Review: The Aftermath

THE AFTERMATH
The Aftermath #1
Jen Alexander
Young Adult/Dystopian
288 pages
HarlequinTEEN
Available August 26th
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

MY THOUGHTS
The Aftermath has one of those horrifyingly fascinating premises; the kind that floods our minds with all kinds of questions the moment we crack the spine and doesn’t allow our curiosity to taper off for a single page until we reach the very end. After reading the blurb however, we can’t help but have a few reservations despite how intrigued we are, wondering if our upfront knowledge about the gaming aspect will hinder our overall enjoyment because it’s something we know that our protagonist unfortunately doesn’t. Being aware of something a character isn’t can sometimes be frustrating as a reader, but luckily Claudia learns the larger truth about The Aftermath–the fact that it’s a live role playing game–early on, thus removing the burden of being alone in our knowledge and allowing us to settle in with her as we try and figure out how blood and death became required sport.

Claudia is someone we learn quickly is the type of person to whom we’d want to hitch our wagon were we unlucky enough to find ourselves in The Aftermath, her confidence making her a leader who oozes reassurance yet at the same doesn't pretend their world is anything other than brutal. Even when she learns that so many of her words and actions are not her own, she stills radiates capability and determination, making us want to follow her wherever she decides to go. She genuinely cares about those in her clan despite her newfound knowledge that they are nothing more than puppets whose thoughts and actions never really belonged to them, wanting vengeance and payback for all they’ve suffered and hoping it’s within her ability to grant it.

While Claudia is a young woman we thoroughly enjoy spending time with and the subtle romance with somewhat enigmatic Declan has our feelings pinging wildly over our emotional map, the true strength of this novel is in the mystery surrounding the game. We’re fed small revelations in perfectly sized pieces, satiating us temporarily before our curiosity reaches the frustrating stage but at the same time leaving so much more just outside our grasp, a carrot dangling to lead us down the path Ms. Alexander has laid out for us. The explanation for how the game to came to be is relatively simple, and in its simplicity lies believability and plausibility. We can’t help but cross every part of our bodies that can be crossed in the hope that our reality will never reach such a state, but Ms. Alexander makes it painfully clear how easily it could happen, showing us in terrifying detail how the forward march of scientific and technological progress is both astounding and alarming.

Overall, The Aftermath is an utterly tense and completely absorbing first installment, the pages flying by and the hours seeming to pass in a matter of minutes, leaving us horribly disappointed when we reach the last page for no other reason than it means Claudia’s story is temporarily at an end.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Jen:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the author free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

The Aftermath Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm beyond excited to be a part of the promotional tour for The Aftermath, a fascinating new game-based novel from Jen Alexander. I'm lucky enough to have Jen joining me on the blog to answer a few questions about the book and her love of gaming, but you're definitely going to want to follow the tour in its entirety as there are some very special guest posts throughout that highlight what to expect should you find yourself a player in The Aftermath. Be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the details on an amazing HarlequinTEEN giveaway, and welcome to Supernatural Snark Jen!

If you were asked to join the design team of any video game currently on the market, which game would you choose and what’s the first suggestion or change you would make?

There are so many amazing games on the market right now, but I would absolutely love to work on the design team of God of War. I’m a huge Kratos fan—he’s an incredibly complex antihero—and it’s so easy to get lost in those games. I think my first suggestion would be to make the current games available on the PlayStation 4 platform (of course, this suggestion is somewhat selfish because I’m chomping at the bit to have the PS4 versions in my hand)!

If you were a Gamer playing The Aftermath, what types of missions would you go on most often and which ones would you stay well away from?

I’m not a confrontational person—and the cannibals scare me—however, I’d probably go on a lot of rescue missions. I love the idea of saving fellow Survivors from flesh-eaters and those type of missions net more points in the game. With that being said, I’d probably stay away from the lower point side-quests (like finding an item or securing a new part of town). Since The Aftermath is a form of treatment, my goal would be to hurry the gaming process so I could resume my normal life!

If you were to join Claudia’s group as a character who’s awake and aware of the game as Claudia is, how do you think you would be most useful to her in terms of surviving or escaping?

I’m great at navigation, and I like to think I can hold my own against the flesh-eaters (meaning I can run pretty fast), but I think I’d be most useful to Claudia as someone to talk to. She’s the only self-aware character in the game, so it gets incredibly lonely for her. She would be ecstatic at the prospect of another sentient—and non-dangerous—character.

Many of the Gamers play for hours at a time day in and day out. What’s the longest period of time you’ve ever spent lost in a video game?

*Blushes* I’m so ashamed to admit this, but I might have played God of War III for close to sixteen hours one day. I knew I was close to the end of the game, and I was desperate to see how the story was resolved. By the time I crawled into bed at the end of the day, I was asking myself, “Did that ending really just happen?” Let’s just say it was an incredible/ frustrating conclusion to the game!

There are certain aspects of The Aftermath of which the public is note entirely aware. If Claudia, having seen the horrors of the game firsthand, could release a single statement to the press about her experience, what would she most want to say?

Claudia is very straightforward, and I think her statement would be the same way.

 “LanCorp International has fooled everyone living in the United Provinces, and I want to clear the air. When you purchase your child a character, you are killing another human. There is no Rehabilitation for the characters who can’t afford the treatment for Warrior gene or AVD Type A or B. There is only darkness and then there’s death. I know this is true beause I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it, and I have lived it.”

Let’s say Claudia, given her rather elite status in The Aftermath, is allowed to choose one character from any other video game to join her and her team on their missions for one week. Who would she most want to work with?

Lightning from the Final Fantasy XIII series. I almost picked Kratos, but then I realized he doesn’t work well with others and that he probably has no problem using Claudia as a doorstop (this was an actual scene from God of War III). On the other hand, Lightning is driven by her desire to save a member of her family. She’s strong and smart and she’s a fighter. Those are admirable traits that Claudia would appreciate.

If the sequel to The Aftermath was made into an actual video game, how would that game’s promotional tagline read?

Trust no one. Not even yourself.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Jen!

• • • • • • • • • • • 

THE AFTERMATH

Fighting for survival, battling cannibal hordes and tasked with grueling missions that test her mental and physical endurance, Claudia Virtue learns that her world is not what it seems in THE AFTERMATH, book one of a new series by debut author Jen Alexander.

The year is 2036 and teen Claudia must eke out existence in a nightmarish landscape where food and water are in short supply and danger lurks in every shadow.  Though Claudia is the leader of a scrappy group of scavenging survivors, she can’t control her own dreams, which get more disturbing every night. Claudia soon realizes that there is more to her waking world than she can see – has her mind been taken over by an unseen foe? Are the lives she saves and the formerly-human monsters she destroys all a part of someone else’s twisted game? Perhaps the most frightening realization of all: the more Claudia fights for her life, the less human she feels inside. Can she solve the puzzle of her existence and find a safe, secure place in the world before losing her grip on her sanity and her humanity?

With its fast-paced, high-stakes story, THE AFTERMATH will appeal to gamers, geeks and all fans of The Maze Runner and Ender’s Game. Plus, Claudia is a tough, smart, assertive heroine in the mode of Katniss from The Hunger Games and Tris from Divergent, the kind of character that male and female readers of all ages respond to with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • IndieBound • Book Depository

• • • • • • • • • • •

JEN ALEXANDER

The character of Claudia and the starting point for the THE AFTERMATH  came to Jen Alexander in a dream. She couldn’t shake the disturbing idea of a person trapped inside a live-action video game until finally her husband pressed her to write the story down. A former personal trainer, Jen’s background definitely influenced the physically powerful main character Claudia and the action-packed plot twists.

A native of North Carolina, Jen Alexander spent her childhood with her nose buried in either a book or a video game, and sometimes both at the same time. Jen now lives in North Carolina with her husband and children.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest • Google+

• • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of THE AFTERMATH, and one winner will receive a fantastic Grand Prize Package including the following HarlequinTEEN titles: 2 copies of THE AFTERMATH as well as copies of GHOST HOUSE, RAIN, LET’S GET LOST, INVISIBLE and DROWNED. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to follow along with the rest of tour to find out how you'd fare when subjected to The Aftermath!

Monday, August 4th - Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post
Wednesday, August 6th  - Supernatural Snark - Author Interview
Friday, August 8th  - Kimberly Faye Reads - Guest Post

Monday, August 11th  - Good Choice Reading - Guest Post
Wednesday, August 13th –  Nose Graze - Author Interview
Friday, August 15th - Addicted Reader - Guest Post

A Post of Pretty: HarlequinTEEN Cover Reveals

I just wanted to put a quick post together today highlighting some of the recent covers revealed by HarlequinTEEN because, well, I love book covers and good design, and Harlequin never disappoints! For those of you who don't know, every Thursday on HarlequinTEEN's Facebook page they reveal the cover of one of their upcoming releases. This past Thursday they unveiled the covers for the next three parts in Clara Kensie's paranormal young adult serial novel, Run To You. I so enjoyed the first three installments (First Sight, Second Glance, Third Charm) and can't wait to see how the rest of Tessa and Tristan's story unfolds.

Underneath the Run To You covers are some other new(ish)ly released HarlequinTEEN covers, some of which you may have seen already, but they're just so pretty I couldn't help but include them as well.

Which of the below is your favorite?

RUN TO YOU

Part Four: Fourth Shadow

Releasing July 7th

With no more secrets keeping them apart, Tessa and Tristan explore Tessa's developing psychic powers and embark upon a desperate search to find her missing brother and sister. But not even Tristan can keep Tessa safe from the hostile classmates at her new school, or from the nightmare that haunts her even while she's awake.

RUN TO YOU

Part Five: Fifth Touch

Releasing July 14th

Tessa’s nightmares feel all too real, and the hope of getting her family back together has never seemed so slim. Although a psychic warns her that leaving town may mean her death, Tessa cannot stay when she uncovers a new lead to her brother and sister. Not even if she must go alone and risk losing Tristan forever.

RUN TO YOU

Part Six: Sixth Sense

Releasing July 21st 

  

To save Tessa's brother and sister, she and Tristan must deceive the entire town. But if their plan succeeds, Tessa will have to make an unbearable choice between her siblings and her true love. And when her nightmares become real, she may lose it all—her family, her boyfriend and even her life.

• • • • •  

THE AFTERMATH

Releases August 26th

Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

 • • • • •  

 

OCEANBORN

The Aquarathi #2

Releases July 29th

The coronation is over.

But the battle has just begun.

Nerissa Marin has won her crown. But can she keep it? Already, her ties to the human realm are driving a wedge between Nerissa and her people. When word arrives that her part-human prince consort, Lo, has been poisoned, she makes the difficult choice to leave Waterfell and return landside. As the royal courts debate her decision, even more disturbing rumors surface: a plot is rising against her, led by someone she least expects.

On land, Nerissa learns another shocking truth–Lo does not remember who she is. As her choice to try to save him threatens her hold on her crown, changing loyalties and uncertainty test her courage in ways she could never have imagined. Nerissa will have one last chance to prove herself as a queen …and save the undersea kingdom she loves.

 • • • • •  

DROWNED

Releases June 24th

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome.

The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

 • • • • • 

THE STEPSISTER'S TALE

Releases June 24th

Jane Montjoy is tired of being a lady. She's tired of pretending to live up to the standards of her mother's noble family-especially now that the family's wealth is gone and their stately mansion has fallen to ruin. It's hard enough that she must tend to the animals and find a way to feed her mother and her little sister each day. Jane's burden only gets worse after her mother returns from a trip to town with a new stepfather and stepsister in tow. Despite the family's struggle to prepare for the long winter ahead, Jane's stepfather remains determined to give his beautiful but spoiled child her every desire.

When her stepfather suddenly dies, leaving nothing but debts and a bereaved daughter behind, it seems to Jane that her family is destined for eternal unhappiness. But a mysterious boy from the woods and an invitation to a royal ball are certain to change her fate...

From the handsome prince to the evil stepsister, nothing is quite as it seems in Tracy Barrett's stunning retelling of the classic Cinderella tale.