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Gone Dark
Dry meets Hatchet in this thrilling tale of survival following a teen girl who must lead her friends across country to the safety of her estranged father’s survivalist compound after a mass power failure leaves the country in chaos.
When seventeen-year-old Zara escaped her father’s backwoods survivalist compound five years ago, she traded crossbows and skinning hides for electricity and video games…and tried to forget the tragedy that drove her away.
Until a malware attack on the United States electrical grids cuts off the entire country’s power.
In the wake of the disaster and the chaos that ensues, Zara is forced to call upon skills she thought she’d never use again—and her best bet to survive is to go back to the home she left behind. Drawing upon a resilience she didn’t know she had, Zara leads a growing group of friends on an epic journey across a crumbling country back to her father’s compound, where their only hope for salvation lies.
But with every step she takes, Zara wonders if she truly has what it takes to face her father and the secrets of her past, or if she’d be better off hiding in the dark.
When seventeen-year-old Zara escaped her father’s backwoods survivalist compound five years ago, she traded crossbows and skinning hides for electricity and video games…and tried to forget the tragedy that drove her away.
Until a malware attack on the United States electrical grids cuts off the entire country’s power.
In the wake of the disaster and the chaos that ensues, Zara is forced to call upon skills she thought she’d never use again—and her best bet to survive is to go back to the home she left behind. Drawing upon a resilience she didn’t know she had, Zara leads a growing group of friends on an epic journey across a crumbling country back to her father’s compound, where their only hope for salvation lies.
But with every step she takes, Zara wonders if she truly has what it takes to face her father and the secrets of her past, or if she’d be better off hiding in the dark.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2022
30 people are currently reading
6184 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Panitch
6 books203 followersAmanda Panitch spent most of her childhood telling stories to her four younger siblings, trying both to make them laugh and scare them too much to sleep. Now she lives in New York City, where she writes dark, funny stories for teens, kids, and the pigeons that nest on her apartment balcony. You can follow her on Twitter @AmandaPanitch, and visit her online at www.amandapanitch.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
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March 4, 2022This was such a fun and completely enthralling book! The whatif's of it all will suck you in and keep you rapidly turning the pages. I absolutely loved how realistic this was and how down to earth all the characters were. It really did take me by surprise and keep me entertained until the very last page.
Definitely an author I will be keeping my eyes on!
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Definitely an author I will be keeping my eyes on!
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
April 5, 2022
what the fuck did i just read
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June 6, 2022I love YA survival stories from a female perspective, and I suppose if I had not read Trigger this year, I may have enjoyed this one more. It's a story of Zara, who grew up on a prepper compound with her father, and in the wake of a terrible accident, she and her mother escape. Zara remains paranoid, though, and rightly so. When the power goes out in their new city and then begins a mass power outage across the country, Zara must find a way to survive. There is chaos, and she pairs up with her best friend, her romantic interest, and others found along the way, as they travel back east, hoping to make it to her father's compound again.
The pitch for this one is Dry meets Hatchet and that's pretty solid. I found this one dragged quite a bit, especially in the middle. I wish we'd seen more of Zara's internal world, as some of her feelings about her father seemed underdeveloped.
Readers who love adventure and survival will enjoy this one, especially if they like a big twist (I saw it coming from miles away, but that is my experience as a reader speaking). I only wish the middle had been tightened and the end lengthened, as the epilogue was a little too neat and tidy. I wanted more energy, to leave the reader with more questions than answers.
The pitch for this one is Dry meets Hatchet and that's pretty solid. I found this one dragged quite a bit, especially in the middle. I wish we'd seen more of Zara's internal world, as some of her feelings about her father seemed underdeveloped.
Readers who love adventure and survival will enjoy this one, especially if they like a big twist (I saw it coming from miles away, but that is my experience as a reader speaking). I only wish the middle had been tightened and the end lengthened, as the epilogue was a little too neat and tidy. I wanted more energy, to leave the reader with more questions than answers.
April 8, 2022
A thrilling prepper-style book about a teenage girl who must face her fears and lead her friends across the country in the absence of electricity - the virtual dark!
Zara is a 17 year old girl. Virtually normal and average except her and her mother escaped her father’s survivalist compound years ago. The instincts ingrained in her won't go away and she spends a lot of time immersed in the world of video games. When a malware attack turns the lights out on the country as nationally the electrical grid is destroyed. Zara has to step up and lead her group of friends across the country back to her father's compound where she first escaped. It's a great dystopian story filled with the typical journey obstacles and fascinating characters on the way. If you harbor an inner prepper, love stories of young people finding their inner leadership or just enjoy dystopian and disaster literature, #GoneDark won't disappoint! #netgalley #SimonandSchuster
Zara is a 17 year old girl. Virtually normal and average except her and her mother escaped her father’s survivalist compound years ago. The instincts ingrained in her won't go away and she spends a lot of time immersed in the world of video games. When a malware attack turns the lights out on the country as nationally the electrical grid is destroyed. Zara has to step up and lead her group of friends across the country back to her father's compound where she first escaped. It's a great dystopian story filled with the typical journey obstacles and fascinating characters on the way. If you harbor an inner prepper, love stories of young people finding their inner leadership or just enjoy dystopian and disaster literature, #GoneDark won't disappoint! #netgalley #SimonandSchuster
May 6, 2022
Originally posted at For What It's Worth on 4/28/2022: https://www.fwiwreviews.net/2022/04/r...
*I received and arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This was a solid post apocalypse/road trip story. Worthy (topic wise) of the Dry comparisons.
Zara realizes something is majorly wrong when the lights start going out across the US. After living years off the grid with her paranoid, survivalist, doomsday dad, she knows it's time to gather supplies and hatch a plan.
Although Zara and her mom escaped her dad's compound, his training was drilled into her at an early age and she tries to rally her friends and mom but they view this as a blip that will all get worked out in a few days and brush her off as overreacting.
Of course Zara is right and and she embarks on a road trip with her neighbor (and crush) Gabe to look for his family that were taken by a very scary group, find her mom and eventually make it back to the safety of her fathers compound, knowing they will have a better chance of survival there.
The breakdown...
🗡Bad things happen. VERY bad things. Survivors will be survivors - both good and bad. Things go downhill pretty fast as people jockey for position and water. The characters suffer great personal loss and have to somehow find the will to carry on and survive.
💪 Zara is a strong yet vulnerable character. She is tough and adapts on the fly. Her father routinely took her out in the woods for survival training and would not tolerate weakness. At. All. Tears wasted water. She makes really tough calls over and over. Repeatedly having to decide if the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. She lives in a world of morally gray decisions - decisions you may not agree with or might even be horrified by.
Her father's training drilled into her not to rely on others, always cut them lose and think only of yourself but she starts to let others in more and it's something she struggles deeply with throughout the story.
I really liked her. She's badass and could be cold but slowly let herself be cared for and saw that being part of a team was a strength not a weakness.
😍 There's a smidge of romance with her best friends brother - Gabe. She's always liked him so it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. It was fairly subtle since there's all this surviving stuff to do. And I liked Gabe. Zara's ruthless pragmatism bothered him at first but he toughened up - while softening her a bit - and completely respected her expertise when it came to the groups survival.
👦👧👨👩 Loved the whole patched together group and found family. They are all wary of each at first, come from different backgrounds but are a group that I would like to have with me in that situation.
😐 Throughout the book Zara flashes back to memories of her time with her father at the compound and clearly she remembers him more fondly than what actually occurred. I loved the internal conflict of her trying to live up to her dad's expectations and still loving him while slowly piecing together that he's not what a normal dad should be like and his motives might not be as positive as she thought.
There's also a subplot about a group of men chasing Zara that was interesting trying to figure out just who they were or why this was happening.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book but I wasn't thrilled with how the resolution of those last two things turned out. It wasn't bad, exactly, it's just that there was a lot of build up, especially regarding her dad and that part happened so quickly and then it was done. The end is a definite end but is it??? lol
The survivalist aspect and Zara's growth were awesome but the father/daughter story could have been a psychological thriller all on it's own or meshed a little better IMO. I still give it 👍👍 though.
*I received and arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This was a solid post apocalypse/road trip story. Worthy (topic wise) of the Dry comparisons.
Zara realizes something is majorly wrong when the lights start going out across the US. After living years off the grid with her paranoid, survivalist, doomsday dad, she knows it's time to gather supplies and hatch a plan.
Although Zara and her mom escaped her dad's compound, his training was drilled into her at an early age and she tries to rally her friends and mom but they view this as a blip that will all get worked out in a few days and brush her off as overreacting.
Of course Zara is right and and she embarks on a road trip with her neighbor (and crush) Gabe to look for his family that were taken by a very scary group, find her mom and eventually make it back to the safety of her fathers compound, knowing they will have a better chance of survival there.
The breakdown...
🗡Bad things happen. VERY bad things. Survivors will be survivors - both good and bad. Things go downhill pretty fast as people jockey for position and water. The characters suffer great personal loss and have to somehow find the will to carry on and survive.
💪 Zara is a strong yet vulnerable character. She is tough and adapts on the fly. Her father routinely took her out in the woods for survival training and would not tolerate weakness. At. All. Tears wasted water. She makes really tough calls over and over. Repeatedly having to decide if the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. She lives in a world of morally gray decisions - decisions you may not agree with or might even be horrified by.
Her father's training drilled into her not to rely on others, always cut them lose and think only of yourself but she starts to let others in more and it's something she struggles deeply with throughout the story.
I really liked her. She's badass and could be cold but slowly let herself be cared for and saw that being part of a team was a strength not a weakness.
😍 There's a smidge of romance with her best friends brother - Gabe. She's always liked him so it didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. It was fairly subtle since there's all this surviving stuff to do. And I liked Gabe. Zara's ruthless pragmatism bothered him at first but he toughened up - while softening her a bit - and completely respected her expertise when it came to the groups survival.
👦👧👨👩 Loved the whole patched together group and found family. They are all wary of each at first, come from different backgrounds but are a group that I would like to have with me in that situation.
😐 Throughout the book Zara flashes back to memories of her time with her father at the compound and clearly she remembers him more fondly than what actually occurred. I loved the internal conflict of her trying to live up to her dad's expectations and still loving him while slowly piecing together that he's not what a normal dad should be like and his motives might not be as positive as she thought.
There's also a subplot about a group of men chasing Zara that was interesting trying to figure out just who they were or why this was happening.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book but I wasn't thrilled with how the resolution of those last two things turned out. It wasn't bad, exactly, it's just that there was a lot of build up, especially regarding her dad and that part happened so quickly and then it was done. The end is a definite end but is it??? lol
The survivalist aspect and Zara's growth were awesome but the father/daughter story could have been a psychological thriller all on it's own or meshed a little better IMO. I still give it 👍👍 though.
April 5, 2024
A solid and riveting dystopian that didn't quite cement itself as a new favorite but was highly enjoyable nonetheless! Zara was an intriguing character and I loved how her upbringing influenced her actions and emotions. The author did a great job of displaying her vulnerability stemming from entering society for the first time while also balancing this out with the immense strength she gained from her harsh upbringing. One of my favorite parts of a dystopian is watching our core friendship group's bond grow and deepen as events unfold and grow more dire around them, and that's something that worked really well in Gone Dark. It's not an instantaneous connection, but as more companions are picked up along the way, gradual connection and trust begins to grow.
The main thing I struggled with here was the writing style. It relied heavily on telling without much showing to back it up, dragging the story out in places. I also feel like the mystery elements were tackled in a very round-about way with random elements thrown in here and there. I wish we'd also gotten to see more of the effects of the blackout on the rest of the country as we are left mostly in the dark as to how fast shortages are progressing or how they were trying to be addressed. A nation-wide power outage isn't a scenario I've seen played out before in a dystopian so I definitely would've loved to see more of the big picture problems addressed.
While this one didn't quite meet all my expectations, it is still very much recommendable and I had a great time getting to know Zara and watching how she tackled the extreme challenges she was facing and I'd recommend it to fans of Dry by Neal Shusterman. Happy Reading :)
The main thing I struggled with here was the writing style. It relied heavily on telling without much showing to back it up, dragging the story out in places. I also feel like the mystery elements were tackled in a very round-about way with random elements thrown in here and there. I wish we'd also gotten to see more of the effects of the blackout on the rest of the country as we are left mostly in the dark as to how fast shortages are progressing or how they were trying to be addressed. A nation-wide power outage isn't a scenario I've seen played out before in a dystopian so I definitely would've loved to see more of the big picture problems addressed.
While this one didn't quite meet all my expectations, it is still very much recommendable and I had a great time getting to know Zara and watching how she tackled the extreme challenges she was facing and I'd recommend it to fans of Dry by Neal Shusterman. Happy Reading :)
February 28, 2022
Did you know that if the electricity stops, 90% of the population will die? It’s this delightful premise on which Gone Dark is built. I have to admit, it took me a while to be brave enough to continue reading this book after initially starting it. I wasn’t in the right headspace for “major event in which the population struggles to survive and people die”, you know, given the situation with things in the world right now, but I am so glad I did pick it up again, because I got hooked.
Gone Dark is a compelling story of survival and what it takes to be a survivor. Zara was raised by her dad, trained to hunt, prepare for disaster, shoot a crossbow and every skill she’d ever need to survive anything. But it’s been years since she lived on the compound, after her mother moved them back to civilisation. Now, Zara spends more time in survival video games than honing any real survival skills. But when Zara notices a pattern in the recent blackouts, she fears it’s a sign of something bad coming. No one believes her. Not her best friend, school friends or even her mother. So when the power goes out and stays out across the entire country, Zara does what she knows how to do - survive. But it will take everything she knows to reinuite with her mother, team up with and keep her gaming buddy Gabe safe, and rescue her best friend.
Readers who love dystopian books will love Gone Dark. It’s highly addictive and compelling reading and I can’t wait to add it to our shelves, alongside other “the world is ending but we’ll survive” titles. If there is a time to show just how strong teens are and can be, it’s now and Zara is one very strong character. Her growth across the pages of this book is absorbing and she swings from one crazy, horrifying scenario to the next, yet she doesn’t let it stop her. Her faith in humanity is challenged, but it’s how close to home this tradgedy is that really gets to her.
I loved the group that band around Zara. It’s starts with Gabe, but as they travel to find and rescue Gabe’s sister, they start to find other teens like them who want to survive. There is a bit of romance as well, which is the perfect relief to this otherwise thrilling (although the romance is kind of thrilling as well) tale.
Perfect for fans of Clare Zorn’s The Sky So Heavy and Erik J Brown’s All That’s Left In The World.
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
Gone Dark is a compelling story of survival and what it takes to be a survivor. Zara was raised by her dad, trained to hunt, prepare for disaster, shoot a crossbow and every skill she’d ever need to survive anything. But it’s been years since she lived on the compound, after her mother moved them back to civilisation. Now, Zara spends more time in survival video games than honing any real survival skills. But when Zara notices a pattern in the recent blackouts, she fears it’s a sign of something bad coming. No one believes her. Not her best friend, school friends or even her mother. So when the power goes out and stays out across the entire country, Zara does what she knows how to do - survive. But it will take everything she knows to reinuite with her mother, team up with and keep her gaming buddy Gabe safe, and rescue her best friend.
Readers who love dystopian books will love Gone Dark. It’s highly addictive and compelling reading and I can’t wait to add it to our shelves, alongside other “the world is ending but we’ll survive” titles. If there is a time to show just how strong teens are and can be, it’s now and Zara is one very strong character. Her growth across the pages of this book is absorbing and she swings from one crazy, horrifying scenario to the next, yet she doesn’t let it stop her. Her faith in humanity is challenged, but it’s how close to home this tradgedy is that really gets to her.
I loved the group that band around Zara. It’s starts with Gabe, but as they travel to find and rescue Gabe’s sister, they start to find other teens like them who want to survive. There is a bit of romance as well, which is the perfect relief to this otherwise thrilling (although the romance is kind of thrilling as well) tale.
Perfect for fans of Clare Zorn’s The Sky So Heavy and Erik J Brown’s All That’s Left In The World.
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
April 28, 2022
I picked up this book and read 75% in one big gulp. I feel like that tells you pretty much all you need to know about how enthralling it is, but here are some extra things it did really well:
-The suspense doesn't feel contrived. There's plenty of conflict in a world such as this, and the author makes it feel like a really realistic journey, not a bunch of gimmicky cliffhangers, or repeated fight scenes between survivors over resources. The suspense is varied, realistic, and stays interesting throughout!
-The character isn't some kind of Angelina Jolie stone-faced badass from page 1. She's been trained, yeah, but she's rusty and never been in a real apocalyptic scenario, and she grows and changes over the course of the book. I believe her as a teenager rather than an action star
-The scenario is well thought out and realistic!
-The end has some twists to keep you surprised!
The one thing I didn't like was that there was one thread in the end that felt unfinished, and I don't see a good reason why the author left it that way. But other than that one thread, it feels tied up and satisfying. Loved this book!
-The suspense doesn't feel contrived. There's plenty of conflict in a world such as this, and the author makes it feel like a really realistic journey, not a bunch of gimmicky cliffhangers, or repeated fight scenes between survivors over resources. The suspense is varied, realistic, and stays interesting throughout!
-The character isn't some kind of Angelina Jolie stone-faced badass from page 1. She's been trained, yeah, but she's rusty and never been in a real apocalyptic scenario, and she grows and changes over the course of the book. I believe her as a teenager rather than an action star
-The scenario is well thought out and realistic!
-The end has some twists to keep you surprised!
The one thing I didn't like was that there was one thread in the end that felt unfinished, and I don't see a good reason why the author left it that way. But other than that one thread, it feels tied up and satisfying. Loved this book!
August 13, 2022
What’s scarier than a horror story? When the truth is far more likely to happen. In the YA thriller, Gone Dark, the U.S. electric grid is down and the apocalypse has happened.
A small band of teens, led by 17-year-old Zara Ross, journey across dusty fields, dried riverbeds, rocky terrain and the dead and dying. Their goal, to find shelter at a compound where Zara’s father once raised her to be a survivalist.
This wildly believable scenario is made all the more treacherous as people’s true natures come to surface. Chaos reigns as survivors fight for the few remaining resources. Water, food, gas and medical supplies. No one mentions toilet paper!
Zara is a bad ass. How she takes charge and cares for her friends — some just strangers — defies many of the so-called rules taught by her father. Even as she hears his voice in her head, Zara is also true to herself.
So there’s a little romance with Gabe, her best friend Estella’s older brother, but it never detracts Zara from her mission. I absolutely never guessed the surprise end, and that is why Amanda Panitch once again deserves high praise. Loved it!
A small band of teens, led by 17-year-old Zara Ross, journey across dusty fields, dried riverbeds, rocky terrain and the dead and dying. Their goal, to find shelter at a compound where Zara’s father once raised her to be a survivalist.
This wildly believable scenario is made all the more treacherous as people’s true natures come to surface. Chaos reigns as survivors fight for the few remaining resources. Water, food, gas and medical supplies. No one mentions toilet paper!
Zara is a bad ass. How she takes charge and cares for her friends — some just strangers — defies many of the so-called rules taught by her father. Even as she hears his voice in her head, Zara is also true to herself.
So there’s a little romance with Gabe, her best friend Estella’s older brother, but it never detracts Zara from her mission. I absolutely never guessed the surprise end, and that is why Amanda Panitch once again deserves high praise. Loved it!
April 12, 2022
Zara spent the first twelve years of her life hidden away on her dad’s doomsday prepper/survivalist compound. She was trained to hunt, fight, forage, and, above all, survive. Now seventeen and living in L.A. with her mom, Zara is forced to seek out her estranged father because the power grid has gone down and society is devolving into chaos. She will have to use all of the skills she wanted to forget to save herself and her friends.
•-•-•-•
This is the first of two power grid collapse books I’ve read recently (the other is Aurora by David Koepp), and this was by far my favorite! I’m a huge fan of books with teenage girls surviving apocalyptic situations, and Zara was a particularly realistic and strong protagonist. I really appreciated how Panitch approached Zara’s panic attacks and social anxiety and showed her internal conflict — she was severely traumatized by her time on the compound, but now she’s being forced to rely on and appreciate the skills she learned from her dad to survive. Gone Dark is fast-paced, exciting, thrilling, and terrifying. And the ending left an opening for a sequel… please?!?
This would be a good companion read with Life As We Knew It, and I’d recommend it for ages 12+.
* thanks to SimonTeen for the NetGalley review copy. This comes out April 12.
•-•-•-•
This is the first of two power grid collapse books I’ve read recently (the other is Aurora by David Koepp), and this was by far my favorite! I’m a huge fan of books with teenage girls surviving apocalyptic situations, and Zara was a particularly realistic and strong protagonist. I really appreciated how Panitch approached Zara’s panic attacks and social anxiety and showed her internal conflict — she was severely traumatized by her time on the compound, but now she’s being forced to rely on and appreciate the skills she learned from her dad to survive. Gone Dark is fast-paced, exciting, thrilling, and terrifying. And the ending left an opening for a sequel… please?!?
This would be a good companion read with Life As We Knew It, and I’d recommend it for ages 12+.
* thanks to SimonTeen for the NetGalley review copy. This comes out April 12.
February 3, 2025
2.5 stars. Predictable book.
The most exciting parts of the book, where the plot becomes interesting gets about one page of description before moving on. And the parts where it’s just plot filler get pages upon pages of boring description.
The entire goal in the book is to get to her fathers compound (which has a major ‘plot twist’) and that gets the same amount of description as a house party they throw because they are bored. 🧍♀️ UM
The most exciting parts of the book, where the plot becomes interesting gets about one page of description before moving on. And the parts where it’s just plot filler get pages upon pages of boring description.
The entire goal in the book is to get to her fathers compound (which has a major ‘plot twist’) and that gets the same amount of description as a house party they throw because they are bored. 🧍♀️ UM
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2022
So this book was really good. Sure, I was at a conference, kind of by myself, with no roommates or any colleagues that I knew very well, so had lots of time to read. But I started this over 400 page book with my breakfast at about 10 am, and was finished by the time I went to bed at 11 pm. That includes about 5-6 hours spent at the conference and an hour watching a tv show. This book was written in such a way that I was sucked in right away, and could barely put it down. I think it is one that a young adult, the age it is written for, would have no problem also picking right up and feeling the same way. If they can get over the size of it, because like I said, it is over 400 pages long, it doesn’t feel at all like it drags. The blurb compares it to Hatchet, which I’ve never read myself, but I totally get it from all the survival skills our main character has to use throughout the story.
I liked the background of her having lived on a compound alone with her mom and dad for the longest time until one day her mother decided it was too much and it was time to leave. The way the author kind of mixed the story of what had happened and why they left throughout the story, all the way through the book, kept me with just enough info to be able to keep going with the story, while also wanting to keep going to find out what details we didn’t yet have. Some of those details weren’t divulged until the big final moment at the end, and they perfectly brought all the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that made our main character, Zara, figure out just what to do next.
Because there were moments at the beginning when we didn’t know all these details, I wondered if she was an unreliable narrator and didn’t remember things. But really that’s not the case. Along her journey to get back to her dad’s compound, because he seemed to be right as this all went down from what he’d told her growing up, she met up with some old friends, and made some new ones along the way. We got some diversity in the characters, in a few different ways. I found the part about the Latter Day Saints compound/camp they ended up at very interesting. Then there was a truck they had to “borrow” later on in the story, and the way that story went was done uniquely and, well what I assume would be realistically in that type of a situation.
A great book that I can’t wait to get a copy of for my school library!
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
I liked the background of her having lived on a compound alone with her mom and dad for the longest time until one day her mother decided it was too much and it was time to leave. The way the author kind of mixed the story of what had happened and why they left throughout the story, all the way through the book, kept me with just enough info to be able to keep going with the story, while also wanting to keep going to find out what details we didn’t yet have. Some of those details weren’t divulged until the big final moment at the end, and they perfectly brought all the pieces of the puzzle together in a way that made our main character, Zara, figure out just what to do next.
Because there were moments at the beginning when we didn’t know all these details, I wondered if she was an unreliable narrator and didn’t remember things. But really that’s not the case. Along her journey to get back to her dad’s compound, because he seemed to be right as this all went down from what he’d told her growing up, she met up with some old friends, and made some new ones along the way. We got some diversity in the characters, in a few different ways. I found the part about the Latter Day Saints compound/camp they ended up at very interesting. Then there was a truck they had to “borrow” later on in the story, and the way that story went was done uniquely and, well what I assume would be realistically in that type of a situation.
A great book that I can’t wait to get a copy of for my school library!
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
May 7, 2025
"'You must prepare yourself, Zara, for the end of the world. It is coming. The world is not ready. You must be ready.'"
The end is coming. That’s what Zara’s father has taught her her whole life. As a survivalist and doomsday prepper living off the grid, he taught Zara all she needs to know on how to survive the end of the world and/or a natural disaster. He would have taught her even more if her mother and Zara hadn’t fled off the compound where they lived. Now living in Los Angeles with her mother, Zara is introduced to technology and has an affinity for video games. She never expects or thinks that all those skills her father taught her would come to use. That is, until the day the power is shuttered throughout the entire country, leaving the US in a complete state of shock and chaos. Unsure of what to do, Zara only knows that the best and only hope to survive is to go back to the place she fled from: her father’s compound. With a rag tag group of new and old friends, Zara goes on a quest to find her father before it’s too late.
I feel a little guilty writing this review, because honestly none of this is the book’s fault. I think it’s more my own. Survivalist and apocalyptic fiction doesn’t really appeal to me, and this was one of those times where the book’s subject matter kind of depleted the enjoyment value for me. That isn’t to say that was the book’s only problem. I think I just misinterpreted what the book was about. Doomsday prepping kind of stuff just is my thing.
I think I was also jarred by all the video game jargon. I do love computer games, but video games is a whole new area to me. I just don’t know a lot about it and that also doesn’t appeal to me either. So it didn’t really help when the first almost quarter of the book was Zara playing video games.
Now we get to the main crux of why this book wasn’t my jam, and that was Zara herself. I just found Zara annoying. There. I said it. I found her annoying. She was not the heroine I expected her to be, and that really deterred me from liking this book as well. I do admire and appreciate how the author handled her panic attacks, but I just couldn’t get past her whiny behavior and almost inherent selfishness from the beginning of the novel.
I’m sorry to say that this book just wasn’t enjoyable for me. While I fully admit most of the book’s problem felt like more of a me problem and nothing against the book itself, I still couldn’t get past the book’s slow first act and hard to root for main character.
The end is coming. That’s what Zara’s father has taught her her whole life. As a survivalist and doomsday prepper living off the grid, he taught Zara all she needs to know on how to survive the end of the world and/or a natural disaster. He would have taught her even more if her mother and Zara hadn’t fled off the compound where they lived. Now living in Los Angeles with her mother, Zara is introduced to technology and has an affinity for video games. She never expects or thinks that all those skills her father taught her would come to use. That is, until the day the power is shuttered throughout the entire country, leaving the US in a complete state of shock and chaos. Unsure of what to do, Zara only knows that the best and only hope to survive is to go back to the place she fled from: her father’s compound. With a rag tag group of new and old friends, Zara goes on a quest to find her father before it’s too late.
I feel a little guilty writing this review, because honestly none of this is the book’s fault. I think it’s more my own. Survivalist and apocalyptic fiction doesn’t really appeal to me, and this was one of those times where the book’s subject matter kind of depleted the enjoyment value for me. That isn’t to say that was the book’s only problem. I think I just misinterpreted what the book was about. Doomsday prepping kind of stuff just is my thing.
I think I was also jarred by all the video game jargon. I do love computer games, but video games is a whole new area to me. I just don’t know a lot about it and that also doesn’t appeal to me either. So it didn’t really help when the first almost quarter of the book was Zara playing video games.
Now we get to the main crux of why this book wasn’t my jam, and that was Zara herself. I just found Zara annoying. There. I said it. I found her annoying. She was not the heroine I expected her to be, and that really deterred me from liking this book as well. I do admire and appreciate how the author handled her panic attacks, but I just couldn’t get past her whiny behavior and almost inherent selfishness from the beginning of the novel.
I’m sorry to say that this book just wasn’t enjoyable for me. While I fully admit most of the book’s problem felt like more of a me problem and nothing against the book itself, I still couldn’t get past the book’s slow first act and hard to root for main character.
April 1, 2022
Four stars for this young adult thriller meets action/adventure story centering around a massive power outage that reaches global proportions.
Seventeen year old Zara Appel was raised on an off the grid compound by what she thought was an over zealous doomsday prepping father. Some bizarre tragedy on the compound, causes Zara to flee with her mother. Currently, Zara has become a gaming expert and fully immersed in the technology field her father warned her against.
Her two best friends are, Estella and Estella’s brother, Gabe.
Mini power outages in California are not unusual until Zara sees a pattern, a pattern that even her own mother chooses to ignore. Until it is too late and it becomes a global pandemic of epic proportions.
Rioting, looting and people coming out of the woodwork to inhabit others homes for food and water is at an all time high. Families separated and a strange group of ski masked man are now hunting Zara and she has no clue why?
Reconnecting with Gabe, to find his family and stay alive in a world gone crazy, seems to be too much for the seventeen year old, but she manages to recall her youthful training to help others. Would traveling to her father’s compound be a wise idea?
An intense, absorbing read with wholesome characters, who actually grow within the story; high action that is gritty and raw, and a story that definitely makes you stop and think.
Highly recommend for something different.
Seventeen year old Zara Appel was raised on an off the grid compound by what she thought was an over zealous doomsday prepping father. Some bizarre tragedy on the compound, causes Zara to flee with her mother. Currently, Zara has become a gaming expert and fully immersed in the technology field her father warned her against.
Her two best friends are, Estella and Estella’s brother, Gabe.
Mini power outages in California are not unusual until Zara sees a pattern, a pattern that even her own mother chooses to ignore. Until it is too late and it becomes a global pandemic of epic proportions.
Rioting, looting and people coming out of the woodwork to inhabit others homes for food and water is at an all time high. Families separated and a strange group of ski masked man are now hunting Zara and she has no clue why?
Reconnecting with Gabe, to find his family and stay alive in a world gone crazy, seems to be too much for the seventeen year old, but she manages to recall her youthful training to help others. Would traveling to her father’s compound be a wise idea?
An intense, absorbing read with wholesome characters, who actually grow within the story; high action that is gritty and raw, and a story that definitely makes you stop and think.
Highly recommend for something different.
May 17, 2022
Reasons to read: uhhhh survival stories are a GREAT form of escapism because they remind you that things could ALWAYS be worse
I love a good apocalypse book; they are great, especially for book slumps. I have been in the greatest slump due to a loss in the family and this book got me out of it. I have yet to read a book about the loss of power (most involve loss of power after a virus, attack etc but not specifically a massive power grid loss) The whole time I was running through my head all the things I'd have to do without and nearly passed out. I'm dramatic, I admit. What I loved most about this one was the realistic way humans just fall into ruin when their lives are upended. Without rules, without laws, I feel like the way the author perfectly portrayed human nature and their need to survive no matter what.
I loved Zara and her resourcefulness. She had been trained to survive at a young age, so to see her in action was amazing. Her journey to help save her friend lands her in some precarious places (think 28 Days Later when they find that compound and end up only wanting the women to breed with etc) My only qualm about her character was how quickly she moved on after a devastating loss.
I think readers who love survival stories will enjoy this one a lot. Other than some violence, this is age-appropriate for tweens and teens.
I love a good apocalypse book; they are great, especially for book slumps. I have been in the greatest slump due to a loss in the family and this book got me out of it. I have yet to read a book about the loss of power (most involve loss of power after a virus, attack etc but not specifically a massive power grid loss) The whole time I was running through my head all the things I'd have to do without and nearly passed out. I'm dramatic, I admit. What I loved most about this one was the realistic way humans just fall into ruin when their lives are upended. Without rules, without laws, I feel like the way the author perfectly portrayed human nature and their need to survive no matter what.
I loved Zara and her resourcefulness. She had been trained to survive at a young age, so to see her in action was amazing. Her journey to help save her friend lands her in some precarious places (think 28 Days Later when they find that compound and end up only wanting the women to breed with etc) My only qualm about her character was how quickly she moved on after a devastating loss.
I think readers who love survival stories will enjoy this one a lot. Other than some violence, this is age-appropriate for tweens and teens.
August 2, 2022
He said it would happen. Someday, the world would fall apart and no-one will know what to do, or how to survive. That was five years ago, when Zara Ross lived with her mum and dad in the wilderness.
Her dad had built their compound with survival in mind. Before leaving the compound with her mum, that was all Zara had known. Her parents were her world, her father all knowing, as he taught her how to use a crossbow, hunt for her food, gut and cook it with only fire as her tool. He taught her how to forage, climb, hide, run, track her prey and instilled in her a kind of one mindedness of how to survive.
It took Zara years to get used to the outside world, never truly fitting in. It was her cool head that gained her her best friend Estella, and a knack with computers and gaming that cemented it. But her dad was right. Their electricity is wobbling, then is completely gone. No electricity meant no ovens, or microwaves to cook, and no fridges and freezers to store the food anyway. It meant no tv, computers and its ever helpful Google and eventually cell phones either. There are no air cons to keep people cool and in some US states, alive. It means complete chaos.
Suddenly alone, Zara knows what she has to do. But Estella has been kidnapped, and her brother Gabe beside himself with guilt and a drive to find her. They set off across the US in an all but hopeless search. Any kindness or compassion that once existed seems to have vanished, with people desperate to keep themselves and loved ones alive. There are collections of good people too, building their own compound like camps. But are they what they claim to be?
Zara, and Gabe and like-minded others make their way across state after state, dealing with one challenge after another in order to survive. Now five of them, Zara has become their leader, teaching them as her father taught her. His voice is clearer in her mind with every step closer to where she needs to take her friends - to safety and home.
A riveting story of modern apocalypse with just one vital component of our world taken out - electricity. Main character Zara (17) has been raised with this eventuality (according to her survivalist dad), and taught all the skills she will need to survive. Zara's internal battle with all that her father taught her against helping others is a gradual one and her own sense of what is right wins.
All sides of human nature are portrayed in Gone Dark as the world falls apart around them, but Zara experiences all that is good within her own group who she believes she is leading to safety. She too learns new skills as each person who joins their group of five brings their own knowledge.
A further threat is a stranger who tries to capture her only hours after the electricity fails. This man knows her name and appears more than once on her journey home. Who is he and why does he want her?
A non-stop read with a slice of everything that makes a book great. Action, danger, family, guilt, loss, betrayal, survival, loyalty, courage, a kick ass main character, and even the possibility of love. A shocking ending that punches you in the gut is the icing on the cake.
Her dad had built their compound with survival in mind. Before leaving the compound with her mum, that was all Zara had known. Her parents were her world, her father all knowing, as he taught her how to use a crossbow, hunt for her food, gut and cook it with only fire as her tool. He taught her how to forage, climb, hide, run, track her prey and instilled in her a kind of one mindedness of how to survive.
It took Zara years to get used to the outside world, never truly fitting in. It was her cool head that gained her her best friend Estella, and a knack with computers and gaming that cemented it. But her dad was right. Their electricity is wobbling, then is completely gone. No electricity meant no ovens, or microwaves to cook, and no fridges and freezers to store the food anyway. It meant no tv, computers and its ever helpful Google and eventually cell phones either. There are no air cons to keep people cool and in some US states, alive. It means complete chaos.
Suddenly alone, Zara knows what she has to do. But Estella has been kidnapped, and her brother Gabe beside himself with guilt and a drive to find her. They set off across the US in an all but hopeless search. Any kindness or compassion that once existed seems to have vanished, with people desperate to keep themselves and loved ones alive. There are collections of good people too, building their own compound like camps. But are they what they claim to be?
Zara, and Gabe and like-minded others make their way across state after state, dealing with one challenge after another in order to survive. Now five of them, Zara has become their leader, teaching them as her father taught her. His voice is clearer in her mind with every step closer to where she needs to take her friends - to safety and home.
A riveting story of modern apocalypse with just one vital component of our world taken out - electricity. Main character Zara (17) has been raised with this eventuality (according to her survivalist dad), and taught all the skills she will need to survive. Zara's internal battle with all that her father taught her against helping others is a gradual one and her own sense of what is right wins.
All sides of human nature are portrayed in Gone Dark as the world falls apart around them, but Zara experiences all that is good within her own group who she believes she is leading to safety. She too learns new skills as each person who joins their group of five brings their own knowledge.
A further threat is a stranger who tries to capture her only hours after the electricity fails. This man knows her name and appears more than once on her journey home. Who is he and why does he want her?
A non-stop read with a slice of everything that makes a book great. Action, danger, family, guilt, loss, betrayal, survival, loyalty, courage, a kick ass main character, and even the possibility of love. A shocking ending that punches you in the gut is the icing on the cake.
April 19, 2022
4.5*
Gone Dark was one of my most anticipated books of the year. And good news, it did not disappoint! I love an apocalypse book, that goes without saying, but this one felt wholly realistic and kept me turning the pages! So let's break down what I liked!
►As I mentioned, it's a very realistic seeming apocalypse. Ugh, people are such trash, right? Like sure things are bad, but humans go ahead and make them far worse than they needed to be. Obviously people were going to die, that's a given, but so many are killed by their fellow man that it's infuriating. And so realistic. Add to it, Zara's prepper background makes her abilities and knowledge seem quite realistic too.
►So morally gray! I love morally gray, and this book was excellent at positing some fabulous moral dilemmas. Zara and her friends have to make some truly awful decisions along the way. Some because apocalypses are crap, and some because humans are. Either way, they weren't easy choices.
►I really enjoyed the characters. Zara seems, at times, paranoid (which makes total sense both because of her background, and the world we're in) and I couldn't help but wonder at times how reliable a narrator she was. But she clearly has the best intentions, and you cannot help but feel for her plight. She also undergoes so much growth and development during the story, and that was great to watch! I also loved the cast of characters she encounters along the way. I don't actually want to say much about them (because you want to go in not knowing who makes it out alive, right?) but they were great, and I enjoyed her relationships with them.
►Quite thought provoking! The thing about a very plausible apocalypse book is, there's almost no way to not put yourself in the main character's shoes. What would you do when Zara makes a certain decision, right?
►There's a bit of a mystery thrown in, too. What will Zara find at her father's? Who exactly tried to attack her at the start? How did this whole thing go down, anyway? Those questions definitely propelled my reading.
My only minor qualm was that the ending did feel a bit rushed, especially considering how much had gone on during the book. But it wasn't a bad or wholly unsatisfying ending either, so I can live with it.
Bottom Line: A realistic apocalypse with likable characters and a ton of adventure is always a huge win in my book.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Gone Dark was one of my most anticipated books of the year. And good news, it did not disappoint! I love an apocalypse book, that goes without saying, but this one felt wholly realistic and kept me turning the pages! So let's break down what I liked!
►As I mentioned, it's a very realistic seeming apocalypse. Ugh, people are such trash, right? Like sure things are bad, but humans go ahead and make them far worse than they needed to be. Obviously people were going to die, that's a given, but so many are killed by their fellow man that it's infuriating. And so realistic. Add to it, Zara's prepper background makes her abilities and knowledge seem quite realistic too.
►So morally gray! I love morally gray, and this book was excellent at positing some fabulous moral dilemmas. Zara and her friends have to make some truly awful decisions along the way. Some because apocalypses are crap, and some because humans are. Either way, they weren't easy choices.
►I really enjoyed the characters. Zara seems, at times, paranoid (which makes total sense both because of her background, and the world we're in) and I couldn't help but wonder at times how reliable a narrator she was. But she clearly has the best intentions, and you cannot help but feel for her plight. She also undergoes so much growth and development during the story, and that was great to watch! I also loved the cast of characters she encounters along the way. I don't actually want to say much about them (because you want to go in not knowing who makes it out alive, right?) but they were great, and I enjoyed her relationships with them.
►Quite thought provoking! The thing about a very plausible apocalypse book is, there's almost no way to not put yourself in the main character's shoes. What would you do when Zara makes a certain decision, right?
►There's a bit of a mystery thrown in, too. What will Zara find at her father's? Who exactly tried to attack her at the start? How did this whole thing go down, anyway? Those questions definitely propelled my reading.
My only minor qualm was that the ending did feel a bit rushed, especially considering how much had gone on during the book. But it wasn't a bad or wholly unsatisfying ending either, so I can live with it.
Bottom Line: A realistic apocalypse with likable characters and a ton of adventure is always a huge win in my book.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
April 10, 2022
I’m always lured in by a good survivalist story, and I’ve picked up tips from every book I’ve read. With today’s world, you never know when they might come in handy.
Zara spent roughly the first eleven years of her life being raised in a survival compound consisting of only herself and her parents. Her paranoid father taught her valuable skills to keep her alive in case of a disaster, but also not to trust anyone and to think only of herself in order to survive. After a horrible tragedy, Zara’s mother flees across the country with her, leaving her father behind. Being raised in such a different environment makes interacting with other teens difficult, but Zara finds supportive friends in Stella and her brother Gabe.
Zara picks up on signs of the catastrophe her father always predicted, and soon the world is in chaos. With no power and limited food and water, she knows most of the population won’t survive, so she and her friends begin a journey across the country to her father’s compound, picking up others along the way. Zara’s character arc is well-crafted and probably my favorite part of the story. Throughout the novel she hears her father’s voice in her head repeating the rules she was taught – to think only of herself. She soon learns that although she can’t trust everyone she comes across, putting faith in those she cares about increases their chances of survival.
When society begins to break down, it comes with some tense, heartbreaking scenes that may be tough for some readers. It’s scary how quickly humanity is tossed out the window. Although the first part of the story kept me gripping the pages, it slows to a lull about halfway through before picking up again. One of the plot threads confounded me. Zara continues to make an assumption that seemed illogical to me, and I wanted her to slow down and ask herself why it was happening. It’s explained by the end, but fits awkwardly into the overall story.
With plenty of harrowing situations, a bit of romance, and a heavy dose of coming of age, Gone Dark will appeal to post-apocalyptic fans yearning for a danger-filled survival story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Zara spent roughly the first eleven years of her life being raised in a survival compound consisting of only herself and her parents. Her paranoid father taught her valuable skills to keep her alive in case of a disaster, but also not to trust anyone and to think only of herself in order to survive. After a horrible tragedy, Zara’s mother flees across the country with her, leaving her father behind. Being raised in such a different environment makes interacting with other teens difficult, but Zara finds supportive friends in Stella and her brother Gabe.
Zara picks up on signs of the catastrophe her father always predicted, and soon the world is in chaos. With no power and limited food and water, she knows most of the population won’t survive, so she and her friends begin a journey across the country to her father’s compound, picking up others along the way. Zara’s character arc is well-crafted and probably my favorite part of the story. Throughout the novel she hears her father’s voice in her head repeating the rules she was taught – to think only of herself. She soon learns that although she can’t trust everyone she comes across, putting faith in those she cares about increases their chances of survival.
When society begins to break down, it comes with some tense, heartbreaking scenes that may be tough for some readers. It’s scary how quickly humanity is tossed out the window. Although the first part of the story kept me gripping the pages, it slows to a lull about halfway through before picking up again. One of the plot threads confounded me. Zara continues to make an assumption that seemed illogical to me, and I wanted her to slow down and ask herself why it was happening. It’s explained by the end, but fits awkwardly into the overall story.
With plenty of harrowing situations, a bit of romance, and a heavy dose of coming of age, Gone Dark will appeal to post-apocalyptic fans yearning for a danger-filled survival story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 6, 2022
Gone Dark is absolutely terrifying. It's also absolutely captivating. It's relentless and visceral and disturbingly plausible, despite its extreme scenarios. It's expertly written, to the point where I'm almost a little concerned about the author, because how does one's imagination even create something so believable and tangible out of such a dark and twisted premise?
The only time I had any trouble engaging with this book was the first chapter (and that was really only because I was getting used to the characters and setup). From then on, I was enthralled, reading the other 400 pages in less than 12 hours. I was previously impressed by some of Amanda Panitch's other novels, but this is far and away her best. It is such a fully-realized apocalyptic scenario and completely effective thriller; the story is endlessly painful and anxiety-provoking, but I couldn't tear myself away even in the ugliest, bleakest moments (and there are plenty). It's a master-class example of immersive writing and fiction that completely pulls you in from start to finish. It floored me and it horrified me; even weeks later, I'm still stunned by its contents. A tour de force reading experience.
The only time I had any trouble engaging with this book was the first chapter (and that was really only because I was getting used to the characters and setup). From then on, I was enthralled, reading the other 400 pages in less than 12 hours. I was previously impressed by some of Amanda Panitch's other novels, but this is far and away her best. It is such a fully-realized apocalyptic scenario and completely effective thriller; the story is endlessly painful and anxiety-provoking, but I couldn't tear myself away even in the ugliest, bleakest moments (and there are plenty). It's a master-class example of immersive writing and fiction that completely pulls you in from start to finish. It floored me and it horrified me; even weeks later, I'm still stunned by its contents. A tour de force reading experience.
February 8, 2022
When all of the electricity goes out, what happens to people? All of us who rely on it so much? Gas pumps stop working. Water plants cannot produce clean water. And of course, phones go dead, so there is no communication across distances. This book follows our main character, Zara, as she tries to get back to her father's compound in the wilderness, where she had been raised without electricity and learning to survive off the land. Zara and her mother had left a few years ago, but can Zara make it back to the compound once the world starts going crazy? A pretty good read; some parts were slow and I wasn't a fan of the ending, but the book really makes you think about what could happen if some day, the power goes out and it doesn't come back on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
Overall, it was an interesting book, and *spoiler* none of the main characters died which I was distinctly happy about, because it felt like everyone was gonna die. The setting was insane, disturbing, gripping; everything needed for a perfect dystopian society. I feel like the plot fell off a bit towards the end, but the characters were fun and likeable enough that you weren’t praying on their downfall. The book kept you turning the pages, even if there were times where you were wondering why you were doing so. I applaud the author for managing for wrap up such a complicated book nicely with the last few chapters. There were several things that annoyed me, such as the cause for the blackout, but otherwise it was a great book. 4 out of 5 stars.
October 6, 2023
It’s really crazy and scary to think about how much the world relies on electricity. Think of everything in your life, it needs electricity. Now plumbing is sort of different for a while but not for forever. No electricity for a prolonged period is no running water, no easy way to cook food, no pump-able gas, and various other things. 90% of the world would die in a situation like that. The book was really good and so easy to get lost in. I was in the woods with Zara and her rag tag team of misfits fighting for ways to survive. The callbacks to when she was young were great and gave so much depth to why she is how she is. Very good read and I really enjoyed it.
November 4, 2023
Trigger warnings: death, murder, death of a parent, physical injury, gun violence, shitty parenting, emotional abuse, gaslighting, terrorism
3.5 stars
It's been a while since I've read any YA dystopian stories, and I liked that this one was a) a thriller and b) something very different in terms of the dystopia. It felt horrifyingly believable and I really enjoyed the survival aspects of the story. The second half didn't QUITE work for me, but on the whole it was a pretty satisfying story and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
3.5 stars
It's been a while since I've read any YA dystopian stories, and I liked that this one was a) a thriller and b) something very different in terms of the dystopia. It felt horrifyingly believable and I really enjoyed the survival aspects of the story. The second half didn't QUITE work for me, but on the whole it was a pretty satisfying story and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
December 7, 2024
She couldn't stop talking about her crossbow one of the least practical weapons you could use in an apocalypse. Heavy and you can only load and shoot one bolt at a time? Like I get you can reuse ammo but you can reload some cartridges and just use a gun? Like come one?? Multiple shots instead of ugh I hope I hit my one and only shot perfectly before this man attacks me!"
SO MANY COMPOUNDS.
The premise kinda didn't make sense like how do you cut out the entire grid from one computer?
Why did the CIA dude not just tell Zara her dad was responsible and he needed to find him? I feel like she would've just helped? Instead of killed him?
The purpose of the book was to make compound of teenagers to live laugh love
SO MANY COMPOUNDS.
The premise kinda didn't make sense like how do you cut out the entire grid from one computer?
Why did the CIA dude not just tell Zara her dad was responsible and he needed to find him? I feel like she would've just helped? Instead of killed him?
The purpose of the book was to make compound of teenagers to live laugh love
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2024
Rating: 3.5
I thought Zara's character arc was really well done, and the characters in general I found generally pretty interesting and believable. I think that the premise of the electricity going out and leaving an apocalypse was really well done, so the setting was also well done. However, the plot holes and romance aspect (especially in the second half, when the romance became a lot more important to the plot all of the sudden) and some parts of the plot didn't make much sense/were kinda predictable. Other than that, the book was good, with a really well done setting and very dynamic main character! If you like dystopias with a little romance, a little bit of Hatchet-like survival skills, and a lot of character development, this is the book for you!
I thought Zara's character arc was really well done, and the characters in general I found generally pretty interesting and believable. I think that the premise of the electricity going out and leaving an apocalypse was really well done, so the setting was also well done. However, the plot holes and romance aspect (especially in the second half, when the romance became a lot more important to the plot all of the sudden) and some parts of the plot didn't make much sense/were kinda predictable. Other than that, the book was good, with a really well done setting and very dynamic main character! If you like dystopias with a little romance, a little bit of Hatchet-like survival skills, and a lot of character development, this is the book for you!
April 28, 2022
*4.5
-- I ended up taking .5 off only because once they got to Zara's childhood home everything was just way too fast ... I see that the ending wasn't all tied up in a pretty bow at the end ... I really hope that means maybe a sequel or even a companion novel??? Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this amazing book!!!
(I won this ARC on GoodReads' Giveaways Tab!)
-- I ended up taking .5 off only because once they got to Zara's childhood home everything was just way too fast ... I see that the ending wasn't all tied up in a pretty bow at the end ... I really hope that means maybe a sequel or even a companion novel??? Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this amazing book!!!
(I won this ARC on GoodReads' Giveaways Tab!)
April 13, 2022
Excellent survivalist tale
Seventeen year-old Zara Appel grew up on the east coast on a survivalist compound with her mother and her radical father until she was twelve years old. Then her mother took her away, moved them to Los Angeles and Sara's life changed immensely. From killing and preparing her own food she went to having friends and playing video games. But the lessons and warnings her father taught her stayed with her.
So when the power grid goes down across the whole country Zara knows she needs to make her way back to the survivalist compound and her father.
And with a growing group of friends and acquaintances she starts the dangerous, grueling journey cross country not sure of the reception they'll receive if they make it or what to expect from her father.
I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.
I received this book from Simon Teens through Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
Seventeen year-old Zara Appel grew up on the east coast on a survivalist compound with her mother and her radical father until she was twelve years old. Then her mother took her away, moved them to Los Angeles and Sara's life changed immensely. From killing and preparing her own food she went to having friends and playing video games. But the lessons and warnings her father taught her stayed with her.
So when the power grid goes down across the whole country Zara knows she needs to make her way back to the survivalist compound and her father.
And with a growing group of friends and acquaintances she starts the dangerous, grueling journey cross country not sure of the reception they'll receive if they make it or what to expect from her father.
I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.
I received this book from Simon Teens through Edelweiss in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.
March 25, 2024
This book was too real, I felt myself looking around my own surroundings wondering if I would survive the same circumstances. Reading it made me anxious. I won't be reading a book like this again because of how it made me feel but glad I read it all the same
April 27, 2022
It was alright, the beginning really drew me in. Felt rushed as the book continued to play out. Didn’t love the ending. 🫠
Want to read
April 27, 2022heard this described as Yellowjackets meets Hatchet and that's all I needed
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