Doomsday

by R.L. Gemmill

Orphaned. Hunted. On the menu. After seven years apart, Jon, Kelly, and Travis Bishop move in together with a foster family, and it seems their lives may finally be normal again. But while exploring little known Pandora's Cave, a freak earthquake traps them deep underground. In their struggle to find a way out, they witness an alliance between a mysterious businessman and a group of terrifying demons that promises to plunge our world into darkness and death. The good news? The kids made a video of the entire event. The bad news? The video may still be in the demon-infested cave, and nobody believes their story. "Gemmill has supercharged his YA debut with a tantalizing dose of oddness... An up-all-night read that's clever and heartfelt." —Kirkus Reviews

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2019

Reviews

[Talie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a LOT going on here but let's start at the start (points off for the AI generated art on the cover of the version I read, by the way).

Promising beginning! I was intrigued/moderately hooked by the opening scene. It did a great job of introducing the main characters and setting up the rest of the book for some great action....And then.... It lost the plot QUITE literally. I was excited to see what happened during the group's caving expedition. Demons? An earthquake in a dank cave? Sign me up! But that ended up being the point of no return. The drop off zone into deep water. I think I was hoping for more of the story to take place in the cave? I must have a thing for cave action because I was disappointed when that didn't happen.

So many characters got introduced in a small amount of time that it was frustrating to keep up with who was who. On top of some pacing trouble, the plot meandered all over the place. Things happened that did not seem to have any bearing on the story whatsoever, or they were described in so much detail that I zoned out a little while reading. The characters were good. There were just so many of them that the main characters felt a little less 'main', if that makes sense. I also expected the three siblings, Jon, Kelly, and Travis, to be the only/main POVs and was surprised by every new character POV that was added and there were a LOT. I'm not sure splitting the scenes up by POV was really necessary considering how close the tense veered into omniscient territory.

Overall the writing was solid and clear. It was easy to read. There was just too MUCH writing. Too many parts felt less like purposeful storytelling and more like a log of daily events. The interactions between characters gave a sense of closeness between them, and the dialogue had realism, but it was just too drawn out The little tidbits of action we got were great! There need to be more of them! The potential for this to be more thrilling is there. It needs a good eye to help pare down the unnecessary chunks (if that hasn't already been done anyway and if so it needs more paring).

[Aliza Villanueva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doomsday by R. L. Gemmill, I seriously could not put this book down. I stayed up way too late, reading it. If you're looking for something that's going to grab you from the first page and not let go, this is it. From the get go, it was just so engaging, captivating, and thrilling. Gemmill built this incredible tension that just keeps building. You're constantly on the edge of your seat, wondering what's going to happen next, and I was living for it. The characters were so likeable and unique. I found myself invested in their journeys, really rooting for them to overcome whatever was thrown their way. It's rare that I get this attached to a cast of characters so quickly, but these guys really won me over. I was constantly anticipating what would happen next, and the reveals were always satisfying, even when they made me gasp. Needless to say, I'm definitely going to check out the other books in the series. If this first one is anything to go by, it's going to be great.

[Tetra · Rating 4 out of 5]

POV: you pick up a random YA book and suddenly can’t put it down 👀📚
This one had such a cool, imaginative premise and it HOOKED me right away. Like… no slow start, just straight into it and I was in.
There’s always something happening too, so it never drags. Definitely not a boring read.
Also?? The family vibes?? 😭 I loved the focus on both found family AND biological family. The sibling bond especially was so good.
Now… Kelly’s ESP 👀
Kinda a so-so for me. Younger me would’ve been like “this is SO cool,” but reading it now I was like… okay wait, this is a little invasive 😅
BUT since it’s YA, I can totally see the target audience loving that part.
Overall: fun, fast-paced, emotional, and easy to binge ✨

[Katherine Visco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! Talk about a book that pulls you in from the first page! There is so much action and adventure that keeps you wanting to turn page after page. It is def one of those "just one more chapter" reads that'll keep youbup late just to see what happens next.

I just adore the Bishop siblings, but I must say...Kelly is def my fave. Her supernatural abilities fit right in this supernatural thriller. And the demons..........well, who doesn't love a good demon battle? Humanity may be at risk, but with these siblings and all the friends they bring in along the way, humans will certainly prevail......won't they???

Take a chance, pick up this book, read the first page, and delve into a supernatural sensation.

[Carolyn Teague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doomsday Book 1 was a well written book about humans and demons fighting for survival. It was hard to put down. I wanted to continue to read straight to the end. The characters were well developed and you feel like you know each one personally. You see their heart, the love they have for each other. There are parts of the book that show the darkness in the world and it can be somewhat scary. I am not a real fan of the supernatural realm but I think this book will be a favorite of those who do. If you read this book you will be waiting in line for Book 2.

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intriguing novel. The premise is totally different than I have read before. Don't get me wrong- this is a paranormal novel with demons and all they have got to bring our protagonists down. This novel will keep you turning the pages. This is the first of 5 novels that are available for you to read. A great novel don't miss this one. I received this novel from BookFunnel. This is my true and honest review.

[Jennifer Wiehe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a rollercoaster of emotions. Our three main characters, siblings, Jon Kelly and Travis all have a special psychological gift. Though out the story we see how these gifts work to help them to fight evil and save the ones they love. I would recommend this book to preteen to teens because some scenes can be graphic and violent. This was a good read, I'll be looking for the next in the series.

[MimiAmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doomsday has an unusual storyline with well-developed characters. Unfortunately, the discrepancies and grammatical errors threw me out of this YA fantasy too many times. There is a second book in the series and I will probably f read it to discover how everything works out.

Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was what I hoped it would be from the description. I enjoyed how good the book was and how strong of a start the Doomsday series had. I was invested in the characters and they interacted with their world and story. It left me wanting to read more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mopey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just an outright fun book. It's well thought-out and well written. The conversations flow naturally. There's action, sorrow, mystery, and triumph. The author blends a supernatural world with our regular world very well. There's no cheese, nothing cringy, as there often is with this genre. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

[Vicky Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I am an adult, I enjoyed reading Doomsday. The characters were well-written and complex. The story kept my attention and made me want to read more.

[Vera Hogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the adventures of the Bishop siblings. Magic, telethapy and demons make for a hard to put down book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.