Monday, December 18, 2017

Survive this!

"The missiles, Fin. Something's gone very wrong. We don't know much, but it looks as though regions in the north of Asia have been hit as well as the Gobi Desert. Word is it's a nuclear test gone wrong, but it might have been deliberate..."
By the time we got into town the sky had changed. It was like the sun was being choked with thick orange dust. The sky glowed, throbbing with colour, but it was like it had swallowed up all the sunlight. ... It was beautiful--and wrong.

In one afternoon, Fin's world changes--from warm summer to nuclear winter. Now there's no internet, no phones, and no power. The water supply has been compromised and the food is running out. With their Mom over an hour away in Sydney and their father missing, Fin and his younger brother, Max, must figure out how to survive on their own.

In The Sky So Heavy Claire Zorn has written a post-apocalyptic YA novel of survival set in Australia that's "scarily realistic", fast-paced and entertaining. I really like these kinds of novels, especially when they're well-written and believable. And this novel is both (although there were a few times when I felt things happened a little too conveniently). Fin is resourceful and smart; I liked him and his pesky younger brother. And I liked the friends he teams up with, too. This book made me wonder how I would survive in a similar situation...and what choices I would make. Which is what I like about these kinds of books:  they always make stop and think....and stock up on extra chocolate! This particular survival/disaster book is as good as John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. All three are worth reading if you happen to like post-apocalyptic novels like I do.

Happy Reading!

Another similar read:

20 comments:

  1. I LOVED Tomorrow When the War Began! The Sky Is So Heavy sounds like an interesting read despite convenient happenings. :)

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    1. It's written well and I thought it was a fun read. And I liked the whole Aussie thing. :)

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  2. I liked Life As We Knew It so I’ll have to check this one out. I like when these types feel real.

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    1. So do I! And I felt like for the most part this one had that air of authenticity.

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  3. I like these types of novels too, especially when an author is able to suspend my disbelief over the course of the novel. I am glad you enjoyed this one. I will definitely have to give this one a try.

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  4. Post-apocalyptic books and the likes are a hit or miss to me but this one sounds like a good one to me. Hopefully my library has a copy.

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    1. Yeah, not all apocalypse-novels are equal. Some are pretty bad. But this one was very readable and fun.

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  5. Haha... Yes, stocking up on chocolate is a must! This sounds like a good one to check out.

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  6. I don't know why, but I love apocalypse novels. You're right, though, the genre is so saturated that you have to choose carefully. If THE SKY SO HEAVY is as good as TOMORROW and the Pfeffer series, then I'm all over it! Thanks for the rec.

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  7. I love my apocalypses and enjoyed what I've read of the John Marsden series but I'm always wary of the YA element because of tropes!

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    1. YA books can be kind of iffy, but I thought this one was well done. And how Fin handled life during a nuclear winter felt pretty realistic and believable. (Mostly.)

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  8. Seriously, chocolate is the first thing I'd grab :) This sounds good, Lark!

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  9. Having grown up during the Cold War, I tend to avoid the post-nuclear-holocaust books, but this one sounds well-written and believable. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. I do like books about survival...whether its a nuclear winter or a zombie apocalypse. :D

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  10. I really like this genre. I want to read this and will try to get a copy. Did you like Station Eleven? I loved it. Merry Christmas!

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    1. I haven't read Station Eleven yet, but I've heard good things about it. :) I hope you have a Merry Christmas, too!

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