Thicker Than Blood (Thicker Than Blood, #1) in Riley's Reads {REDHEADAPOCALYPSE SUPPORT GROUP}

Nov 17, 2014 Jennifer Kyle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: para-dystopian-sci-fi-fantasy

4.5 Stars

"Always together, I promise."

description

What a well written TOTAL DOWNER of a story!! This book was so miserable and hopeless. Yet, I'm pretty positive I'll read the next book about different characters, so there's that.

This is the tale of two best friends four years into the crumble of civilization.

description

Evelyn and Leisel escape Fredericksville (a community protected from zombies) with two guards named Alex and Jami. The two friends know practically nothing about Alex and Jami is Evelyn’s lover. ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Lo Bookfrantic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-review-ng, favorites

I have no words, this book gutted me! My stomach hurts, my throat is still in knots. I cried so much everything hurts.

The beginning was so slow, it took me a while to finally get into it. I was feeling so much and anxious for everything that was going on and was it worth it?! I still don't know.

I was finally feeling at peace at the end and then bam...there's going to be book two?! what?! gah my stomach hurts all over again but now I just can't wait to read it...

...more

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Dec 07, 2014 Kim Bailey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: emotional-basketcase, 6-star-best-of-the-best, boys-i-love, girl-crushin, didnt-see-that-coming, edge-of-my-seat, end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it, scary-shit, schmexxxy, sweetness

5 "It's the Zombie apocalypse & I'm lovin it" Stars

Anyone who knows me will understand why, despite all heartache and hopelessness, I completely LOVE this book.

The Walking Dead

This entire story was so much like the television show and comics. I really felt like it could be a side story or an extension of that series. Character driven drama ... With a side of Zombie ... Yummmm

Was my stomach knotted with anxiety throughout this story ... Yes!
Did my heart break over and over again for the char ...more

17 likes · Like · see review

Nov 19, 2014 Toni FGMAMTC rated it it was amazing

Shelves: psychology, apocalyptic, friendship, zombie, best-2015

FGMAMTC Blog #TopReads2015 Interview + Excerpt Reveal

FGMAMTC Blog Review + Interview

While reading this book I felt: anger, sadness, fear, love, grief and everything was so damn touching. It was super easy to become attached to the characters, to love them, to hate the ones that wronged them. If you want a very well written story that doesn't pull any punches, this is the one for you.

It has happened, the zombie apocalypse that everyone has feared. The disease spreads rapidly coverin

FGMAMTC Blog #TopReads2015 Interview + Excerpt Reveal

FGMAMTC Blog Review + Interview

While reading this book I felt: anger, sadness, fear, love, grief and everything was so damn touching. It was super easy to become attached to the characters, to love them, to hate the ones that wronged them. If you want a very well written story that doesn't pull any punches, this is the one for you.

It has happened, the zombie apocalypse that everyone has feared. The disease spreads rapidly covering the sufferers in blisters while blood seeps from their bodies until they die only to rise as a rotting monster with the sole purpose of devouring human flesh. Two best friends, Leisel and Evelyn, have seen so many die this way. They are just two decent girls trying to find a place to survive in this new world, a world where the cruel prey on the weak and women are property.
There were only so many times a person could be beat down, again and again and again, before they broke entirely.

Thicker Than Blood has a full action-packed storyline with an 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' mentality. Through it all, we see Evelyn and Leisel constantly supporting each other.
When she stumbled, I stumbled; when she fell, I fell. We were in this together; she was all I had left.

They do happen upon good people occasionally. Two great men are Alex and Jami. I instantly fell in love with them both. In a time when a woman's fate is determine by the whim of the man possessing her, finding honorable men becomes a rarity. Both Alex and Jami are gems. ♥

I could not put this book down (I actually stayed up all night reading and didn't shower the next day so that I didn't have to take my eyes off it). The plot is realistic to how the story would evolve if true. The reader is not babied. At the same time, the story does resonate with the readers humanity. It isn't straight up horror, but it isn't a fairytale either.
The pain, the suffering, the struggle, it was never ending, much like the barrage of bullets I'd put into that man the night before, like the number of times I'd driven that blade into Lawrence's body, like the amount of tears I'd shed.

But through it all there is love and promise which can give a person strength like nothing else can.
"I love you, Lei."
"I love you too, Eve."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"Always."

If you're looking for erotica or romance this isn't for you. If you want something with a bit blood and gore that pulls your heartstrings, Thicker Than Blood is a must read.

***Copy given in exchange for an honest review***

toni

FangirlMoments and My Two Cents

FULL REVIEW and interview CAN BE FOUND AT http://fangirlmomentsandmytwocents.bl... ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Stormy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kick-ass-zombie-books

THIS BOOK. This book right here. THIS ONE!! it is a beautiful disaster. A tragically, heart breaking story. One that will grip your heart strings right out of the gates, and never let them go. It reaches deep down into the depths of your soul, and makes you question your OWN humanity. It terrifies you with the thought of our world ever coming close to losing it's mind in a zombie infected world, Leisiels and Evelyn world is not one you'd want to find yourself in.

Thicker Than Blood is so MUCH mo ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 San rated it it was amazing

This review is probably one of the hardest I've ever written. As no other book has had such a profound effect on me as this one. So it's hard to put into words.

This book is uncompromising, brutal and heartbreaking. With the underlying tone of strength and perseverance.

It takes you on a bleak and torturous journey through the eyes of two best friends, Evelyn and Leisel. Both flawed and also scarred in ways that would break most people. Their friendship and strength combined drags them through thi ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Mike rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 201501, 2015-5star

This was a wonderful story! This was a horrible story! This was a wonderful story!

If I had to describe this story to someone using movies/shows (often the best way to describe it to a non-reader) I’d call it Thelma & Louise blended with The Walking Dead, then topped with the worst (some would say best?) parts of 28 Days Later and The Road (The book, I haven’t seen the movie yet to know how it compares)

Thicker Than Blood has a lot of gritty and dark moments. We’re reminded how thin the line betwe ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Shannie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: donate

A beautiful & heartbreaking story bout 2 best friends trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse ♡ You did it again ClaireBear & Madeline (You have a new fan) Cannot wait to read the next book!

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2015 Jennifer Kyle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: waiting-for-release-date

Liv and Adam you say?

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Nov 30, 2014 Eli Constant rated it it was amazing

Gut punch after gut punch with instances of love and levity. Thicker Than Blood was the kind of book that leaves you with a particular type of PTRD (post traumatic reading disorder) after the ending, with your eyes wide and needing time to recover. There’s hope though, a little glimmer among the angst and heartbreak.

I always go into a Riley book with certain preconceptions of quality & craft. Unfamiliar with Sheehan’s work, I was unsure how the combination of styles and skills would affect my h Gut punch after gut punch with instances of love and levity. Thicker Than Blood was the kind of book that leaves you with a particular type of PTRD (post traumatic reading disorder) after the ending, with your eyes wide and needing time to recover. There’s hope though, a little glimmer among the angst and heartbreak.

I always go into a Riley book with certain preconceptions of quality & craft. Unfamiliar with Sheehan’s work, I was unsure how the combination of styles and skills would affect my history with Riley’s writing. I’ve been burned before by co-writing; when you dive into a new book by your favorite author (co-written) and realize that the composition is changed, different, not reflective of the originally loved author’s ‘something special’ that drew you into their works in the first place. But sometimes, melding two minds together can create something unique and magnetic in its own right. Something both tragic and epically beautiful.

This is the case of the combination of Riley and Sheehan. And that fact pleases me to no end (because it was these two authors objective to please me particularly, right? Who else would they have strived for so diligently to create a piece so pleasing?). These two authors have come together so seamlessly that it's nearly impossible to tell who wrote what; a feat that can only be compared to the innovation of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Each turn of the page brings on a new element, a new dimension, something unexpected and light years away from cliché and trite. As a reader, you will find yourself rooting for the characters- experiencing a medley of despair and triumph in equal measure. These feelings stem from my personal investment in the book and characters; trademark of a book that goes beyond the norm into something truly special.

With excellent world-building, character-crafting, and storyline, Thicker Than Blood will get under your skin. When that happens, when a book truly touches you in the deepest part of your soul, you’re irrevocably changed. I cannot speak with higher praise about this book. I cannot adequately describe the ending and the chills it gave me, the small ache in my chest as if I were the Grinch with the expanding heart, a chorus of Whos in the background.

Thicker than Blood embodies the essence of humanity, friendship, and perseverance. I cannot wait to have it in hard copy, sitting on my shelf, waiting for me to return and re-read the story of two best friends and true loyalty.

A little birdy told me the duo are already working on the sequel to their co-debut. I’ll be the first in cyber-line to pick it up, devour it, and wait impatiently for a third offering by Riley and Sheehan. ...more

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Jan 08, 2015 Gail rated it it was amazing

What do you have when you have lost everything except your best friend? In a post-apocalyptic world where women are looked at as property belonging to this misogynistic society, it is impossible to make your way if you have no survival skills at all.
Thicker Than Blood was a gut punching work by two extremely talented writers who took turns writing each point of view of two women who have lost everything they have ever known. The story unfolds from the first blood stained page and keeps you hoo ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Melanie Marsh rated it it was amazing

Thicker Than Blood has completely freakin DESTROYED me emotionally. When I finished reading it, I felt like a part of me had been ripped out, lit on fire, and then shoved, still flaming, back into my body. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve EVER felt this emotionally drained after a book.

This really is a phenomenal book. The writing in and of itself is easy to follow but not immature. The story has multiple layers but isn’t confusing. Initially I thought reading the book from both Leisel’s and Evely Thicker Than Blood has completely freakin DESTROYED me emotionally. When I finished reading it, I felt like a part of me had been ripped out, lit on fire, and then shoved, still flaming, back into my body. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve EVER felt this emotionally drained after a book.

This really is a phenomenal book. The writing in and of itself is easy to follow but not immature. The story has multiple layers but isn’t confusing. Initially I thought reading the book from both Leisel’s and Evelyn’s perspective would be confusing, but it wasn’t. The authors did a good job of making it pretty clear who was telling the story, in addition to actually labeling each chapter with the name of the speaking character.
There is action, romance, and horror. Everything I need in a book to keep my attention.

Leisel and Evelyn are absolutely characters with which most women can identify. They are best friends and are devoted to one another, especially after everything they have been through together. They are the sort of women that I would want to have as a best friend. Evelyn is fiercely loyal. The things she sacrifices to protect Leisel, oh my damn. I just can’t imagine. Leisel has her own strengths, despite them being more of emotional and non conventional in nature. I never expected to become as emotionally involved with these characters.

The world that Sheehan and Riley have built in Thicker Than Blood is definitely not one I would want to live in. I think I would prefer to have just been shot in the head at the beginning. I highly doubt I could have survived the things they experienced and kept my mind intact. The scariest thing about the world they have created is that I can see our society becoming this in the face of an apocalypse. Just due to basic human greed and male mentalities. People are disgusting.

Thicker Than Blood is the kind of book that made me feel a range of emotions, but always have that underlying fear of what would come next. I wanted to help the characters. I wanted them to be safe. I wanted them to be victorious over their surroundings and the people within. I felt like they were MY friends. Like I knew them personally! I wanted to hurt anyone who hurt them. When they were sad, I was sad. When they were happy, I was happy.

If you like post-apocalyptic zombie books, this is a MUST READ. And I used all caps for serious right there. You really must read this book to get the full scope of how I feel about Thicker Than Blood. I want to be mad at the authors for making me feel like I do right now about this book. But I know that by feeling how I do, they have done their jobs as authors. To make me feel something real for someone who is not. To really believe the story and become so emotionally invested in a book that I want to climb into the pages and start wrecking people for hurting my friends isn’t something every author can accomplish.

Just please, go read this book. Then message me and tell me what you think!
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Nov 17, 2014 Becky Stephens rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, zombies

Thicker Than Blood is a savage, vicious, yet stunningly beautiful story.

As a long-time fan of Claire C Riley, who was previously unfamiliar with Madeline Sheehan's work, I enthusiastically applaud this book. These two authors joined forces to write a book so spectacular that it is impossible to know who wrote which chapters. As co-authors, Claire and Madeline are as made for each other as Leisel and Evelyn are as best friends. It's truly magical.

Thicker Than Blood will leave an ache in your ches ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 K Dz rated it it was amazing

Thicker than Blood
Madeline Sheehan and Claire C. Riley

Leisel and Evelyn, true friends. They live for each other, they love each other more than life itself. There is nothing else. They find love in some but nothing can come close to what they have together. They struggle in midst of a zom poc to just survive. This is a story of two women who have nothing but each other. This story will propel you to your inner strength and make you cry. You will experience their journey in your heart and mind. Y ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Jo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic-zombies, audiobook

5 stars

I can't say I liked this story, it was brutal & heart breaking ALL the way through! And yet I still read on unable to take my eyes off the page, it was like a car crash that you couldn't look away from.. Liesel & Evelyn went through so much together, never getting a break to just stop & catch a breath.. I feel exhausted just from reading this book.

I just know this book will stay with me for a long time. It's not an easy read but I would urge you to read it because it is wonderfully writte ...more

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