Mabry has given herself an unnecessary complication by deciding that Ollie is English. He’s from London and has been in New York for a few weeks; during that time, he seems to have embraced the American English language without difficulty, as did his wealthy English parents when contacted by phone. However, an international audience most probably won’t notice.
The structure of the plot is straightforward without twists or misdirection and many readers will enjoy its simplicity. It’s extremely difficult to carry a whole story with such a narrow focus without it becoming introspective and repetitive. By and large the author has coped well with her remit. We have a degree of foreshadowing with varying levels of suspense. The scene-setting is excellent and the cover helps in this regard.
I confess to feeling a little irritated with the amount of good fortune Karis and Ollie enjoy; finding petrol readily available and working freezers full of food. I wondered why people would have turned feral when there were still plentiful supplies around. The physicians Karis and Ollie encounter are knowledgeable in their understanding of the makeup of the virus. If the frontline clinicians are so efficient, why do they have difficulty in interpreting Karis’ blood results? Any workup on a patient with Karis’ profile would include the obvious cause for the anomaly found. By this point I was definitely overthinking it.
The ending was perhaps rather twee but for those who enjoy romance, it will be a satisfying conclusion to a competently-written story. I quite liked aspects of the book and objectively, award four stars.
August 26, 2019
How many post-apocalyptic books can say they are fresh, have taken a slightly different turn from the usual “virus killing off the population,” tale? Nicole Mabry has one that is sure to surprise many with her take on survival as one woman, burned in love, manages to become a strong survivalist in a world being decimated by a mysterious virus. Trapped in a quarantined area, Karis Hylen learns to be self-sufficient, show immense compassion and ingenuity when she realizes she only has herself and her dog to depend on, until she takes a chance on a stranger who has been beaten and robbed by a band of roving thugs, all while risking exposure, herself.
Nicole Mabry’s PAST THIS POINT is riveting, not in a rapid-fire, over-the-top, action way, but in an intelligent and quite feasible way. Karis is a brilliant character, yes, she is flawed, she is also inventive, concerned with her own mental health while living like a hermit and unknowingly growing as a person in leaps and bounds. Sure, there are the bad guys, the ones that would rather loot, steal and kill than rise to occasion, but they are only a small part of this amazing story.
Ollie is a pleasant surprise, not the superhero who rushes in, but a real human, regular in all ways, (except maybe how wealthy he is). Together, these two make a strong team with a romance that blooms slowly and cautiously.
This one is a true gem to read, especially when the heroics come in surviving with your humanity intact! Easy to read, well-drawn scenes, and probably a few tips on survival for us regular people!
Looks like September is going to be a great month to be a reader!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Red Adept. My review is both honest and voluntary.
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (September 3, 2019)
Publication Date: September 3, 2019
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
Print Length: 326 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Nicole Mabry’s PAST THIS POINT is riveting, not in a rapid-fire, over-the-top, action way, but in an intelligent and quite feasible way. Karis is a brilliant character, yes, she is flawed, she is also inventive, concerned with her own mental health while living like a hermit and unknowingly growing as a person in leaps and bounds. Sure, there are the bad guys, the ones that would rather loot, steal and kill than rise to occasion, but they are only a small part of this amazing story.
Ollie is a pleasant surprise, not the superhero who rushes in, but a real human, regular in all ways, (except maybe how wealthy he is). Together, these two make a strong team with a romance that blooms slowly and cautiously.
This one is a true gem to read, especially when the heroics come in surviving with your humanity intact! Easy to read, well-drawn scenes, and probably a few tips on survival for us regular people!
Looks like September is going to be a great month to be a reader!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Red Adept. My review is both honest and voluntary.
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (September 3, 2019)
Publication Date: September 3, 2019
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
Print Length: 326 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 12, 2019
This review is also available on my blog: Wine Cellar Library
What an incredible story. I am floored by the emotions this book elicited. Two—almost three—times, I was moved to tears. The main character, Karis, experiences so much in the few months this book covers. A huge, grateful thank you to Hidden Gems for providing me with an ARC of this novel. It is truly a hidden gem and needs to be more widely read.
A deadly virus has been unleashed in New York City and quickly spreads across the Eastern United States. Karis has been diligent enough to prevent herself from being infected and is happy for the quarantine when it is first mandated. At the very beginning, she has a chance to be evacuated to California, but because the airlines will not allow her to bring her dog, she stays in New York City. She cannot fathom leaving him behind where it is likely he could die. Any animal lover will understand her decision. When evacuations stop about a week later, she is determined to get to safety, but in the immediate aftermath, it is to dangerous to expose herself in an attempt to escape.
Confined to her apartment with dwindling supplies, she suffers through the loss of those close to her, the threat of being attacked by infected people or desperate and healthy stragglers, and the guilt of having to use lethal force in self-defense. There is so much emotion contained in this novel. I never would have expected that from dystopian fiction. I cried big ugly tears. My heart pounded with anxiety during intense scenes. I caught myself scanning ahead on pages where things got tense, quickly catching myself and grudgingly returning my eyes the present paragraph.
For a debut novel, this is exemplary. I cannot give it enough praise. I hope the author continues writing because after reading this book, I will eagerly devour anything she publishes.
What an incredible story. I am floored by the emotions this book elicited. Two—almost three—times, I was moved to tears. The main character, Karis, experiences so much in the few months this book covers. A huge, grateful thank you to Hidden Gems for providing me with an ARC of this novel. It is truly a hidden gem and needs to be more widely read.
A deadly virus has been unleashed in New York City and quickly spreads across the Eastern United States. Karis has been diligent enough to prevent herself from being infected and is happy for the quarantine when it is first mandated. At the very beginning, she has a chance to be evacuated to California, but because the airlines will not allow her to bring her dog, she stays in New York City. She cannot fathom leaving him behind where it is likely he could die. Any animal lover will understand her decision. When evacuations stop about a week later, she is determined to get to safety, but in the immediate aftermath, it is to dangerous to expose herself in an attempt to escape.
Confined to her apartment with dwindling supplies, she suffers through the loss of those close to her, the threat of being attacked by infected people or desperate and healthy stragglers, and the guilt of having to use lethal force in self-defense. There is so much emotion contained in this novel. I never would have expected that from dystopian fiction. I cried big ugly tears. My heart pounded with anxiety during intense scenes. I caught myself scanning ahead on pages where things got tense, quickly catching myself and grudgingly returning my eyes the present paragraph.
For a debut novel, this is exemplary. I cannot give it enough praise. I hope the author continues writing because after reading this book, I will eagerly devour anything she publishes.
October 10, 2019
ARC REVIEW
Wow!
A pervasive outbreak of a new virus from the viewpoint of a civilian. Nicole Mabry captured the intensity, the paranoia, and the heartbreak perfectly. The main character Karis I felt really connected to, I don't know if it was just the similar heritage, or the fact we are the same age, or the fact that she kind of reminded me of my sister but I really felt like I was experiencing this with her from the initial stages of the outbreak and through the quarantine.
Karis' self imposed isolation from her friends after a bad break up and slight germaphobic ways is probably what saved her life. Karis uses life skills she learned as a child to stay alive, knowing how to cook from scratch and how to cook acorns so they are edible to the self defense classes her father made her take, she was even wary enough to stockpile her dogs food when the virus kept most of her coworkers home. Karis tried getting a flight out of NY after the CDC cleared her but she wouldn't, couldn't leave her dog behind. She made friends with two little girls across the courtyard and fought off the madness of the isolation and quiet the was once NYC and then she met Ollie. Oliver "Ollie" is a British citizen who arrived two weeks before the quarantine got stuck in NYC. Karis who saved his life but still unsure if she could trust him, it seemed like this virus and quarantine brought out the worst in people.
Overall, this book was outstanding. Karis is intelligent, strong, and intuitive and a great main character. Julia and Emma the little girls across the courtyard were adorable and Julia was wise beyond her years. Zeke, the dog, a great companion and a sympathetic ear. Ollie is exactly what Karis needed, at first you're unsure of him but he does earn Karis' trust and her love he kept her sane and hopeful. I loved this book it was emotional and heart-poundingly thrilling. This is in my top three for apocalyptic genre along with Z for Zachariah and The Wolf Road.
Wow!
A pervasive outbreak of a new virus from the viewpoint of a civilian. Nicole Mabry captured the intensity, the paranoia, and the heartbreak perfectly. The main character Karis I felt really connected to, I don't know if it was just the similar heritage, or the fact we are the same age, or the fact that she kind of reminded me of my sister but I really felt like I was experiencing this with her from the initial stages of the outbreak and through the quarantine.
Karis' self imposed isolation from her friends after a bad break up and slight germaphobic ways is probably what saved her life. Karis uses life skills she learned as a child to stay alive, knowing how to cook from scratch and how to cook acorns so they are edible to the self defense classes her father made her take, she was even wary enough to stockpile her dogs food when the virus kept most of her coworkers home. Karis tried getting a flight out of NY after the CDC cleared her but she wouldn't, couldn't leave her dog behind. She made friends with two little girls across the courtyard and fought off the madness of the isolation and quiet the was once NYC and then she met Ollie. Oliver "Ollie" is a British citizen who arrived two weeks before the quarantine got stuck in NYC. Karis who saved his life but still unsure if she could trust him, it seemed like this virus and quarantine brought out the worst in people.
Overall, this book was outstanding. Karis is intelligent, strong, and intuitive and a great main character. Julia and Emma the little girls across the courtyard were adorable and Julia was wise beyond her years. Zeke, the dog, a great companion and a sympathetic ear. Ollie is exactly what Karis needed, at first you're unsure of him but he does earn Karis' trust and her love he kept her sane and hopeful. I loved this book it was emotional and heart-poundingly thrilling. This is in my top three for apocalyptic genre along with Z for Zachariah and The Wolf Road.
November 14, 2019
This is a great read. I found myself rooting for Karis through thick and thin: her anxieties, fears, and the very real dangers lurking outside of her apartment. Will she find love in the mysterious young man that has appeared in her life at the worse possible time? Will her self-imposed exile after a series of heartbreaking failures dating men in New York really save her from being contaminated by the virus that has killed millions? Against all odds, as the world crumbled around her, Karis finds herself closer to everything she ever wanted and gave up on long ago, closer to the young woman she was when she first went to New York. The story is ultimately about transformation and the wisdom of faith in humanity, and it feels very real. I love Mabry’s ease with words, her snappy prose, and the wit with which she brings her characters to life on the page. This is a wonderful debut.
February 9, 2020
In terms of "apocalyptic" type books, I have to say I have never been a big fan. I can watch an apocalyptic show all day, but reading about it just hasn't been my thing. This book was crazy from start to finish, and I LOVED it.
Karis is living in New York when an outbreak of an unknown virus starts spreading. As the disease spreads further, the city is evacuated, and she is left alone in her apartment except for her dog, Zeke. Soon the only thing she wants is to get to is her family in California. For weeks and weeks, she is alone in her building. She is only talking to her dog and two young girls. The whole eastern side of the US was devastated by the virus. Daily the death toll rises. Karis becomes determined. She is committed to survive and make it to her family.
This was one of those books that you feel. When Karis would get scared, I felt it. When she started getting crazy in the head, I felt it. When she was sad, oh yea I felt it. Talk about some awful boo hoo moments. My goodness, I felt it. This book was just written so well. The characters were real and likable, mostly. The girls, Emma and Julia, were just amazing in my eyes. I loved their quirky personalities. We can't forget about my favorite character. Yep, of course, its Zeke. He stole my heart early on. While this story was about a virus, it was also a story of growth. Karis not only survived but grew as a person through her ordeal. She was a bit of a recluse. Not wanting to date or go out. Not wanting to let people in. By the end, she is very visible, from the reader's viewpoint, anyway, a new and happier person.
I have no complaints about this book, but I did get a shock. When a certain someone came on the scene, I was like, OH NO! By the end, I was screaming YES! This has been one of the best books I have read this year. Definitely in my Top 5 for this year!
P.S. to the author and future readers....every time someone coughs now I'm like OH NO!!! Ha!
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Karis is living in New York when an outbreak of an unknown virus starts spreading. As the disease spreads further, the city is evacuated, and she is left alone in her apartment except for her dog, Zeke. Soon the only thing she wants is to get to is her family in California. For weeks and weeks, she is alone in her building. She is only talking to her dog and two young girls. The whole eastern side of the US was devastated by the virus. Daily the death toll rises. Karis becomes determined. She is committed to survive and make it to her family.
This was one of those books that you feel. When Karis would get scared, I felt it. When she started getting crazy in the head, I felt it. When she was sad, oh yea I felt it. Talk about some awful boo hoo moments. My goodness, I felt it. This book was just written so well. The characters were real and likable, mostly. The girls, Emma and Julia, were just amazing in my eyes. I loved their quirky personalities. We can't forget about my favorite character. Yep, of course, its Zeke. He stole my heart early on. While this story was about a virus, it was also a story of growth. Karis not only survived but grew as a person through her ordeal. She was a bit of a recluse. Not wanting to date or go out. Not wanting to let people in. By the end, she is very visible, from the reader's viewpoint, anyway, a new and happier person.
I have no complaints about this book, but I did get a shock. When a certain someone came on the scene, I was like, OH NO! By the end, I was screaming YES! This has been one of the best books I have read this year. Definitely in my Top 5 for this year!
P.S. to the author and future readers....every time someone coughs now I'm like OH NO!!! Ha!
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
January 17, 2020
I’m not sure that it is indicative of anything, but Nicole Mabry, the author of this book, Karis (the protagonist of the story), and I all look to the children’s book The Boxcar Children as one of the more significant reads of our life. While my memories of the plot details of that tale of four orphaned siblings who end up living in an abandoned boxcar are skimpy for me more than a half-century after my Mom read it to my siblings and I, I can’t help but compare that book to this one. Sure, the stories are completely different genres and you’ve got one adult who is largely on her own for much of the book as opposed to four kids. But in both they find themselves in an unprecedented situation and are forced to figure things out on their own. Determining how to provide themselves with the most basic things like food, water, and shelter are a challenge.
Of course, Past this Point has some major differences from The Boxcar Children too. The big one is with Karis being on her own and needing to be careful how and with whom she interacts. Can another person be trusted? Are they safe or are they infected with the virus sweeping the Eastern US? These kind of challenges and how a character figures things out and deals with them are a big part of a good post-apocalyptic story and are well done in this book. I found it to be intense, entertaining, and at times thought-provoking. An excellent read.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
Of course, Past this Point has some major differences from The Boxcar Children too. The big one is with Karis being on her own and needing to be careful how and with whom she interacts. Can another person be trusted? Are they safe or are they infected with the virus sweeping the Eastern US? These kind of challenges and how a character figures things out and deals with them are a big part of a good post-apocalyptic story and are well done in this book. I found it to be intense, entertaining, and at times thought-provoking. An excellent read.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **
March 19, 2020
I picked this up two weeks ago because I loved the cover and because someone on BookLikes enjoyed it.
I didn't realise how much of a topical read it would turn out to be. "Past This Point" is about the struggles of a woman in self-imposed exile in a New York City after the Eastern Seaboard has been quarantined following the outbreak of a killer virus. The day I started it, the Governor of New York declared a state of emergency because of the rate of COVID-19 infection.
At the start of the book, I thought I was getting a slightly more nightmarish version of current events. The writing felt functional but accessible and kept everything moving along. The main character was very easy to identify with and root for. And she had a dog so everything was good.
I soon realised that this wasn't a typical read for me. The main character was nicer than the main character in most of the books I read and the whole thing had a wholesome feel that I hadn't noticed was missing from almost everything I read.
I found myself being amazed that the, otherwise sensibly cautious, heroine trusted the government enough to register online for testing even after the possibility of a quarantine was announced. I was even more surprised that the Federal Government turned out to be trustworthy, competent and intent on saving lives.
I twitched a little when the writing turned too mushy for comfort, sentimental descriptions of being in tears - water fell from my eyes kind of thing - that felt too decorous for me.
Yet, as I read on, I'm finding myself becoming differently engaged with these characters than I normally am when I'm reading an apocalyptic story. I believed in them and I cared about them and I wasn't at all confident that they'd survive.
It's made me realise that I've been conditioned to expect a particular kind of behaviour from characters who are surviving a crisis. I expect them to maintain an emotional distance, to do what needs to be done and not allow themselves the luxury of moral scruples. The subtext of many of these novels is that ruthlessness is the key to survival. It also helps if you're an ex-ranger or former navy seal or have some kind of martial arts training or perhaps a paranormal capability that gives you an edge. Then you use your skills to win. It's assumed that you know what winning means and that winning is worth the price and that we should cheer when you use the edge that you have over others to make it through.
"Past This Point" comes at the whole thing differently. The heroine has no special abilities apart from being happy with her own company, having a practical frame of mind and a habit of taking responsibility for herself. She feels the strain of surviving: the fear, the isolation, the helplessness and wonders whether she is starting to lose her mind.
The main difference is that she's not ruthless. She hasn't created an emotional distance between her and her situation. She won't abandon her dog. She does what she can for the two little girls with the dying mother in the building opposite. She calls home and gets encouragement from her mother and practical advice on how to jimmy a lock from her dad. She remains the same person she was before the crisis.
To my surprise, the consequence of all this is to increase the emotional impact of the story. She doesn't keep an emotional distance, so neither can I. I have to take in what it would really feel like to be in this situation.
Which may explain why, without any overt violence in the first third of the book - no hoard of living dead, no ravening reavers, no gangs of slavers - this story felt heartbreaking while the other stories felt more like watching a videogame play out.
The violence did eventually arrive but it was at a realistic, human level that actually gave it more impact. No superpowers or specialist skills were needed, just personal bravery, a lot of determination and a little luck.
The scenes with the two little girls in the building opposite that our heroine talks to every day and who we know from the beginning are doomed, had me in tears.
I was totally immersed for the first three-quarters of the book. I'd been enjoying myself, if occasionally being made to sob as someone dies counts as enjoyment. I'd become quite engaged with the main character (although I'd assumed she was late-twenties not late-thirties - do thirty-eight-year-old-women really call their parents for advice on how to jimmy a door with a crowbar) when the Englishman arrived I got but bumped out of the story a little by some details that don't work.
Our heroine rescued an Englishman who had been beaten and left for dead in front of her apartment (I liked that role reversal) and it was immediately clear that he was going to be the love interest. I had hoped to get to the end of the novel without that but I was up for it if it was well done, which it was until the details the Englishman shared about his background stopped working. Being English, I found it very distracting that his background demonstrated so little knowledge of England.
He's from a wealthy hotelier family. He describes himself as spending weekends at "our country house" in Surrey. Someone brought up to this lifestyle would be more like to say "our house in the country". Then he says that when the weather was nice:
"My father and I would fish and hunt ducks".
I can imagine the fishing but duck hunting in Surrey is extremely unlikely. It's illegal to shoot at ducks in the UK unless you're shooting at a flight, which would normally be around dawn. You only get flights of ducks in a much wilder, less densely populated counties than Surrey. If you were going hunting with a gun, it would be more likely that you'd be culling deer.
Then, presumably to show his humane side, he talks about changing the way his parents bought dogs. He says:
"I refused to allow my parents to buy the purebreds they’d always gotten before."
The English don't buy purebred dogs. They buy pedigree dogs and this use of "gotten" is at best Transatlantic English.
This is all small stuff and not at all important to the story BUT, if you choose to use a character from another country then it's best if you pick one you're familiar with or get someone who comes from there to guide you.
I did get back into the story and I enjoyed the ingenuity that the pair showed in trying to make it to the edge of quarantine zone to see if they would be allowed out but the last part of the novel felt less real and less intense to me.
Perhaps that was partly because real-life made this book, written in 2019, feel overly optimistic. The main character is shocked by a death toll of 250,000 people. I expect COVID-19 to kill that many here in the UK. For the whole of the Eastern Seaboard, it feels like a win.
Nevertheless, this was a solid, well-thought-through, read with a strong emotional punch and a fresh view on how real people react in a crisis.
I didn't realise how much of a topical read it would turn out to be. "Past This Point" is about the struggles of a woman in self-imposed exile in a New York City after the Eastern Seaboard has been quarantined following the outbreak of a killer virus. The day I started it, the Governor of New York declared a state of emergency because of the rate of COVID-19 infection.
At the start of the book, I thought I was getting a slightly more nightmarish version of current events. The writing felt functional but accessible and kept everything moving along. The main character was very easy to identify with and root for. And she had a dog so everything was good.
I soon realised that this wasn't a typical read for me. The main character was nicer than the main character in most of the books I read and the whole thing had a wholesome feel that I hadn't noticed was missing from almost everything I read.
I found myself being amazed that the, otherwise sensibly cautious, heroine trusted the government enough to register online for testing even after the possibility of a quarantine was announced. I was even more surprised that the Federal Government turned out to be trustworthy, competent and intent on saving lives.
I twitched a little when the writing turned too mushy for comfort, sentimental descriptions of being in tears - water fell from my eyes kind of thing - that felt too decorous for me.
Yet, as I read on, I'm finding myself becoming differently engaged with these characters than I normally am when I'm reading an apocalyptic story. I believed in them and I cared about them and I wasn't at all confident that they'd survive.
It's made me realise that I've been conditioned to expect a particular kind of behaviour from characters who are surviving a crisis. I expect them to maintain an emotional distance, to do what needs to be done and not allow themselves the luxury of moral scruples. The subtext of many of these novels is that ruthlessness is the key to survival. It also helps if you're an ex-ranger or former navy seal or have some kind of martial arts training or perhaps a paranormal capability that gives you an edge. Then you use your skills to win. It's assumed that you know what winning means and that winning is worth the price and that we should cheer when you use the edge that you have over others to make it through.
"Past This Point" comes at the whole thing differently. The heroine has no special abilities apart from being happy with her own company, having a practical frame of mind and a habit of taking responsibility for herself. She feels the strain of surviving: the fear, the isolation, the helplessness and wonders whether she is starting to lose her mind.
The main difference is that she's not ruthless. She hasn't created an emotional distance between her and her situation. She won't abandon her dog. She does what she can for the two little girls with the dying mother in the building opposite. She calls home and gets encouragement from her mother and practical advice on how to jimmy a lock from her dad. She remains the same person she was before the crisis.
To my surprise, the consequence of all this is to increase the emotional impact of the story. She doesn't keep an emotional distance, so neither can I. I have to take in what it would really feel like to be in this situation.
Which may explain why, without any overt violence in the first third of the book - no hoard of living dead, no ravening reavers, no gangs of slavers - this story felt heartbreaking while the other stories felt more like watching a videogame play out.
The violence did eventually arrive but it was at a realistic, human level that actually gave it more impact. No superpowers or specialist skills were needed, just personal bravery, a lot of determination and a little luck.
The scenes with the two little girls in the building opposite that our heroine talks to every day and who we know from the beginning are doomed, had me in tears.
I was totally immersed for the first three-quarters of the book. I'd been enjoying myself, if occasionally being made to sob as someone dies counts as enjoyment. I'd become quite engaged with the main character (although I'd assumed she was late-twenties not late-thirties - do thirty-eight-year-old-women really call their parents for advice on how to jimmy a door with a crowbar) when the Englishman arrived I got but bumped out of the story a little by some details that don't work.
Our heroine rescued an Englishman who had been beaten and left for dead in front of her apartment (I liked that role reversal) and it was immediately clear that he was going to be the love interest. I had hoped to get to the end of the novel without that but I was up for it if it was well done, which it was until the details the Englishman shared about his background stopped working. Being English, I found it very distracting that his background demonstrated so little knowledge of England.
He's from a wealthy hotelier family. He describes himself as spending weekends at "our country house" in Surrey. Someone brought up to this lifestyle would be more like to say "our house in the country". Then he says that when the weather was nice:
"My father and I would fish and hunt ducks".
I can imagine the fishing but duck hunting in Surrey is extremely unlikely. It's illegal to shoot at ducks in the UK unless you're shooting at a flight, which would normally be around dawn. You only get flights of ducks in a much wilder, less densely populated counties than Surrey. If you were going hunting with a gun, it would be more likely that you'd be culling deer.
Then, presumably to show his humane side, he talks about changing the way his parents bought dogs. He says:
"I refused to allow my parents to buy the purebreds they’d always gotten before."
The English don't buy purebred dogs. They buy pedigree dogs and this use of "gotten" is at best Transatlantic English.
This is all small stuff and not at all important to the story BUT, if you choose to use a character from another country then it's best if you pick one you're familiar with or get someone who comes from there to guide you.
I did get back into the story and I enjoyed the ingenuity that the pair showed in trying to make it to the edge of quarantine zone to see if they would be allowed out but the last part of the novel felt less real and less intense to me.
Perhaps that was partly because real-life made this book, written in 2019, feel overly optimistic. The main character is shocked by a death toll of 250,000 people. I expect COVID-19 to kill that many here in the UK. For the whole of the Eastern Seaboard, it feels like a win.
Nevertheless, this was a solid, well-thought-through, read with a strong emotional punch and a fresh view on how real people react in a crisis.
June 14, 2021
DNF it
August 26, 2019
I love apocalyptic stories and Past This Point hooked me fast with its fatal flu sweeping through New York City. Thanks to her antisocial lifestyle due to a series of failed relationships, Karis manages to avoid being infected and finds herself trapped in her apartment with only her dog for company. As she watches her neighbours and friends die off and her food supply starts to dwindle, can she risk her life to make it across the quarantine border to safety? Author Nicole Mabry does a great job of pulling Karis ever deeper into a psychological trap brought on by months of isolation and increasing fear for her life as the city devolves into chaos.
November 9, 2023
Nicole Mabry's "Past this Point" is a remarkable and thought-provoking novel that takes readers on an emotionally charged journey, striking a chord that feels strangely prescient despite being written before the pandemic of 2019. Mabry has crafted a story that is not only captivating but also deeply relevant to our times.
The novel, which came out just a few months before the COVID-19 outbreak, is the story of Karas, a thirty-something single woman in New York who, after too many bad relationships, has given up on them and connections in general, and spends her time away from work alone, at home, with her dog, Zeke. When a highly contagious flu-like bug hits epidemic levels, residents east of the Mississippi are forced to stay home to prevent the spread while the CDC works on a cure. As the death toll rises, Karas and Zeke must find a way to survive in a city that has been deserted except for the sick and the desperate. Sound familiar?
As Karas navigates a complex web of decisions and consequences, I felt an instant connection and an overwhelming sense of empathy for her struggles and dilemmas. It is suspenseful, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and the themes of isolation, the fragility of human connections, and the struggle to adapt to unforeseen circumstances are strikingly relevant to the world we find ourselves in today. Mabry's astute understanding of the human psyche and the emotional toll of isolation adds depth and resonance to the narrative.
An absolute page-turner for those who are ready to read on this subject. Categorized in the genre of Post-Apocalyptic (because at the time it was published in 2019 it was) it’s an eerie reminder of how close the “futuristic” themes really are, and how quickly things can change. I highly recommend it.
The novel, which came out just a few months before the COVID-19 outbreak, is the story of Karas, a thirty-something single woman in New York who, after too many bad relationships, has given up on them and connections in general, and spends her time away from work alone, at home, with her dog, Zeke. When a highly contagious flu-like bug hits epidemic levels, residents east of the Mississippi are forced to stay home to prevent the spread while the CDC works on a cure. As the death toll rises, Karas and Zeke must find a way to survive in a city that has been deserted except for the sick and the desperate. Sound familiar?
As Karas navigates a complex web of decisions and consequences, I felt an instant connection and an overwhelming sense of empathy for her struggles and dilemmas. It is suspenseful, heartbreaking, and hopeful, and the themes of isolation, the fragility of human connections, and the struggle to adapt to unforeseen circumstances are strikingly relevant to the world we find ourselves in today. Mabry's astute understanding of the human psyche and the emotional toll of isolation adds depth and resonance to the narrative.
An absolute page-turner for those who are ready to read on this subject. Categorized in the genre of Post-Apocalyptic (because at the time it was published in 2019 it was) it’s an eerie reminder of how close the “futuristic” themes really are, and how quickly things can change. I highly recommend it.
November 14, 2019
Highly recommend this atmospheric and heartfelt page turner!
Karis Hylan is a 30-something New Yorker who has settled into an isolated life in her apartment and her office at work; when a deadly virus sweeps the east coast, Karis's reclusive tendencies make her one of the few survivors. Confined to her apartment as the days turn to weeks and then months (and with little company save her dog, Zeke, occasional phone calls to her mother on the west coast, and conversations through the windows with two young girls across the breezeway), Karis witnesses the looting and burning of the city, the failure of the power grid and the steady deterioration of what's left of humanity. As her few remaining connections to the old world vanish, Karis hatches a plan to escape the city and drive across the country toward salvation.
There are tragedies and sorrow aplenty in this book, but it is mostly concerned with Karis's ingenuity, persistence, and her will to carry on. Mabry keeps the surprises and challenges coming to create a gripping, heartbreaking, and un-put-down-able story from start to finish. Karis Hylan is a survivor, a more badass version of MacGyver, and the first person you'd want on your side in an apocalypse -- and her journey is nothing short of beautiful.
Karis Hylan is a 30-something New Yorker who has settled into an isolated life in her apartment and her office at work; when a deadly virus sweeps the east coast, Karis's reclusive tendencies make her one of the few survivors. Confined to her apartment as the days turn to weeks and then months (and with little company save her dog, Zeke, occasional phone calls to her mother on the west coast, and conversations through the windows with two young girls across the breezeway), Karis witnesses the looting and burning of the city, the failure of the power grid and the steady deterioration of what's left of humanity. As her few remaining connections to the old world vanish, Karis hatches a plan to escape the city and drive across the country toward salvation.
There are tragedies and sorrow aplenty in this book, but it is mostly concerned with Karis's ingenuity, persistence, and her will to carry on. Mabry keeps the surprises and challenges coming to create a gripping, heartbreaking, and un-put-down-able story from start to finish. Karis Hylan is a survivor, a more badass version of MacGyver, and the first person you'd want on your side in an apocalypse -- and her journey is nothing short of beautiful.
December 15, 2019
I read this book because I’d heard that it was apocalyptic fiction from a woman’s point of view, which seems to be relatively rare. I enjoyed it thoroughly. As a physician, I’ve been trained to anticipate influenza epidemics and pandemics. The medical aspects were plausible enough that I could suspend disbelief. Karis Hylen has essentially become a hermit, trying to recover from her latest failed relationship. That antisocial trait, however, keeps her from being infected with a fatal influenza strain. She ends up trapped in her apartment with only Zeke, her dog, for companionship. Author Mabry manages to make Karis’s psychological decline believable as she watches friends and neighbors die off. The risk to her personal safety increases as fellow New Yorkers become more desperate. Karis survives with only carefully rationed telephone calls to her parents to keep her sane—and long conversations with Zeke. Definitely worth reading.
November 9, 2019
Past This Point by Nicole Mabry
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Past This Point begins with the lead character, Karis, cutting herself off from friends, coworkers, and the rest of the outside world in order to save herself from any more disappointment or heartache. She spends all of her time either closed in her office at work or at home with her dog Zeke. During her self-imposed seclusion, there is a virus released on New York City.
With NYC, the eastern seaboard and the midwest are put on mandatory lockdown. Borders are set in the west. There are no more planes out, Karis doesn't own a car, and things are becoming more dangerous by the minute. Can Karis make it out of NYC and get back to her family in California? Read Past This Point. I promise you won't be disappointed.
This is a story of survival, love lost and love found, determination, and hope. I laughed and I cried. I was heartbroken when I finished the last page.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Past This Point begins with the lead character, Karis, cutting herself off from friends, coworkers, and the rest of the outside world in order to save herself from any more disappointment or heartache. She spends all of her time either closed in her office at work or at home with her dog Zeke. During her self-imposed seclusion, there is a virus released on New York City.
With NYC, the eastern seaboard and the midwest are put on mandatory lockdown. Borders are set in the west. There are no more planes out, Karis doesn't own a car, and things are becoming more dangerous by the minute. Can Karis make it out of NYC and get back to her family in California? Read Past This Point. I promise you won't be disappointed.
This is a story of survival, love lost and love found, determination, and hope. I laughed and I cried. I was heartbroken when I finished the last page.
November 8, 2019
This is one of the best books I've read in a while! I like post-apocalyptic fiction and this book was an amazing take on that. We start following along with Karis while the outbreak of the "flu" is just starting to get worrisome along the east coast. Being a bit of a germaphobe, she has been taking extra precautions and manages to keep herself from getting sick. The story follows her through trying to survive the aftermath in New York City. I know it sounds similar to all the others but this book was "un-put-downable" because of the emotional involvement with the characters. I found myself yelling at her, crying with her, fearing for her... You really get pulled into all the emotions. I felt like the environment created was fairly realistic as well which helped suck the reader in. If you at all like post-apocalyptic or pandemic types of books, you NEED to read this!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 12, 2019
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I love apocalyptic storylines, but most books were written for and about hound adults. This one isn’t, that’s a nice change.
Karis, the main character, is a troubled woman in her thirties (aren’t we all?). She gets stuck in NYC after a deadly virus breaks out. She is confined to her apartment building for months. You would think this wouldn’t make a compelling read, but it does. She makes friends with neighbouring girls, and helps them. In turn they help her grow as a person too.
I don’t want to give too much of this story away, you should just read it. It’s female empowerment at its finest.
And the cover, come on, it’s so beautiful!
To me this book read like it would make an amazing movie. Bearing in mind the book will always be better.
Karis, the main character, is a troubled woman in her thirties (aren’t we all?). She gets stuck in NYC after a deadly virus breaks out. She is confined to her apartment building for months. You would think this wouldn’t make a compelling read, but it does. She makes friends with neighbouring girls, and helps them. In turn they help her grow as a person too.
I don’t want to give too much of this story away, you should just read it. It’s female empowerment at its finest.
And the cover, come on, it’s so beautiful!
To me this book read like it would make an amazing movie. Bearing in mind the book will always be better.
December 27, 2020
Past This Point reminds me of Stations Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel in all the good ways.
Karis Hylen survived tragedy only because she gave up on society. That’s what makes this story so appealing: she survived based on a decision that had nothing to do with what she would eventually encounter. Kind of like that feeling you have when your cat throws up and in the time you take to clean up the mess you miss your plane and the plane lands in the Pacific and there are no survivors.
Nicole Mabry takes an apocalyptic scenario and makes you feel the heat. This book has everything: a strong protagonist, grief, hardship, hope. She gives us every reason to pick it up and read it right to the end.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book.
Karis Hylen survived tragedy only because she gave up on society. That’s what makes this story so appealing: she survived based on a decision that had nothing to do with what she would eventually encounter. Kind of like that feeling you have when your cat throws up and in the time you take to clean up the mess you miss your plane and the plane lands in the Pacific and there are no survivors.
Nicole Mabry takes an apocalyptic scenario and makes you feel the heat. This book has everything: a strong protagonist, grief, hardship, hope. She gives us every reason to pick it up and read it right to the end.
Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book.
July 16, 2020
I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what happened to the main characters, Karis and Oliver. This is a book that will make you feel right along with the characters - the fear, the hope, the friendships and the love. The characters felt that real.
May 3, 2020
The story line of this book is weirdly timely given world events. Our MC Karis finds herself alone as all her friends and co-workers die from a flu like pandemic after she chooses to self isolate with her beloved dog Zeke as this deadly illness continues spreading across the country.
She is afraid to leave her home but eventually begins to here strange noises and suffer from hallucinations.
Her isolation is almost compete except for small conversations over the rooftops and through windows talking to two young girls taking care of their sick mother in another apartment building. Eventually the mother and then the girls die from the illness leaving Karis truly isolated.
Karis is now alone with only a phone calls to her mother for comfort and her dog Zeke. Eventually the lights and water shut off and she runs out of food her only choice is to try to escape to the West where the illness has not yet devastate the population. This is a great read!!
I received this book from NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing for an honest review.
She is afraid to leave her home but eventually begins to here strange noises and suffer from hallucinations.
Her isolation is almost compete except for small conversations over the rooftops and through windows talking to two young girls taking care of their sick mother in another apartment building. Eventually the mother and then the girls die from the illness leaving Karis truly isolated.
Karis is now alone with only a phone calls to her mother for comfort and her dog Zeke. Eventually the lights and water shut off and she runs out of food her only choice is to try to escape to the West where the illness has not yet devastate the population. This is a great read!!
I received this book from NetGalley and Red Adept Publishing for an honest review.
November 9, 2020
Perfect read for 2020
Mabry pens a unique but relatable story due to our current state of pandemic in Past This Point. I haven't read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. The story brought the character to life, and going from social to antisocial with just the comfort of her dog, ends up saving her life. It was very realistic for a contagious virus that until recently seemed a bit far-fetched or something in the movies, or in this case, a work of fiction. It was a very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. Magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. It led this reader through some tense and relatable situations, and the environment seems eerily familiar. It's a great story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. This story was intriguing and kept the reader guessing. I have fast become a big fan of (this author). I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
Mabry pens a unique but relatable story due to our current state of pandemic in Past This Point. I haven't read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. The story brought the character to life, and going from social to antisocial with just the comfort of her dog, ends up saving her life. It was very realistic for a contagious virus that until recently seemed a bit far-fetched or something in the movies, or in this case, a work of fiction. It was a very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. Magnificent story, kept this reader turning the pages. A definite attention grabber. It led this reader through some tense and relatable situations, and the environment seems eerily familiar. It's a great story to follow and try to figure out what will happen next. This story was intriguing and kept the reader guessing. I have fast become a big fan of (this author). I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews.
January 28, 2020
While reading ‘Past This Point’, I was reminded of two things, a book I read years ago called ‘Alas, Babylon’, by Pat Frank, and more recently of a TV show called Last Ship. Both the book and the show focus on the effects of a deadly virus that attacks and ravages the citizens. Hundreds of thousands of people die. Those that survive live in a nightmare, trying to find food and shelter. As supplies run low, brutality takes over. It quickly becomes a matter of life and death.
Nicole Mabry’s story focuses on one woman, who through perseverance, inner strength, and a determination to survive, is able to overcome obstacles that would take down anyone else.
This story shows what ordinary people can do when faced with the impossible.
Nicole Mabry’s story focuses on one woman, who through perseverance, inner strength, and a determination to survive, is able to overcome obstacles that would take down anyone else.
This story shows what ordinary people can do when faced with the impossible.
November 6, 2019
I read a lot of apocalyptic fiction, nearly all of them with zombies, so this book was unusual for me and it took me a while to really be sure there isn't a twist with the dead rising ;)
This, actually, might be why this book was so good. It fully focused on the believable mental and physical growth of the female MC. The most emotional part for me was the friendship with the neighbouring girls. And although the end was a bit sappy, I found Ollie well deserved and not a knight in armor to rescue a damsel in distress as Karis clearly is past this point.
Let's hope reading such books has the same effect and we don't all need apocalypses to grow into the person we want to be.
This, actually, might be why this book was so good. It fully focused on the believable mental and physical growth of the female MC. The most emotional part for me was the friendship with the neighbouring girls. And although the end was a bit sappy, I found Ollie well deserved and not a knight in armor to rescue a damsel in distress as Karis clearly is past this point.
Let's hope reading such books has the same effect and we don't all need apocalypses to grow into the person we want to be.
May 2, 2020
I received a copy of this book from the author. What an incredible and talented author Nicole Mabry is! I really enjoyed this story. I felt like I was a part of the book, as an observer. It starts out with a virus plaguing the East Coast of the USA. Karis is 38 years old, unmarried and living in NYC. She has become an introvert after having some relationships with men that keep ending. She has a dog named Zeke and her parents live in California. She befriends 2 young girls as their mom gets sicker with the virus. Then she meets Oliver and they work together to get through these difficult times.
I recommend this book!
I recommend this book!
September 21, 2019
Past This Point by Nicole Mabry is a fun, fast read. I worried for Karis living alone in New York City as a fatal virus swept through the population, cried with her as the death toll claimed her neighbors—two young children—and cheered her on as she survived one harrowing experience after the other, all while planning a dangerous cross-country trip to the safety of the west coast. And though Karis finds companionship in another survivor, she never needs rescuing. Engrossing, addictive, and hard to put down, Past This Point is a great addition to post-apocalyptic fiction.
August 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and it was certainly timely. I read it shortly before America hit 100,000 dead of Coronavirus, so it was eerie to read the announcements of the number of dead of the flu in this book. I was particularly moved by the two children Karis gets close to and their painful deaths. The characters had depth and I came to care about all of them. I still picture some of the images of those children in the apartment across the street. The ending was rewarding and comforting with its promise of hope and new life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2021
A captivating, well-written, often intense, even scary, but always riveting novel about survival in a deadly pandemic, written well before our current pandemic. This is a kind of post-apocalyptic novel with a big heart--and a dog! The main character is an introverted New Yorker who shut her office door at the first sign of the virus, takes precautions, gobbles vitamins and supplements, stocks up, and lives alone except for her dog, and all that combines to keep her alive. At lease initially.
Karis Hylen might start off in the novel more than a bit grumpy (her encounters with people in the crowded city in the first chapters make her seem decidedly snappish), but she is a kind-hearted person and even in the worst of it, never loses her humanity. Zeke, her dog, might initially be her best (and at times only) companion, but Karis's connection with two girls she only sees in their window across from her own apartment shows readers there's a tender heart in this cynical heroine. The story takes an Odyssean "hero's journey" aspect when Karis and a mysterious stranger must leave NYC and cross a deadly terrain if they are to have any chance of survival. Well done, somewhat harrowing, but always on point with crisp, direct narrative.
Published in 2019, before our pandemic, it was probably written 1-2 years before publication, and so the author must be congratulated on her imagination and ability to see what would happen in a city in a deadly pandemic. There are some ripped-from-the-headline moments (the riot by people who refuse to be quarantined even as people around them are dying), but the novel's virus is far more deadly than covid, and so the book, while scary by design, remains fiction.
The author has a wonderful way with language that makes for some direct hits, such as: "We breathed in the exhalations of those around us on the subway, passing germs around like rumors" and "But trying to start a career in New York City was like trying to be popular on the first day at a new school."
An exciting, well-done book!
Karis Hylen might start off in the novel more than a bit grumpy (her encounters with people in the crowded city in the first chapters make her seem decidedly snappish), but she is a kind-hearted person and even in the worst of it, never loses her humanity. Zeke, her dog, might initially be her best (and at times only) companion, but Karis's connection with two girls she only sees in their window across from her own apartment shows readers there's a tender heart in this cynical heroine. The story takes an Odyssean "hero's journey" aspect when Karis and a mysterious stranger must leave NYC and cross a deadly terrain if they are to have any chance of survival. Well done, somewhat harrowing, but always on point with crisp, direct narrative.
Published in 2019, before our pandemic, it was probably written 1-2 years before publication, and so the author must be congratulated on her imagination and ability to see what would happen in a city in a deadly pandemic. There are some ripped-from-the-headline moments (the riot by people who refuse to be quarantined even as people around them are dying), but the novel's virus is far more deadly than covid, and so the book, while scary by design, remains fiction.
The author has a wonderful way with language that makes for some direct hits, such as: "We breathed in the exhalations of those around us on the subway, passing germs around like rumors" and "But trying to start a career in New York City was like trying to be popular on the first day at a new school."
An exciting, well-done book!
December 30, 2021
I wouldn't have thought that you could write a thriller about a woman who is trapped alone in an apartment in New York City during a pandemic but Mabry manages to write a compelling, edge of your seat story, that is at times tender and at other times downright bad ass.
Karis is reclusive and bitter and has retreated to a solitary existence prior to the pandemic striking the eastern part of the United States. It is her reclusive existence is what saves her from being one of the afflicted. She qualifies to be flown out on one of the last flights out of the infected zone but when she isn't able to take her dog Zeke, stays to be with him.
What I love most about PTP is Karis' character arc. It is a subtle and utterly gripping transition from who she is prior to the pandemic and afterwards, and the events that force her to become the person she is at the end. Without any spoilers, it was one of the most believable character arcs I've seen in a long time. She is willing to do what it takes to stand up for what she believes is right, something that becomes increasingly hard as the situation deteriorates.
The story is believable, and particularly interesting given that it was written prior to the actual pandemic. It is fascinating to see what Mabry got right and where her vision deviated from the reality.
I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a gripping read of a woman's struggle to become her true self during a harrowing, dangerous time (which isn't that far from what we are all trying to do right now). Great read.
Karis is reclusive and bitter and has retreated to a solitary existence prior to the pandemic striking the eastern part of the United States. It is her reclusive existence is what saves her from being one of the afflicted. She qualifies to be flown out on one of the last flights out of the infected zone but when she isn't able to take her dog Zeke, stays to be with him.
What I love most about PTP is Karis' character arc. It is a subtle and utterly gripping transition from who she is prior to the pandemic and afterwards, and the events that force her to become the person she is at the end. Without any spoilers, it was one of the most believable character arcs I've seen in a long time. She is willing to do what it takes to stand up for what she believes is right, something that becomes increasingly hard as the situation deteriorates.
The story is believable, and particularly interesting given that it was written prior to the actual pandemic. It is fascinating to see what Mabry got right and where her vision deviated from the reality.
I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a gripping read of a woman's struggle to become her true self during a harrowing, dangerous time (which isn't that far from what we are all trying to do right now). Great read.
June 23, 2020
3.5 Stars (rounded up for readability)
Past this Point was a quick pandemic read that I enjoyed. It was fairly realistic and I could see myself doing many things that Karis did to survive. It was fast paced, but not as tense as I’d hoped. Although I did appreciate the growth of the character as someone who was withdrawn, but later realized she was responsible for her life being like that.
Considering we’re currently in a pandemic, (even though it hasn’t escalated as deeply as in the book) I enjoyed this reading. It explores thoughts I’ve had about previously common things we took for granted that aren’t an option anymore. I’m certainly glad things didn’t devolve like they did in Past this Point, but it puts emphasis on the everyday activities that we’re all missing and shifts perspective to how much worse it could get.
2020 has been a crazy year & Past this Point sort of makes you feel a little better- In that you could be trapped in an apartment with no electricity and running out of food. Take out is open for us and even sit down meals. I guess it made me feel like the things I was sad about not being able to do are small potatoes and made me more grateful for all we do still have the capability to do. I’m also not going to look at tortillas the same way again for a while.
Past this Point was a quick pandemic read that I enjoyed. It was fairly realistic and I could see myself doing many things that Karis did to survive. It was fast paced, but not as tense as I’d hoped. Although I did appreciate the growth of the character as someone who was withdrawn, but later realized she was responsible for her life being like that.
Considering we’re currently in a pandemic, (even though it hasn’t escalated as deeply as in the book) I enjoyed this reading. It explores thoughts I’ve had about previously common things we took for granted that aren’t an option anymore. I’m certainly glad things didn’t devolve like they did in Past this Point, but it puts emphasis on the everyday activities that we’re all missing and shifts perspective to how much worse it could get.
2020 has been a crazy year & Past this Point sort of makes you feel a little better- In that you could be trapped in an apartment with no electricity and running out of food. Take out is open for us and even sit down meals. I guess it made me feel like the things I was sad about not being able to do are small potatoes and made me more grateful for all we do still have the capability to do. I’m also not going to look at tortillas the same way again for a while.
December 10, 2019
News reports of the flu virus outbreak all over the media prompted a hypochondriac like Charlotte to practically barricade herself and bathe in sanitizer. Every sneeze was just terrifying to her. Anxious, she felt trapped. The flu was everywhere, and the death count was rising.
Alone—that’s what she was. No way in. No way out. Charlotte had no choice to live in self-imposed exile, while the city broke out in pandemonium.
Story was well-written overall with a steady stream pace. The reader follows the story of a woman’s panic and fear treading through a massive epidemic. The bulk of the story centers on her locked inside the apartment as news of the ruckus outside plays on the TV. It’s almost like the movie Cast Away (well, she practically is a cast away.) But I guess through family, neighbors, and acquaintances, she was able to make the best of it.
A pretty good read.
Alone—that’s what she was. No way in. No way out. Charlotte had no choice to live in self-imposed exile, while the city broke out in pandemonium.
Story was well-written overall with a steady stream pace. The reader follows the story of a woman’s panic and fear treading through a massive epidemic. The bulk of the story centers on her locked inside the apartment as news of the ruckus outside plays on the TV. It’s almost like the movie Cast Away (well, she practically is a cast away.) But I guess through family, neighbors, and acquaintances, she was able to make the best of it.
A pretty good read.
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