Allusive Aftershock
By Susan Griscom
Amber Glow Books
Amazon’s summary:
A young adult novel about destruction, friendship, betrayal, and love.
What happens when a major earthquake changes life as you know it and the boy you thought you hated ends up saving you? Three times!
Courtland Reese is the guy everyone hates and makes fun of because … well, he is weird. He communicates with animals. Strange or interesting, seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle can’t quite figure out, but when he saves her from being trampled by her own horse, she begins to understand him a little better and wants to learn more about him.
But, Max–her best friend/dream guy/someday-to-be-her-husband-only-he-doesn’t-know-it-yet–hates Courtland with a passion. Adela wants to know why, except neither boy is talking.
When Max leaves her stranded in his parents’ wine cave with his worst enemy, Courtland, after what the experts are calling a “megathrust” earthquake, Adela starts to question her loyalty to Max as steamy kisses in a dark damp cellar only fuel her emotions with more conflict.
But does she really have time to worry about that when fire, destruction and mayhem surround her?
My Review: This story is entirely about struggle. From stem to stern these characters are tested. This story is also about what it means to be human under the worst possible circumstances. I don’t normally read disaster books. I prefer teen angst to end of the world when I want mindless entertainment. In fact I was surprised to find that this wasn’t mindless entertainment at all. I found myself contemplating what I would do in such a situation or how I would react because there is a near constant onslaught of danger. I found myself reading late into the night because the characters were always a breath away from meeting their end. I wanted to know what their next scrape with danger would be. All of the characters were strong but not over the top. I really liked it.
Four stars
PG-13
AmberGlowBooks.com
Susangriscom.com
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