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Title: RecruitZ
Series: Afterworld #1
Author: Karice Bolton
Publication date: December 27th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic
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Purchase Links:
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RecruitZ
Afterworld #1
Karice Bolton
Bulldog Press, December 2013
ISBN 978-0615946429
Trade Paperback
From the publisher—
Scientists are the new rock stars. The infection has been contained for nearly three months, and the world is celebrating. But humans are still dying. Rebekah Taylor has seen it firsthand. Her husband was killed right in front of her by the very creatures that humans were told they no longer had to fear.
Rebekah is determined to find out who is responsible for the death of her husband and the obvious cover-up. Fueled with revenge, she begins to find answers that lead to one frightening conclusion. The apocalypse might be over, but the battles are just beginning.
What an interesting story this is!
Once upon a time, I wasn’t fond of zombies; in fact, I pretty much avoided them. Then Max Brooks and David Wellington came along and , well, the rest, as they say, is history. Nowadays, I actively look for good zombie fiction and RecruitZ falls nicely into that group.
The first thing that especially appealed to me about this book is the premise that the world after the zombie plague could be just as bad, maybe even worse, because of the behavior of some survivors. That idea has been present in earlier books but the difference here lies in WHICH survivors are behind the “Afterworld” mayhem.
The other thing that drew me in was the opening scenes which left no question that this was going to be a serious zombie book with few laughs. Don’t get me wrong, I like zombies with a splash of humor but not all the time by any means. Lately, my favorites have been driven by action adventure and/or humor so it was time to get back to a somber, no-nonsense tale. This was definitely the right book.
Rebekah is a terrific protagonist—intelligent, driven, take-no-prisoners—and the bartender she comes across, Preston, is an even match for her. In some ways, he’s the voice of reason we frequently find in a female character and that’s a nice touch. The two find they have much in common starting with the fact that they both survived the infection against overwhelming odds but getting to the truth about the current crop of zombies may change everything they think they know about the plague and the world they now live in.
Tensions run high at a nearly frantic pace but mystery and romance also play into the story. I did think the ending was somewhat rushed, kind of like the author had run out of steam, but I still think Ms. Bolton has come up with a nifty tale and has crafted it well with few hiccups. I thoroughly enjoyed RecruitZ with the exception of the hasty conclusion and, now, I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, AlibiZ, which I hear will be coming soon.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2014.
About the Author
Karice Bolton lives in the Pacific Northwest and is a writer of Young Adult and New Adult books. She loves to read anything and everything. She also enjoys baking, skiing, and spending time with her wonderful husband and two English bulldogs.
Books currently available:
*Beyond Love Series: Beyond Control (Book 1) Beyond Doubt (Book 2) Beyond Reason (Book 3) – Feb. 28th
*Afterworld Series: RecruitZ (Book 1)
*The Witch Avenue Series: Lonely Souls (Book 1), Altered Souls (Book 2), Released Souls (Book 3) Shattered Souls (Book 4)
*The Watchers Trilogy: Awakening (Book 1), Legions (Book 2), Cataclysm (Book 3), Taken Novella (Watchers Prequel)
*The Camp
Karice would love if you stopped by her blog or FB page to find out the latest news on giveaways and upcoming releases, or you can just send her an email. She loves hearing from her readers and responds as soon as she can.
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