AimeeKay Review: Ashes (Ashes Trilogy #1) by Ilsa J. Bick

Series: Ashes Trilogy #1
480p.
Available now
Publisher: Egmont USA
Source: From Media Masters Publicity for Review

It could happen tomorrow... 

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. 

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. 

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling post-apocalyptic novel about a world that could become ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

AimeeKay's Thoughts:
Wow. Just wow. This book was awesome!

Ashes drew me in from the beginning. I’ve been hearing awesome things about this trilogy for a while now, so I knew there had to be something there. Bick has a way of weaving mysteries into her story that just make the pages fly by. Plus right when one seems to be answered a whole bunch more pop up. Usually this annoys me, but I was so drawn into the story that I just had to find out what would happen next. I finished this book in less than a day, that’s how much I didn’t want to put it down.

I love the characters. Alex is one of the best characters I’ve run into in a long time. She is smart, funny and independent, but at the same time she is human too. All the characters, except for Alex, remain a mystery on one level or another, since the book is told from Alex’s perspective. But that didn’t stop me from getting attached to them. I can’t wait to start reading Shadows, the next book in the trilogy, to find out what happens to them.

The story is really interesting. I was drawn into trying to figure out what caused the world to go crazy in the first place and trying to figure out how some people made it out, while others either died or got ‘brain zapped’. A lot is revealed about the hows and whys as the story progresses, which is good because I got to see if some of my theories were right or not. Not everything is answered though, and, as I said before, more questions almost immediately popped up for the ones that were answered.

The novel does have its share of gore and violence, so I wouldn’t recommend it for the younger crowd. Fortunately it doesn’t revolve around the blood and guts so don’t dismiss it simply because of that.

Definitely pick this one up if you’re like me and have an apocalypse addiction. Even if you aren’t as badly addicted as I am pick it up simply because it is a great story. Seeing into Alex’s head and how she relates to everything…. Yeah, I know I normally shy away from first person POVs, but this one was well written and Alex is awesome.

The ending did leave me hanging, not because of unanswered questions, but because it is a cliffie, and a steep one at that. I probably would have held it against it more if I didn’t have the rest of the trilogy sitting next to me. *shrug* Although considering how much I enjoyed the book, maybe not. I’m off to start the second book now…hopefully it won’t disappoint!