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Alone #2
Survivor
Jesse is alone. His friends are gone. His supplies are gone. And the chasers, the zombies, are getting bolder. So when he starts to see signs of life, of other humans, he can't believe his luck. But in post-incident New York, the only thing more dangerous than the chasers, are the survivors.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
8 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
James Phelan
36 books257 followersJames Phelan is the award-winning author of twenty-four novels and one work of non-fiction. He first studied and worked in architecture before turning to English/Lit, working five years at The Age newspaper, obtaining an MA (Writing) and PhD (Young Adult Literature).
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
Hachette has published his five geo-political thrillers: FOX HUNT, PATRIOT ACT, BLOOD OIL, LIQUID GOLD and RED ICE.
From 2010-2011, Hachette published the widely acclaimed ALONE trilogy of Young Adult post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels.
In 2013/2014, Scholastic published James' thirteen-book adventure series about the dream work THE LAST THIRTEEN. The multi-award winning series (2014 YABBA, COOL, KOALA awards) has been highly successful around the world, selling over a million copies in 18 months.
THE SPY (Hachette, 2013), was the first instalment in a new series of suspense thrillers with the protagonist Jed Walker, and is followed by THE HUNTED (2015), and KILL SWITCH (2015).
James is currently working on a follow-up trilogy to THE LAST THIRTEEN, more thrillers, and an illustrated middle-grade series titled GRANDPA SPIES.
James has taught writing at post-graduate level and regularly talks at schools, libraries and universities around the world. Since 2006 he has sold over 4 million copies of his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
May 22, 2017
Personal response
I thought that this book was a very intriguing. This book had a lot of suspenseful moments.
Plot
Jesse was still in the same building as he was in the last book when he was hiding from the chasers. He was in an apartment that had a video recorder that said someone was there that survived the attack but she went out. He left a message to meet him at 30 Rock at 10:00am on the video recorder and then left. He found a group of USAMRIID and only one will talk to him. Starkey tells him if he gets out to head north. He went to get supplies but was spotted by a group of chasers. He ran to a zoo but it was locked. He looked in through the window and saw someone inside. He climbed the fence to the zoo and went to see who was in it. He found a girl named Rachel who had been staying there since the attack caring for the animals. He helped her with feeding and watering the animals.The next morning jesse woke up late so he didn't make it to 30 Rock on time and saw no one. Jesse also had to go get food for the animals because it was running low. When he was out he found a guy named Caleb. They saw three chasers and hid behind a car. Jesse was getting ready to shoot them when Caleb told him not to and used his riot shotgun so they didn't die. He then went with Caleb back to his “crib”. When they got there Jesse and Caleb played video games and ate. That night Jesse and Caleb both brought one bag of food to the zoo before dark but Caleb went back to his place instead of staying. The next morning he woke up late again and saw no one again. On the third day he got up and made it to 30 Rock on time and saw a someone. He found out that it was the girl from the video and her name was Felicity. He took her back to the zoo. The next day he went to talk with Caleb and ended up staying the night. He was spotted on his way back to the zoo and hid in the bathroom of a cafe. When he finally went to see if the cost was clear he say Rachel in the doorway crying. She told him that the chasers had attacked the snow leopards killing one and injuring the other. They went back to the zoo and Rachel showed him the snow leopard. Jesse ran to Caleb's for a generator but saw blood all around his door. He runs to the door and knocks on it. When Caleb opens it Jesse asks what happened and Caleb explained. Jesse pass’s out and hit his head on a car shortly after. Jesse wakes up and doesn't remember why he was supposed to be there. He talks with caleb and goes to the 9/11 memorial were Caleb tells him of a group he found at Chelsea Piers. They head back and caleb refills a generator which makes Jesse remember that's why he went to Calebs. The two take it back to the zoo. Caleb stays and they figure that they will check out the group at Chelsea Piers. They have dinner and jesse goes to sleep. He wakes up and finds out by the girls that caleb got really drunk and went to go see his family's place. Jesse goes out after him and finds him destroying a hotel lobby. They start to head back to the zoo when they see the USAMRIID truck as it's attacked by a drone. Caleb goes and starts pulling people out of the blown up truck. Starkey yells at them to run because it has an unexploded missile. The missile blows up and infects Caleb turning him into the hunting kind. Jesse runs back to the zoo.
Characterization
Jesse is a australian who went to New York City because of a UN tour he was on. He survived the first 12 days by pretending that his group was still alive till he realized he didn't need them. He found the other 3 and tried to bring them together.
Rachel is a zoo employe who survived too. They lived together at the zoo to take care of the animals.
Felicity is the survivor from the apartment that went to check out some docile chasers. She wants to leave like Jesse.
Caleb is a boy who survived the attack. He refuses to kill the chaser unless absolutely necessary. He toward the end was convinced to leave for the group at Chelsea Piers. He died trying to save the USAMRIID troops from earlier.
Starkey is the only USAMRIID solder that talked to him. He saves Jesse by warning him of the missile they have that was about to explode.
Recommendation
I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys. I recommend to them because this book is filled with action, suspense, and shocking moments.
I thought that this book was a very intriguing. This book had a lot of suspenseful moments.
Plot
Jesse was still in the same building as he was in the last book when he was hiding from the chasers. He was in an apartment that had a video recorder that said someone was there that survived the attack but she went out. He left a message to meet him at 30 Rock at 10:00am on the video recorder and then left. He found a group of USAMRIID and only one will talk to him. Starkey tells him if he gets out to head north. He went to get supplies but was spotted by a group of chasers. He ran to a zoo but it was locked. He looked in through the window and saw someone inside. He climbed the fence to the zoo and went to see who was in it. He found a girl named Rachel who had been staying there since the attack caring for the animals. He helped her with feeding and watering the animals.The next morning jesse woke up late so he didn't make it to 30 Rock on time and saw no one. Jesse also had to go get food for the animals because it was running low. When he was out he found a guy named Caleb. They saw three chasers and hid behind a car. Jesse was getting ready to shoot them when Caleb told him not to and used his riot shotgun so they didn't die. He then went with Caleb back to his “crib”. When they got there Jesse and Caleb played video games and ate. That night Jesse and Caleb both brought one bag of food to the zoo before dark but Caleb went back to his place instead of staying. The next morning he woke up late again and saw no one again. On the third day he got up and made it to 30 Rock on time and saw a someone. He found out that it was the girl from the video and her name was Felicity. He took her back to the zoo. The next day he went to talk with Caleb and ended up staying the night. He was spotted on his way back to the zoo and hid in the bathroom of a cafe. When he finally went to see if the cost was clear he say Rachel in the doorway crying. She told him that the chasers had attacked the snow leopards killing one and injuring the other. They went back to the zoo and Rachel showed him the snow leopard. Jesse ran to Caleb's for a generator but saw blood all around his door. He runs to the door and knocks on it. When Caleb opens it Jesse asks what happened and Caleb explained. Jesse pass’s out and hit his head on a car shortly after. Jesse wakes up and doesn't remember why he was supposed to be there. He talks with caleb and goes to the 9/11 memorial were Caleb tells him of a group he found at Chelsea Piers. They head back and caleb refills a generator which makes Jesse remember that's why he went to Calebs. The two take it back to the zoo. Caleb stays and they figure that they will check out the group at Chelsea Piers. They have dinner and jesse goes to sleep. He wakes up and finds out by the girls that caleb got really drunk and went to go see his family's place. Jesse goes out after him and finds him destroying a hotel lobby. They start to head back to the zoo when they see the USAMRIID truck as it's attacked by a drone. Caleb goes and starts pulling people out of the blown up truck. Starkey yells at them to run because it has an unexploded missile. The missile blows up and infects Caleb turning him into the hunting kind. Jesse runs back to the zoo.
Characterization
Jesse is a australian who went to New York City because of a UN tour he was on. He survived the first 12 days by pretending that his group was still alive till he realized he didn't need them. He found the other 3 and tried to bring them together.
Rachel is a zoo employe who survived too. They lived together at the zoo to take care of the animals.
Felicity is the survivor from the apartment that went to check out some docile chasers. She wants to leave like Jesse.
Caleb is a boy who survived the attack. He refuses to kill the chaser unless absolutely necessary. He toward the end was convinced to leave for the group at Chelsea Piers. He died trying to save the USAMRIID troops from earlier.
Starkey is the only USAMRIID solder that talked to him. He saves Jesse by warning him of the missile they have that was about to explode.
Recommendation
I would recommend this to high school and middle school boys. I recommend to them because this book is filled with action, suspense, and shocking moments.
September 30, 2011
I read the first book in this trilogy, Chasers, last year as it was part of the 50 Books You Can’t Put Down for the Get Reading 2010 campaign. In the first novel, 16yo Australian Jesse was on a leadership camp in New York being run by the United Nations when a catastrophic event occurred while he was riding the subway. Crawling out of the wreckage, he saw chaos everywhere and anyone it seemed who had survived had developed an insatiable thirst. Most were content to drink from puddles, fire hydrants, lakes, etc but there were some who hunted people down and drank from them. At the end of the book when he flees his safe spot to search for other survivors, he finds a video camera with recordings on it by a young girl who like him, seems unaffected.
The second book opens with Jesse’s continued search for Felicity, the girl on the video camera. He leaves a note for her in her apartment and goes looking for her in Central Park, where she mentions that she saw a bunch of humans that although appear infected, they are friendlier than others and could possibly be able to communicate. Jesse has seen the same people himself and he tries to find her there to no avail. He does however, encounter some suspicious looking ‘Army’ men who have found a way into the city for reasons unknown and appear to be systematically searching for something. After they almost kill him, Jesse tries following them for a while but eventually is discouraged of that and turns back. He then finds a student named Rachel who is bunkered down in the zoo, left caring for a handful of animals. She’s running out of food for them though and Jesse vows to leave and go and search out food so that she can continue caring for them. While he is undertaking this mission he encounters yet another survivor, a teenage boy named Caleb who is holed up in the bookstore he worked in before the event, claiming that it is more secure than most residences. He gives Jesse some information about the chasers and helps him take some things back to Rachel but he’s also got a bit of a sinister side and Jesse isn’t really sure whether or not he can trust him. When Jesse also finally finds Felicity, the four of them get together at the zoo and try and decide what they want to do.
Jesse is all for leaving, like the so-called Army characters he encountered told him to do. Leave, move north towards Canada where it’s colder, where the disease/infection/whatever it is doesn’t seem to have the prevalence. Caleb swears he’s spotted a group of some 40 odd survivors that don’t seem infected hiding out somewhere and that they should go and join them, or at least talk to them. Rachel is skeptical and also adamant that she cannot leave her zoo animals. They are her responsibility now and she has to stay and ensure that she can look after them as best she can. Felicity opts to stay with Rachel so when Caleb takes off one night, Jesse goes after him, splitting the group up.
It seemed that after spending the first book alone, survivors came crawling out of the woodwork everywhere in this novel – that’s not unlikely on it’s own. After all if Jesse survived and is uninfected than it’s logical that there are other people in the same situation, holed up like he was, trying to survive on what they could find from nearby and avoid the chasers. It just seems so easy that he keeps stumbling upon these people, especially Felicity, whom he leaves a note for telling her to meet him in a certain location. He doesn’t make it to the location on time for several days but keeps going, only to find her the first time he manages to get there at the time he suggested, which is also the first time she went there! It’s all sorts of coincidences, all the time.
I found it interesting that we learned a bit more about the chasers in this novel but I did also feel that it wasn’t enough. It’s been over two weeks since the incident occurred while Jesse was on the subway, probably closer to three weeks by the time this novel draws to a close and we’re still not really much the wiser about what has happened, other than a vague sort of biochemical type of incident. There are more questions than answers and give that there is only one book to go (and these books aren’t really that big) it seems like a lot to tie up in a final installment. It also seems like everyone is awesomely resourceful – rigging up generators and taking the time to hook up X-boxes to plasma TV’s and play a few games of this and that. I’m beginning to think that if ever I’m stranded in some sort of apocalyptic event, my chances of survival are pretty much zero because I wouldn’t know a generator if I fell over one, much less how to use it to power my little awesome hidey-hole, completely equipped with all the mod-cons a person could want!
The third book, Quarantine is due out in Australia next month and I am still invested enough to want to see how it ends and find out if Jesse ever makes it back to Australia. How widespread is this event? Is it just the east coast of America? Or will we learn that it’s affected a much larger area? I said in my review of the first book that I think this would be the sort of book I’d recommend to adolescent teen boys and I still would – I think it’s a subject matter that would interest them and just ‘gory’ enough to keep them going. It’s not the sort of YA that crosses over easily into adult readership, but I don’t think it’s supposed to.
The second book opens with Jesse’s continued search for Felicity, the girl on the video camera. He leaves a note for her in her apartment and goes looking for her in Central Park, where she mentions that she saw a bunch of humans that although appear infected, they are friendlier than others and could possibly be able to communicate. Jesse has seen the same people himself and he tries to find her there to no avail. He does however, encounter some suspicious looking ‘Army’ men who have found a way into the city for reasons unknown and appear to be systematically searching for something. After they almost kill him, Jesse tries following them for a while but eventually is discouraged of that and turns back. He then finds a student named Rachel who is bunkered down in the zoo, left caring for a handful of animals. She’s running out of food for them though and Jesse vows to leave and go and search out food so that she can continue caring for them. While he is undertaking this mission he encounters yet another survivor, a teenage boy named Caleb who is holed up in the bookstore he worked in before the event, claiming that it is more secure than most residences. He gives Jesse some information about the chasers and helps him take some things back to Rachel but he’s also got a bit of a sinister side and Jesse isn’t really sure whether or not he can trust him. When Jesse also finally finds Felicity, the four of them get together at the zoo and try and decide what they want to do.
Jesse is all for leaving, like the so-called Army characters he encountered told him to do. Leave, move north towards Canada where it’s colder, where the disease/infection/whatever it is doesn’t seem to have the prevalence. Caleb swears he’s spotted a group of some 40 odd survivors that don’t seem infected hiding out somewhere and that they should go and join them, or at least talk to them. Rachel is skeptical and also adamant that she cannot leave her zoo animals. They are her responsibility now and she has to stay and ensure that she can look after them as best she can. Felicity opts to stay with Rachel so when Caleb takes off one night, Jesse goes after him, splitting the group up.
It seemed that after spending the first book alone, survivors came crawling out of the woodwork everywhere in this novel – that’s not unlikely on it’s own. After all if Jesse survived and is uninfected than it’s logical that there are other people in the same situation, holed up like he was, trying to survive on what they could find from nearby and avoid the chasers. It just seems so easy that he keeps stumbling upon these people, especially Felicity, whom he leaves a note for telling her to meet him in a certain location. He doesn’t make it to the location on time for several days but keeps going, only to find her the first time he manages to get there at the time he suggested, which is also the first time she went there! It’s all sorts of coincidences, all the time.
I found it interesting that we learned a bit more about the chasers in this novel but I did also feel that it wasn’t enough. It’s been over two weeks since the incident occurred while Jesse was on the subway, probably closer to three weeks by the time this novel draws to a close and we’re still not really much the wiser about what has happened, other than a vague sort of biochemical type of incident. There are more questions than answers and give that there is only one book to go (and these books aren’t really that big) it seems like a lot to tie up in a final installment. It also seems like everyone is awesomely resourceful – rigging up generators and taking the time to hook up X-boxes to plasma TV’s and play a few games of this and that. I’m beginning to think that if ever I’m stranded in some sort of apocalyptic event, my chances of survival are pretty much zero because I wouldn’t know a generator if I fell over one, much less how to use it to power my little awesome hidey-hole, completely equipped with all the mod-cons a person could want!
The third book, Quarantine is due out in Australia next month and I am still invested enough to want to see how it ends and find out if Jesse ever makes it back to Australia. How widespread is this event? Is it just the east coast of America? Or will we learn that it’s affected a much larger area? I said in my review of the first book that I think this would be the sort of book I’d recommend to adolescent teen boys and I still would – I think it’s a subject matter that would interest them and just ‘gory’ enough to keep them going. It’s not the sort of YA that crosses over easily into adult readership, but I don’t think it’s supposed to.
November 1, 2017
Personal Response:
I like this book because it flowed really well from the last book to this one. In this book, there was a lot more action. Which is what I look for in a book because that's the kind of material I like to read. The second book contained a lot more mystery than the first one. It also explained in greater detail what happened to the city and the world and why there are zombies.
Plot Summary:
In the beginning of the book, there were soldiers that started shooting at Jesse because they thought he was infected. Most of the soldiers didn't accept him, so they parted ways. Next, Jesse is on the run trying to find survivors and a girl named Felecity. He goes to Central Park to a zoo and sees a girl. Then he starts helping her and the animals, who are starting to run out of food, so Jesse goes out to find some. When he is out there he meets a guy named Caleb and they gather food together. The next day they bring the food back to the zoo. Then, Jesse goes out again to find Felecity and they meet and go to the zoo together. When all of them are at the zoo, Caleb goes out one night on his own. Jesse chases after him and he ends up at his parents house and finds his parents dead. Then they hear a killer drone and run for the city. When they're in the city, there is a militia and they start fighting Chasers and try shooting the drone. There is a missile which has the infection inside of it, in there truck. The drone blows up the militia and, then, Caleb runs in to save a Starkey, one of the soldiers. There was a big explosion and it turns him into a chaser. Jesse runs back to the zoo and talks to the girls about what happened. Later that night, he goes back out to look for survivors to escape the city.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone age 13 and up. I say this because it has swearing in it and it can get bad in some parts. I would rate this book 9/10. It was an extremely interesting book and I did not get bored of it at anytime. It would be a 10/10 if it was a shorter book, but other than that it is a great book.
I like this book because it flowed really well from the last book to this one. In this book, there was a lot more action. Which is what I look for in a book because that's the kind of material I like to read. The second book contained a lot more mystery than the first one. It also explained in greater detail what happened to the city and the world and why there are zombies.
Plot Summary:
In the beginning of the book, there were soldiers that started shooting at Jesse because they thought he was infected. Most of the soldiers didn't accept him, so they parted ways. Next, Jesse is on the run trying to find survivors and a girl named Felecity. He goes to Central Park to a zoo and sees a girl. Then he starts helping her and the animals, who are starting to run out of food, so Jesse goes out to find some. When he is out there he meets a guy named Caleb and they gather food together. The next day they bring the food back to the zoo. Then, Jesse goes out again to find Felecity and they meet and go to the zoo together. When all of them are at the zoo, Caleb goes out one night on his own. Jesse chases after him and he ends up at his parents house and finds his parents dead. Then they hear a killer drone and run for the city. When they're in the city, there is a militia and they start fighting Chasers and try shooting the drone. There is a missile which has the infection inside of it, in there truck. The drone blows up the militia and, then, Caleb runs in to save a Starkey, one of the soldiers. There was a big explosion and it turns him into a chaser. Jesse runs back to the zoo and talks to the girls about what happened. Later that night, he goes back out to look for survivors to escape the city.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone age 13 and up. I say this because it has swearing in it and it can get bad in some parts. I would rate this book 9/10. It was an extremely interesting book and I did not get bored of it at anytime. It would be a 10/10 if it was a shorter book, but other than that it is a great book.
October 31, 2018
Personal Response
I really like this series so far and it is a very enjoyable book to read. I liked that Jesse was able to find more survivors and make more friends. I liked how Jesse was able to bring together a group of kids around his age.
Plot Summary
Jesse finds himself getting shot at by soldiers who think he is one of the infected. Shortly after they stop after realizing that Jesse is healthy and Jesse is able to learn a little bit of information about this contagion. Jesse meets a soldier named Starkey and he tells Jesse that he needs to head north because the contagion doesn't survive in the cold. After that Jesse goes to find a girl named Felicity who went to find a group of docile chasers. While looking for her he comes across a zoo and meets Rachel, who has been taking care of the zoo by herself for 12 days, and she is a little skeptical of Jesse. Later Jesse goes out to find Felicity and actually meets her and they run into another USAMRIID convoy that gets attacked by a US drone. They run to the zoo and Caleb has learned of a group at Chelsea Piers.
Recommended
I recommend this book to kids 13 and older. The book has some words that might be hard for some kids younger to pronounce. There are some instances where it can be gory for younger kids.
Characterization
The main character Jesse really becomes aware of the dangers he is putting himself in every time he goes into the city, he has become somewhat careless it seems. He starts running into more chasers and I'm not sure if that is because the chasers are getting better at hunting or Jesse is becoming careless. Jesse also starts to realize that the group can't stay at the zoo much longer and he is getting the other to realize that. Jesse is becoming more of a leader with every day that goes by.
I really like this series so far and it is a very enjoyable book to read. I liked that Jesse was able to find more survivors and make more friends. I liked how Jesse was able to bring together a group of kids around his age.
Plot Summary
Jesse finds himself getting shot at by soldiers who think he is one of the infected. Shortly after they stop after realizing that Jesse is healthy and Jesse is able to learn a little bit of information about this contagion. Jesse meets a soldier named Starkey and he tells Jesse that he needs to head north because the contagion doesn't survive in the cold. After that Jesse goes to find a girl named Felicity who went to find a group of docile chasers. While looking for her he comes across a zoo and meets Rachel, who has been taking care of the zoo by herself for 12 days, and she is a little skeptical of Jesse. Later Jesse goes out to find Felicity and actually meets her and they run into another USAMRIID convoy that gets attacked by a US drone. They run to the zoo and Caleb has learned of a group at Chelsea Piers.
Recommended
I recommend this book to kids 13 and older. The book has some words that might be hard for some kids younger to pronounce. There are some instances where it can be gory for younger kids.
Characterization
The main character Jesse really becomes aware of the dangers he is putting himself in every time he goes into the city, he has become somewhat careless it seems. He starts running into more chasers and I'm not sure if that is because the chasers are getting better at hunting or Jesse is becoming careless. Jesse also starts to realize that the group can't stay at the zoo much longer and he is getting the other to realize that. Jesse is becoming more of a leader with every day that goes by.
June 12, 2011
When I finish a book that I’m going to review, I usually try to write about it straight after so my thoughts are still fresh and I still remember the feeling it left with me, but that wasn’t the case with Survivor. I’m still writing this review within a couple hours of finishing it, but I’m also procrastinating.
I finished reading Survivor and opted to potter around the house, do a little housework, and I admit I let out some discontented sighs every now and then because of the book… This sounds like I’m going in a negative direction doesn’t it? I’m not. It’s been awhile since I read a novel in part of a series or trilogy that left me wanting more; left me wanting more enough to lament reading it in the first place and ruing the decision not to wait till the next book!
I find Survivor, just like its predecessor, to be one of those books that are hard to put down, make you want to miss out on sleep, and get so sucked in to the character’s world that it can take awhile to come back again. The trilogy so far is, in short, addictive.
After the twist at the end of Chasers, and thankfully to a re-read just before I began Survivor, I was left saddened and wondering how Jesse was going to cope with not only his revelation, but being alone from then on. I was a little thrown by where he was when we first come across him because of where the previous book had left him and the idea of where he would be had taken a deep root into my brain, but it soon became clear what was going on and once again I was able to be sucked into his story.
The way Survivor is written gives you a chance to mourn and come to grips with the loss of his friends at the same time Jesse does, which is great because that revelation was quite the shell shocking kind if you didn’t see it coming.
For the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
I finished reading Survivor and opted to potter around the house, do a little housework, and I admit I let out some discontented sighs every now and then because of the book… This sounds like I’m going in a negative direction doesn’t it? I’m not. It’s been awhile since I read a novel in part of a series or trilogy that left me wanting more; left me wanting more enough to lament reading it in the first place and ruing the decision not to wait till the next book!
I find Survivor, just like its predecessor, to be one of those books that are hard to put down, make you want to miss out on sleep, and get so sucked in to the character’s world that it can take awhile to come back again. The trilogy so far is, in short, addictive.
After the twist at the end of Chasers, and thankfully to a re-read just before I began Survivor, I was left saddened and wondering how Jesse was going to cope with not only his revelation, but being alone from then on. I was a little thrown by where he was when we first come across him because of where the previous book had left him and the idea of where he would be had taken a deep root into my brain, but it soon became clear what was going on and once again I was able to be sucked into his story.
The way Survivor is written gives you a chance to mourn and come to grips with the loss of his friends at the same time Jesse does, which is great because that revelation was quite the shell shocking kind if you didn’t see it coming.
For the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2016
Personal Response
I think that the book was very good and it had a lot of action and tense moments. I love to read books that are like this with a lot of action and a lot of tense moments. The author did an amazing job
I would say in making the book. I have some questions. 1. Why did a plane shoot at their own truck? Why was the truck carrying a biological missile?
Plot
What happens first is that Jesse finds signs of life and then running from the infected ends up seeing another survivor that is hiding in a zoo. The survivor doesn't let him in and he jumps a fence to get in. They become friends and it turns out that the person is actually caring for all the animals in the zoo. Then Jesse leaves on a trip and finds a house with a video camera that has a message of another survivor for anyone who sees that tape to meet her at a certain place and he meets up with her and they got to the zoo together. Then on another trip finds another survivor holed up in a bookstore and they become friends he has a pretty nice setup with food and video games. Then Jesse sees a military truck driving through town with soldiers. An airplane fires at them making the truck explode. Turns out the truck was carrying a biological missile that went off and turned Caleb into a chaser.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to middle school boys who like a lot of action and tense moments in there books because it is very fun to read. I would not recommend this to girls because they usually do not like killing and disgusting moments.
I think that the book was very good and it had a lot of action and tense moments. I love to read books that are like this with a lot of action and a lot of tense moments. The author did an amazing job
I would say in making the book. I have some questions. 1. Why did a plane shoot at their own truck? Why was the truck carrying a biological missile?
Plot
What happens first is that Jesse finds signs of life and then running from the infected ends up seeing another survivor that is hiding in a zoo. The survivor doesn't let him in and he jumps a fence to get in. They become friends and it turns out that the person is actually caring for all the animals in the zoo. Then Jesse leaves on a trip and finds a house with a video camera that has a message of another survivor for anyone who sees that tape to meet her at a certain place and he meets up with her and they got to the zoo together. Then on another trip finds another survivor holed up in a bookstore and they become friends he has a pretty nice setup with food and video games. Then Jesse sees a military truck driving through town with soldiers. An airplane fires at them making the truck explode. Turns out the truck was carrying a biological missile that went off and turned Caleb into a chaser.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to middle school boys who like a lot of action and tense moments in there books because it is very fun to read. I would not recommend this to girls because they usually do not like killing and disgusting moments.
December 19, 2016
I read book one in this series over five years ago, so it took me a little while to pick up where I left off. In fact, I enjoyed this book more than the first (apparently) because I rated it a three and this one a four. Perhaps my appreciation for apocalypse has changed and grown in five years, or perhaps this was genuinely a better book. Who knows?
Jesse has lived alone since realizing his friends are gone. He is desperate to find more survivors like himself, but who else has survived the catastrophe that has turned most of humanity into mindless drones, or killing machines? This book mainly deals with Jesse encountering them, and trying to persuade them to leave the city with him.
This definitely felt like a bridging book, but in a good way. There are still no real answers, but it feels like it's leading into that. Now maybe I wait another five years and read book three? Hopefully it's sooner than that!
Jesse has lived alone since realizing his friends are gone. He is desperate to find more survivors like himself, but who else has survived the catastrophe that has turned most of humanity into mindless drones, or killing machines? This book mainly deals with Jesse encountering them, and trying to persuade them to leave the city with him.
This definitely felt like a bridging book, but in a good way. There are still no real answers, but it feels like it's leading into that. Now maybe I wait another five years and read book three? Hopefully it's sooner than that!
August 7, 2011
This book follows on almost immediately after Chasers. I read it in a day. Jesse finds survivors in this one and discovers a few things about the Chasers as well.
In all zombie/post apocalyptic books there is a "safe" area. Somewhere where the contagion or problem is less if not completely absent. This is what Jesse wants to find. He wants a way home.
The twist in this book wasn't nearly as good as the twist in the first one but still a decent one. The outcome of the book has left me wanting more. I need to know what will happen and who is dropping the bombs and missiles.
In all zombie/post apocalyptic books there is a "safe" area. Somewhere where the contagion or problem is less if not completely absent. This is what Jesse wants to find. He wants a way home.
The twist in this book wasn't nearly as good as the twist in the first one but still a decent one. The outcome of the book has left me wanting more. I need to know what will happen and who is dropping the bombs and missiles.
September 27, 2011
Whilst not as good as "Chaser" (which actually rendered my speech to as little as "What? What? What?" after the end) I still really enjoyed "Survivor". The new characters really added something special, and the plot definitely thickened throughout. Plenty of action and well, the hunting breed of chasers just gave me the creeps. Definitely a recommended read for those aged 9-12. Where's "Quarantine"???!
November 15, 2015
Jesse is alone, his friends are gone and he needs to find his own way through this ravaged city. It is quite a sad story in a way but this in no way slows down the pace. It is definitely a teen read.
December 5, 2011
So good I can't believe I have to wait for quarantine !
May 28, 2021
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I really enjoy reading Survivor by James Phelan. It is a very interesting book and the plot really stuck out to me. The ending interests me and it is an overall good book. I like it because it interests me and it has a really good story.
PLOT:
A teenager is in a train tunnel during a bombing of New York City by an unknown country. He is looking for another survivor named Felicity whose’ house he stays at one night and loots for survival. He watches some tapes that she recorded and said where she is heading and going to check for survivors and a group of Chasers that seemed sentient and knows what is going on. He is going to Central Park and stops at a Zoo, in the center of it, he meets a survivor named Rachel who was working there during the attack. She was in the basement at the time so she didn’t get infected. She was feeding and taking care of the animals there because it was her job before the attack and it is what she was used to. One day when he is going out to get food he met another survivor named Caleb, and he let Jessie into his hideout and helps him carry everything to the Zoo. After missing the meeting with Felicity for two days, Jessie finally made it and met Felicity and took her back to the Zoo to meet Racheal and try to make her realize that she has to leave the city so she will be safe.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Jessie is the main character in the story and he likes to keep everyone safe and tries to get everyone to meet together and try to decide what they’re going to do to leave the city.
Caleb is one of the secondary characters. He lives in the past and doesn’t like to talk about the disaster they are in.
Racheal is one of the secondary characters who is a worker at a Zoo that Jessie went to and doesn’t want to leave the city because she wants to continue to take care of the animals she’s always worked with.
Felicity is a secondary character who wants to leave the city but not by herself because she knows she has less of a chance to survive if she leaves by herself.
SETTING:
In Manhattan, in a time period that we haven’t been told.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend this book to anyone above 13 because it has some bad language and scenes that might bother a younger audience.
I really enjoy reading Survivor by James Phelan. It is a very interesting book and the plot really stuck out to me. The ending interests me and it is an overall good book. I like it because it interests me and it has a really good story.
PLOT:
A teenager is in a train tunnel during a bombing of New York City by an unknown country. He is looking for another survivor named Felicity whose’ house he stays at one night and loots for survival. He watches some tapes that she recorded and said where she is heading and going to check for survivors and a group of Chasers that seemed sentient and knows what is going on. He is going to Central Park and stops at a Zoo, in the center of it, he meets a survivor named Rachel who was working there during the attack. She was in the basement at the time so she didn’t get infected. She was feeding and taking care of the animals there because it was her job before the attack and it is what she was used to. One day when he is going out to get food he met another survivor named Caleb, and he let Jessie into his hideout and helps him carry everything to the Zoo. After missing the meeting with Felicity for two days, Jessie finally made it and met Felicity and took her back to the Zoo to meet Racheal and try to make her realize that she has to leave the city so she will be safe.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Jessie is the main character in the story and he likes to keep everyone safe and tries to get everyone to meet together and try to decide what they’re going to do to leave the city.
Caleb is one of the secondary characters. He lives in the past and doesn’t like to talk about the disaster they are in.
Racheal is one of the secondary characters who is a worker at a Zoo that Jessie went to and doesn’t want to leave the city because she wants to continue to take care of the animals she’s always worked with.
Felicity is a secondary character who wants to leave the city but not by herself because she knows she has less of a chance to survive if she leaves by herself.
SETTING:
In Manhattan, in a time period that we haven’t been told.
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend this book to anyone above 13 because it has some bad language and scenes that might bother a younger audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2019
I understand the need to wax philosophical in these types of books by those deep paragraphs of prose are rendered meaningless when you follow it up with some kind of lude thought about the female body. The previous book did it so blindly I'm surprised it even slipped through. Homeboy was giving himself up, sacrificing himself for the furthering of the 'group' and he stared at this girls red lips and "knew in that moment she loved me". Like dumb.
This book is no different. Each chapter appears to start with the main waking from one type of unconsciousness or the other, moves into action, only for him to start waxing poetic about what the meaning of life is. And it would've been great if, he hadn't been a 16 y/o boy talking to a bunch of 20+ y/o like they were children. One of his mates sees something so gut wrenchingly harrowing he breaks down and homeboys just like, staring off broodily into the distance spewing some type of shit like, you had to see it, you needed to know. Look the kids are smart, and when you're finally out of your teen years you realise everyone's as scared as you are whatever, but if anyone came at me thinking they knew what I needed in the middle of an apocalypse while I was breaking down, ESPECIALLY a 16 y/o I'd meet only the night before, I'd be hard pressed not to shoot the bastard point blank.
There's a young woman, possibly 23/24 y/o who this dummy 16 y/o continues to mentally degrade, calling her fragile and timid and small, and thinking she's incapable of making her own choices but like, SHE'S IN HER SECOND YEAR OF VETERINARY SCHOOL - homeboy ain't got nothing on her. And the fact that he falls in love with every girl in the most disrespectful way like...
Ugh... Makes me so angry I can't think.
Still get no answers about the virus and we end up ALL THE WAY AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN (or should I say, where this book should of started rather than going bush walking for drama and calling it survival).
This book is no different. Each chapter appears to start with the main waking from one type of unconsciousness or the other, moves into action, only for him to start waxing poetic about what the meaning of life is. And it would've been great if, he hadn't been a 16 y/o boy talking to a bunch of 20+ y/o like they were children. One of his mates sees something so gut wrenchingly harrowing he breaks down and homeboys just like, staring off broodily into the distance spewing some type of shit like, you had to see it, you needed to know. Look the kids are smart, and when you're finally out of your teen years you realise everyone's as scared as you are whatever, but if anyone came at me thinking they knew what I needed in the middle of an apocalypse while I was breaking down, ESPECIALLY a 16 y/o I'd meet only the night before, I'd be hard pressed not to shoot the bastard point blank.
There's a young woman, possibly 23/24 y/o who this dummy 16 y/o continues to mentally degrade, calling her fragile and timid and small, and thinking she's incapable of making her own choices but like, SHE'S IN HER SECOND YEAR OF VETERINARY SCHOOL - homeboy ain't got nothing on her. And the fact that he falls in love with every girl in the most disrespectful way like...
Ugh... Makes me so angry I can't think.
Still get no answers about the virus and we end up ALL THE WAY AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN (or should I say, where this book should of started rather than going bush walking for drama and calling it survival).
Read
January 10, 2020My book this quarter is called Survivor by James Phelan. Jess and a large group of people were crawling through the wreckage of New York City. there was chasers that were going after them and they got away from them for now. He is alone and has no supplies. his friends are gone and has no one besides himself.
The plot is that he has literally nothing no food, no water, no anything. He is trying to survive without anything. The zombies are getting bolder and more rough and when he starts to see signs of life his luck is really luck. Which he really can't believe his own luck.
I would suggest this book only if your into like books like this but some people aren't for me it was okay because I don't really read books like this but i did and it was decent but i don't think i would read it again but maybe other people would.
The plot is that he has literally nothing no food, no water, no anything. He is trying to survive without anything. The zombies are getting bolder and more rough and when he starts to see signs of life his luck is really luck. Which he really can't believe his own luck.
I would suggest this book only if your into like books like this but some people aren't for me it was okay because I don't really read books like this but i did and it was decent but i don't think i would read it again but maybe other people would.
February 5, 2020
In this novel, Jesse takes over the world or Manhattan. Which ever. Jesse leaves 30 Rock to see what is out there and perhaps find over survivors apart from him. He comes across Felicity, Rachel and, Celeb. I must say I hated Jesse more in this book than in the first. I thought that this whole Anne thing needs to be done and over with as he clearly seems to be falling in love with both Felicity or Rachel.
I really didn't like the fact that he was made out to be like this super tough guy who 'must' protect the women. Rachel could have had so much potential as a character. Felicity could have had such potential as a character as well.
Plot wise it didn't develop a lot. We got some sort of mystery going with random people in the plot but it really didn't do it for me. It could have been better.
I really didn't like the fact that he was made out to be like this super tough guy who 'must' protect the women. Rachel could have had so much potential as a character. Felicity could have had such potential as a character as well.
Plot wise it didn't develop a lot. We got some sort of mystery going with random people in the plot but it really didn't do it for me. It could have been better.
January 21, 2024
This is the second book in the series and continues the story of Jesse trying to survive in the post apocalyptic world of NYC. Here he meets Rachel who is taking care of the animals at the Central Park Zoo, Caleb who is a survivor who worked at a bookstore, and Felicity who was exploring how to survive in Central Park. We learn a little bit more about what has happened, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
November 14, 2017
3.5 stars
April 12, 2018
When you imagine yourself in a book you know its worth reading
August 15, 2021
a one day read!! was very invested,, not much more to say :)
March 3, 2022
Second book continues as the first
December 5, 2024
Survivors slowly find each other, can they stay out of harm's way while they come up with a plan?
December 21, 2017
I thought this book was a very good read because it kept me on the edge of my seat through the book. The main character shows a lot of courage and bravery throughout the book and even though it's a non fiction book it still teaches a lesson. It showed me to be courages and do my best to help others.
October 18, 2017
Personal Response
I liked this book because it wasn't like the normal books about apocalypse sort of situations where zombies killing people. In this book they put a different kind of spin on how the infected act. I found this very interesting.
Plot Summary
This book is about how there was an attack from some unknown organization that released a chemical into the air and made the people that were infected need lots of liquids. That's all the infected wanted, they didn't eat anything. Some of these infected relied solely on water. Others killed the survivors or other infected people and drank their blood for the extra nutrients. Throughout all this happening the main character,Jesse,is fighting for his life with these infected. He runs,hides. and tries to find other survivors to aid him in his mission not only to stay alive, but to get out of this infected area.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book teenagers interested in books where there's not real situations,but the reader feels like they could be real. People who are into books about zombies would also be interested in this book ,because the antagonists are kind of like zombies but they haven't died yet so they aren't considered the living dead. People who are scared of this really happening should not read this book because it might scare them, and make them paranoid.
I liked this book because it wasn't like the normal books about apocalypse sort of situations where zombies killing people. In this book they put a different kind of spin on how the infected act. I found this very interesting.
Plot Summary
This book is about how there was an attack from some unknown organization that released a chemical into the air and made the people that were infected need lots of liquids. That's all the infected wanted, they didn't eat anything. Some of these infected relied solely on water. Others killed the survivors or other infected people and drank their blood for the extra nutrients. Throughout all this happening the main character,Jesse,is fighting for his life with these infected. He runs,hides. and tries to find other survivors to aid him in his mission not only to stay alive, but to get out of this infected area.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book teenagers interested in books where there's not real situations,but the reader feels like they could be real. People who are into books about zombies would also be interested in this book ,because the antagonists are kind of like zombies but they haven't died yet so they aren't considered the living dead. People who are scared of this really happening should not read this book because it might scare them, and make them paranoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2013
Survivor (Alone #2) by James Phelan If you haven’t read the first book in this series, I wouldn’t suggest you continue reading due to potential spoilers!
I read the first novel in author James Phelan’s,Alone series about a year ago. What I do remember about the first novel? That there was a major twist involving the main character’s psyche and that there were zombies who weren’t zombies at all. However, after the revelation that came in Chasers I was interested in finding out what would happen next to the main character Jesse.
Survivor takes place right where Chasers left off. Jesse has discovered that he has been alone the entire time and that his companions were just figments of his imagination and must now figure out how to last against the Chasers that want to drink anything liquid that they can find. Things have gone from bad to worse because it seems that certain Chasers are beginning to evolve into predator-like creatures that have begun to hunt their prey.
Jesse isn’t sure what to do about the evolving Chasers, but he does know that there are other survivors in New York City and that he has to find one of them. Jesse discovers that the US military has arrived in New York and is prepared to kill any Chasers that they can find. Jesse is positive that he cannot trust the soldiers and, perhaps by luck, finds a few survivors who he tries to save from the Chasers and the post-apocalyptic world that they have been left in. Jesse will have to learn what it really means to survive in this new world and if he can come out a survivor.
My big problem with Survivor was that, like the novel before it, I had such a hard time getting into it for a number of reasons but I’ll just describe three of them. The first being that I couldn’t relate or sympathize for Jesse at all. He was a protagonist that I felt so distant from and left me with an inability to worry about him when the Chasers would come after him. However, despite my inability to really connect with Jesse I did find myself connecting with new characters Caleb and Rachel.
The second thing would be that the pacing is, I think, very awkward. There are moments that are filled with action, but soon after there’ll be a drop that left me on the verge of bored. The scenes that are full of action are seriously exciting and you do get caught up in them and they’re fantastic but when things do reach a calm they tend to lose all that excitement and don’t really build up to much of anything. On the topic of the twist in the novel, while it wasn’t as great as the one found in Chasers, it was still pretty awesome.
The final thing that I want to mention that gave me difficulty with this novel (andChasers) would have to be the “zombies”. What originally had me so excited to get started on this series was the promise of zombies with a twist. My understanding of zombies has always been that they are the living dead who want to eat you. That sounds terrifying. The “zombies” in this series are people who come up with a strain of an infection and have an insatiable thirst. Jesse comes up with calling them Chasers because they… well chase their prey. Personally, the Chasers didn’t scare me, I wouldn’t see them and start bawling, but they did creep me out.
I’d recommend the Alone series to readers who are open minded about post-apocalyptic situations, readers who want a novel that has great action scenes and are packed full of twists.
I read the first novel in author James Phelan’s,Alone series about a year ago. What I do remember about the first novel? That there was a major twist involving the main character’s psyche and that there were zombies who weren’t zombies at all. However, after the revelation that came in Chasers I was interested in finding out what would happen next to the main character Jesse.
Survivor takes place right where Chasers left off. Jesse has discovered that he has been alone the entire time and that his companions were just figments of his imagination and must now figure out how to last against the Chasers that want to drink anything liquid that they can find. Things have gone from bad to worse because it seems that certain Chasers are beginning to evolve into predator-like creatures that have begun to hunt their prey.
Jesse isn’t sure what to do about the evolving Chasers, but he does know that there are other survivors in New York City and that he has to find one of them. Jesse discovers that the US military has arrived in New York and is prepared to kill any Chasers that they can find. Jesse is positive that he cannot trust the soldiers and, perhaps by luck, finds a few survivors who he tries to save from the Chasers and the post-apocalyptic world that they have been left in. Jesse will have to learn what it really means to survive in this new world and if he can come out a survivor.
My big problem with Survivor was that, like the novel before it, I had such a hard time getting into it for a number of reasons but I’ll just describe three of them. The first being that I couldn’t relate or sympathize for Jesse at all. He was a protagonist that I felt so distant from and left me with an inability to worry about him when the Chasers would come after him. However, despite my inability to really connect with Jesse I did find myself connecting with new characters Caleb and Rachel.
The second thing would be that the pacing is, I think, very awkward. There are moments that are filled with action, but soon after there’ll be a drop that left me on the verge of bored. The scenes that are full of action are seriously exciting and you do get caught up in them and they’re fantastic but when things do reach a calm they tend to lose all that excitement and don’t really build up to much of anything. On the topic of the twist in the novel, while it wasn’t as great as the one found in Chasers, it was still pretty awesome.
The final thing that I want to mention that gave me difficulty with this novel (andChasers) would have to be the “zombies”. What originally had me so excited to get started on this series was the promise of zombies with a twist. My understanding of zombies has always been that they are the living dead who want to eat you. That sounds terrifying. The “zombies” in this series are people who come up with a strain of an infection and have an insatiable thirst. Jesse comes up with calling them Chasers because they… well chase their prey. Personally, the Chasers didn’t scare me, I wouldn’t see them and start bawling, but they did creep me out.
I’d recommend the Alone series to readers who are open minded about post-apocalyptic situations, readers who want a novel that has great action scenes and are packed full of twists.
July 24, 2014
Survivor picks up right where Chasers left off. Jesse all alone now is determined to find the girl on the camera Felicity. On his quest to find Felicity, Jesse comes across other survivors all while avoiding the ever evolving Chasers.
Survivor is the second book in the Alone Trilogy by James Phelan. I'm going to be honest I went into this book with zero expectations. Chasers the first book in the series was a huge disappointment for me howver the end had me hooked enough where I was determined to read the second book when it was released. That being said, I'm definitely still middle of the road with this series. The events in Survivors didn't really propel the story along at all and again the book suffered from being too neat, too safe.
One of my biggest issues with the story is Jesse. While he's certainly matured in the days following the attack he still behaves quite recklessly. I get being curious about the girl Felicity but really? Staying in a city that once housed a million people in the hopes of finding 1 girl who may or may not even be alive just seems like a waste of time. Jesse should of spent the book leaving the city but instead he wastes time trying to help every Tom, Dick and Nancy who crosses his path.
Secondly, I was really disappointed that two books in were still no closer to figuring out what happened. Since I expected Jesse to leave the city I was hoping he'd run across quarantines or at the very least checkpoints but sadly I guess this will be left for the last book. Not quite sure I'm pleased about the large information dump that is bound to be in store for the final book.
Lastly, I really hate how everything comes easy for the characters. Generators are lugged around the city with ease, food is found by the bagful and of course every survivor is a good guy. It's all very well and good that the author wants his book not to be too scary but neutering it to the point nothing bad happens makes for a very boring read.
Now I wouldn't call this book all bad. I did manage to read it in one sitting and it only took a few hours. I did like the new character Rachel. She is a survivor Jesse meets while trying to avoid Chasers. I find it very commendable that she'd do her best to help the animals stuck in the Zoo even while the city fell apart around it. It was also cool seeing where the random polar bears from the last book came from. Her explanation about having to release the Polar Bears in order to keep the other animals alive made sense.
Overall, Survivor was a decent read that still managed to keep me glued to the page despite its numerous faults. If you're looking for a nice, fluffy, Zombie type read than this is for you. If you're wanting nonstop action, Zombie carnage or just any real sort of plot development than this series isn't for you. You've been warned. With that being said, I will be rating Survivor by James Phelan ★★★.
Survivor is the second book in the Alone Trilogy by James Phelan. I'm going to be honest I went into this book with zero expectations. Chasers the first book in the series was a huge disappointment for me howver the end had me hooked enough where I was determined to read the second book when it was released. That being said, I'm definitely still middle of the road with this series. The events in Survivors didn't really propel the story along at all and again the book suffered from being too neat, too safe.
One of my biggest issues with the story is Jesse. While he's certainly matured in the days following the attack he still behaves quite recklessly. I get being curious about the girl Felicity but really? Staying in a city that once housed a million people in the hopes of finding 1 girl who may or may not even be alive just seems like a waste of time. Jesse should of spent the book leaving the city but instead he wastes time trying to help every Tom, Dick and Nancy who crosses his path.
Secondly, I was really disappointed that two books in were still no closer to figuring out what happened. Since I expected Jesse to leave the city I was hoping he'd run across quarantines or at the very least checkpoints but sadly I guess this will be left for the last book. Not quite sure I'm pleased about the large information dump that is bound to be in store for the final book.
Lastly, I really hate how everything comes easy for the characters. Generators are lugged around the city with ease, food is found by the bagful and of course every survivor is a good guy. It's all very well and good that the author wants his book not to be too scary but neutering it to the point nothing bad happens makes for a very boring read.
Now I wouldn't call this book all bad. I did manage to read it in one sitting and it only took a few hours. I did like the new character Rachel. She is a survivor Jesse meets while trying to avoid Chasers. I find it very commendable that she'd do her best to help the animals stuck in the Zoo even while the city fell apart around it. It was also cool seeing where the random polar bears from the last book came from. Her explanation about having to release the Polar Bears in order to keep the other animals alive made sense.
Overall, Survivor was a decent read that still managed to keep me glued to the page despite its numerous faults. If you're looking for a nice, fluffy, Zombie type read than this is for you. If you're wanting nonstop action, Zombie carnage or just any real sort of plot development than this series isn't for you. You've been warned. With that being said, I will be rating Survivor by James Phelan ★★★.
August 4, 2015
*** Please note that this review contains spoilers about the first book of this series: Chasers. ***
I don't know if I've reached the limit in terms of YA books, if I maybe start being too old for this, but I feel like I'm never satisfied with those I read lately. Well, this one left me with that feeling once again.
As said in a previous review (I think it was for Insurgent?), I feel like book #2 of YA trilogies are only fillers, like, for some reason, they need to be trilogies but there's nothing worth telling in the second book, so authors just kinda do a remake of the first book while preparing for the last book that actually holds the story they intended to write.
And once again, we're still left as clueless as we were at the end of book #1, except maybe for a couple of clues about how the disease spreads. Yet so far, we still don't know how the hell that happened in the first place, neither what's the point of it... In a way, in terms of progression, it's worse than The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials.
Now, you may wonder why, despite everything I've just typed, I gave a better rating that the one I gave to the first book. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I remember that when I finished the previous one, I was determined to read the next one to find out how Jesse would cope after he lost his friends (as in, after he realized they've been dead all along). The other point I remember is something I said to a friend who asked me about it back then: that the book wasn't so good, but what would come up next sounded more interesting, or rather that I was kinda curious about it. So I guess it kinda lived up to my expectations as a book on its own, I feel like it had a better pace than what I remember about the previous one (that is, not much since I have a bad memories for details about books I read, I usually only keep a vague idea about how I felt about them), hence the better rating, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about how YA series work.
I think I had more to say about this, but I always lose half my ideas in the process of typing my reviews so... that will do it.
I don't know if I've reached the limit in terms of YA books, if I maybe start being too old for this, but I feel like I'm never satisfied with those I read lately. Well, this one left me with that feeling once again.
As said in a previous review (I think it was for Insurgent?), I feel like book #2 of YA trilogies are only fillers, like, for some reason, they need to be trilogies but there's nothing worth telling in the second book, so authors just kinda do a remake of the first book while preparing for the last book that actually holds the story they intended to write.
And once again, we're still left as clueless as we were at the end of book #1, except maybe for a couple of clues about how the disease spreads. Yet so far, we still don't know how the hell that happened in the first place, neither what's the point of it... In a way, in terms of progression, it's worse than The Maze Runner/The Scorch Trials.
Now, you may wonder why, despite everything I've just typed, I gave a better rating that the one I gave to the first book. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. I remember that when I finished the previous one, I was determined to read the next one to find out how Jesse would cope after he lost his friends (as in, after he realized they've been dead all along). The other point I remember is something I said to a friend who asked me about it back then: that the book wasn't so good, but what would come up next sounded more interesting, or rather that I was kinda curious about it. So I guess it kinda lived up to my expectations as a book on its own, I feel like it had a better pace than what I remember about the previous one (that is, not much since I have a bad memories for details about books I read, I usually only keep a vague idea about how I felt about them), hence the better rating, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about how YA series work.
I think I had more to say about this, but I always lose half my ideas in the process of typing my reviews so... that will do it.
April 19, 2013
Read in one sitting!
MY REVIEW
My daughter received this for review from K-Teen and as I had just recently read Chasers I decided to snag this one as soon as it arrived and read and review it as my daughter is in the process of reading some other titles at the moment.
So the cover, fits very well with Bk#1, the guy on the front presumably being Jesse in his hoodie with his head down. There's the New York skyline in the back ground to so the theme continues. The "Alone" series name is again featured and the series "logo" is actually explained within this book. I won't explain it as I think you should come across it within the context in the book. I love the byline again, this time it say's, "The smoke has cleared . . . Now they can see you...." So would I pick this book up from a book store shelf? Yes
The blurb gives us the bleak outlook that Jesse and any fellow survivors have to face on a daily basis. The blurb therefore describes the book very well,so yes I'd say the blurb works.
So Jesse has seen signs of other survivors, will he ever find any. The book starts with Jesse in someones home watching a video they have made. the person on the video is called Felicity, and she's gone in search of the "friendly Chasers" the ones who still seem to have some humanity, that don't chase you down to drink your blood. So Jesse leaves a note before heading out into New York City again, with a time and place to meet up with Felicity.
So the drama and action continue in this book, Jesse does see other humans, but doesn't always get the help or comfort he wants from them.
I did enjoy this book, but it's so difficult to say much about it without giving away spoilers for it or book one! In this book we meet new characters, Felicity, Rachel, and Caleb. For who they are and what happens to them you'll have to read the book! There are new dangers to be faced in this book, there's the Chasers, the "virus/toxin", and the unexploded bombs too. If an unexploded bomb goes off it re-releases the "virus/toxin" into the air, so there's a renewed risk of being turned into a violent blood thirsty Chaser . . .Things aren't easy for Jesse, will he ever escape the horror that is New York City? Will he ever make it home? Does home even still exist anymore? How far has the destructive "virus/toxin" travelled across america or the world.
So did you enjoy the book? Yes! Would you recommend the book? To all those that love post apocalyptic tales yes. Will I read a Bk#3? Yes, I don't just want to know what happens to Jesse and his friends I now need to know lol! Would I read other books by James Phelan? Mmm yes, of course I really like his writing style.
MY REVIEW
My daughter received this for review from K-Teen and as I had just recently read Chasers I decided to snag this one as soon as it arrived and read and review it as my daughter is in the process of reading some other titles at the moment.
So the cover, fits very well with Bk#1, the guy on the front presumably being Jesse in his hoodie with his head down. There's the New York skyline in the back ground to so the theme continues. The "Alone" series name is again featured and the series "logo" is actually explained within this book. I won't explain it as I think you should come across it within the context in the book. I love the byline again, this time it say's, "The smoke has cleared . . . Now they can see you...." So would I pick this book up from a book store shelf? Yes
The blurb gives us the bleak outlook that Jesse and any fellow survivors have to face on a daily basis. The blurb therefore describes the book very well,so yes I'd say the blurb works.
So Jesse has seen signs of other survivors, will he ever find any. The book starts with Jesse in someones home watching a video they have made. the person on the video is called Felicity, and she's gone in search of the "friendly Chasers" the ones who still seem to have some humanity, that don't chase you down to drink your blood. So Jesse leaves a note before heading out into New York City again, with a time and place to meet up with Felicity.
So the drama and action continue in this book, Jesse does see other humans, but doesn't always get the help or comfort he wants from them.
I did enjoy this book, but it's so difficult to say much about it without giving away spoilers for it or book one! In this book we meet new characters, Felicity, Rachel, and Caleb. For who they are and what happens to them you'll have to read the book! There are new dangers to be faced in this book, there's the Chasers, the "virus/toxin", and the unexploded bombs too. If an unexploded bomb goes off it re-releases the "virus/toxin" into the air, so there's a renewed risk of being turned into a violent blood thirsty Chaser . . .Things aren't easy for Jesse, will he ever escape the horror that is New York City? Will he ever make it home? Does home even still exist anymore? How far has the destructive "virus/toxin" travelled across america or the world.
So did you enjoy the book? Yes! Would you recommend the book? To all those that love post apocalyptic tales yes. Will I read a Bk#3? Yes, I don't just want to know what happens to Jesse and his friends I now need to know lol! Would I read other books by James Phelan? Mmm yes, of course I really like his writing style.
March 14, 2013
Survivor is the second book in the Alone series and picks up right where Chasers ended. Still trying to make it in the devastation of the attack on New York, Jesse is now alone but has found hope in a video he found from a young girl who is also a survivor. As Jesse sets out to find other survivors and try to get them all to safety, the Chasers are now posing a new threat. They now seem to no longer be solely opportunist but also hunters. They are becoming smarter and banding together to try to hunt down their next meal. If Jesse and his new found companions are not careful it could be them.
After reading the twist ending of the first book I could not wait to get my hands on this second book in the series. Sometimes after such an amazing first book the expectations for the second is so high that it gets unfairly judged. I for one did not feel let down one bit. Survivor is an enthralling fast paced read that had me anxiously hanging on every word to find out what would happen next. New pieces of the puzzle fall into place that help us figure out a little more of what happened but still leaves us with some aching questions that have me longing for book three. The new characters were a nice addition to the story but I think my favorite thing about the books is James writing style. I feel like he just has such an amazing way with words. I was consumed by the words on the page and felt the emotions and will to survive burning stronger inside of me with the turn of every page. The writing is graphic and intense but not overly so. We get to see all the intensity but without all the gore, which makes this the perfect book for young and mature readers alike.
** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review **
Review to be posted on my blog at www.bookhoardermom.blogspot.com
After reading the twist ending of the first book I could not wait to get my hands on this second book in the series. Sometimes after such an amazing first book the expectations for the second is so high that it gets unfairly judged. I for one did not feel let down one bit. Survivor is an enthralling fast paced read that had me anxiously hanging on every word to find out what would happen next. New pieces of the puzzle fall into place that help us figure out a little more of what happened but still leaves us with some aching questions that have me longing for book three. The new characters were a nice addition to the story but I think my favorite thing about the books is James writing style. I feel like he just has such an amazing way with words. I was consumed by the words on the page and felt the emotions and will to survive burning stronger inside of me with the turn of every page. The writing is graphic and intense but not overly so. We get to see all the intensity but without all the gore, which makes this the perfect book for young and mature readers alike.
** I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review **
Review to be posted on my blog at www.bookhoardermom.blogspot.com
December 24, 2015
Summary:
In the first book of the Alone trilogy, “Chasers,” we met Jesse and his friends, the only apparent survivors of a vicious attack on New York City - unless you count the undead people who are hunting them down to drink their blood. Now, Jesse is on his own, searching the city for others like himself so he can finally make his way back home. But when help finally arrives in the form of military tanks, the “soldiers” only tell Jesse to leave and head north where he has the best chance of escaping this airborne virus. As Jesse tries to rally others to go with him, he finally accepts that he’s on his own because he’s no longer sure who the enemy is anymore…
My Thoughts:
Although thrilling and riveting to read, “Survivor” is not well-written. It can be confusing to keep up with because of the stream of consciousness style Phelan uses. And the narrative is so action-packed with things changing from one minute to the next, that it all runs together. But I guess that this is also what makes it believable. If we were to find ourselves in this type of situation, i.e. roaming devastated, zombie-infested streets in a world where laws no longer apply, words and proper descriptions would fail us, too.
Aside from that, Phelan does an incredible job creating the atmosphere for this post-apocalyptic world. While reading, you’re filled with absolute terror as the characters encounter danger at every corner, and you dread the setbacks each new page will bring. Yet, hope springs eternal. You can’t help but imagine Jesse persevering, finding a way out of this mess, so that his brave battle wasn’t fought in vain.
All in all, Phelan delivers another heart-pounding adventure with this second installment of the Alone series, leaving fans anxiously awaiting the conclusion in “Quarantine.”
In the first book of the Alone trilogy, “Chasers,” we met Jesse and his friends, the only apparent survivors of a vicious attack on New York City - unless you count the undead people who are hunting them down to drink their blood. Now, Jesse is on his own, searching the city for others like himself so he can finally make his way back home. But when help finally arrives in the form of military tanks, the “soldiers” only tell Jesse to leave and head north where he has the best chance of escaping this airborne virus. As Jesse tries to rally others to go with him, he finally accepts that he’s on his own because he’s no longer sure who the enemy is anymore…
My Thoughts:
Although thrilling and riveting to read, “Survivor” is not well-written. It can be confusing to keep up with because of the stream of consciousness style Phelan uses. And the narrative is so action-packed with things changing from one minute to the next, that it all runs together. But I guess that this is also what makes it believable. If we were to find ourselves in this type of situation, i.e. roaming devastated, zombie-infested streets in a world where laws no longer apply, words and proper descriptions would fail us, too.
Aside from that, Phelan does an incredible job creating the atmosphere for this post-apocalyptic world. While reading, you’re filled with absolute terror as the characters encounter danger at every corner, and you dread the setbacks each new page will bring. Yet, hope springs eternal. You can’t help but imagine Jesse persevering, finding a way out of this mess, so that his brave battle wasn’t fought in vain.
All in all, Phelan delivers another heart-pounding adventure with this second installment of the Alone series, leaving fans anxiously awaiting the conclusion in “Quarantine.”
April 7, 2013
Book Two of the Alone Series, Survivor by James Phelan continues the story of an Australian teen who, by the luck of timing was safe from whatever has caused the almost complete extinction of humanity, leaving behind death, destruction and mutated monsters in its wake. Young Jesse is alone after the disaster hit New York and is at the mercy of zombie-like creatures who roam its streets. As Jesse fights for survival, he comes across three totally different young people and longs to create a plan that will take them all to safety.
I was impressed with James Phelan’s creative thoughts. While graphic and emotionally charged, nothing was over-the-top “gross” and makes for a perfect series for younger YA readers! Jesse seems to carry within him, a hope for the future, the will to live, survive and be a better person for it! Phelan does an incredible job creating the atmosphere for this post-apocalyptic world, I couldn’t even imagine the streets of New York silent and empty of its normal human traffic! The terror of hearing someone behind you, of hearing buildings fall to the blasts of bombs going off, all build the tension to frightening levels. Time is running out for the group. Can they make a united front and move on to safety together? Will grief and fear paralyze them? Will Jesse be alone again?
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and K-teen/Kensington in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: April 30, 2013
I was impressed with James Phelan’s creative thoughts. While graphic and emotionally charged, nothing was over-the-top “gross” and makes for a perfect series for younger YA readers! Jesse seems to carry within him, a hope for the future, the will to live, survive and be a better person for it! Phelan does an incredible job creating the atmosphere for this post-apocalyptic world, I couldn’t even imagine the streets of New York silent and empty of its normal human traffic! The terror of hearing someone behind you, of hearing buildings fall to the blasts of bombs going off, all build the tension to frightening levels. Time is running out for the group. Can they make a united front and move on to safety together? Will grief and fear paralyze them? Will Jesse be alone again?
This ARC edition was provided by NetGalley and K-teen/Kensington in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: April 30, 2013
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