Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It could happen tomorrow . . . 

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.  

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human. 

 Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

I know I have said that I have been torn about my opinion on books before but this time, I am for real. Not that I wasn't for real before but...this book was just so strange to me. The basic plot line goes that this girl, Alex, is out in the woods trying to get some things straight in her head when she meets an older man and his granddaughter, along with their dog, Mina. Something crazy happens, their heads all start hurting and from there the world goes to hell in a hand basket. The book explains that it was a major electromagnetic pulse that is not only killing people but also making young people go crazy or "change". Basically they become psychotic zombies. Alex ends up meeting a soldier who is on leave from Afghanistan (he might have been a marine, I don't remember. He's an EOD tech though. Does the army have EOD's or is that a navy/marine thing? My husband is in the navy, I should know these things but I do not. I failed military wife 101.) and they band together.

Of course, sparks start to fly and I LOVED the interaction between Tom, Alex, Ellie (the granddaughter) and Mina. The are trying to make their way to safety, civilization, anything that will explain what is going. I liked the relationship building between Alex and Tom, I like all the crazy theories and the adventure of it all. I do have to warn that this book can be extremely gory in parts. For example, there was one mention of someone popping out another persons eyeball and eating it like a gumdrop or something to that affect. Yeah. It was nasty. It really just added to the atmosphere and circumstance of what they were going through but it is not for the squeamish.

That being said, the beginning 60% or so of this book was a 5 star book easily. I loved it, I couldn't put it down and I flew through it like it was black tar heroine and I knew I was about to be on an episode of intervention.

So why, you ask, did I make this a four star book?

EVERYTHING changed! Suddenly, it is like a different story and I just got completely confused, overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time and I missed the first 60% so much! Suddenly there are crazy reverends and just so much stuff going on that I was completely lost. I don't want to go into detail and give anything away but I will just that the entire last 40% of the book was a giant sort of "wth?!" for me. It was still a good book, I definitely recommend it. Maybe someone else will get the last part of the book more clearly than I did. Maybe it will be your favorite part of the book! For me, it just didn't do it and I was disappointed. I will be reading the sequel when it comes it out to see if maybe it goes back to the way it was. I am holding onto hope!


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