Review and Giveaway: Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick

SHADOWS
By: Ilsa J. Bick
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2012
Series: Ashes (#2)
Pages: 528
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: TLA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Note: Shadows is the second book in the Ashes trilogy, and the summary below may contain spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love. But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight of her life against the adults, who would use her, the survivors, who don’t trust her, and the Changed, who would eat her alive.

Welcome to Shadows, the second book in the haunting apocalyptic Ashes Trilogy: where no one is safe and humans may be the worst of the monsters.



Ashes was one of the first post-apocalyptic books that I read, and it set a very high standard. So much happened, and yet there were still so many questions that left me eager for Shadows. Shadows was darker and more intense than Ashes, and even though it is long the book was impossible to put down.

Before starting Shadows, I read this recap of Ashes Ilsa wrote for anyone who had forgotten all of the details. Having read Ashes a year ago, I found that this helped me jump right into Shadows. A new world order is settling in after an EMP ended the world as everyone knew it. But that doesn't mean that anyone is safe from the Changed or from the other Spared, least of all Alex. She knows that there will be a hard road ahead of her, especially if she wants to keep the promises she made. But keeping those promises will bring her face to face with danger as well as some startling truths...

It's hard to say much about Shadows without spoiling Ashes or Shadows itself, but there are no shortage of things that happen throughout the book. Shadows traces parallels journeys of several different characters, and the point of view switches with every chapter. I enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters from Ashes as well as the new ones introduced here. And because each chapter ends with a cliffhanger and every situation the characters face is fraught with instability, suspense and tensions are always high, and it's impossible to stop reading. Each of the narratives was equally compelling, and I want to know how everything comes together in the final book. Shadows certainly proves that it is a small world, and it was interesting to see how everything intersected.

As I said before, Shadows is darker than Ashes, with some vivid descriptions of unpleasant things. Even though the descriptions are never gratuitous, it is something to know before reading. Also, throughout Shadows, it seems like things are always just out of reach - be it knowledge for the reader or opportunities or people sought after by the characters. I can't wait to see how everything plays out at the end of the trilogy.

Shadows is an incredibly complex book and a great sequel to Ashes. I'm looking forward to the final installment of the trilogy!





~GIVEAWAY~

Thanks to the publisher, I have one finished copy of Shadows to give away! To enter, please fill out the form below.

This contest is open to US residents only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, Nov. 2 at 12:01am CST.