Wide-Eyed Reader

Before I get started, I did want to note that I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review! You'll also be able to find this review there. So, I was born in 1997. I was alive for the end of the 90's, but I don't recall any of it. Therefore, I know very little about 90's culture in general, much less 1991, the year this novel is set it. However, I was excited by the prospect of a book set entirely in a mall, which were a staple of my childhood, and to learn a little about the early 90's! And I have to say, I was not let down. This book is a treasure. Let's get into it! CHARACTERS The Mall  has a moderate cast of characters, told in the first-person perspective of Cassie Worthy, recent high school graduate and only child of two dentists. She suffered from a case of mono in her final month of high school, but she's set to work at America's Best Cookie in the local mall with her boyfriend Troy all summer, before both o...

A note before I get into this review: I got a copy of this book for free from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review! Thanks for this opportunity! Now, initial thoughts. I was interested in this book, and really wanted to dive into it. Post-apocalyptic stories interest me, and I'm always curious to see how different authors add their own spin on the genre. Therefore, I was looking forward to seeing what Anna Mocikat brought to the table. However, I was sadly disappointed. To be upfront, I dropped this book at about 51%, unable to put myself through not enjoying this book anymore. So, let's get into it! CHARACTERS Wow, this book has a lot of characters. Let's run through the list, shall we? -Jean and Louis, teenage siblings living with their elderly father. They're the first characters we meet, and hardly show up after the first chapter. -Colton, a stranger with no memory the teens meet in the wastes of LA. He seems to have superpowers, though ever...

Before I get started, I wanted to mention that I received an Advanced Copy of this book from William Morrow Books through Litsy. Thank you so much for this opportunity! Now, the review. First things first: I was excited to read this book because it was a post-apocalyptic story in which the main character was a middle-aged mother, not a teenage girl. I was interested to see the differences, and to explore the new world the characters live in. And I was pleased by it! I found the story powerful and compelling, and the characters to be real and driving forces of the plot. Let's get in-depth, shall we? CHARACTERS The main character of After the Flood is Myra, a mother of two daughters who is alone with her younger child on the boat her grandfather built. Myra's one goal? To find her older daughter, Row, who was taken from her so long ago by Myra's husband that the younger child, seven-year-old Pearl, doesn't even know Row. This goal is Myra's driving force, an...