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Off the Grid #2
Signal Boost
When technology stopped working, the world as they knew it ended.
In a secluded cabin, John and his loved ones have survived. He should feel grateful. But his family is in his face 24/7, he has to watch his best friend, Arden, and brother, Gabriel, flaunt their love, and as a techie in a Luddite world he’s pretty much useless. The cabin is brimming with people, but he feels utterly alone.
Until he catches Mr. Tall, Blond and Gorgeous raiding their garden. Mykhail is an astrophysics student, he makes John’s gaydar ping like crazy and he thinks he knows what caused the devastation. He’s on a journey to his university to find answers, and John invites himself along. Partly to get out of the house, and partly because he can’t let Mykhail go without acting on the mutual attraction that’s so obvious even John’s mom is playing matchmaker.
The closer they get to campus, the more Mykhail lets down his walls. But with answers come secrets both devastating and deadly, and before they can save the world, they’ll have to save themselves.
In a secluded cabin, John and his loved ones have survived. He should feel grateful. But his family is in his face 24/7, he has to watch his best friend, Arden, and brother, Gabriel, flaunt their love, and as a techie in a Luddite world he’s pretty much useless. The cabin is brimming with people, but he feels utterly alone.
Until he catches Mr. Tall, Blond and Gorgeous raiding their garden. Mykhail is an astrophysics student, he makes John’s gaydar ping like crazy and he thinks he knows what caused the devastation. He’s on a journey to his university to find answers, and John invites himself along. Partly to get out of the house, and partly because he can’t let Mykhail go without acting on the mutual attraction that’s so obvious even John’s mom is playing matchmaker.
The closer they get to campus, the more Mykhail lets down his walls. But with answers come secrets both devastating and deadly, and before they can save the world, they’ll have to save themselves.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2015
29 people are currently reading
727 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Cole
43 books6,355 followersAlyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award’s Best Book of 2017 and the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 14, 2015
While the initial set-up was interesting, it didn't pan out.
There is a preceding MF book, Radio Silence, that follows John's friend Arden and his brother Gabriel, but it's not necessary to read it to be able to enjoy this book. 'Signal Boost' gives enough information about what happened in book 1, so it can be read on its own.
The romance in 'Signal Boost' is very much so insta-love. For me to believe it, insta-love in a non-paranormal/fantasy book has to be done right, which it wasn't in this case. It seemed like John and Mykhail were attracted to each other just because they were two gay men alone in the middle of a world gone mad. Also, the two MCs are in their mid-twenties, but the book reads very 'teenage romance'. For most the book, I was either annoyed by the actions of the MCs, or I just didn't believe in their romance.
Another problem I had was that for about three quarters of the book, nothing really happens. Most of it is just a long road trip (or is it a walking trip?), in which John was either constantly introspecting, or was trying to awkwardly flirt with Mykhail.
It's not until the last 25% that the plot actually picks up, and we get a look at what the world's become without electricity and rule of law. But it was too late by that point. Reflections on how power trips destroy good intentions and critiques on tribal mentality in the military are great topics for a post-apocalyptic story, but they can't be shoved in to a few chapters at the end of the book.
However, I did really like the explanation for the apocalyptic event. Coronal mass ejections are very real and plausible threats to modern society's existence, and it's really up to chance that Earth has so far avoided these large-scale solar storms.
Overall this book was just okay. I was ambivalent to the romance, but the plot, when it finally came up in the last quarter of the book, was interesting. Had the action come earlier, I'm sure I would have enjoyed 'Signal Boost' more.
*ARC provided through NetGalley.
There is a preceding MF book, Radio Silence, that follows John's friend Arden and his brother Gabriel, but it's not necessary to read it to be able to enjoy this book. 'Signal Boost' gives enough information about what happened in book 1, so it can be read on its own.
The romance in 'Signal Boost' is very much so insta-love. For me to believe it, insta-love in a non-paranormal/fantasy book has to be done right, which it wasn't in this case. It seemed like John and Mykhail were attracted to each other just because they were two gay men alone in the middle of a world gone mad. Also, the two MCs are in their mid-twenties, but the book reads very 'teenage romance'. For most the book, I was either annoyed by the actions of the MCs, or I just didn't believe in their romance.
Another problem I had was that for about three quarters of the book, nothing really happens. Most of it is just a long road trip (or is it a walking trip?), in which John was either constantly introspecting, or was trying to awkwardly flirt with Mykhail.
It's not until the last 25% that the plot actually picks up, and we get a look at what the world's become without electricity and rule of law. But it was too late by that point. Reflections on how power trips destroy good intentions and critiques on tribal mentality in the military are great topics for a post-apocalyptic story, but they can't be shoved in to a few chapters at the end of the book.
However, I did really like the explanation for the apocalyptic event. Coronal mass ejections are very real and plausible threats to modern society's existence, and it's really up to chance that Earth has so far avoided these large-scale solar storms.
Overall this book was just okay. I was ambivalent to the romance, but the plot, when it finally came up in the last quarter of the book, was interesting. Had the action come earlier, I'm sure I would have enjoyed 'Signal Boost' more.
*ARC provided through NetGalley.
March 18, 2015
What a surprise! This was really good! This is an apocalypse story where the characters are forced to live in a cabin without any knowledge what caused the worldwide power outage. I did not read the first book which is M/F so I had no idea how they got from living in the city to a cabin but I managed to fill in the blanks to the story with no problems. The story focuses on John (Jang-wan), who is Korean, who lives in the cabin together with his family and friends. One night he catches Mykhail, who is Ukranian, stealing from their garden. Mykhail explains that he is on his way to a university to find the cause of the power outage. John decides to help Mykhail in his journey and tags along.
The story is told in John's POV and I love his voice, very snarky and funny. Mykhail is sweet and adorable. I love it when Mykhail's starts talking about the stars and the universe. He's such a nerd and cute. Although they've only known each other for a few days, but the attraction was believable for me. Their journey towards the university felt really weak for me. I think the author could've invested more into making their journey much more exciting, with more dangers and more drama. The ending was also rushed but the MCs did get their HEA so thats good enough for me.
I really enjoyed this and Im looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks Negalley for the arc
The story is told in John's POV and I love his voice, very snarky and funny. Mykhail is sweet and adorable. I love it when Mykhail's starts talking about the stars and the universe. He's such a nerd and cute. Although they've only known each other for a few days, but the attraction was believable for me. Their journey towards the university felt really weak for me. I think the author could've invested more into making their journey much more exciting, with more dangers and more drama. The ending was also rushed but the MCs did get their HEA so thats good enough for me.
I really enjoyed this and Im looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks Negalley for the arc
April 16, 2015
Do you remember the Northeast blackout from 2003?
Do you remember what you were doing? Do you remember HOW HOT IT WAS????
Anyways that's what this book reminded me of, The blackout. Cause essentially this is what happened in this book.
The 1st 43% was really promising....... Unfortunately it was a little to YA for me and I felt the ending of the book was so rushed that if I blinked I missed something. But no I didn't blink and it still left off weird.
Thank you Carina Press via Netgalley for a copy of this book.
Mare~Slitsread
Do you remember what you were doing? Do you remember HOW HOT IT WAS????
Anyways that's what this book reminded me of, The blackout. Cause essentially this is what happened in this book.
The 1st 43% was really promising....... Unfortunately it was a little to YA for me and I felt the ending of the book was so rushed that if I blinked I missed something. But no I didn't blink and it still left off weird.
Thank you Carina Press via Netgalley for a copy of this book.
Mare~Slitsread
August 6, 2016
This is the second book in the series and follows the characters as they try to make their way in a post apocalypse world. The world has lost all technology throwing everything in to chaos. Even though this was the second book and I hadn't read book one I was still able to follow the plot. The author adds enough information that I was able to easily follow along. This story focuses on John and Mykhail who meet when Mykhail gets caught raiding their vegetable garden. The story was a bit too insta-love for me and it felt a bit like they were together because there wasn't anyone else...but it is the apocalypse so that may be pretty realistic. Overall the story was fine. It was a little YA-ish and while it was not bad in any way it was just not really my thing.
June 29, 2016
I love the snarky banter from Jang-Wan in this book! It's always exciting when a book I sort of stumble upon turns out to be so good. The solar flare that crashed society's system is bringing out the worst in humanity as our MCs stumble around trying to gather information and move forward. It seems a little bit like the first half of the book set things up but then the last half could have used a little more information. All in all, though, a great quick read.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
May 4, 2015
My Review:
I like this series. In the first book, we got the MC's finding refuge in the middle of the crazy world after everything went to hell. In this one, the MC's have to leave that refuge and go back out into the insanity. And to top it off, this is a male/male romance featuring John, who we got to know in book #1...yay.
In this book, John finds Mykhail stealing out of their garden and the family takes him in. But he's on his way to the university where he thinks he can help with the solution of what's happened. John has been languishing in the family home. It's been months. He misses male companionship. He misses feeling useful. What he has to offer is a great ability to navigate, something Mykhail sucks at so John volunteers to go along. The chemistry between them helps with his offer too.
This book really delves into the darkness of the human race as the two are faced with what has happened in this now lawless society. Mykhail has already been out in it and knows that the likelihood of survival is minimal, but this is eye-opening for John, even after the atrocities that happened to him at the beginning of book #1. What has happened to Mykhail and then to others later is heart-breaking. It's scary to think how accurate these premises really are.
And I really love all the science and information that is in this book. This is one of those books that I actually feel smarter for having read it. There's a lot about flares and the electrical grid which were really interesting...and sobering with the possibilities.
I liked Mykhail and John together, although I didn't feel like we got to know Mykhail as well, just because he was hiding so much throughout the majority of the book. There was always that seed of doubt about him and his past which made it where I couldn't warm up to his character as well. But that was also exacerbated by the fact that the book is told entirely from John's point of view. And I did love him...so much. As the less kick-ass brother, he did an amazing job saving the day in this one and I was seriously cheering him on.
I have no idea if there are more books to come in this series or not. There's still the whole re-building of civilization to come. But if there are more, I definitely plan to read them...I'm thinking Hernandez would be a good hero for a novel...and then his brother who he mentions. (hint, hint)
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I like this series. In the first book, we got the MC's finding refuge in the middle of the crazy world after everything went to hell. In this one, the MC's have to leave that refuge and go back out into the insanity. And to top it off, this is a male/male romance featuring John, who we got to know in book #1...yay.
In this book, John finds Mykhail stealing out of their garden and the family takes him in. But he's on his way to the university where he thinks he can help with the solution of what's happened. John has been languishing in the family home. It's been months. He misses male companionship. He misses feeling useful. What he has to offer is a great ability to navigate, something Mykhail sucks at so John volunteers to go along. The chemistry between them helps with his offer too.
This book really delves into the darkness of the human race as the two are faced with what has happened in this now lawless society. Mykhail has already been out in it and knows that the likelihood of survival is minimal, but this is eye-opening for John, even after the atrocities that happened to him at the beginning of book #1. What has happened to Mykhail and then to others later is heart-breaking. It's scary to think how accurate these premises really are.
And I really love all the science and information that is in this book. This is one of those books that I actually feel smarter for having read it. There's a lot about flares and the electrical grid which were really interesting...and sobering with the possibilities.
I liked Mykhail and John together, although I didn't feel like we got to know Mykhail as well, just because he was hiding so much throughout the majority of the book. There was always that seed of doubt about him and his past which made it where I couldn't warm up to his character as well. But that was also exacerbated by the fact that the book is told entirely from John's point of view. And I did love him...so much. As the less kick-ass brother, he did an amazing job saving the day in this one and I was seriously cheering him on.
I have no idea if there are more books to come in this series or not. There's still the whole re-building of civilization to come. But if there are more, I definitely plan to read them...I'm thinking Hernandez would be a good hero for a novel...and then his brother who he mentions. (hint, hint)
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
December 3, 2017
John catches Mykhail in his family's garden. They take him in. After finding out he is going to a nearby University to seek his professor (who predicted this would happen). We find out what happened! In theory, this *could* happen real life. (Unlikely the whole world, which from what I understand, happened in this one).
The romance was sweet, Mykhail coming out (so to speak). I was heartbroken when reading what happened to Mykhail's grandma. I appreciated that the reader found out what happened and some resolution happened.
Looking for to Maggie's story. Hope it's not too angsty.
The romance was sweet, Mykhail coming out (so to speak). I was heartbroken when reading what happened to Mykhail's grandma. I appreciated that the reader found out what happened and some resolution happened.
Looking for to Maggie's story. Hope it's not too angsty.
May 22, 2015
I just finished "Signal Boost" last night.
I don't have anything against M/M romances, but I don't usually seek them out. I LOVED this book though, more than the first. - John was a computer science major / nerdy gamer type before the flare and he feels useless and lonely in his new reality. However, when he happens to catch a cute bespectacled astrophysicist stealing tomatoes from his vegetable garden things start looking up. - The characters are great in this one, the romance is really sweet and the sexy bits are super sexy, (I was pleasantly surprised).
Here are some of my favorite bits...
"I’d wanted so badly to be in his presence, but now I felt awkward and too self- aware. Do I always walk this weirdly? Should I swing my arm now , or put my hands in my pocket? Why is everyone looking at me?"
"I pasted what I hoped was a normal, noncreepy smile on my face and hoped he couldn’t tell that my hands were clammy and my heart was racing."
"“You just made me want to weep for a hypothetical star,” I said. I struggled to pierce my straw through the aluminum- covered opening in the juice box, trying not to look too undignified. After several failed attempts, Mykhail reached over and shoved his straw into the hole of my box with amazing accuracy, then plucked my straw from my fingers and speared his own. He spoke again before I could even begin to process the metaphorical implications of his actions."
"I gathered from the way he smiled at the memory that his grandmother had thought Sagan was a babe, and really, who could resist a smooth operator in a turtleneck and a tweed jacket?"
"He poked at the tape binding his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose before muttering a stream of Slavic on a sharp exhale. “My Ukrainian is rusty, so can you say that in English?” He was probably cursing me for being a creep, but I kept my tone cordial. It wasn’t his fault I’d tried to maul him without getting his explicit consent. Of course, in the leopard shifter romances Arden and Gabriel had talked me into reading, the hero never asked first. It was supposed to be more romantic that way."
"Maybe I’d expected him to give me a smoldering look instead of taking me along for practicality’s sake. I felt like the useful tool one picked up on a quest in an RPG game instead of the item that made a player fist pump in triumph when obtained. Well, if I was more med kit than flamethrower, so be it."
I don't have anything against M/M romances, but I don't usually seek them out. I LOVED this book though, more than the first. - John was a computer science major / nerdy gamer type before the flare and he feels useless and lonely in his new reality. However, when he happens to catch a cute bespectacled astrophysicist stealing tomatoes from his vegetable garden things start looking up. - The characters are great in this one, the romance is really sweet and the sexy bits are super sexy, (I was pleasantly surprised).
Here are some of my favorite bits...
"I’d wanted so badly to be in his presence, but now I felt awkward and too self- aware. Do I always walk this weirdly? Should I swing my arm now , or put my hands in my pocket? Why is everyone looking at me?"
"I pasted what I hoped was a normal, noncreepy smile on my face and hoped he couldn’t tell that my hands were clammy and my heart was racing."
"“You just made me want to weep for a hypothetical star,” I said. I struggled to pierce my straw through the aluminum- covered opening in the juice box, trying not to look too undignified. After several failed attempts, Mykhail reached over and shoved his straw into the hole of my box with amazing accuracy, then plucked my straw from my fingers and speared his own. He spoke again before I could even begin to process the metaphorical implications of his actions."
"I gathered from the way he smiled at the memory that his grandmother had thought Sagan was a babe, and really, who could resist a smooth operator in a turtleneck and a tweed jacket?"
"He poked at the tape binding his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose before muttering a stream of Slavic on a sharp exhale. “My Ukrainian is rusty, so can you say that in English?” He was probably cursing me for being a creep, but I kept my tone cordial. It wasn’t his fault I’d tried to maul him without getting his explicit consent. Of course, in the leopard shifter romances Arden and Gabriel had talked me into reading, the hero never asked first. It was supposed to be more romantic that way."
"Maybe I’d expected him to give me a smoldering look instead of taking me along for practicality’s sake. I felt like the useful tool one picked up on a quest in an RPG game instead of the item that made a player fist pump in triumph when obtained. Well, if I was more med kit than flamethrower, so be it."
March 29, 2015
OMG, guys. Ohmigod. The whole set up for this series makes me incredibly happy. I can genuinely say this book gave me everything I wanted in a broken world with a heaping side order of romance and danger.
I'm feeling the love, people. Feeling the love.
Things I adored: John's disconnect from his family. After so many months of being cooped up, he's feeling it. Yes, he loves his family. Yes, he's overjoyed that they've all survived the things that have happened, but close quarters can be hard. Very hard. Especially when your best friend has hooked up with your brother and there's not a glimmer on the horizon that your own romantic drought will be ending any time soon. Still, John's happy for Arden and Gabriel. He wants them to be happy. It's just hard being in that middle of that with no chance of a HEA of his own.
Then Mykhail stumbles into his life. Mykhail, who's sweet and smart and has a few demons of his own he needs to deal with. Speaking of which... *clutches Mykhail and pets him* Poor boy. Everything he went through after the lights went out hurt my heart. Poor, poor boy.
This series has pleased me from beginning to end. We're given answers here that I was dying to find out after book 1 and I just can't resist Mama Seong playing matchmaker whenever the opportunity arises. And the twerking. OMG, the twerking. LOLOLOLOL!
Good times.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
I'm feeling the love, people. Feeling the love.
Things I adored: John's disconnect from his family. After so many months of being cooped up, he's feeling it. Yes, he loves his family. Yes, he's overjoyed that they've all survived the things that have happened, but close quarters can be hard. Very hard. Especially when your best friend has hooked up with your brother and there's not a glimmer on the horizon that your own romantic drought will be ending any time soon. Still, John's happy for Arden and Gabriel. He wants them to be happy. It's just hard being in that middle of that with no chance of a HEA of his own.
Then Mykhail stumbles into his life. Mykhail, who's sweet and smart and has a few demons of his own he needs to deal with. Speaking of which... *clutches Mykhail and pets him* Poor boy. Everything he went through after the lights went out hurt my heart. Poor, poor boy.
This series has pleased me from beginning to end. We're given answers here that I was dying to find out after book 1 and I just can't resist Mama Seong playing matchmaker whenever the opportunity arises. And the twerking. OMG, the twerking. LOLOLOLOL!
Good times.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
July 4, 2020
I loved it. The second in this post-electronics apocalypse series set in upstate New York, John leads a handsome stranger on a quest to find a scientist at a college. So, it's not "more of the same" with John's family cooped up on their house, fending off strangers. Frankly after months in COVID-19 quarantine, I was just so happy that someone got to leave the house, I was jealous.
And, things I like:
adult virgin
multicultural cast
pushy mom
audiobook
Seeking out the next in the series soon.
And, things I like:
adult virgin
multicultural cast
pushy mom
audiobook
Seeking out the next in the series soon.
November 8, 2015
Wonderful romance, intriguing snippets of Mykhail's backstory, mildly fascinating technology (to a near-luddite, anyway), fucked up humanity. I spent a large portion of the book with my heart either pounding in my chest or lodged in my throat. Suspenseful!
Read
January 7, 2022As with the first book in the series, I did think this was a fact-paced, entertaining post-apocalyptic tale. The romance again wasn't particularly up my alley, both because of setting and tropes, but there's enough going on that it wasn't an issue. However, there's a lot of sexual assault and other terrible stuff in this book, so just be mindful of that going into it.
While the narration worked for the first book in this series, I wouldn't recommend the audiobook for book two of Off the Grid. Karen Chilton, while a good narrator, should not be reading a first person narrative from the perspective of an Asian man. It doesn't work, especially because the love interest is Ukrainian, and, well, the accent Chilton was doing was absolutely not Ukrainian. This is not Chilton's fault; she did the best she could with what she was hired to do, but this was a questionable decision, and it definitely made the story less immersive. For the first few chapters I had to keep reminding myself Arden wasn't still narrating.
While the narration worked for the first book in this series, I wouldn't recommend the audiobook for book two of Off the Grid. Karen Chilton, while a good narrator, should not be reading a first person narrative from the perspective of an Asian man. It doesn't work, especially because the love interest is Ukrainian, and, well, the accent Chilton was doing was absolutely not Ukrainian. This is not Chilton's fault; she did the best she could with what she was hired to do, but this was a questionable decision, and it definitely made the story less immersive. For the first few chapters I had to keep reminding myself Arden wasn't still narrating.
September 20, 2020
I liked the previous book in the series, but I loved this one. John is feeling rather useless to his family, but when Mykhail shows up at the cabin, it gives him a purpose to help find a better way through life in a post-disaster world. Since that's exactly what we're currently doing in the world of Covid-19, it was both hopeful and just a little terrifying. Because their reason for disaster is still out there. And I'm sure we'd have a much more difficult time with this scenario now than we would have had in May of 2015, with the lack of infrastructure currently in place. Those cadets -- absolutely chilling. I think I'll have that little scene in chapter 24 lurking around my nightmares for a while to come.
Read
December 6, 2021This one didn't work for me. Book 1 had some dark stuff, but this one was much darker throughout. CW for rape (not MCs) and suicidal ideation. It was just too drastic a change from the first book, so it felt like kind of a downer. My other issue was that the demisexual/gray-ace rep seemed really bizarre. They specifically mentioned/discussed the asexuality spectrum a couple of times, but then other parts seemed to imply that the reason one MC was a virgin was for other reasons (religious, homophobic family, uncertainty). Since we didn't have his POV, it was really unclear. Plus, the instantaneous attraction didn't make any sense for demi/gray-ace.
February 23, 2018
The second book in Alyssa Cole's post-apocalyptic romance trilogy.
This one features a M/M relationship.
I love both of the main characters and feel that they are robustly written. I also love how well Cole weaves the romance into the apocalyptic plotting.
Well written characters and well paced plot. I took off a star because unlike the first book there were several typos that pulled me out of the story.
I have already purchased the final book and will begin it in a few weeks to see how this all plays out.
This one features a M/M relationship.
I love both of the main characters and feel that they are robustly written. I also love how well Cole weaves the romance into the apocalyptic plotting.
Well written characters and well paced plot. I took off a star because unlike the first book there were several typos that pulled me out of the story.
I have already purchased the final book and will begin it in a few weeks to see how this all plays out.
August 1, 2021
So much better than the first one.
tried-but-dnf
January 30, 2022A bit too YA for me.
Read
January 1, 2023Yay for queer post-apocalyptic smut! Young-adult but I'm enjoying the light reading.
July 30, 2023
I should have loved this but I just liked it.
I loved the variety of people in the story.
I think for me too many people did stupid things and it irked me.
I loved the variety of people in the story.
I think for me too many people did stupid things and it irked me.
September 28, 2024
Dys/youtopia.
Fast, sweet, improbable love
plus world rebuilding.
Fast, sweet, improbable love
plus world rebuilding.
July 29, 2018
I like the feel of this post-maybe-it-is-or-maybe-it-isn't apocalyptic series.
It's more a microcosm of characters, locations, and events. Most storylines in this genre that I've read are very grand in plot scale and scope...because...well...the possible end of the world and all.
But in the Off The Grid series, that's really all we know. The communications and electrical grids are down. No government officials or departments are going door-to-door knocking to see how you are doing. Hmmmm....
John's story continues in this theme. Nothing much happens. It's like a Seinfeld-ish season.
Just living life with the fam, canning up the tomatoes, tending orphaned babies, strumming the guitar, wondering what is really going on out there beyond the veggie patch.
Waiting. Living. Wondering.
John is slowly going nuts from boredom LOL
Until Mikhail is found rabbiting around the garden, hungry and lost.
With only the info he can share on what's been going on in the world.
And what's NOT been going on.
Finally, things are happening!
And Mikhail needs a hug.
Cause when he finally opens up, mid-book, as to what HE's been doing since the Flare, get out your tissues.
#uglysobs
This series, while not shying away from the horrors of solar flares taking out EVERYTHING , don't expect complex world building, because most of the story still centers around a small group of characters that make up the Soeng family.
Honestly, the writing is good enough to keep my interest even if it is reading about what theSeinfeld Seong family "isn't" doing.
John and Mikhail do get to expand our knowledge of the post-Flare world through their journey to a nearby university. Both might have different reasons and goals in going, but what they discover along the way changes everyone's future. I would have loved if the author wrote more of this later section of the book in bit more depth and detail. First because I would have liked to see more intimacy, emotional and physical, between our two heroes, and because I thought the ending was wrapped up too neat and tidy (even if what they find there is anything BUT neat and tidy *sigh*).
Just a little more time to see these two get a bit more down N dirty, so to speak ;)
Is it wrong of me that Dr. Gabriel remains hotter than John and Mikhail shenanigans? Hmmm....
Anywho, 3.5 stars and I will continue with book 3, Maggie's story.
It's more a microcosm of characters, locations, and events. Most storylines in this genre that I've read are very grand in plot scale and scope...because...well...the possible end of the world and all.
But in the Off The Grid series, that's really all we know. The communications and electrical grids are down. No government officials or departments are going door-to-door knocking to see how you are doing. Hmmmm....
John's story continues in this theme. Nothing much happens. It's like a Seinfeld-ish season.
Just living life with the fam, canning up the tomatoes, tending orphaned babies, strumming the guitar, wondering what is really going on out there beyond the veggie patch.
Waiting. Living. Wondering.
John is slowly going nuts from boredom LOL
Until Mikhail is found rabbiting around the garden, hungry and lost.
With only the info he can share on what's been going on in the world.
And what's NOT been going on.
Finally, things are happening!
And Mikhail needs a hug.
Cause when he finally opens up, mid-book, as to what HE's been doing since the Flare, get out your tissues.
#uglysobs
This series, while not shying away from the horrors of solar flares taking out EVERYTHING , don't expect complex world building, because most of the story still centers around a small group of characters that make up the Soeng family.
Honestly, the writing is good enough to keep my interest even if it is reading about what the
John and Mikhail do get to expand our knowledge of the post-Flare world through their journey to a nearby university. Both might have different reasons and goals in going, but what they discover along the way changes everyone's future. I would have loved if the author wrote more of this later section of the book in bit more depth and detail. First because I would have liked to see more intimacy, emotional and physical, between our two heroes, and because I thought the ending was wrapped up too neat and tidy (even if what they find there is anything BUT neat and tidy *sigh*).
Just a little more time to see these two get a bit more down N dirty, so to speak ;)
Is it wrong of me that Dr. Gabriel remains hotter than John and Mikhail shenanigans? Hmmm....
Anywho, 3.5 stars and I will continue with book 3, Maggie's story.
October 8, 2024
I was really happy that SIGNAL BOOST finally gave some answers about what caused the blackout since that was left as a big unanswered question in the previous book. I was also excited to see that the story would be venturing away from the house because I was hoping that this would lead to some more action and a more interesting story line. However, I still found myself bored while reading this book and I had to work a bit to finish it. I've been racking my brain for days trying to figure out why I had such a hard time connecting with the story, but I just can't put my finger on it. Since I found nothing wrong with Alyssa Cole's writing I can only say that this book just wasn't really for me.
I really liked John in the first book, so I was excited to read this one and I'm glad he still had his sarcastic sense of humor, but I was surprised how whiny he was in the beginning part. Since I was already struggling to connect to the book, this started to wear on my nerves probably more than it would for anyone else. But even with the rough beginning, it's clear just how compassionate and understanding John is and the way he tries to help and support Mykhail is incredibly admirable. I also liked that even though there were a few misunderstandings, for the most part these two really communicate and work out their problems quickly by talking through what they're thinking and feeling.
Mykhail was an interesting character but without his POV he's left a big mystery for the first half of the book. One of the hardest things about this book was just that it was incredibly heavy for me as a reader. Mykhail's experience after The Flare was heartbreaking and I completely understand his depression and struggle to keep going. Had this been the only issue in the second half of the book, it wouldn't have been too bad. But on top of that, there's a situation that's occurring at the university; I won't go into detail, because spoiler, but I found this portion of the book very hard to get through as a reader because it was a really negative and depressing look at humanity and how we treat others. I guess you could say that speaks for how strong Alyssa Cole's writing is, but in terms of enjoyment, I just wasn't there.
Content Warning: Mykhail has depression and occasional suicidal thoughts; references to assisted suicide, rape and sodomy
I really liked John in the first book, so I was excited to read this one and I'm glad he still had his sarcastic sense of humor, but I was surprised how whiny he was in the beginning part. Since I was already struggling to connect to the book, this started to wear on my nerves probably more than it would for anyone else. But even with the rough beginning, it's clear just how compassionate and understanding John is and the way he tries to help and support Mykhail is incredibly admirable. I also liked that even though there were a few misunderstandings, for the most part these two really communicate and work out their problems quickly by talking through what they're thinking and feeling.
Mykhail was an interesting character but without his POV he's left a big mystery for the first half of the book. One of the hardest things about this book was just that it was incredibly heavy for me as a reader. Mykhail's experience after The Flare was heartbreaking and I completely understand his depression and struggle to keep going. Had this been the only issue in the second half of the book, it wouldn't have been too bad. But on top of that, there's a situation that's occurring at the university; I won't go into detail, because spoiler, but I found this portion of the book very hard to get through as a reader because it was a really negative and depressing look at humanity and how we treat others. I guess you could say that speaks for how strong Alyssa Cole's writing is, but in terms of enjoyment, I just wasn't there.
Content Warning: Mykhail has depression and occasional suicidal thoughts; references to assisted suicide, rape and sodomy
January 9, 2016
This was such a compelling read. Needing a book for a challenge requesting a theme of "a world without electricity", I immediately thought of this book. I was so happy to have aquired it as I have a morbid fascination with what the world would be like if we were forced to live off the grid. I watch all of those hypothetical apocalypse shows when they air on cable TV. Filled with equal parts dread and enthrallment, I could easily imagine the ensuing anarchy, the food and water shortages, the sudden bouts of violence over positions of power, the stockpiling of contraband for bartering purposes and the lack of air conditioning and refrigeration and the resulting horror of the inevatible, pervasive stench of perishable food and rotting flesh overwhelming the scattered pockets of survivors... Morbid? Probably. Interesting? Definitely.
This book exceeded my expectations on all levels. With impeccable writing and plot development, the author created a very believable and chilling post-apocalyptic world and pulled no punches. That said she focused equally on the strength and resilience of the human spirit, and provided multiple examples of benevolence prevailing over malice in a society relegated to darkness.
I can't say enough of my affection for the two flawed but extremely lovable MCs, John and Mykhail, as they navigated this unpredictable and dangerous world, never losing sight of their focus: to use their considerable combined intelligence to help rebuild society by instilling hope and restoring peace in the face of chaos. Throw in the budding romance and sexual chemistry between the MCs and you have a well rounded, near-perfect read.
Highly recommended.
*This book was given to me free of charge by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This book exceeded my expectations on all levels. With impeccable writing and plot development, the author created a very believable and chilling post-apocalyptic world and pulled no punches. That said she focused equally on the strength and resilience of the human spirit, and provided multiple examples of benevolence prevailing over malice in a society relegated to darkness.
I can't say enough of my affection for the two flawed but extremely lovable MCs, John and Mykhail, as they navigated this unpredictable and dangerous world, never losing sight of their focus: to use their considerable combined intelligence to help rebuild society by instilling hope and restoring peace in the face of chaos. Throw in the budding romance and sexual chemistry between the MCs and you have a well rounded, near-perfect read.
Highly recommended.
*This book was given to me free of charge by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
February 19, 2017
I'm torn, because this book was fantastic, but for such a diverse story, I was shocked when it insulted me personally. I kind of felt like I had been punched in the stomach. In the end, I had to give it a low rating for that, despite how good the story was, because all I can think about is someone else with BPD reading this and being insulted by this author.
April 5, 2015
DNF @ 31%
Although the premise of Signal Boost is good, on this occasion it hasn't worked for me. A book needs to grab me much sooner than 30% and unfortunately this failed to.
There's nothing wrong with the author's writing style, it's engaging and descriptive but I needed a faster pace and something more to hold my interest. The post apocalyptic scenario of a worldwide power outage attracted me, as did the diversity of the characters, but I felt I was missing parts of the story; the likelihood is the questions I had in relation to the storyline would have been answered had I read the first book in the series. Quite possibly this would have happened later on, but I needed more much sooner.
I imagine if you've read the first book, the Seong family's situation and plight will make more sense. Therefore, 2 stars.
Copy received from the publisher courtesy of NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Although the premise of Signal Boost is good, on this occasion it hasn't worked for me. A book needs to grab me much sooner than 30% and unfortunately this failed to.
There's nothing wrong with the author's writing style, it's engaging and descriptive but I needed a faster pace and something more to hold my interest. The post apocalyptic scenario of a worldwide power outage attracted me, as did the diversity of the characters, but I felt I was missing parts of the story; the likelihood is the questions I had in relation to the storyline would have been answered had I read the first book in the series. Quite possibly this would have happened later on, but I needed more much sooner.
I imagine if you've read the first book, the Seong family's situation and plight will make more sense. Therefore, 2 stars.
Copy received from the publisher courtesy of NetGalley for an honest and unbiased opinion.
September 3, 2018
Ok, the storyline in this book was better than the first in the series for sure! Way more answers as to what happened in the aftermath of a huge solar flare that changed the world as we know it. As always with Alyssa Cole, the love story itself was worth the read, and this one was super sweet. I would have liked more moments between John and Mykhail, though, but I’ll take what we were given. John’s character is hilarious and it is easy to love him and want to be his best friend. I look forward to the next book in the series and to reading more of Alyssa Cole’s work.
December 30, 2021
3.5 stars. It did a good job of furthering the overall plot - we get to find out what caused the electricity to stop working. The end was a bit abrupt -
June 7, 2015
CUTE AS HELL. And dealt respectfully (imo) with some issues that are close to my heart, suicide ideation being one of them.
January 13, 2018
After something happened to make all technology stop working, John and his family have survived the apocalypse in their safe cabin with plenty of food and water, at least for a while. When a random guy, Mikhail, is caught raiding their garden, John’s parents offer him food and shelter in their home, while John finds himself rapidly developing a crush on this mysterious stranger. Mikhail reveals he’s on his way to a nearby university to find a professor he knows who may have some answers about why the world seems to be ending, and John decides to take up the adventure and accompany him on his journey. As they walk, they get to know each other, and their secrets come out in ways that bring them closer but have the scary consequence of showing their true colors, amidst the terror that is the new world in which they are living.
Signal Boost is the second book in Cole’s Off the Grid series, the first being Radio Silence, which I REALLY liked. The series is post-apocalyptic romance, which each book focusing on a different character and his/her romantic life. The first book featured John’s best friend, Arden, as she falls in love with John’s older brother, Gabriel, as the world is ending all around them. Signal Boost was unfortunately less successful for me than the first book. It provided enough entertainment, but it wasn’t as fun or sexy as the first book and I didn’t even get all that excited or into the explanations the author began to provide for how and why the apocalypse was happening.
I think the issue for me was that the book felt very meandering and sort of boring, although I hate to say that. John and Mikhail’s relationship started off with a spark and developed from there, so that part I liked and it felt authentic to me. But it was kind of boring, to be honest. It took so long for them to really get to know each other and so much of the book just felt like a waiting game for that to happen. I also didn’t love John as a character and Mikhail was honestly kind of clueless – when they got to the university and they started dealing with Mikhail’s former professor, without getting into any spoilers, I have to say that the story really went off the rails for me at that point.
What did I like? The science stuff and the reasons for the apocalypse was a welcome addition to the book, even though by the time it got going I was sort of annoyed and wasn’t as excited about these explanations as I wanted to be. I loved the fact that within the same series, there is so far a hetero romance and a LGBT romance (not sure what the third book entails). I like Cole’s writing and the way that she writes sex scenes I think is fantastic. Overall, this was not a bad romance at all just not what I was expecting since I liked the first book so much. I may or may not read the third one at this point.
Signal Boost is the second book in Cole’s Off the Grid series, the first being Radio Silence, which I REALLY liked. The series is post-apocalyptic romance, which each book focusing on a different character and his/her romantic life. The first book featured John’s best friend, Arden, as she falls in love with John’s older brother, Gabriel, as the world is ending all around them. Signal Boost was unfortunately less successful for me than the first book. It provided enough entertainment, but it wasn’t as fun or sexy as the first book and I didn’t even get all that excited or into the explanations the author began to provide for how and why the apocalypse was happening.
I think the issue for me was that the book felt very meandering and sort of boring, although I hate to say that. John and Mikhail’s relationship started off with a spark and developed from there, so that part I liked and it felt authentic to me. But it was kind of boring, to be honest. It took so long for them to really get to know each other and so much of the book just felt like a waiting game for that to happen. I also didn’t love John as a character and Mikhail was honestly kind of clueless – when they got to the university and they started dealing with Mikhail’s former professor, without getting into any spoilers, I have to say that the story really went off the rails for me at that point.
What did I like? The science stuff and the reasons for the apocalypse was a welcome addition to the book, even though by the time it got going I was sort of annoyed and wasn’t as excited about these explanations as I wanted to be. I loved the fact that within the same series, there is so far a hetero romance and a LGBT romance (not sure what the third book entails). I like Cole’s writing and the way that she writes sex scenes I think is fantastic. Overall, this was not a bad romance at all just not what I was expecting since I liked the first book so much. I may or may not read the third one at this point.
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