Life After E.L.E.

Frozen World #1

by J.C. Morrows

FORTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER A ROGUE MOON SMASHED INTO OUR WORLD... THIRTY YEARS AFTER HUMANITY EMERGED FROM THE CAVES WHERE THEY TOOK REFUGE... ONE TEEN DISCOVERS THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY.

A FROZEN WORLD... where rule number one is to be inside the gates before they close at night - or die.

Eve watched the gates close - with her father on the outside- so that should be the easiest thing in the world for her to remember.

But life is not always simple.

Life does not always go as planned...

Now Eve is in a race against time, discovery and danger around every corner - to find a truth that has been hidden for years.

A truth her father died to protect her from.

Genres: Dystopia, Christian Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Young Adult, Suspense, Teen, Science Fiction

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2016

About the author

       

JC Morrows is the bestselling author of the young adult dystopian series: Order of the MoonStone and the post-apocalyptic Frozen World series. A believer in sharing knowledge, JC is passionate about both stoking the creative fire in young minds and doing all she can to help authors of all experience levels excel.

A true storyteller, JC is one of those authors who grew up thinking it was perfectly normal to make up wild and fantastic tales, talk to people who weren't there, and look at the world from a perspective that no one else understood.

These days she records those fantastical tales (when her resistant laptop lets her) . . . and the people who aren't there . . . well, she still talks to them. She tells their stories and even argues with them on occasion. And she still sees the world in a way that makes sense to no one else, but that's OK because she is a teller of tales, a dreamer of dreams, a traveler of made-up worlds!

Though she doesn't write strictly "Christian" fiction... as a true believer, she gives God all of the glory for her talent and ability!

"And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Habakkuk 2:2 KJV

Reviews

[Ashley Bogner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eve lives in a future dystopian world where the world is covered in snow. Leaving the comfort of society could result in death. After witnessing a group of teens handed a death sentence, Eve wonders if her world is as safe as she once thought.

The setting in Life After E.L.E is unique, and I thought it was an interesting spin on a very popular genre. I have also read the author's Order of the Moonstone series, and I thought Life After E.L.E. was a little better-written (maybe I just prefer first person?). The story-world is fascinating, and there's plenty of excitement and suspense!

The protagonist, Eve, felt a little like a copy-cat of other dystopian heroines. However, my biggest complaint is with the romance. It definitely felt like insta-love, and I'm not totally sure why Eve and her love interest like each other. There were one or two kissing scenes that became pretty passionate, and I wasn't expecting that from a Christian YA book (I had a similar complaint with one of the author's other books, although I thought this one was a little worse). There is no sex, but I was uncomfortable with the level of kissing in this. Life after E.L.E. is more romance than dystopian. I also wish there had been more in the way of Christian content.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. The story is intriguing, and I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been uncomfortable with some of the romance-content.

*The author provided me with a free copy of this book. The thoughts and opinions are my own *

[Adam Collings · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the end of the world, the story begins. Life After E.L.E. begins following an extinction level event. Earth is a frozen wasteland. A small community of people live in caves. They venture out to the surface for food, but if you don't make it back before sunset, the gates close, and you're left to die.

Eve is a teenage girl who has been shaped by the loss of her father, who returned moments too late to get inside. She begins to notice strange things about her world - and odd behaviours from their leader. This is very much the beginnings of a coming-of-age story for her. It seems fitting that her name is Eve, as she exists at the dawn of a brand new world. I can't help but wonder what role she will place in the birth of a new human civilisation following the end of the previous one.

This book presents a number of mysteries. Some are resolved within the arc of this book, others are introduced but not fully revealed. There is a lot of scope for continuation of this story and world.

The romance scenes were particularly well-written. They don't overshadow the plot, and only really come into place late in the story. The characters struggle with their growing passions, and their desire not to cross the lines of what they believe is right. This constant war in the face of temptation is powerfully dramatised, yet is not gratuitous

I am eagerly looking forward to book 2 in this series.

[Leslea Wahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story overall. I was intrigued by the mystery and am curious what happens next but the story did drag a bit. I was also confused by the Christian genre. There really was no Christianity in the story and I thought the kissing scenes were a bit too much for a Christian teen story.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is 4.5
Wow, I have been waiting all of 2016 to read this and it was WORTH waiting for!!! Trying to figure out which movie to compare this incredible YA story to, it’s kind of Divergent meets Frozen but with a suspenseful and tension filled atmosphere (there are ALL age groups in this story but the teens are what the story focuses on hence the Divergent reference).

What I LOVED in this story:
Eve is SUPER observant, strong, bold, and courageous….VERY easy to like her, she reminded me of Katniss in many ways

In MANY typical YA books, the parents are missing from the plot or are just completely ignorant of their teen’s turmoil…..NOT so in E.L.E. Eve lost a parent when she was young and it changed her. The other parent is super protective but powerless, however, the love is tangible from this parent. Eve also lives with her brother and her grandparents. LOOOOVED her relationship with her grandad, who is a guard in the story. Eve’s family is VERY protective and their love touched me throughout the story

There is NO love triangle, soooo great! There is a love interest for 17 year old Eve, but I enjoyed that the romance wasn’t rushed and also loved that he has an accent and the writing brought his accent to life (brilliant)

The story kept me COMPLETELY intrigued from the start and even though the ending is KIND of a cliffhanger, it’s a good one that has me wanting more from Book 2 (no pressure but hurry up Book 2!!)

I have read other books by Morrows and her writing is good, but it’s even BETTER in this one, definitely considering E.L.E. her best book so far

Also really enjoyed how the teen hunters stick together in the story, protecting one another even when it’s dangerous

One fun snowball fight

What I DIDN'T enjoy but still made the book VERY GOOD:
A group of children is sent to an almost guaranteed death at the beginning, nothing gruesome is described but it makes the tension very real in the story…no one knows why these children were condemned and considered criminals, no adult came to their aid and Eve takes this to heart…I’m curious to see what happens to these kids (am hoping they survived)

Eve and her love interest finally get a kissing scene, but it gets kind of heavy….there are rules for becoming a couple in this society and I enjoyed how that was explained

Eve has questions about God and is shaky regarding faith…..the story mentions how the society discourages prayer and forces those who might believe to pray only in the privacy of their homes…..her family does believe and I’m interested in knowing where Eve’s journey leads her in her own faith

Many teens get brutally attacked in the story, lots of them visit the infirmary

LOTS of secrets in the story also, part of the intrigue, but this becomes a huge burden for Eve and makes her stay distant from others

All in all, an EXCELLENT clean YA book! This book has the same amount of violence, intrigue and kissing as the movie Divergent has, so sensitive readers be aware of this but if you enjoyed learning about Tris then you will love reading about Eve. She’s tough, full of heart, eager for answers and justice, and a real survivor. Morrows makes the reader feel like you’re THERE with Eve the whole time and I was very satisfied with how she details the world structuring….I could easily picture this playing out as a movie. Despite the tension and secrets in the story, there is also tremendous hope and sweetness (there’s a FUN and tension reliever of a snowball fight that was so great). Can’t wait for more of Eve’s story in Book 2!

With thanks to the author for the review copy, the thoughts are my own.

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read--if not entirely fresh--read. It felt a lot like Delirium by Lauren Oliver, except set in Antartica (not literally--just somewhere really, really cold). It featured a lot of the same elements--dystopian society, girl affected by parent's death, insta-love with a lot of kissing, and other throwbacks.

I gave it three stars because while the plot did hook me and keep me interested, I had several problems with it:

1. I liked the first-person writing. I've only read one other book by this author, and I can tell the writing has come a looong way. However: I did not like the constant re-hashing and reassessing EVERY. SINGLE. THING.

2. For a Christian author, this book felt very secular. Mentions of religion and prayer were few and far between, and felt obligatory. Also, the situations the character's got into did not reflect a Christian perspective.

3. As I mentioned in #2, the characters got into some rather...passionate situations. Towards the last part of the book, the MC and love interest started kissing--a lot. Not light kissing either. "You're playing with fire," the love interest tells Eve, and he was exactly right. Unfortunately, this was not a deterrent to either of them, but rather encourages them to even further dalliance. In fact, in the study questions at the end, the author mentions this fact. I found it surprising, and a little concerning.

4. I never really got why hunters had to work out all the time, and be taught self-defense. Also, when Eve got her bow, I was shouting in my head "Katniss moment!" Please, everyone, stop trying to be the next Hunger Games! Also, when Eve notived Alan behaving oddly, it seemed really random and out of place.

5. I did like the characters--mostly. Jude and Eve felt well rounded out (on the side: shout out to Nadine Brandes--I will never think of anyone named Jude the same way again. )*: ), but everyone else seemed to be lacking character development.

6.I was left with a LOT of unanswered questions. Yes, this may be a series, but I would appreciate it if the first book at least had a complete story arc that wasn't dependent on sequels to wrap it up.

Overall, I wasn't satisfied with the book. I would like to read the next one to see how the story continues, but I don't have super high hopes for it.

Content guide (may contain spoilers):
Language 0/10
Violence 7/10 (lots of injuries, some serious, and some rather gory. characters are attacked and beaten up, by both the 'good' guys and the 'bad' guys.)
Sexual Content 6/10 (lots of embracing and kissing--including tongue kissing. Eve tries to goad Jude into further romantic entanglement--almost reads like she is trying to seduce him.)

Rating: 3 stars
Recommended: With caution. 13 and up.

*Many thanks to the author for providing a copy to review!*

For more reviews, see gabriellenblog.wordpress.com and fullofbooks.com

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life after E.L.E is the first book in the Frozen World series by J.C. Morrows and follows the story of a young woman named Eve who is trying to find her way in a post-apocalyptic world.  While this series is considered Christian; I felt it a was a little edgy and contained a bit more romance than I am used to seeing within the genre.  This was my only real complaint with the book. I did feel that the kisses were a little more detailed than was necessary for the young age group while under a Christian banner.  That's not to say that I'm a prude at all. I just tend to hold a christian novel to a higher standard on these issues. This book simply lacked Christian content. I think I would have liked it much more if it had been classified as secular fiction.

Overall, I felt that the book was intriguing but it lacked character building. You can tell that the author put a lot of thought into her characters but that some of their depth was lost in translation. This was especially true of the rushed romance between Eve and Jude. I simply felt that the passion they demonstrated was not only a bit hot and heavy for a Christian Young Adult book but there was no building up to such a climax. One minute

The story reads at a very steady pace and I enjoyed the voice of the protagonist. However, I am hoping for more of a Christian presence and more physical restraint in future installments. Would I recommend this book to others? Probably. Would I let my teen read this book? Again, probably. I don't feel that this book is worse than secular fiction. However, as previously stated, I do tend to hold and judge Christian fiction on a higher moral standard.This review was originally posted on A Simply Enchanted Life

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by CelebrateLit Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.

[Jessica Baker (A Baker's Perspective) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author had my attention from the very beginning. What kind of world were these people living in? I had to find out more..... I love when a story can hook you in from the start, as long as you keep wanting to turn the pages. Didn't have a problem here with that! No bait and switch in this story, it has me from beginning to end.

I enjoyed Eve as the heroine. She was strong and willing to work hard to help her family, yet had this soft and vulnerable side that you see glimpses of now and then. I don't like heroines who are wimpy, and do not like the ones that are just tough as nails with no soft spots. I thought Eve was the perfect balance for me. The way the author penned her thoughts and emotions made her realistic and believable. I thought she had good development in her search for answers about her fathers death.

The only critique I have was the cliffhanger ending! It's almost like those season finales you see on TV that leave your jaw hanging open and waiting for time to pass so you can see the next season begin. However, it makes my super excited for the next installment to come out so I can see what is next for Eve and the things she has discovered!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and ideas are 100% my own.

[Mandy Fender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Carol Keen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have seen this book advertised over and over since before it was published. I was really excited to get to read this book. Turns out, I was extremely disappointed in this book. For almost 60% of the book it dragged. The author did achieve something that is rare for me. I was bored reading this book. It didn't pick up pace or interest until it was 60% over.

We are mostly inside Eve's head, with very little outside dialog. Eve is monologging her life. She is afraid to talk to her friends, Mother, brother or Grandparents. She is totally paranoid about not fitting in, and yet she does nothing to help herself fit in. She is extremely immature, and doesn't act like a 17 year old. I highlighted her age when I found it, because for a long time I thought that she was somewhere between 12 and 15.

Monologuing along with Eve, she has hundreds of questions, and to my great irritation, none of them are ever answered! Some answers instead of endless questions would have been nice. She has become a hunter, but the only kill that is shared with us is a saber-tooth tiger. Wait? What? An extinct tiger, in frozen Arizona because something happened with the colony on the moon that altered Earth? This doesn't even work with plausible theory unless this is a parallel world, but I did my best to shove that to the side. What else do they catch in the way of food? We have no idea because we aren't told. Issues like this permiated the entire book, which, has multiple plot holes and unanswered questions.

I do read secular books, depending on the book of course. This book only had two instances of a parent or grandparent praying silently, and past that, this might as well be a secular book. God isn't even in Eve's world in any active way, nor with any of her friends. This is a secular book with a Christian label. It has some Christ centered questions, and a scripture at the end of the book, but that doesn't alter the over all book content itself.

When Eve starts falling for Jude, her main worry is that he is older than she is. Really? People she knows are dying, and all she cares about is his age. We never know how much older he really is, because when they start kissing his age is no longer an issue for Eve. Jude is old enough to be "bonded" to someone, but hasn't been. For this book, that could be any age to about 25, I guess.

We never are sure if her Dad is really dead. We don't know the complete rules of the compound, only a few of them. Everyone lives in fear. Eve's Dad and others could have survive outside, but we have ZERO answers to any of the questions put forth by Eve. The parts that parallel The Hunger Games just made me groan. They were totally unnecessary and confusing. To top it off, the book ends abruptly with a cliff hanger.

It's not often I wish I had spent my time doing something else, but this time, I do. The book is incomplete. The main character needs help in more ways than one. I really wish the author would go back and fix this book! In many ways, the premise had promise, but it was left outside to freeze and and it did.

My copy came from Celebrate Lit, and I have purchased it on my own right before that. I leave this review of my own free choosing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this teen novel. Eve is part of a community living in huge caves after a catastrophic event 45 years ago changed the climate. She has not been chosen for her training and future work as others her age have been. She feels she has not found her place and does not fit in. I think every teen can identify at some time with her feelings.

There is some mystery in the novel. People go outside the doors of the caves to hunt and other activities and once Eve's father did not make it back in time to get in before the gates closed. Eve wonders why that happened. Is he dead? Some of the teens in Eve's hunting group are savagely attacked? Who is doing that and why?

I think teens would like this novel. There are issues teens face, secrets leaders are keeping, some romance, and some adventure. The writing is well done and the characters are well crafted. There is a discussion guide at the end which would make this book a good one for a teen reading group.

We are left in a tense situation at the end of this novel. I'll be looking for the sequel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life After E.L.E. ( Frozen World #1 )
By: J.C. Morrows

Life After E.L.E. ( Extinction Level Event ) is book one in Frozen World by J.C. Morrows. The author writes an action packed story that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to read faster and turn the pages faster to see what is going to happen next. This story really got to me. It is a YA , but adults will like it too. Eve is a young girl who has always been told and taught things about the caves all her life. She has been told secrets about the caves . Can she live by these rules? If she don’t what happens? There is a cliff hanger at the endow the story and now I can’t wait to read the next book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book , but was not told that I had to give a positive review . All options are my own.

[Debora Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very intriguing dystopian novel.

This book is written in first person point of view. The main character is Eve and we really get to know her and how she thinks. Looking through her eyes we gain a very good understanding of a number of the other characters in this book. It is very easy to connect with Eve and her family in relationship to how they feel about her father’s death.

As we go through the story Eve and the other members of her hunting class encounter a number of different things that give us insight into how life is lived in the caves. We meet Jude as Eve becomes friends with him and some of the others in her class.

I did find that at times things seemed to be very repetitious. This was a distraction and made it a little more difficult for me personally to not lose interest.

I am very glad that I stuck with it because the ending definitely had my heart pounding. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series to see what happens next.

I received a free eBook copy of this wonderful story. I have chosen to write this review to express my personal opinion.

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Life After E.L.E."by JC Marrows is a book that I have to say isn't one that I really enjoyed. But that might be due to the fact that it is geared to young teens and I am over 50.

This story might have been more interesting if there had been a little more info at the start but then this book is the first book in the ("Frozen World Series" ) so the info might be explained more in the second book.

I was actually starting to enjoy the book more and then the ending came with a cliff hanger, which I don't mind cliff hanger, but the waiting is hard, just like television series.

The thing I think I disliked the most was I thought the kissing was more intense than I thought was appropriate for young teens ...Biting on the lips and the ears and tongues involved.

I can only give this book 2 stars and yes I will probably read the next book in the series just to see if my unanswered questions are answered.

I was given a copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

[Missica Skeens pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. I received it free in exchange for an unbiased review through CelebrateLit, and got so into it! I honestly can't wait for book 2 to come out. The characters truly develop and evolve throughout the book, and each has their own distinct personality. You really get to know them, and understand their inner workings. This is a true dystopian fantasy novel, but it has its own uniqueness rather than riding the coat tails of previous works, as so many seem to do. This is distinctly different, and I was not expecting the ending. I'm greatly looking forward to the 2nd book in this series, and I truly hope the author picks up where this one ended. I kind of have a sense as to what's going on, but as with anything that could be completely off of where the author chooses to take us. I'm really, really excited for book 2!

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this dystopian book. I could not put this down. I needed to know what happened to make the world so cold and to bring everyone to the caves to live. Life seems ok but there is something underneath that is ominous. It is going to be hard to wait for the next book in this series. I received an ebook copy of this book from Celebratelit for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this book ever since it was available for pre-order and Ms. Morrows did not disappoint!
Eve was born in the caves and doesn't go out until she finds a new internship. The life of the people after E.L.E was fascinating. I loved the new world Ms. Morrows created. The characters gripped me and left me wanting more. Especially, the ending!!! I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

*I received a free copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life After E.L.E. is an amazing story! After watching Divergent, Hunger Games, and 2012… I can’t wait to see this series on the BIG SCREEN!

A rogue moon hits the earth, causing an ice age . . . Morrows does a superb job of creating life in the caves for those who survived. It is especially interesting to read about the many rules they live by. I haven’t decided which would be worse – being hunted by a saber-toothed tiger or locked out of the city by the evil chancellor! I think I’d take my chances with the tiger.

I was delighted to see the progression of Eve’s first love. While it didn't go nearly as far as the scenes in the above-mentioned series, there are a couple of kisses that caught me by surprise, but that's what happens in real life. Morrows gives the characters a true-to-life relationship, howbeit with an unexpected ending.

I cannot stress enough how frustrating it will be to wait a whole year for book two! I can’t wait to read the next part of this exciting saga.

Happy Reading!

[Rachel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that picks up after the world deals with the disaster you see in so many popular movies.

Life After E.L.E. is an action-packed drama that will send shivers down your spine, keeping you on the edge of your seat, turning pages as fast as you can.

Don't miss the first installment - unless of course you're one of those who just cannot read part one and then wait for part two to release...

I was blessed to receive an early look at this book. All opinions are my own.

[Deanna Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

30 years after a collision of a moon and the earth we find a few left behind in the caves struggling to survive. Full of action, suspense and a world turned cold.. I didn’t like how passionate the kisses became but I really enjoyed the story line and wow.. the ending!

[T. Jackson]

Intense

Intense read. Kept me reading to see what happened next. I love the main character. Looking forward to the next book.

[April Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to read this book.

Many of the other reviews go into depth about the good and the bad of it.

I generally give books where I have to skip pages due to romance very low scores, if I review at all. At least in this one, it is only a few pages.

I did catch a few typos.

There is too much confusion. The reader doesn't get to fully understand what the character knows, or is afraid of. Several times, it is almost on the tip of her memory. Perhaps, it is mostly blocked from her memory.

There are many unanswered questions. How can her brother be in a permanent position in the society at age seven, and yet, a 17 year old is not old enough to be allowed in a relationship? That's not biologically sound. At what age are they allowed in a relationship? And how much older is Jude than she, since she keeps bringing it up? So much fear in the community. Scary really.

It would seem that after an extinction event, society would be more likely to want to increase the number of children born, rather than decrease it.

Also, it feels as if the ending just stopped. If it had ended a page sooner, or later, it would have been a better cliff hanger.

I really did enjoy reading it. Read it in three days. I may look at the rest in the series to see if they answer any of the questions.