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Day Zero

(Day Zero Duology #1)

Kelly deVos (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 382 ratings · 156 reviews

If you're going through hell...keep going.

Seventeen-year-old coder Jinx Marshall grew up spending weekends drilling with her paranoid dad for a doomsday she’s sure will never come. She’s an expert on self-heating meal rations, Krav Maga and extracting water from a barrel cactus. Now that her parents are divorced, she’s ready to relax. Her big plans include making it to lev ...more

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Hardcover, 432 pages

Published November 12th 2019 by Inkyard Press

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· 382 ratings · 156 reviews

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Sep 25, 2019 Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, netgalley, thrillers, suspense

Re-read 11/22/2020: So dramatic and just as awesome as the first read!

WARNING! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I generally hate anything that even hints at involving politics, whether it be a political thriller, a political scandal story or even a romance involving any sort of politician. Frankly it all bores me. However I really liked this survival/chase story coming on the heels of a politically based attack on the country’s banks. It sort of reminded me of the Terminator movies. There was no evil Sentien ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Mischenko rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fiction

This book turned out to be great. It literally had me on the edge of my seat!

The main character is Jinx Marshall. She's like any other typical teenager and enjoys her junk food and playing video games after school. What makes her different is that she's the daughter of a genius: her father who is a survivalist and has spent years preparing her for doomsday.

After an explosion puts her in danger along with a few members of her family, she's trapped in a burning building and all the survival skill ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Carrie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Day Zero by Kelly deVos is the first book of the young adult apocalyptic thriller Day Zero Duology. The duology is set in a future version of our world when political parties have divided folks. One side known as the Spark had taken over and tried to make everyone in the world equal, dividing supplies and goods among all citizens. This however had created a depression in society so you also have the Opposition who are opposed to the Spark’s methods.

Jinx Marshall is anything but an average teen n ...more

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May 07, 2019 Felice Laverne rated it really liked it

Shelves: mini-review, read-2019, sensitivity-reads, coming-of-age, dystopian, given-to-me-by-publisher, contemporary-fiction, multicultural-fiction, ya

You guys may know that I'm not the biggest fan of YA literature - more accurately, it's just not a go-to genre of mine. But, I was really intrigued by this one when HarperCollins asked me to read it. I have to say, this is a phenomenal, roller coaster of a ride! The twists and turns are endless and you WANT to root for these kids - well, teens. :-) It goes for a dystopian-esque sort of feel, while still being very contemporary and modern-day. In fact, the political infrastructure of this novel i ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 Jasmine from How Useful It Is rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, young-adult, publisher-blog-tour, thrillers

This book is a good read. I'm not into the political portion of it but that's great that 17 year-old girls (characters) have strong feelings for it. I sure enjoyed the humor in this story though. It's interesting how Jinx's mom expect her ex-husband to help out her new husband. Who in this day and age would do that especially when she's the one who left. Jinx's brother has to watch out for his blood sugar all the time so I like that Jinx is a great sister to care for him. Their dad's prep is unb This book is a good read. I'm not into the political portion of it but that's great that 17 year-old girls (characters) have strong feelings for it. I sure enjoyed the humor in this story though. It's interesting how Jinx's mom expect her ex-husband to help out her new husband. Who in this day and age would do that especially when she's the one who left. Jinx's brother has to watch out for his blood sugar all the time so I like that Jinx is a great sister to care for him. Their dad's prep is unbelievable. The insulin medicine for example, how long has it been there? All of the high tech and survival tactics are great, an adrenaline rush reading their actions and adventures evading captures.

 This book is told in the first person point of view following Susan aka Jinx, 17 who likes computer codings just like her dad. Though her dad, a computer professor who not only focus on hacking but also doomsday. He preps his family on what to do when the world ends. Her mom got fed up of the paranoia and got remarried. Jinx's stepsister is MacKenna, 17, who is opposite of prepared. The political troubles are hot on the news and attacks started to happen. All of a sudden, Jinx finds herself, her brother, stepsister, and stepbrother having to utilize her dad's end of the world rule book for survival.

 Day Zero is well written and a fast paced read. In reality, when end of world happens, the last thing I expect is for the parents to run off to save themselves and expect a 17 year old daughter to take care of her 8 year old brother, constantly checking his blood sugar while on the run. But yeah, Jinx is definitely a multi talented teen who can pretty much do anything, even work with gunshot wound. I like that Charles, 8 is smart with his interest in plants. I do like those twists, especially when comes to trusting people. Pretty sucks to be in MacKenna's shoes because she has to go along with whatever Jinx says since she doesn't have prep knowledge and Jinx's mom & dad only communicate to Jinx. I like how step-family is portrayed in this book as getting along, more well than not.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details ...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-2

This was a crazy thrill ride cross between a disaster prepper’s YA dystopia, computer hacking and bombings, and politics gone mad. I read Kelly Devos’ “Fat Girl on a Plane” which I also loved, and all I can say is, this book is completely different, and equally amazing. Jinx has grown up in a house with a dad who is constantly prepping for the apocalypse, is friends with a resistance leader and former presidential candidate and may be in trouble. Now her parents are divorced, she and her stepsis ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Dianne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, 1-in-series, arc-read, netgalley, z10-read

Raised to survive, no matter what, trained to defend herself for Doomsday, Jinx Marshall is ready for something…but what happened is almost too “science fiction suspense” for her to believe, and it started with an explosion her father is blamed for creating.

As the world crumbles all around her, Jinx must lead her siblings on a deadly journey to safety, weaving their way through the clutches of military might, the vigilante opposition and the minefield of deceit from those she should trust the mo ...more

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Nov 20, 2019 ♥Rachel♥ rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, end-of-the-world-scenario

The story concept held a lot of promise, but, sadly, this one fell short for me. Jinx was a lackluster as a main character to me. Didn't stand for anything, and for supposedly having tons of Doomsday training and drills she made so many stupid mistakes. She didn't take charge and most of the time I wanted to shake some sense into her. I won't be reading the second book.

A copy was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Berit☀️✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, blog-tour, advanced-reader-copy

𝓘𝓽’𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓮 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓲𝓽 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓮!

Kelly de Vos has written a fast paced, action packed, compelling dystopian thriller. It is sometime in the future and Susan better known as Jinx is walking home from school with her siblings, Charles and Makenna. When they stop at a local market to pick up some snacks on the way home all heck breaks loose. The adjacent imposing Bank building is blowing up and the kids are in the path of the destruction. Fortunately Jinx was raised by a doo ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Hristina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-and-na, first-read-arcs, reviewed, not-what-i-thought, from-netgalley, thriller, e-books

Read more about Day Zero, as well as an excerpt of the book on my blog illbefinealone reads.

This book turned out to be exactly what I was in the mood for.
First and foremost, the pacing was great. I like books where something I find intriguing is happening throughout them, and Day Zero was that to me. The twists were exceptionally fun, they kept the plot unpredictable and me on the edge of my seat.
There was something about the writing too, it sucked me in and kept my attention from the start all ...more

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Nov 22, 2019 Donna Hines rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-tour, arc, netgalley, author-publisher-provided-books

"What happens when a predator tries to raise its own prey?"
If that doesn't get your juices flowing how about we think of doom and gloom and how survival is not just given it must be earned!
Even better think of it this way:
If you could pick anyone to save you from Armageddon who would you choose?
Now that I have the thinking tanks going let's change gears literally to a Terminator style atmosphere with technology at play.
I'm a mom of three teens so please stand by....
Ok, lets go!
Revenge is so SWEE ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Wendi Lee rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, ya, read-oct-2019

Jinx is just a typical teenager. She just wants to go home from school, play video games, and indulge in soda and junk food. But unfortunately, Jinx is also the daughter of high-profile Max Marshall, a computer genius and doomsday prepper. A lot of her childhood has been spent running survival drills in the case of a catastrophic event.

What starts out as a normal school day turns out to be the end of the world as they know it, as Jinx and her siblings try to navigate the dangerous political rhe ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Shelley rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019-release, arc-edelweiss, young-adult, post-apocalyptic

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, Post-apocalyptic
*Rating* 3.5

*Thoughts*

Day Zero is the first installment in author Kelly deVos's Day Zero Duology. 17-year old Susan "Jinx" Marshall is the daughter of Dr. Maxwell Marshall aka Dr. Doomsday who wrote the book called Doomsday Guide to Ultimate Survival. Jinx and her brother Charles grew up spending weekends drilling with their paranoid father for a doomsday she’s sure will never come. She’s an expert on self-heating meal rations, Krav Maga and ...more

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Oct 06, 2019 Madison rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult

3.5 stars. Okay, you had me at Krav Maga, and prepping. If I’m going to read a doomsday book, having a character who knows that they are up against is my kind of book. Day Zero has all the destruction, terror and political unrest you would expect from a book about the end of civilisation as we know it. Along with lots of action and tension, Day Zero plunges readers into a world that is scarily similar to our own, as political fractions rip society apart.

Jinx doesn’t much care for politics, histo 3.5 stars. Okay, you had me at Krav Maga, and prepping. If I’m going to read a doomsday book, having a character who knows that they are up against is my kind of book. Day Zero has all the destruction, terror and political unrest you would expect from a book about the end of civilisation as we know it. Along with lots of action and tension, Day Zero plunges readers into a world that is scarily similar to our own, as political fractions rip society apart.

Jinx doesn’t much care for politics, history or who won the recent election. She’d rather focus on her upcoming campaign in her favourite computer game. But then she, her younger brother and her step-sister are caught up in one of five building explosions that kills thousands and sends the population into a terror-driven run on the banks. When her step-father is arrested for the explosions and her mother taken as part of the investigation, Jinx knows their only chance of survival is finding her father, a doomsday survivalist expert, a computer genius and best friend of the man who is currently trying to hunt her down.

The terror and emotions in Day Zero are very authentic. Jinx and her siblings spend the majority of the first half of this book either freaking out, trying to figure out what to do next or arguing. The stress-induced tension was very realistic. And despite all of Jinx’s training with her father, including Krav Maga, weapons handing, drills for survival and exit strategies, she doesn’t get much time to get her head around what’s happening or what to do next, so she and her siblings spend a lot of time bouncing from one near miss to another. Along the way, we readers learn a little about the political climate of the book’s setting. The political unrest is the basis for the societal meltdown - two political parties, one newly elected president who seems to be there because of a rigged election, the other side in hiding in fear for their lives, explosions attributed to the losing political side, martial law declared, and a hunt for those deemed responsible. Jinx and her family are the targets and she must do everything she can to survive.

Day Zero is the first book in a planned duology and the conclusion of this first book gives readers an exciting climax and a big twist to set the scene for book two. Day Zero is the perfect book for readers who love action-drive YA.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Mari Johnston rated it liked it

This review and many others can also be found at Musings of a (Book) Girl.

Content Warnings: violence, bombings, medical procedures, classism, death of a parent

Day Zero started out so great! And then kind of fizzled off…

Kelly deVos puts us into the action pretty quickly but not before properly introducing us to the characters. This was something I greatly appreciated because it helped me form a connection to the story from the very beginning. Everybody had their own unique personalities that stay This review and many others can also be found at Musings of a (Book) Girl.

Content Warnings: violence, bombings, medical procedures, classism, death of a parent

Day Zero started out so great! And then kind of fizzled off…

Kelly deVos puts us into the action pretty quickly but not before properly introducing us to the characters. This was something I greatly appreciated because it helped me form a connection to the story from the very beginning. Everybody had their own unique personalities that stayed until the end.

Other than Charles, though, I mostly felt very meh about the characters. None of them really stuck out to me long-term and they were forgettable. They easily could have fit into any other post-apocalyptic story and not felt out of place.

The beginning action was incredibly exciting and I had a hard time putting the book down in order to go to sleep. This definitely isn’t a story you want to start at midnight unless you’re already planning on staying awake all night. deVos’ writing kept me on the edge of my seat and I really didn’t know where she would take things.

I wish the entire thing had the same excitement as the start of the story but it didn’t. This is clearly set up to be a two part series and it feels forced. Around a third of the way into it I started to lose interested – things were dragging on too much.

The arguments between the characters and action scenes started to feel too repetitive. And during the major times that politics were discussed it became a major info dump. I definitely wish that had been weaved more seamlessly into everything. The story could have easily been just one book and I think it would have worked better.

This is also a book that clearly does not need romance thrown into it. Both instances were awkward and unnecessary – adding more clutter and complicating things. It didn’t feel natural for the characters and the way it was brought up so sporadically felt jarring.

Overall, if you enjoy post-apocalyptic books then give Day Zero a try! I don’t think I’ll be reading the second book when it comes out but if it were adapted onto the screen I’d definitely be interested.

A digital ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 Aoife rated it liked it

Trapped in a never ending series of catastrophes, Jinx and her siblings must rely on her father's prepper training to help get them to safety.

This is an odd one, and difficult to rate. Although on the surface there's nothing wrong with it, it's a perfectly good adventure story, the more I think about it, the more problems appear. For instance, when is it set? Presumably it's some way in the future; cars have autodrive and all the textbooks seem to be on tablets. The American parties have given w ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Reading Reindeer 2021 On Proxima Centauri rated it it was amazing

DAY ZERO is fascinating! I've been devoted to Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic genres since I devoured Philip Wylie's TOMORROW at the age of ten and was rendered permanently terrified. DAY ZERO has been compared to Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNOW IT Series, but I am pleasantly reminded of Emmy Laybourne's MONUMENT 14. Two siblings (one diabetic and likely Asperger's) and their stepsister; teacher mom; emotionally distant stepdad; and prepper-survivalist dad--in a world suddenly erupting in ...more

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May 13, 2019 Stacie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley-arcs

I received an arc of this book from Net Galley and will post my full review closer to its release date.

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Nov 24, 2019 Toya (the reading chemist) rated it liked it

3.5 stars.

Susan ‘Jinx’ Marshall is your average seventeen year old girl who is addicted to junk food and just wants to play her beloved video game rather than focus on school work. Jinx is the daughter of Dr. Maxwell Marshall who is a famous computer genius and self-proclaimed doomsday expert. Much of Jinx’s childhood consisted of constantly running survival drills in preparation for catastrophe. Jinx’s mom finally had enough of the paranoia, so she remarried and took Jinx and her younger bro 3.5 stars.

Susan ‘Jinx’ Marshall is your average seventeen year old girl who is addicted to junk food and just wants to play her beloved video game rather than focus on school work. Jinx is the daughter of Dr. Maxwell Marshall who is a famous computer genius and self-proclaimed doomsday expert. Much of Jinx’s childhood consisted of constantly running survival drills in preparation for catastrophe. Jinx’s mom finally had enough of the paranoia, so she remarried and took Jinx and her younger brother Charles with her.

Following a pretty typical school day, Jinx, her stepsister MacKenna, and Charles make a pitstop at the local convenience mart on their way home. That is when life as they know it is completely turned upside down. Now Jinx and Charles are forced to rely upon the survival skills that they were taught if they are going to live through the political turmoil, bombings, and the infamous Mr. Tork who is hellbent on capturing Jinx.

I haven’t read a post-apocalyptic story in quite some time, and this one starts off with a bang (quite literally). The beginning of the story is nonstop action as Jinx, MacKenna, and Charles are running for their lives. Everytime they thought they were one step ahead, Tonks is right there behind them to shake things up. This guy reminded me of something out of Judge Dredd or Terminator. He just doesn’t let up.

The politics in this book were a bit confusing to follow along with at first because it isn’t really outlined who did what and why. There are two opposing forces, and you really aren’t sure which side is responsible for all of the unrest and turmoil.

When it comes to characters, I really enjoyed both Jinx and Charles. At only seventeen, Jinx constantly steps up in order to make sure that her brother is safe and protected. Charles suffers from type I diabetes, and no matter what, Jinx is constantly checking on his health and well being so that he doesn’t suffer from an episode. If the end of the world was upon me, I don’t know that I could be as cool, calm, and collected as her in order to survive, but I also wasn’t raised by a dad who constantly made me run survival drills.

Overall, if you love a good post-apocalyptic survival adventure then definitely check this one out!

Thank you to the Harlequin Publicity Team and Inkyard Press for my tour invite and providing an eARC for review. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own. ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Brittney Monroe rated it it was amazing

First things first, thanks to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

All Susan "Jinx" Marshell wanted to do when she got home from school was get her guild ready for battle and maybe finish her history book report. The only thing she needed to grab was some Strawberry Jolt and salty snacks from the minimart to complete her weekend plans. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems. During their shopping trip, the bank next door explodes and she is forced into survival m ...more

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Nov 12, 2019 Jenn of The Bookish Society rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nov-2019

I binge read this book over the last two days. I may be late to the review party, but I'm right on time to give you the gist just in time for you, dear readers, to get your hands on it.
Everything that can go wrong seems to for poor Jinx. The girl wants to get some snacks and play her video game when the world explodes around her. Luckily (unluckily?), her Dad is a published survival expert, and she and her family have been running "drills" of different apocalypse scenarios for as long as she can ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Teri rated it it was amazing

Warning: Only read this book if you have several uninterrupted hours. Otherwise, you'll forget or ignore everything else requiring your attention.

It all starts out normal enough with Jinx and her stepsister picking up her brother after school and stopping for an errand before going home. Minutes after, life will never be the same for them. Political unrest (eerily similar to our current political climate), a rigged election, a country torn apart by differing viewpoints, doomsday prep, twists ...more

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Aug 19, 2020 Tanya Schwander rated it it was amazing

An exciting, dystopian thriller that seems a bit too real given today's political situation. What I really liked is that the female lead, a 17 year old techie, is a strong, intelligent protagonist while also still dealing with regular insecurities of being a teenage girl. Having been raised by a survivalist father, she has the knowledge and skills to survive a totalitarian uprising, and yet she is still struggling to find her own place in the world. I can't wait for the sequel coming out this De ...more

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Dec 28, 2019 Becks rated it it was ok

not good. far too much telling, almost no showing. characters lecture the reader. it's tacky and i hate it. did not give one singular crapola about any of the characters. also, vomit at the instalove. just, yikes. 2/10 do not recommend. DNF'd at the 75% mark. ...more

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May 27, 2019 Laurie rated it it was amazing

Just finished this sci/fi dystopic political thriller and all I can say is - this author has Meryl Streep level RANGE. Her last book, FAT GIRL ON A PLANE, was a witty, scathing look at the fashion industry and a feminist call-to-arms over the need for a revolution when it comes to body positivity. DAY ZERO is something COMPLETELY different (which has cemented deVos as one of my favorite authors, not only for how smart her writing is, but because I know I'll never be able to predict what genre sh ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Sandra "Jeanz" rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, edelweiss, post-apocalyptic

It was the cover of this book that originally attracted me to it, along with the title, Day Zero. I wanted to know why it was Day Zero and what Day Zero was too, so this curiosity led me to read the blurb. I find prepping fascinating, so when the blurb says that the main character whose nickname is Jinx is used to doing drills that her father thinks necessary for an impending doomsday that interested me even more.

I like the rather desolate looking cover, with the one female character on it, whom It was the cover of this book that originally attracted me to it, along with the title, Day Zero. I wanted to know why it was Day Zero and what Day Zero was too, so this curiosity led me to read the blurb. I find prepping fascinating, so when the blurb says that the main character whose nickname is Jinx is used to doing drills that her father thinks necessary for an impending doomsday that interested me even more.

I like the rather desolate looking cover, with the one female character on it, whom I would say is Susan, the main character in the book. Though throughout the majority of the book she is being called Jinx by her family and friends even though she hates the nickname and what it suggests. The genres I have seen listed for this book are Teens and YA, which though I agree with, as an adult reader I have to point out I really enjoyed reading this book, so think Adults would read this book too, I would also add post-apocalyptic to the genres.

The books main character is Susan Marshall, but everyone calls her by the nickname of Jinx even though she really hates it. Susan/Jinx lives with her younger brother Charles, her mother and her new husband Jay and his two children from his previous marriage, Toby, who is older than Susan/Jinx and Mackenna who is the same sort of age as her. Jinx takes refuge in her own room a lot and plays video games such as Repulicae. Jinx has been planning a marathon session with her computer and Republicae all day at school, right down to calling at the Halliwell’s store for snacks and energy drinks. It’s whilst she is at the Halliwell’s with step sister Mackenna and little brother Charles that there is the first indication that something strange is going on. Their biological father Dr Maxwell Marshall is a computer science professor and is really into “being prepared” and as part of their childhood both Jinx and Charles have re-enacted so many possibilities for natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Dr Maxwell Marshall has even written a book on the subject called Dr Doomsday’s Guide To Ultimate Survival. So, when there’s an explosion nearby, whilst everyone else panics, Jinx and her brother Charles slip straight into “drill mode.” However, this is only the very beginning of things turning bad for the combined Marshall-Novak family.

Jinx see’s a cryptic message, and
It seems with all evidence pointing towards Jay Novak being the guilty party that sent the computer malware to the bank along with being involved the bombing of the bank, he will be charged and convicted. When he is arrested and his wife Stephanie Stephanie (Jinx & Charles mum) decides she goes wherever he is being taken, it leaves Jinx, Mackenna and Charles to fend for themselves and try to keep one step ahead of those trying to capture them too. Stephanie manages to call Jinx and instructs her to stay on the move and find her father, apparently Maxwell Marshall may be the only one who can help Jay and restore the banks to what they were before the political terrorist attack. Stephanie seems to think that her ex-husband Maxwell can help to clear Jay’s name somehow, or knows someone who can help.

The book covers the journey, adventures and misadventures that Jinx, Mackenna, Toby, Charles have whilst trying to lay low, yet find their way to Dr Marshall.
Their odds of staying hidden do improve when Dr Marshall aka Dr Doomsday sends them some help and an evacuation plan in the form of Gus Navarro. Navarro attended a convention that Jinx was at with her father and had kept in touch with Dr Doomsday ever since.

My favourite character was of course Susan aka Jinx, the way she slips straight into the drills her father has had her and her younger brother doing is what protects her and those around her. Jinx and Mackenna begin their journey being at odds and having lots of differing opinions. When it comes to Charles, the two girls do come together to protect him, though Mackenna and her older brother Toby tend to let him eat whatever he wants despite the fact he has type 1 diabetes. Jinx ends up having to be the bad guy and try to find healthy food, test his insulin levels and give him his injections too. Jinx and Mackenna do end up coming together and displaying a united front when them and their little family are under threat. In fact, Jinx has to do something she would have never thought herself to be capable of to save her step sisters life at one point in the book.
I immediately loved the character of Gus Navarro, and was hoping he would feature more as the book and plot developed. I loved the relationship slowly blossoming between him and Jinx. I hope there is much more of this couple in the next book.

The character I enjoyed hating was of course, Tork, the ruthless guy who is tracking Jinx and her group, as well as seemingly wanting to speak to her father too. He always seems to be that one step ahead. At one point the possibility of “someone on the inside” the banking system is mentioned, and yes, I did have that in the back of my mind as well as thinking that Dr Maxwell was too obvious to be the culprit. Having said all that, when it gets to a certain point in the book when the “insider” is revealed I was, like wow! I hadn’t thought of that, but it is an amazing twist.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were Wow I really didn't see that end coming! Seriously looking forward to reading more!! Brilliant, this book held me firmly from first word to the last.

To sum up I really did enjoy this book, it grabbed my attention within the first few words and kept a hold of me until the very last words. I honestly did not see that ending coming at all. I felt so sorry for Jinx, she had lost a lot by the end of the book. I can’t wait to find out what she will do in the next book. She has proven herself more capable than she ever thought she was in this book, and hopefully she will have the help of Navarro as well as her step family.
...more

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Mar 11, 2020 Stefani rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, library

To sum it up in one sentence, this book wasn’t very good but wasn’t completely without redeeming qualities. The writing was solid. A bit too much tell versus show at times but the narrative was engaging enough that it didn’t bother me. I liked the introductions to all the characters and felt that those early chapters gave me a really good handle on who everyone was. Except Toby, for the first few chapters I kept forgetting who he was and I am still not sure why I couldn’t remember him.

Jinx was a To sum it up in one sentence, this book wasn’t very good but wasn’t completely without redeeming qualities. The writing was solid. A bit too much tell versus show at times but the narrative was engaging enough that it didn’t bother me. I liked the introductions to all the characters and felt that those early chapters gave me a really good handle on who everyone was. Except Toby, for the first few chapters I kept forgetting who he was and I am still not sure why I couldn’t remember him.

Jinx was a terrible main character. I could tell that she’s supposed to be smart but she really enjoyed acting like she wasn’t. Her father prepared her for the apocalypse for years, she knows what she should do in the situations presented in the book. She just decides not to do it. And then regrets it once everything goes horribly wrong. Just once I wanted her to follow the lessons of her father and go along with the disaster plan. But, alas, she did not. I tried really hard to like her as a character but I just couldn’t do it.

Charles was an absolutely delight as a character, which was completely unexpected for me. I did not expect to like him but he stole my heart. I wanted to protect him in his anxiety and fear. And to quite frank, he was a lot smarter than his older sister too.

My biggest problem with this book however was the political overtones. I don’t mind books that are commentaries on the current political climate. But, is it really so hard to disguise that a tiny bit? Somehow the current political parties have been replaced by The Spark and The Opposition. I have no idea how that happened because the author didn’t bother to tell me. The Spark is basically the Democrat party. Socialist, popular with “educated” folks who majored in political science, and the goal is take rich people’s money and spread it around so that everyone has a mediocre existence. They have been in power for about 10 years according to the book. Their leader is Rosenthal. Everyone in the book repeats the party catch phrase ad nauseum “Everyone’s for Rosenthal.” And if anyone in the book even hints that they might not be for Rosenthal they are immediately attacked with “so you just hate people? you just want to hoard your stuff instead of take care of people?!” Yawn. Boring. The Opposition is the Republicans, allegedly. Led by Ammon Carver, an enigmatic billionaire who owns the largest bank in the country and since “Everyone’s for Rosenthal” he obviously cheated in order to win. Is this sounding familiar at all? Oh yes, everyone in The Opposition wears red hats, carries shotguns, has a poor command of the English language, has a pickup truck, and obviously wants the world to descend into anarchy so they can keep all their stuff. Oh and every other character immediately labels them a Neo-Nazi seemingly without any evidence of that at all. Is this sounding familiar now?

I didn’t mind the political themes at first because after the first 20 pages or so they seemed to largely move on to other things. But then it comes back at the end in such a heavy handed way that I wanted to scream. It felt like the author was beating me over the head with a MAGA hat screaming “I’m talking about Trump and 2016!!!” I get it. Okay? Honestly. I get it. I am not so stupid that I didn’t see your glaringly obvious theme. I was so tired of it by the time we got to the big twist at the end that I mostly just wanted the book to end. I don’t mind politics in my books, but please refrain from beating me over the head with your own opinions. I don’t need the brain damage.

And then we come to the twist. It wasn’t that good either. I started figuring it out about halfway through the book. I was completely sure that I knew what was going on shortly after. It was so blatantly obvious that even another character basically says to Jinx, “Hey isn’t all this stuff weird and suspicious? Do you think there might be something odd going on here?” And Jinx just laughs and says “Of course not!”. Then she is oh so shocked when the traitor is revealed. Um, that other character literally told you all that stuff about 40 pages ago. Are you really that dense?

Overall, not a good book. I won’t be reading the next book but it gets some credit for the exciting middle portion and for Charles.

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Nov 25, 2019 Liz (Quirky Cat) rated it really liked it

I received a copy of Day Zero in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Day Zero is the first novel in a Duology of the same name by Kelly deVos. What do you do, when the end of the world as you know it is looming on the horizon? That’s a question that Jinx Marshall is going to have to answer. Thankfully, being the daughter of a doomsday prepper has left her fairly well prepared for it. Though she never could have prepared for the cause of the downfall.
Day Zero is a novel made up of many eleme I received a copy of Day Zero in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Day Zero is the first novel in a Duology of the same name by Kelly deVos. What do you do, when the end of the world as you know it is looming on the horizon? That’s a question that Jinx Marshall is going to have to answer. Thankfully, being the daughter of a doomsday prepper has left her fairly well prepared for it. Though she never could have prepared for the cause of the downfall.
Day Zero is a novel made up of many elements. It’s an apocalyptic novel (not quite post – not yet, at any rate). It’s a discussion on politics and ethics. It’s a survival novel, with a healthy dose of hacking and tech speak. There’s family drama and romance, and basically everything you can think of in here.
Jinx was never really an ordinary girl. You’d have to live an ordinary life for that. She grew up running practice drills for any and all major events that could happen. Not exactly normal – but it’s going to come in use now. In her downtime, Jinx likes to code and relax online, usually by gaming with her friends. She’s paranoid, quick, and unafraid to follow through on her decisions. Oh, and she earned her nickname thanks to all the bad things that seem to happen around her.

“It’s not a raid without cheese puffs and Extra Jolt strawberry soda.”

Day Zero was a fast-paced novel, packed to the brim with details and explanations that made the entire plot feel real. Perhaps too real, given the circumstances. Jinx’s quest for answers and resolution was fascinating; resulting in a mad dash from one event to the next.
There was a lot to enjoy about Day Zero. For one thing, I love how many different elements were woven into this piece (see above). It’s not every day you get to see a novel like that, so I always make a point of appreciating it when it happens.
Another part I loved about this novel was how it made you think. There are several different moments of political discourse laid out onto the table here. It was food for thought, especially as Kelly deVos played Devil’s Advocate through her characters – which in itself was fascinating.
The pacing was exceptionally done as well. There was a lot to fit into this book (obviously), and yet it never really felt like it was dragging. Sometimes it did seem like Jinx and her family were being thrown all over the map, but in a good way. After all, they were on a run for their lives.
Speaking of Jinx, I really enjoyed her character. I wasn’t sure about her at first, since she seemed to be so closed off from the rest of the world. But the more I got to see of her, the more I became invested in her story (and thus her survival). She’s quick-witted, driven, and stubborn as a mule. But it’s perfect for this story.
The final element I loved about this novel had to be the conclusion. Don’t worry: I’m not about to spoil it on you. But I will say that I feel like this ending perfectly fit the tale being told. Lately, it seems like I’ve come up against so many novels with a rushed ending that didn’t fit the intrigue of the introduction. That is not the day for Day Zero. This was the ending us readers deserved, and I couldn’t be happier about that fact.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the second novel in this duology brings with it. It will be interesting to see how Jinx and her crew resolve this whole mess – because you just know that there’s no way they’re staying out of it.

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Nov 25, 2019 Leelynn (Sometimes Leelynn Reads) ❤ rated it really liked it

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Presents, and Inkyard Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This technically should have been my second DeVos book but I still haven’t gotten to my Fat Girl on a Plane ARC (oops) so this is going to be my first book. And honestly, I’m not disappointed with it. I Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Presents, and Inkyard Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

This technically should have been my second DeVos book but I still haven’t gotten to my Fat Girl on a Plane ARC (oops) so this is going to be my first book. And honestly, I’m not disappointed with it. I like the snark that I got from Jinx and I could totally feel where she’s coming from on the personal side of things.

I guess I could be a little bit more specific on that, oops.

We first meet Jinx at high school, where her stepsister is in her history class and her mother is the teacher. Clearly this is some time in the future, but things haven’t been okay because while their technology seems advanced, it’s not working at 100% capacity. There’s also been really major budget cuts that even the high school population seems to be negatively affected by it. To the point that I’m actually really surprised by it.

But not even just that. Apparently Jinx’s dad – her biological dad – is some sort of conspiracy theorist that was able to bring the country to its knees by creating a code that just messed up everything. He didn’t do it to be malicious, but to show that that technology could be easily hacked and affected, and that everyone needs to be ready for the end of the world. Since he wrote his survival manual and published it though, the world kept going on… business as usual.

But he was right. Things were going to end as we knew it, and I don’t think anyone was as prepared as they should have been.

The synopsis for this novel said that fans of The 5th Wave would like this novel. I personally only read the first book (The 5th Wave) and I loved it. So, I guess they were on the nose with that. I did really like this novel, and I was pretty proud of Jinx for remembering what her father taught her, even if she didn’t want to think about how that period in her life was what led to her family’s end. It may have been etched in her brain with all the drills and practice runs that they did, but for her to actually execute them was impressive to me. I’m so curious about how this duology will end, and I’m glad that I finally got to read a DeVos book.

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Nov 14, 2019 Alyson Stone rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, science-fiction

Book: Day Zero
Author: Kelly DeVos
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for sending me an ARC.

I went into this book knowing nothing about. The summary sounded really interesting. This book follows Jinx and her family as they struggle to survive against a very corrupt government. Her father has them all trained to survive in bad situations. They have spent their entire life drilling for this moment, but, only this time, this is not a drill. The government i Book: Day Zero
Author: Kelly DeVos
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for sending me an ARC.

I went into this book knowing nothing about. The summary sounded really interesting. This book follows Jinx and her family as they struggle to survive against a very corrupt government. Her father has them all trained to survive in bad situations. They have spent their entire life drilling for this moment, but, only this time, this is not a drill. The government is really after them.

This is a more of a political book than anything. It is action packed as the characters try to survive in a world where everything is not prefect nor is it really what it seems. We have a fast paced plot with a complex world and complex characters that is bound to suck in you. Once you are in, it’s really hard to get out. As I was reading, I really was taken back to The Hunger Games, Legend, and Divergent-even though this book really isn’t like them. it’s been awhile since I’ve read a good dystopian and this is just what I needed. Plus, Kelly just has this way of sucking you in.

The way that Kelly writes it is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat. I mean, you will be pulled in and will be shocked how quickly time passes as you are reading. The action and the characters just kept me going and going. I found myself flying through this book because I just had to know what was going to happen. I just couldn’t put it done until I reached the end of the action sequence. If you decide to pick this one up, you will find out what I am talking about.

The characters were pretty well developed and great at hiding their true actions. I mean, the big reveal at the end just left me stunned. I guess if I had been expecting it to actually go down that way, there were pretty clever clues throughout the story. I just don’t know what to think. These characters will be memorable-even the side ones. I’m just throwing that out there.

Overall, a great read if you are looking for something in the science fiction genre. I know I really enjoyed it. Now, this book is out now so if you want to, go ahead and pick it up. You will not be sorry.
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About Kelly deVos

Kelly deVos

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Kelly deVos is from Gilbert, Arizona, where she lives with her high school sweetheart husband, amazing teen daughter and superhero dog, Cocoa. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. When not reading or writing, Kelly can typically be found with a mocha in hand, bingeing the latest TV shows and adding to her ever-growing sticker collection. Her debut novel, Fat Girl on ...more