Review: Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

Title: Aftertime
Series: Aftertime #1
Author: Sophie Littlefield | Author Website
Available: Now
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: Adult
Source: Amazon Vine












Synopsis via Goodreads:


Someone once said that all apocalypses are experienced locally. In the case of Cass Dollar, the nightmare occurred with the violent abduction of two-year-old Ruthie, which she vividly remembers. Only later is young Cass assaulted also by the vague, twisting memories of a much wider conflagration that she herself only narrowly survived. A government experiment had turned the entire California landscape into the hunting grounds of zombie Beaters, but Cass can only think of the helpless toddler she is missing.


My thoughts:


Wow, wow, wow! After reading numerous young adult dystopian tales it was refreshing to read about survival in a post-apocalyptic world from an adult's point of view. Cassandra Dollar wakes up with injuries consistent to those usually inflicted by the Beaters (AKA flesh eating zombies) that are roaming the world since a government mission gone wrong. She vaguely remembers being attacked, but knows people can't recover from the infection that ravages the body after coming in contact with an infected's saliva. At least until now she had thought it impossible. Quickly the desire to reunite with her young daughter, Ruthie, sets Cass into motion and on a long and difficult journey. The need to know her baby girl is safe is the force pushing and driving Cass to continue even when the outlook looks hopeless. She finds an ally in a man named, Smoke, who puts his faith in Cass even though she doesn't feel she deserves it. Together they search for Ruthie in a world defined by Before and After and discover along the way that the Beaters aren't the only threat to humanity. 

Cass is one of the most damaged heroines I've ever met. She has suffered a difficult life littered with addiction and abuse, but not once does her maternal instinct falter. That is what made me love her. She is an amazing woman who I felt a connection to almost immediately. This book is gritty and violent. I was concerned during the first chapter that the gruesome and gory details would be too much for me to continue, but Cass makes you want to keep reading. The author's writing teamed with a fast paced plot, and relatable characters made is painfully difficult to put Aftertime down once I started reading. 

The romantic elements involving Cass and Smoke, was a nice addition to the plot. I like that the author incorporated tender, and sometimes not so tender, moments between the two without detracting from the action and fight for survival that I've come to expect from dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels. Smoke is a man with so many layers, and I think we only saw a brief glimpse of who he is (and why) over the course of Aftertime. As far as Smoke is concerned, chivalry is not dead in Aftertime. He is always ready to sacrfice himself for the greater good. He is one of those men who it is difficult not to love. I hope we'll learn more about what he is hiding, and his life Before. 

All around Aftertime is just a great read. Not for the faint of heart as the author touches on sensitive topics and doesn't spare readers the gruesome details. This is a book that will take root in your head and leave you pining for more. I'm eager to read more from the talented author!

My Rating:

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