Day Zero (Day Zero Duology #1) by Kelly deVos

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

Shelves: thrillers, young-adult, suspense, netgalley

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. I 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 Sentient machines trying to take over, but the main characters are running for their lives and being chased by a foe that can’t seemed to be stopped.

In this story the evil sentient machine was replaced by the new president of the United States, Ammon Carter. The book takes place in the not too distant future and there are two political parties that exist. One is called “The Spark” whose candidate was David Rosenthal, his campaign slogan was “Everyone’s for Rosenthal”. The Spark was all about everyone being equal. The Spark has been in power for ten years and that party is all about taking from the rich and giving to the poor.

There are still rich people, but it seems that the party has done so much giving to the poor that the country is now in a New Depression and some people are disgruntled. President Carter’s party is called “The Opposition” and since “Everyone’s for Rosenthal”, it is widely known that Ammon Carter and the Opposition cheated to get into power.

Jinx Marshall is the main character. She is a 17 year old girl from a broken home. Her Dad Max Marshall was a genius that got obsessed with the end of the world as we know it and got really int survivalism. He taught his family all sorts of survival skills, took his family along to survivalist conventions, simulations and gave them constant drills until Jinx’s Mother couldn’t take it anymore.

Her Mom is now married to the Head of Security at a large bank. Jinx and her younger brother Charles live with them and her stepsister Mackenna. The three are together when banks across the country are blown up. They have to get back together with their family, including Mackenna’s brother Toby who is at the University. Jinx finds some code in a computer that has something to do with the attacks and they end up running from an agent of the Opposition who is singular in his mission to find them.

There are so many twists and turns in this book, but it is a book I couldn’t put down until I literally fell asleep reading. The characters are awesome, Jinks was trained for the situation so she can handle weapons and can fight, but she is still a teenage girl so she just wants things to go back. Charles is a kid with type 1 diabetes who will eat sweets whenever he can, he also has a fascination with growing things and is so cute at times when talking about gardening or species of plants. Mackenna wants to be a journalist and was a huge supporter of Rosenthal.

The book was just very good. It kept me guessing the entire time. I had no clue who was good and who was bad. The parents were keeping secrets from the kids and I was getting so frustrated but loving it also. There wasn’t really a cliffhanger, it was one of those things where you could technically consider it an and but also a new beginning. I will definitely read Day One.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 07, 2019 Navidad Thélamour rated it really liked it

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

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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Oct 21, 2019 Dianne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-in-series, arc-read, 10-read, netgalley, own

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 most.

Hang on for a ter ...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 av ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Hristina added it

Shelves: arcs-to-review

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

Review to come soon.

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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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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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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/>Content 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 06, 2019 Madison rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian

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 pol 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 31, 2019 Wendi Lee rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, read-oct-2019, ya

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

Shelves: edelweiss, 2019, 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 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.
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Jun 10, 2019 Nancy Fischer rated it it was amazing

A smart, twisty, ambitious thrill-ride that makes you think! I can’t wait to read the sequel and follow Jinx’s evolution and revolution. - Nancy Richardson Fischer, author of The Speed of Falling Objects.

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Oct 22, 2019 Energy rated it really liked it

Susan, aka Jinx, is a coder, daughter of a coder and prepper who has run drills with his two children for as long as they can remember. So when a disaster at a bank ends up with her step-father being taken in, she knows this is not a drill, that under their new president, things just got even more serious.

The opposition has arisen, their leader who cheated his way into office is none other then Ammon Carter, their new president. Is her father, prominent coder and prepper responsible? She would ...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 ...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 ...more

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Aug 23, 2019 Kat rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, 2019-published, e-arc, suspense, duology

I have read Fat Girl on a Plane and after reading the summary of this book was intrigued by the very different subject matter of Day Zero by the same author. Day Zero gives way to an families worst nightmare of being separated from each other and facing an apocalyptic disaster. I enjoyed the relationships between all of the siblings and the ability for them to work together under such dire circumstances. A must read for young adults who enjoy end of the world books!
Thank you to Edelweiss a ...more

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May 21, 2019 Olivia Roberts rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

Holy moly this book was INCREDIBLE. This is not my typical genre, but I was hooked from the very beginning.

Day Zero is kind of like a Doomsday type novel, but it's very centered around the end of the world as we know it due to technology. The topic itself is very interesting, but I think the style of writing and intricate characters really made it enjoyable.

I found the characters to be very well-rounded and believable throughout the whole novel. People that were r ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Savannah Worman rated it really liked it

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a doomsday prepper as a dad? How about a technological genius? Well in Kelly DeVos’ book Day Zero we get to find out exactly what it would be like. When society begins collapsing around Jinx and her family she is left to save herself and her siblings using the knowledge instilled in her by her father.

Jinx is an introverted gamer with a serious knack for technology. Her father, Dr. Doomsday, is a prepper/technology extraordinaire, h ...more

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Nov 13, 2019 Yolanda rated it really liked it

*Review will be posted to my blog on November 17, 2019**

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC and inviting me to participate in this blog tour.

Jinx is living during the New Depression. An election recently took place and The Opposition leader, Ammon Carver, won the vote for president. It doesn’t seem like many people in Jinx’s life and in society approved of this choice, most were vying for the leader of The Spark, David Rosenth ...more

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Nov 11, 2019 Fabulous Book Fiend rated it it was amazing

This is one of those books that you really cant compare to anything else you've read because it is so different and so unique an despite the fact that it is a total cliche, this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I'll admit that I haven't read a whole lot of books about teen coders surviving doomsday but that's clearly because I never knew I wanted to read about kick-ass girls like that! This book really does have everything, women defying gender stereotypes, villains that do unp This is one of those books that you really cant compare to anything else you've read because it is so different and so unique an despite the fact that it is a total cliche, this book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I'll admit that I haven't read a whole lot of books about teen coders surviving doomsday but that's clearly because I never knew I wanted to read about kick-ass girls like that! This book really does have everything, women defying gender stereotypes, villains that do unpredictable things, typical high-school friendship issues and of course just a little bit of romance. It is somewhat political, totally timely and I really enjoyed it.

Jinx is a great main character because she does have all of those teen traits that we can recognise and identify with but then she has been trained by Dr Doomsday and is also an awesome coder who is great at surviving role play games in her online community. She makes for a wonderful heroines to spend the course of this book with. She has a step sister who is basically the opposite of her and so they counteract one another constantly but that can sometimes be helpful in certain situations. I can't wait to delve a little more into their relationship in the second half of this duology!

The real show-stealer here in terms of characters is little brother Charles, he is so sweet and so quirky and I just loved when he would come into a scene and complicate it or just make everything a little bit lighter. He has his own issues and they can often be problematic when you're trying to run from some unknown force in the middle of a desert. I loved the dynamic between these siblings and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of that in book two.

In terms of events in this book, the plot is one of the twistiest I have read for a long time, I literally didn't predict anything that was going to happen along the way and sometimes you really need a book to come along and shake things up like that. There is quite a lot of violence in this book and peril at every turn so definitely exercise care there if that's not your thing. I will say though I don't think any of the violence or any of the scarier parts were there unnecessarily, I think they were all key to the plot and so I thought they were well-timed and added to that edge of your seat factor.

Now I know you don't normally find me recommending doomsday survival novels on this blog but you do find me recommending books with brilliant character dynamics and kick-ass women defying all of those gender roles to make for some awesome page turning action scenes so I do highly recommend this book. My only issue with it is that now I have to wait for book 2 to come out and I'm just not sure how I'm going to last until it does! ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Amanda added it

Another blog tour post. This one is for Inkyard Press and I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I will say that this book is heavy on the political themes. While that would kind of turn me away from that kind of plot line, because I’m not at all political, I’m glad that I gave the story a chance. Heavy on the politics, but still a good read.

The story follows Susan ‘Jinx’ with her mother, Stephanie, step-father Jay, little brother, Charles Another blog tour post. This one is for Inkyard Press and I want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. I will say that this book is heavy on the political themes. While that would kind of turn me away from that kind of plot line, because I’m not at all political, I’m glad that I gave the story a chance. Heavy on the politics, but still a good read.

The story follows Susan ‘Jinx’ with her mother, Stephanie, step-father Jay, little brother, Charles, and step-sister, MacKenna. Jinx’s father, Dr. Doomsday, is sort of out of the picture, but his book about surviving is well known enough for MacKenna to choose that as a book report. One day, Jinx, MacKenna, and Charles are heading home when a bank from across the store they were shopping at has this explosion. Panic insures and Jay of all people is the top suspect.

Now, President Ammon Carter is declaring martial law. The two political parties, The Spark and The Opposition are kind of battling. Jinx is told by her mother to find their father and do not let the police catch her. Now, Jinx must resort to the drills her father instilled in her during a crisis such as this and there is so much more than just a bank explosion and Jay being targeted for blame.

I never did understand the whole announcing yourself as a Republican or a Democrat as if you were declaring a new cult or religion. I have my own views and what should and should not be done, but that is only me. MacKenna is entirely for The Spark while others are for The Opposition. As annoying as she was, I rather liked how headstrong and incredibly smart she was. She has her views and her beliefs. She will listen to the other side, but her mind will never change.

Jinx…I had a sort of love/hate relationship with her. She goes through these drills her father taught her, and also kind of battling her emotions toward her stepsister whom she believes hates her, and protection for her younger brother, Charles. I didn’t quite see the point in a character named Annika (won’t give away who she is) but I kind of had to wonder…was there really much of a point for her?

All in all, the story as a whole was a good read. It’s told from Jinx point of view and as much as she tries to take control, sometimes she kind of loses it when it came to her family. There were definitely some different outcomes than I originally thought when Jinx, MacKenna and Charles left the house to avoid the police – not a bad thing.

I cannot reveal what happens that even I’m just like…what?! This is just the first book and I do have much interest as to how it will continue in the second book. ...more

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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 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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Nov 07, 2019 Robin (ReadItRobi) rated it really liked it

Post-apocalypse/Fall of society is the new survival fiction and I am HERE for it! Thank you NetGalley, Inkyard Press and the author for sharing this work. I did not expect to read this YA in a single day. Should I already know Kelly DeVos? I want to, she writes with such voice!

Jinx and her siblings are on the run after a series of explosions have rocked the foundation of American civilization. Martial law's been declared, society is dividing along political party lines, and all the a ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Debbie Smith rated it really liked it

It didn’t take long for this story to catch my attention and run with it. And Kelly deVos did an excellent job of introducing the main characters and their relationships and personalities before the fast paced adventure began.

But for me, it soon slowed. Though the details and conversations were good, I started to lose interest in the dire straits the world was in as well as those running around trying to right all wrongs.

Honesty, the writing is excellent and the story is ...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 Jen 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 s ...more

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Nov 14, 2019 Nancy rated it really liked it

A Story of Survival and Political Intrigue

Seventeen-year-old Jinx is trying to settle into her new family with a step-sister, Mackenna, and Toby, a stepbrother. Jinx’s father is a computer genius and survival fanatic. He is also associated with the Opposition, a political party currently in power after ousting the Spark. The political divide leads to violence which becomes personal for Jinx, Mackenna, and Jinx’s little brother Charles.

The siblings are inside a store when explosions rock the ar ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 CR rated it liked it

This thriller started out so well!! But as the story went on it suffered from a few things. First it was a set up for book two which was kind of unneeded. It could have been a stellar story on its own and then book two could have come back and finished the story at large. We really didn't need a set up for that. The other issue was that this is just one more title that really didn't need a romance. It felt shallow and just well not needed. I don't know why a lot of ya authors think that every st ...more

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Nov 15, 2019 Mischenko rated it really liked it

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 leaves her inside a building on fire with a few members of her family, she's trapped, and all the survival sk ...more

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Nov 11, 2019 Fiona the Reader rated it really liked it

I was thrilled to be asked by Kelly deVos if I wanted to read an ARC version of Day Zero without compromise. This is my first request of this type so I couldn't resist.

To be completely honest, Young Adult is not a genre that I'm normally interested in, but I must say that it was a lot of fun taking this ride and here's why.

The Book starts with an action pack sequence that propels you right into the middle of the story. It is a discovery of the nature of survival with great tip ...more

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