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Aftertime #2
Rebirth
The end of the world was just the beginning
Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy.
Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence.
Flesh—eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass's lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns.
The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity's rebirth—at all costs.
Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.
Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy.
Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence.
Flesh—eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass's lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns.
The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity's rebirth—at all costs.
Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2011
24 people are currently reading
1731 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Littlefield
37 books797 followersCalled a “writing machine” by the New York Times and a “master storyteller” by the Midwest Book Review, Sophie Littlefield has written dozens of novels for adults and teens. She has won Anthony and RT Book Awards and been shortlisted for Edgar, Barry, Crimespree, Macavity, and Goodreads Choice Awards.
Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.
Sophie also writes under the pen name Sofia Grant.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
May 14, 2011
One of the reasons I really admire Sophie Littlefield as an author is because she's not afraid of testing the boundaries. Practically every second book I see on the shelves is either a Twilight rip-off (if PNR) or a Hunger Games rip-off (if dystopian). Even adult books suddenly seem to be trying out the YA formula, with some sex tossed in. Not cool, you guys, not cool.
Sophie, on the other hand, does not shy away from the hard facts. Despite writing for an imprint that is known to go soft on realism and heavy on romance, she has managed to create a hard, gritty heroine fighting the ravages of a hard, gritty world.
Cass Dollar has been creating a fairly contented life for her little family, ever since she managed to rescue her daughter from the Convent. With Smoke's support, life for Cass has become easier, if not the utopia of happiness one might wish for. But all that changes when Smoke discovers that the school where he first met Cass has been burnt down by the Rebuilders and most of the adults, including his former lover, Nora, have been killed. Dor's daughter Sammi was kidnapped and taken to the Rebuilder HQ in Colima, a fact that makes Dor determined to enter the compound and rescue his daughter. But it is Smoke's determination to avenge his dead friends that turns Cass' life upside down, as he slips away from her and Ruthie without warning, leaving her with the devastation of her carefully constructed life, and the sting of betrayal strong in her newly-opened heart.
Resolved to leave the slowly-disintegrating society of the Box, Cass decides to accompany Dor on his search for his daughter, hoping to find a better life for Ruthie and herself. But the Cass who was so filled with purpose while searching for her child is little in evidence, as she battles her self-destructive urges and tries to fortify her heart yet again so that nobody can hurt her as much as Smoke did with his abandonment.
Cass is a great character, scary, bitter yet strangely vulnerable. Used to using her body as a means to achieve her ends, be it oblivion, temporary forgetfulness, punishment or pleasure, she finds herself reverting to old habits, losing the precious, tender part of herself that had begun to slowly unfurl during her life with Smoke.
Littlefield puts her balls of steel to good use in this instalment of the Aftertime novels. Bereft and betrayed, Cass decides to punish herself for opening up and loving Smoke by using Dor's body. The tricks of a lifetime come in handy as she seduces Dor against his will, punishing herself as well as him. The sex scenes in this book are raw, but hardly erotic. Sex is a weapon for Cass, a currency she has traded in all her life, and Littlefield makes no bones about her callous approach to using her body as a bargaining tool and a fortification against her wounded heart.
The other plot device I admire Littlefield for using is Ruthie. Dystopian and urban fantasy novels about single mothers are rare. Even rarer are the novels where the protagonist is the single mother of a very small child. And rarest of all, in fact unique in my experience, are novels about single mothers with small children who do not conveniently dump said children in a conveniently safe corner while they go about their adventures. But Ruthie is an integral part of this story. The reader worries as much for her as for Cass; her personality is revealed slowly, and she unfurls like a little scared flower during the course of the book. Just as with the adult characters, one is eager to find out what secrets she is carrying, and what horrors she has faced.
And now, for the bad news:
Sophie Littlefield's biggest strength lies in her ability to plot tight, fast-paced, action filled thrillers. Both Banished and Aftertime were heart-poundingly quick reads. Unfortunately, Rebirth is much slower, and that is not a change for the better. Large tracts of this book are filled with description and character internalization. Cass's endless and overtly descriptive reflections about her past, her surroundings and the apocalyptic society she now lives in slow the book down unnecessarily. At one point, I had to literally force myself to continue, and that is never a good sign.
However, I'm glad I did, because the climax is stunningly, superbly spectacular, in the best Littlefield tradition. All the drama and action and adrenaline-inducing highs that were missing from the first part of the book come rushing back to leave you gasping for breath and begging for more. This story doesn't end on a cliffhanger, precisely, but it is still very obviously a middle book in a series. There are huge unanswered questions left hanging - what happened to Ruthie at the Convent? What is Smoke's big secret? Is this really a love triangle I'm seeing forming here? Where are they going to settle? How are they going to deal with the Beaters? Basically, the story arc within the book - the rescue of Sammi, is completed, but the overarching questions still continue to niggle at the mind.
All in all, I didn't find the same whole-hearted enjoyment in this book that I did with Aftertime. However, it was still absorbing for the most part, and the climax was everything one could desire. I will definitely be reading the next novel in the series, not just because I'm a Sophie Littlefield fangirl, but also because I genuinely enjoy this series and want to know what happens next!
July 6, 2011
I was all over the place reading this book. I’m not sure why but I could not stand the beginning of this book. It was so dark, depressing, and very trying on my patience. I was really annoyed with not only Smoke but also Cassie. It seemed like the story was setup. Littlefield needed to create this wild scenario for there to be a book 2 so she just set it up for Smoke
. I did not like it.
Fast forward. The last part of the book (can’t exactly remember when this occurs) was wonderful. Not because it full of action, suspense and lots of scariness (even though that is the case) but I really felt connected not to Cassie, Smoke, or even Ruthie, but to Dor. He really is the star of this book.
Fast forward to the VERY end of the book. All I can say is wow. What an ending.
Just my personal thoughts
Why are adult dystopian novels so rare? There are so many teen dystopian novels but you know, sometimes I want a bit more umph between the characters in the story, and a bit more blood/guts splattering over above-mentioned characters. That is why I’m grateful for books like this one. Thus, I applaud Littlefield’s efforts even if the execution is sometimes a bit flawed.
. I did not like it.
Fast forward. The last part of the book (can’t exactly remember when this occurs) was wonderful. Not because it full of action, suspense and lots of scariness (even though that is the case) but I really felt connected not to Cassie, Smoke, or even Ruthie, but to Dor. He really is the star of this book.
Fast forward to the VERY end of the book. All I can say is wow. What an ending.
Just my personal thoughts
Why are adult dystopian novels so rare? There are so many teen dystopian novels but you know, sometimes I want a bit more umph between the characters in the story, and a bit more blood/guts splattering over above-mentioned characters. That is why I’m grateful for books like this one. Thus, I applaud Littlefield’s efforts even if the execution is sometimes a bit flawed.
November 17, 2011
4.5 stars.
I love this series, I love it. I plan on re-reading it soon and am jonesing for the release of #3 in 2012. This book made me cry, made me laugh -- and made me stay up late reading. I felt Cassie's pain and her anger. Sophie Littlefield is an amazing author who tells an amazing tale.
The setting for this story is in post-apocalyptic California, post the bio destruction of the land during wars, post the collapse of the government, and post the rise of a zombie type creature that was created by bio-engineering to plants – it is After and everything that came prior to these events was Before. In Aftertime, there is no government, no infrastructure and everyday is a fight for survival. So that is the backdrop for the story – running from zombie like creatures, trying to find food, groups vying for power, true evilness coming out in humans that are no longer held back by societal rules, and attempts at creating a new civilization. All the good and fun parts of post-apocalyptic stories. But for me, the true story is one of self discovery and growth. The main character is Cassie. We learn in Aftertime (book #1 in this series), that Cassie is a recovering alcoholic, she is a woman who learned to survive and use her body early on in her life and thus thinks that much of her power lies in her sexuality, and she is a mother of a very young child. Cassie is desperately trying to create a life where her daughter, Ruthie, can survive and she is in love with a man, Smoke, that she hooked up with in Aftertime. But Smoke leaves on an expedition, which means there is no guarantee that Cassie will ever see him again. Dror, a man who is a leader in the community Cassie is surviving in, must head out on his own expedition and Cassie decides her and her daughter need to go with him if they are ever going to survive and find a safe place to live --- and Cassie hopes to find Smoke again. This story is a quest, Cassie, Dror and Ruthie traveling the now dangerous highways of California, trying to find refuge in abandoned homes, and fighting other survivalists along the way. The entire time Cassie is protecting her daughter Ruthie, mourning the absence of Smoke, and attempting to hope that Dror feels committed to her and Ruthie enough that he will continue to protect them.
Cassie’s past is not pretty and she often remembers what she was like when she was an alcoholic, when she would go home with man after man in her alcoholic stupor, or the abuse she sustained as a child from her mom and step-dad, but despite the unattractiveness of her past Cassie is determined to make a change in her future. She is very concerned about those around her and she is leader. Sophie Littlefield is a very brave author, she allows her story to go places many authors are afraid to go. Cassie is a mom of a young child, yet she goes out in to dangerous territory seeking safety instead of waiting for death to come to her. I have read some reviews criticizing the “infidelity” or the fact that Cassie doesn’t follow sexual rules of conduct. I have also read reviews criticizing the fact that Cassie brings her daughter on this dangerous quest. Well, this setting of this book is not present day California where Cassie could just hide out with her daughter and wait for the cavalry to come. She is in a situation where she has to be proactive and find something safe and good. She knows the man she loves is likely in danger and she does not know day to day if she will survive. People in very stressful situations do not always do the most socially appropriate things and I applaud Ms. Sophie Littlefield for allowing the story to naturally go where she wrote it.
A significant character in the aftertime books is Ruthie – Cassie’s almost 3 year old daughter. Rarely are kids included in adult books of this genre and if they are – they are usually put there to pull on the emotional heart strings of the reader (e.g. The Passage by Justin Cronin). Ruthie definitely does some heartstring pulling, but she is not just a throw in. The fact of her existence reshaped who Cassie is and every step Cassie takes is tempered or governed by Ruthie’s needs. During Aftertime I was very stressed about Ruthie's well being and that does not change in Rebirth, but Ruthie has started to add to the story and she is an important character.
Okay, so lest you think this entire book was emotional and questing stuff – it wasn’t. The last third of this book is action packed and tense. It is full good guys, bad guys and gray areas – fighting, interrogation and escape scenes. It has horror filled gore scenes with zombies eating people, lots of fun stuff! If I had any nails, they would have all been bitten off during the last 1/3 of the book. The first 1/2 to 2/3 of this book does have less action than Aftertime, however it is important to the story and I really loved all of it. I like Cassie, I like the characters and I love the story being told.
I cannot wait for book #3.
I love this series, I love it. I plan on re-reading it soon and am jonesing for the release of #3 in 2012. This book made me cry, made me laugh -- and made me stay up late reading. I felt Cassie's pain and her anger. Sophie Littlefield is an amazing author who tells an amazing tale.
The setting for this story is in post-apocalyptic California, post the bio destruction of the land during wars, post the collapse of the government, and post the rise of a zombie type creature that was created by bio-engineering to plants – it is After and everything that came prior to these events was Before. In Aftertime, there is no government, no infrastructure and everyday is a fight for survival. So that is the backdrop for the story – running from zombie like creatures, trying to find food, groups vying for power, true evilness coming out in humans that are no longer held back by societal rules, and attempts at creating a new civilization. All the good and fun parts of post-apocalyptic stories. But for me, the true story is one of self discovery and growth. The main character is Cassie. We learn in Aftertime (book #1 in this series), that Cassie is a recovering alcoholic, she is a woman who learned to survive and use her body early on in her life and thus thinks that much of her power lies in her sexuality, and she is a mother of a very young child. Cassie is desperately trying to create a life where her daughter, Ruthie, can survive and she is in love with a man, Smoke, that she hooked up with in Aftertime. But Smoke leaves on an expedition, which means there is no guarantee that Cassie will ever see him again. Dror, a man who is a leader in the community Cassie is surviving in, must head out on his own expedition and Cassie decides her and her daughter need to go with him if they are ever going to survive and find a safe place to live --- and Cassie hopes to find Smoke again. This story is a quest, Cassie, Dror and Ruthie traveling the now dangerous highways of California, trying to find refuge in abandoned homes, and fighting other survivalists along the way. The entire time Cassie is protecting her daughter Ruthie, mourning the absence of Smoke, and attempting to hope that Dror feels committed to her and Ruthie enough that he will continue to protect them.
Cassie’s past is not pretty and she often remembers what she was like when she was an alcoholic, when she would go home with man after man in her alcoholic stupor, or the abuse she sustained as a child from her mom and step-dad, but despite the unattractiveness of her past Cassie is determined to make a change in her future. She is very concerned about those around her and she is leader. Sophie Littlefield is a very brave author, she allows her story to go places many authors are afraid to go. Cassie is a mom of a young child, yet she goes out in to dangerous territory seeking safety instead of waiting for death to come to her. I have read some reviews criticizing the “infidelity” or the fact that Cassie doesn’t follow sexual rules of conduct. I have also read reviews criticizing the fact that Cassie brings her daughter on this dangerous quest. Well, this setting of this book is not present day California where Cassie could just hide out with her daughter and wait for the cavalry to come. She is in a situation where she has to be proactive and find something safe and good. She knows the man she loves is likely in danger and she does not know day to day if she will survive. People in very stressful situations do not always do the most socially appropriate things and I applaud Ms. Sophie Littlefield for allowing the story to naturally go where she wrote it.
A significant character in the aftertime books is Ruthie – Cassie’s almost 3 year old daughter. Rarely are kids included in adult books of this genre and if they are – they are usually put there to pull on the emotional heart strings of the reader (e.g. The Passage by Justin Cronin). Ruthie definitely does some heartstring pulling, but she is not just a throw in. The fact of her existence reshaped who Cassie is and every step Cassie takes is tempered or governed by Ruthie’s needs. During Aftertime I was very stressed about Ruthie's well being and that does not change in Rebirth, but Ruthie has started to add to the story and she is an important character.
Okay, so lest you think this entire book was emotional and questing stuff – it wasn’t. The last third of this book is action packed and tense. It is full good guys, bad guys and gray areas – fighting, interrogation and escape scenes. It has horror filled gore scenes with zombies eating people, lots of fun stuff! If I had any nails, they would have all been bitten off during the last 1/3 of the book. The first 1/2 to 2/3 of this book does have less action than Aftertime, however it is important to the story and I really loved all of it. I like Cassie, I like the characters and I love the story being told.
I cannot wait for book #3.
March 29, 2015
I don't like how the author constantly uses a woman's body to get what she wants....
August 14, 2015
Super slut shaming and annoying religious undertones and the only real encounter with beaters (zombies) occurred within the last 20 pages of a near 400 page book! Oh and let's not forget that all 3, maybe 4 "sex scenes" were either rape or rape-ish. This one is a real winner. /sarcasm.
June 16, 2011
It's an exceptional author who can move you with the beauty of the emotions they evoke. It's more obvious when it's joy, hope or love. But just as beautiful, in their own way, are the wrenching feelings Sophie Littlefield elicits in her dystopian Aftertime trilogy. In this second installment, we see grief, despair, and hopelessness. It's heartbreaking, but you can't look away. You don't want to look away. You keep reading, refusing to relinquish the hope that after the darkness will come the dawn; after the misery, we'll be rewarded with some kind of triumph.
Cass has created a makeshift home and family in the trading center known as the Box. She has reunited with her daughter Ruthie and she has allowed herself to fall in love with Smoke. But the fragile happiness she has found is short-lived. When Smoke gets word that the Rebuilders have killed many of the refugees in the place where he once lived, he goes on a vengeance mission; one likely to lead to his death. And he doesn't even say goodbye. Cass decides to leave the Box with its founder, Dor, as he goes in search of his daughter Sammi, who was taken by the raiding Rebuilders.
Cass is devastated by Smoke's abandonment. She blames herself for allowing him access to her heart. She acts out, trying to harden herself. She makes reckless choices that you can see like a train wreck a mile away. And maybe that will alienate some readers. To me, it just made me see her as more broken. She is trying to rebuild the wall around herself that Smoke had penetrated, and somehow manages to drag Dor into her warped decisions in the process. The book follows Cass, Dor and Ruthie as they infiltrate the Rebuilder camp and learn more about the group's nefarious plans.
I suppose from this review, you'd never know this book is about a post-apocalyptic world, overrun by zombies. That's because, to me, that's just a backdrop to watch the lives of these characters unfold. To watch Cass break and rebuild. To watch Ruthie heal and grow. To watch Dor unwittingly shed his cloak of solitude and allow Cass in. And, of course, to see the human condition when people are stripped of the trappings of modern life... from the screwed-up ideals of the Rebuilders to the bandits who accost unwary travelers to the heartbroken mother who refuses to accept the fact that her son is dying. It's absolutely mesmerizing. And hauntingly beautiful. Even more powerful than its predecessor. 5 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
Cass has created a makeshift home and family in the trading center known as the Box. She has reunited with her daughter Ruthie and she has allowed herself to fall in love with Smoke. But the fragile happiness she has found is short-lived. When Smoke gets word that the Rebuilders have killed many of the refugees in the place where he once lived, he goes on a vengeance mission; one likely to lead to his death. And he doesn't even say goodbye. Cass decides to leave the Box with its founder, Dor, as he goes in search of his daughter Sammi, who was taken by the raiding Rebuilders.
Cass is devastated by Smoke's abandonment. She blames herself for allowing him access to her heart. She acts out, trying to harden herself. She makes reckless choices that you can see like a train wreck a mile away. And maybe that will alienate some readers. To me, it just made me see her as more broken. She is trying to rebuild the wall around herself that Smoke had penetrated, and somehow manages to drag Dor into her warped decisions in the process. The book follows Cass, Dor and Ruthie as they infiltrate the Rebuilder camp and learn more about the group's nefarious plans.
I suppose from this review, you'd never know this book is about a post-apocalyptic world, overrun by zombies. That's because, to me, that's just a backdrop to watch the lives of these characters unfold. To watch Cass break and rebuild. To watch Ruthie heal and grow. To watch Dor unwittingly shed his cloak of solitude and allow Cass in. And, of course, to see the human condition when people are stripped of the trappings of modern life... from the screwed-up ideals of the Rebuilders to the bandits who accost unwary travelers to the heartbroken mother who refuses to accept the fact that her son is dying. It's absolutely mesmerizing. And hauntingly beautiful. Even more powerful than its predecessor. 5 stars.
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
January 7, 2013
4.5 stars...
Her first words to Ruthie, whispered so softly that the doctors and nurses did not hear, that no one save her baby girl would ever hear, were, “You’re mine, and I am yours.”
Rebirth is the second book in the Aftertime series by Sofia Littlefield. It takes place right where Aftertime left off and you find Cass, Ruthie, and Smoke living in the Box. Things are going great, Cass and Smoke have fallen into a beautiful domestic bliss, well what one would call bliss when the world as we know it is over and the beaters are walking among us. This is all about to change when word comes that Dor's daughter, Sammi is taken by the enemy.
Oh, Wow! Talk about a page turner and lets just say some of your questions about Cass and Dor are answered in this book. Just some, you still want more information. First off, i'm officially a fan of Sofia Littlefields. Urban Fantasy books have found their way into my heart but the ones that make a home there always have a heroin who's damaged and you can't get more damaged than Cassandra Dollar, Cass is one messed up women and I love her to pieces. God she's messed up, her mind is amazing to read, Littlefield was able to write Cass with such truth (for lack of a better word). She's hurt, hurting, hurting herself and those she loves and cares about. All the while burning with this desire to take care of Ruthie, to live up to the heart wrenching promises she whispered in her darkest hour. It literally breaks your heart to feel the emotions and hurt coming off the page.
Other review might focus on the world of "Aftertime" to be honest it's not unlike many other UF book that's come before. What sets this series apart from the other is Littlefields ability to write human characters that bring this daring situations a jaring reality when you imagine those characters, damaged and raw facing these unimaginable threats.
a lie to pretend that she didn’t watch him. Yes. When he wasn’t looking, she watched him watching others, and it was like this, always. The laser focus. The absorbing of details. The filtering of distractions. The considering and calculating. And then—yes, just like now. The moment when Dor came to some conclusion, and his features relaxed and re-formed, chameleon-like, into a new public character he would play to achieve some unnamed end.
In Rebirth we get to see Dor in a new light and he stole my heart. He's a perfect match for Cass... she just doesn't know it yet. Both are damaged, raw and find ways to punish themselves for the wrongs done to them. David MacAlister was some kind of computer guy before Aftertime, he made a ton of money but you wouldn't know it now. His pierced and tattooed body shows the Aftertime world that Dor is not someone to be messed with. He takes Cass and Ruthie with his to find his daughter making it very clear that he doesn't care for them and he will not change his plans for them. Dor is smart, he has the ability to understand the human experience and can connect with anyone. He uses this to his advantage when it's needed. In many ways he and Cass are so much alike. She learned a long time ago at the hands of her step-father that she can manipulate men with her body. She uses her sexuality to get what she wants and to in a way hurt herself over and over again. Dor understands that about her, he doesn't judge her and this is why I feel they are better matched.
But that was not all. There was also the man she’d crashed up against, like the tide throws itself onto the shore. He had saved her and she had saved him; she had tasted the salt of his sweat and his blood on her lips, and she had known the shape of his grief and his longing and she had drunk it in and wanted more. She had seen him and she had not turned away, and he had known her and had not turned away.
The end of Rebirth is an action packed adventure, zombie horde, explosions and we find new characters added and our favorites are headed in a new direction. For me who lives in Northern California it's always interesting to find an author who writes about this part of the country. In fact we find Cass and the gang in my neck of the woods, . To say i'm excited to jump right into
would be an understatement. I cannot wait to see what Littlefield has in store for this damaged characters.
August 9, 2014
Cass Dollar is my new Kara Thrace. I don't really know what to say after having read this second installment in Sophie Littlefield's Aftertime series. I was shocked, appalled, annoyed, bored & completely riveted in awe. There's a lot going on here & it's not for the faint of heart. Still, the Beaters are not the worst or most dangerous thing going on. I very much love that.
I must admit that my annoyance was mostly surrounding Cass & her reasoning to leave the Box... Now, as a character action, I was annoyed but from a storytelling POV, I took this as the way to get her out of the Box & on to Rebuilder world in Colima with Dor. I can live with it. I found her repeated use of Ruthie as her touchstone when presented with moments of peril & general crazy felt less solid than her plight in book 1. Afterall, for all Cass's "woe is me" Ruthie was brought into the present crisis directly by Cass's actions & decisions.
And then there's Dor. Honestly, I was not invested in Dor (this is where I confess boredom) & could never deeply connect with his character because I was still invested in Smoke's story (yes, I had suspected what his secret was tied to in Aftertime Book 1), so I wanted to get on to that. Also, I felt allegiance to Smoke & his plight & didn't much care for Especially since for Cass she was bent on self-loathing, anger & usury. Her being angry over Nora (Smoke's long cast aside now dead ex) was made even more hollow for me after that. She yammered on & on about being betrayed but she displayed little to no loyalty & allegiance to anyone but herself, so it came off as narcissism & got very old, very quickly. Cass wallowed good & deep in her self-pity & bitterness & while I was interested in where this was all going, I found that often, I was losing patience with her being so all over the place. As a character she made me straddle the fine line between "I'm repulsed but I still care about you" & "I don't even care what your problems & issues or how damaged you are! Get yourself sorted!" I've walked this road with Kara Thrace of BSG & she was one of my favorite characters of all time, so I hung in with Cass. I believe in complex redemption. I won't know until the end of book 3 if Cass delivers, but I'm going to see it through.
I also have to admit that I wasn't very fond of the use of Ruthie as mute-but-prescient & able to dispense premonitions in toddler vernacular when sleep dazed. I thought having her mute was useful because being on the road with a toddler while trying to hide from Beaters & human threats is a lot more risky with a toddler you can't guarantee to be quiet. I was willing to let that bit go as a reader. But also a mono-syllabic clairvoyant? I'm sorry, I call shenanigans.
I want to say that I had enough energy & interest in Sammi & her plight but Cass took up just about all my energy, so I can't. It was interesting but I can't say I would have missed Sammi specifically if she weren't here. That part of the story could just as easily have been told through some other random girl & kinda was as it was picked up in a new character to take us into book 3.
I'm no fan of "love" triangles (I tend to believe that true love is not fickle, so easily waning & certainly not a group sport), so I won't pass judgment on the one offered here (I can't even recognize one of the angles here as anything resembling love). I tend to feel they're trite in general & never compliment the players/characters but only serve as a device that's often not expertly executed & make everyone involved a little less interesting & little more unlikable. The one here may be well executed if that's your thing but I am one to resist them on site, so I reserve objective opinion.
Honestly, & this isn't a slam to the story told in this book, I think I could have skipped this one & gone straight to the last & been perfectly happy. I won't reveal the exciting bits in the last half of the story but I will say it does not disappoint & made a great case for this installment & reading the final installment.
I must admit that my annoyance was mostly surrounding Cass & her reasoning to leave the Box... Now, as a character action, I was annoyed but from a storytelling POV, I took this as the way to get her out of the Box & on to Rebuilder world in Colima with Dor. I can live with it. I found her repeated use of Ruthie as her touchstone when presented with moments of peril & general crazy felt less solid than her plight in book 1. Afterall, for all Cass's "woe is me" Ruthie was brought into the present crisis directly by Cass's actions & decisions.
And then there's Dor. Honestly, I was not invested in Dor (this is where I confess boredom) & could never deeply connect with his character because I was still invested in Smoke's story (yes, I had suspected what his secret was tied to in Aftertime Book 1), so I wanted to get on to that. Also, I felt allegiance to Smoke & his plight & didn't much care for Especially since for Cass she was bent on self-loathing, anger & usury. Her being angry over Nora (Smoke's long cast aside now dead ex) was made even more hollow for me after that. She yammered on & on about being betrayed but she displayed little to no loyalty & allegiance to anyone but herself, so it came off as narcissism & got very old, very quickly. Cass wallowed good & deep in her self-pity & bitterness & while I was interested in where this was all going, I found that often, I was losing patience with her being so all over the place. As a character she made me straddle the fine line between "I'm repulsed but I still care about you" & "I don't even care what your problems & issues or how damaged you are! Get yourself sorted!" I've walked this road with Kara Thrace of BSG & she was one of my favorite characters of all time, so I hung in with Cass. I believe in complex redemption. I won't know until the end of book 3 if Cass delivers, but I'm going to see it through.
I also have to admit that I wasn't very fond of the use of Ruthie as mute-but-prescient & able to dispense premonitions in toddler vernacular when sleep dazed. I thought having her mute was useful because being on the road with a toddler while trying to hide from Beaters & human threats is a lot more risky with a toddler you can't guarantee to be quiet. I was willing to let that bit go as a reader. But also a mono-syllabic clairvoyant? I'm sorry, I call shenanigans.
I want to say that I had enough energy & interest in Sammi & her plight but Cass took up just about all my energy, so I can't. It was interesting but I can't say I would have missed Sammi specifically if she weren't here. That part of the story could just as easily have been told through some other random girl & kinda was as it was picked up in a new character to take us into book 3.
I'm no fan of "love" triangles (I tend to believe that true love is not fickle, so easily waning & certainly not a group sport), so I won't pass judgment on the one offered here (I can't even recognize one of the angles here as anything resembling love). I tend to feel they're trite in general & never compliment the players/characters but only serve as a device that's often not expertly executed & make everyone involved a little less interesting & little more unlikable. The one here may be well executed if that's your thing but I am one to resist them on site, so I reserve objective opinion.
Honestly, & this isn't a slam to the story told in this book, I think I could have skipped this one & gone straight to the last & been perfectly happy. I won't reveal the exciting bits in the last half of the story but I will say it does not disappoint & made a great case for this installment & reading the final installment.
December 10, 2017
Quick Take:
This book, every bit as amazing as its predecessor—if not more so—takes a slightly different thematic and narrative focus whilst maintaining many of the elements that made the first book such a standout. An absolutely wonderful piece of speculative fiction.
Review:
Yes indeed, Ms. Littlefield does it again! In this sequel to the amazing Aftertime, a fascinating premise and excellent narrative execution is built upon and expanded. This book is certainly not its predecessor, taking a different tone and focus but absolutely shining in every aspect.
This is one of those books for which you’ll not want to know many details going into the story. As such, describing the book very difficult, since it’s so heavily centered around one major occurrence. The themes around which the plot revolves include abandonment and revenge; to know who’s experiencing or partaking in these activities might be considered a spoiler. So, I’ll stick with the general bits: we’re back to following Cass Dollar from book one, and as before, we’re treated to an in-depth look at her experiences and inner turmoil. But in addition to that, there’s much more focus on others in the cast; in fact, there are several narrative shifts between characters. This is not as much Cass’s book as it is her loved ones’…which is fine, considering it seems as though the series is shifting toward a broader, more epic scope as it goes on.
I love it when a storyteller can draw out the most intense, realistic, and honest emotion from fantastical situations or unfamiliar settings. Littlefield does just that and more. Her characters are raw. True. Loved, as evidenced by the care taken in crafting them. There is no simple “angst” but rather a complex assessment of human behaviors and emotions in the face of devastating loss and destruction, of a drastic redefinition of society itself.
Even as the dark reality of certain situations makes you want to look away, the story compels you to continue. It’s the very definition of “darkly enchanting.” Survival is never a given in this world, nor are tidy resolutions. But the thread of hope maintains, leaving the reader to really want to follow the cast through the hardest moments.
Reading this book has only further solidified by affection and excitement for this trilogy. Even if I read the third and final book (to be released early 2012) and decide I don’t like it (highly doubt I would, but for the sake of argument), I’ll always hold Rebirth and its predecessor Aftertime as some of my favorite books of all time.
This book, every bit as amazing as its predecessor—if not more so—takes a slightly different thematic and narrative focus whilst maintaining many of the elements that made the first book such a standout. An absolutely wonderful piece of speculative fiction.
Review:
Yes indeed, Ms. Littlefield does it again! In this sequel to the amazing Aftertime, a fascinating premise and excellent narrative execution is built upon and expanded. This book is certainly not its predecessor, taking a different tone and focus but absolutely shining in every aspect.
This is one of those books for which you’ll not want to know many details going into the story. As such, describing the book very difficult, since it’s so heavily centered around one major occurrence. The themes around which the plot revolves include abandonment and revenge; to know who’s experiencing or partaking in these activities might be considered a spoiler. So, I’ll stick with the general bits: we’re back to following Cass Dollar from book one, and as before, we’re treated to an in-depth look at her experiences and inner turmoil. But in addition to that, there’s much more focus on others in the cast; in fact, there are several narrative shifts between characters. This is not as much Cass’s book as it is her loved ones’…which is fine, considering it seems as though the series is shifting toward a broader, more epic scope as it goes on.
I love it when a storyteller can draw out the most intense, realistic, and honest emotion from fantastical situations or unfamiliar settings. Littlefield does just that and more. Her characters are raw. True. Loved, as evidenced by the care taken in crafting them. There is no simple “angst” but rather a complex assessment of human behaviors and emotions in the face of devastating loss and destruction, of a drastic redefinition of society itself.
Even as the dark reality of certain situations makes you want to look away, the story compels you to continue. It’s the very definition of “darkly enchanting.” Survival is never a given in this world, nor are tidy resolutions. But the thread of hope maintains, leaving the reader to really want to follow the cast through the hardest moments.
Reading this book has only further solidified by affection and excitement for this trilogy. Even if I read the third and final book (to be released early 2012) and decide I don’t like it (highly doubt I would, but for the sake of argument), I’ll always hold Rebirth and its predecessor Aftertime as some of my favorite books of all time.
July 14, 2011
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
REBIRTH is part The Walking Dead, part The Road, and part something totally new and engrossing. AFTERTIME threw us into a chaotic post apocalyptic world along with Cass and let us experience the first horrors that eventually destroyed life as we know it. As the title suggests, REBIRTH is a new beginning both for Cass and those who survived the zombie apocalypse, a beautiful and baleful story of horror and hope.
Like every good dystopian book, there is plenty in REBIRTH that will incite. We met the Rebuilders briefly in AFTERTIME, but in REBIRTH, we are fully immersed into the totalitarian regime that is forcibly seizing control of the new world. The evils unearthed within their command center are sobering and shocking. Littlefield writes so expressively, so vividly, that she wrings every drop of rage possible out of her readers. And just when you think the situation can’t get any worse, that the depths of human depravity have been well and truly plumbed, there is something far worse to come.
Despite those heavy scenes, which are prevalent, it’s the characters that make them bearable. More than bearable. The Aftertime world is meant to be terrible, but the characters, the relationships, they are what make it worth fighting for. They make every small victory into a triumph that fuels all our hope. It’s an amazingly well balanced thing and one that Littlefield excels at.
Equally well written are the characters. Cass is a woman driven by compulsions. Before, it was her addictions. Aftertime, it was reclaiming her daughter. In REBIRTH, she is once again seeking to rescue someone she loves and carve out whatever possible future this world can offer. 90% of REBIRTH is told from Cass’s POV, but there are a few chapters each given to Dor and his daughter Sammy, both of which added a new level of perception to Aftertime that Cass alone couldn’t. Given the way REBIRTH ends, I wouldn’t be surprised if additional POVs make it into the next book.
You need to read this book. You will be disturbed, you will be compelled, and you will not be the same. I died a tiny bit when I read the last page and found out that the next book in the Aftertime series, called HORIZON, won’t be published until February 2012. That’s a long time to wait for something so good. Check out the book trailer for a peek at the cover.
Sexual Content:
A couple sex scenes. Attempted rape. References to gang rape and torture.
REBIRTH is part The Walking Dead, part The Road, and part something totally new and engrossing. AFTERTIME threw us into a chaotic post apocalyptic world along with Cass and let us experience the first horrors that eventually destroyed life as we know it. As the title suggests, REBIRTH is a new beginning both for Cass and those who survived the zombie apocalypse, a beautiful and baleful story of horror and hope.
Like every good dystopian book, there is plenty in REBIRTH that will incite. We met the Rebuilders briefly in AFTERTIME, but in REBIRTH, we are fully immersed into the totalitarian regime that is forcibly seizing control of the new world. The evils unearthed within their command center are sobering and shocking. Littlefield writes so expressively, so vividly, that she wrings every drop of rage possible out of her readers. And just when you think the situation can’t get any worse, that the depths of human depravity have been well and truly plumbed, there is something far worse to come.
Despite those heavy scenes, which are prevalent, it’s the characters that make them bearable. More than bearable. The Aftertime world is meant to be terrible, but the characters, the relationships, they are what make it worth fighting for. They make every small victory into a triumph that fuels all our hope. It’s an amazingly well balanced thing and one that Littlefield excels at.
Equally well written are the characters. Cass is a woman driven by compulsions. Before, it was her addictions. Aftertime, it was reclaiming her daughter. In REBIRTH, she is once again seeking to rescue someone she loves and carve out whatever possible future this world can offer. 90% of REBIRTH is told from Cass’s POV, but there are a few chapters each given to Dor and his daughter Sammy, both of which added a new level of perception to Aftertime that Cass alone couldn’t. Given the way REBIRTH ends, I wouldn’t be surprised if additional POVs make it into the next book.
You need to read this book. You will be disturbed, you will be compelled, and you will not be the same. I died a tiny bit when I read the last page and found out that the next book in the Aftertime series, called HORIZON, won’t be published until February 2012. That’s a long time to wait for something so good. Check out the book trailer for a peek at the cover.
Sexual Content:
A couple sex scenes. Attempted rape. References to gang rape and torture.
November 29, 2011
What an ending....
May contain mild spoilers for the first book in the series - Aftertime. If you haven't read Aftertime, what are you waiting for?
When I finished reading Aftertime, I was left with a sense of hope. Cass, Ruthie, and Smoke were a family. The world was beginning to show signs of Rebirth: young seedlings were starting to sprout.
Good things don’t last too long in this world that was destroyed by biological warfare and a disease that turned most of the population into flesh eating Beaters or zombies. Smoke leaves on a mission of vengeance without saying goodbye to Cass. Dor hears that the Rebuilders have attacked the Library settlement and they have taken his teenage daughter Sammi. Dor sets out on his own mission to rescue Sammi. Cass, heartbroken by Smoke’s departure, accompanies Dor on her own mission – to find Smoke.
Humanity has changed for the worse. The Rebuilders are a prime example of a cult-like totalitarian regime that forced its citizens to comply with their philosophy. When their sinister agenda was revealed, I was disgusted.
All the main characters in this book are damaged in some way. Smoke has a secret that he revealed only to Dor. Dor also has his issues. Cass brought a lot of baggage from her life Before. She was a recovering alcoholic and had been sexually abused by her stepfather.
I was a little disappointed by Cass in this book, although I believe that she was portrayed accurately by the author. Cass has this ability to do anything that is necessary in order to achieve her goals. It seems to work for her, but it made me wonder about her morality.
The story is well paced and there are many exciting situations, as well as a few explosions. If you like post-apocalyptic books, add this series to your reading list.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
May contain mild spoilers for the first book in the series - Aftertime. If you haven't read Aftertime, what are you waiting for?
When I finished reading Aftertime, I was left with a sense of hope. Cass, Ruthie, and Smoke were a family. The world was beginning to show signs of Rebirth: young seedlings were starting to sprout.
Good things don’t last too long in this world that was destroyed by biological warfare and a disease that turned most of the population into flesh eating Beaters or zombies. Smoke leaves on a mission of vengeance without saying goodbye to Cass. Dor hears that the Rebuilders have attacked the Library settlement and they have taken his teenage daughter Sammi. Dor sets out on his own mission to rescue Sammi. Cass, heartbroken by Smoke’s departure, accompanies Dor on her own mission – to find Smoke.
Humanity has changed for the worse. The Rebuilders are a prime example of a cult-like totalitarian regime that forced its citizens to comply with their philosophy. When their sinister agenda was revealed, I was disgusted.
All the main characters in this book are damaged in some way. Smoke has a secret that he revealed only to Dor. Dor also has his issues. Cass brought a lot of baggage from her life Before. She was a recovering alcoholic and had been sexually abused by her stepfather.
I was a little disappointed by Cass in this book, although I believe that she was portrayed accurately by the author. Cass has this ability to do anything that is necessary in order to achieve her goals. It seems to work for her, but it made me wonder about her morality.
The story is well paced and there are many exciting situations, as well as a few explosions. If you like post-apocalyptic books, add this series to your reading list.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
August 21, 2011
I liked this book better than the first book. Smoke, Cass, and Ruthie have been a family in the Box since Ruthie was rescued from the convent. Smoke is head of security and Cass grows food and medicine in her garden. All is as good as things get in Aftertime, until Smoke gets news that the school where Cass met him has been captured by Rebuilders. Smoke is set on revenge and leaves to kill the Rebuilders involved without saying good-bye to Cass. Cass feels abandoned and betrayed, and the wall of mistrust that Smoke crumbled around Cass is rebuilt stronger than ever. Although I was angry with Smoke for leaving and angry at Cass for not fighting him more, ultimately I understood that Smoke had to leave or he would not be the hero he is.
Not able to stay in the Box without Smoke, Cass takes Ruthie and joins Dor on a mission to rescue his daughter, Sammie, who Cass met from her short stay in the library. I was a little surprised by the way things played out in this book. This book was even darker than Aftertime and it gave even better insight to what people will be driven to do in order to not only survive, but to save their loved ones. I loved the ending of this book and can't wait for book 3.
Not able to stay in the Box without Smoke, Cass takes Ruthie and joins Dor on a mission to rescue his daughter, Sammie, who Cass met from her short stay in the library. I was a little surprised by the way things played out in this book. This book was even darker than Aftertime and it gave even better insight to what people will be driven to do in order to not only survive, but to save their loved ones. I loved the ending of this book and can't wait for book 3.
September 10, 2014
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
I almost gave up on this one. Only my faith in how well Aftertime pulled it together and the fact that some Goodreads friends insisted this book improved kept me going during the first half of this sequel, when Smoke disappears to go on a revenge quest after the Rebuilders attack the school where he once lived and Cass descends even further into equivocation and self-loathing, mooning around beating herself up for trusting him and then beating herself up for not being good enough. (I’m not saying her self-destructive feelings are not authentic to her character, just that I was already tired of them when Aftertime ended, and I wanted to see her moving beyond them at the start of this book.) For the first half of this book, I wished we were following Smoke’s journey instead, with him as the narrator. At least then stuff would be happening, and we’d learn more about him. Cass is understandably damaged and, rightly so, Littlefield doesn’t give her an easy fix (love isn’t a magical healing force, at least not one that works quickly), but her endless self-analysis needs moderating from a story standpoint. It’s a pacing issue.
Thankfully, Cass goes with Dor, the leader of the Box, to rescue his daughter Sammi from the Rebuilders and has a chance to show that she’s also smart and capable and even dangerous. She’s resilient, fiercely protective and can ultimately do whatever it takes to save the people she cares about (including using her sexuality to her advantage). Cass' love for Ruthie and hope for her future is even more beautifully described in this sequel. The last half of this book – when Cass and Dor infiltrate the Rebuilders’ Headquarters and look for Sammi, and then have to escape the massive compound – is gripping and scary and emotional. It’s all fast-paced action and thrills but doesn’t sacrifice Cass’ emotional drama. It has the perfect balance. Ending on a high note means I will return for the third book.
If we don't learn more about Smoke in the third book, however, I will be giving up on this series. This is far too long for him to remain a cipher, especially as his relationship with Cass is supposed to have continued for months. This book is entirely given over to Dor as a possible romantic interest for Cass (if “romantic” is the right word, given how squicky they are at first), and we get so much detail on Dor, including having him as a narrator, that it’s even more annoying that we don’t know anything about Smoke. I gave it a pass in Aftertime because Cass had just met Smoke and he filled the role of the heroic, wounded loner with a secret past, but I expected to learn more about his background, his thoughts and feelings, in this book. I expected him to be real. Instead, he is absent for most of the time , while Cass starts of a destructive relationship with Dor. Dor turns out to be an amazing complex character – he carries this book, more so than Cass – but I was still disappointed. The whole point of a love triangle is to have three equally developed characters, not two extremely well-developed characters and one non-entity.
Overall, this book is worth if it you enjoyed the first one. It gives more insight into Cass’ character and creates a compelling, nuanced portrait of Dor (I ended up liking him quite a bit, especially as he's such a morally gray character). Littlefield also continues to develop Ruthie with subtlety (Ruthie never feels like an unthinking appendage or precocious waif), and she increases the tension with ominous changes in the Beaters (including adding a new threat in mutant zombie crows). But it is definitely a middle book with a lot of frustrating elements that I hope will be addressed next time.
I almost gave up on this one. Only my faith in how well Aftertime pulled it together and the fact that some Goodreads friends insisted this book improved kept me going during the first half of this sequel, when Smoke disappears to go on a revenge quest after the Rebuilders attack the school where he once lived and Cass descends even further into equivocation and self-loathing, mooning around beating herself up for trusting him and then beating herself up for not being good enough. (I’m not saying her self-destructive feelings are not authentic to her character, just that I was already tired of them when Aftertime ended, and I wanted to see her moving beyond them at the start of this book.) For the first half of this book, I wished we were following Smoke’s journey instead, with him as the narrator. At least then stuff would be happening, and we’d learn more about him. Cass is understandably damaged and, rightly so, Littlefield doesn’t give her an easy fix (love isn’t a magical healing force, at least not one that works quickly), but her endless self-analysis needs moderating from a story standpoint. It’s a pacing issue.
Thankfully, Cass goes with Dor, the leader of the Box, to rescue his daughter Sammi from the Rebuilders and has a chance to show that she’s also smart and capable and even dangerous. She’s resilient, fiercely protective and can ultimately do whatever it takes to save the people she cares about (including using her sexuality to her advantage). Cass' love for Ruthie and hope for her future is even more beautifully described in this sequel. The last half of this book – when Cass and Dor infiltrate the Rebuilders’ Headquarters and look for Sammi, and then have to escape the massive compound – is gripping and scary and emotional. It’s all fast-paced action and thrills but doesn’t sacrifice Cass’ emotional drama. It has the perfect balance. Ending on a high note means I will return for the third book.
If we don't learn more about Smoke in the third book, however, I will be giving up on this series. This is far too long for him to remain a cipher, especially as his relationship with Cass is supposed to have continued for months. This book is entirely given over to Dor as a possible romantic interest for Cass (if “romantic” is the right word, given how squicky they are at first), and we get so much detail on Dor, including having him as a narrator, that it’s even more annoying that we don’t know anything about Smoke. I gave it a pass in Aftertime because Cass had just met Smoke and he filled the role of the heroic, wounded loner with a secret past, but I expected to learn more about his background, his thoughts and feelings, in this book. I expected him to be real. Instead, he is absent for most of the time , while Cass starts of a destructive relationship with Dor. Dor turns out to be an amazing complex character – he carries this book, more so than Cass – but I was still disappointed. The whole point of a love triangle is to have three equally developed characters, not two extremely well-developed characters and one non-entity.
Overall, this book is worth if it you enjoyed the first one. It gives more insight into Cass’ character and creates a compelling, nuanced portrait of Dor (I ended up liking him quite a bit, especially as he's such a morally gray character). Littlefield also continues to develop Ruthie with subtlety (Ruthie never feels like an unthinking appendage or precocious waif), and she increases the tension with ominous changes in the Beaters (including adding a new threat in mutant zombie crows). But it is definitely a middle book with a lot of frustrating elements that I hope will be addressed next time.
January 17, 2012
As a writer, I have a really hard time writing reviews for other writers. A lot of it is "I'm a writer...they're writers...what if people think I'm being biased?" or "What if people think I'm just jelus?" or even "OMG, what if I meet this person in the future and they remember what I wrote?!"
I LOVED Aftertime.
You need to know this.
I EFFING loved it.
Except for one issue, but that's really not the point.
(Hey, then why did you mention it, you git?)
...moving along...
Rebirth.
OH GOD.
*insertrandomWTFgifhere*
I have NO words to describe my emotions while reading this book. On two separate occasions, I said "WTF is this shit?!" to my SO and put the book down. But the book, despite all the issues I had with it, is incredibly readable, which is why I managed to crawl toward the last final pages, which seemed, after the relative slow pace of the first half, to rocket to a conclusion.
(Spoilers abound!)
My first issue with Rebirth:
Smoke leaves her. AFTER HE HEARS THE SCHOOL WAS TAKEN OVER BY REBUILDERS. I apologize about the caps, but I feel so effing strong about this. Anyways, he leaves her to go check it out for himself. After all, he was at this shelter for a while before he met Cass and his ex-lover was also there.
CASS RESENTS THAT HE GOES.
WTF is this? She hates that he's going. Wha? In what universe does this not make her incredibly selfish? She resents the fact that he slept with someone before her and the book keeps mentioning the fact that Cass wishes his ex (forgot her name...Lila? Lydia?) never existed.
My second issue:
She decides to go after him. This isn't necessarily bad in itself, but she decides to take something with her.
HER THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.
At this point, I put the book down and looked at SO. "It's been a long time since I wanted to throw a book against a wall." "That bad, hm?" "You have no idea." And I really didn't want to feel this way. But, again let me say it, IN WHAT UNIVERSE is it OKAY to take a toddler through dangerous territory just to find some guy who said he was going to come back?
My third issue:
She sleeps with Dor. Oh wait, no, she FORCES herself on Dor. In the worst possible way. This happens multiple times and this was the other point where I actually PUT THE BOOK DOWN, said "I'm not reading this shit anymore."
...I did. But only because the writing was pretty compelling.
Oh, but how I wished I didn't.
I had nightmares about this whole post-apocalyptic scenario, fueled by Starbucks Doubleshot, a B-complex vitamin, and an empty stomach.
There were some other things I wanted to touch upon, but none of them were as bad as the three I posted above.
Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go watch a month's worth of Sesame Street to get rid of the depressing aura this book gave me.
I LOVED Aftertime.
You need to know this.
I EFFING loved it.
Except for one issue, but that's really not the point.
(Hey, then why did you mention it, you git?)
...moving along...
Rebirth.
OH GOD.
*insertrandomWTFgifhere*
I have NO words to describe my emotions while reading this book. On two separate occasions, I said "WTF is this shit?!" to my SO and put the book down. But the book, despite all the issues I had with it, is incredibly readable, which is why I managed to crawl toward the last final pages, which seemed, after the relative slow pace of the first half, to rocket to a conclusion.
(Spoilers abound!)
My first issue with Rebirth:
Smoke leaves her. AFTER HE HEARS THE SCHOOL WAS TAKEN OVER BY REBUILDERS. I apologize about the caps, but I feel so effing strong about this. Anyways, he leaves her to go check it out for himself. After all, he was at this shelter for a while before he met Cass and his ex-lover was also there.
CASS RESENTS THAT HE GOES.
WTF is this? She hates that he's going. Wha? In what universe does this not make her incredibly selfish? She resents the fact that he slept with someone before her and the book keeps mentioning the fact that Cass wishes his ex (forgot her name...Lila? Lydia?) never existed.
My second issue:
She decides to go after him. This isn't necessarily bad in itself, but she decides to take something with her.
HER THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.
At this point, I put the book down and looked at SO. "It's been a long time since I wanted to throw a book against a wall." "That bad, hm?" "You have no idea." And I really didn't want to feel this way. But, again let me say it, IN WHAT UNIVERSE is it OKAY to take a toddler through dangerous territory just to find some guy who said he was going to come back?
My third issue:
She sleeps with Dor. Oh wait, no, she FORCES herself on Dor. In the worst possible way. This happens multiple times and this was the other point where I actually PUT THE BOOK DOWN, said "I'm not reading this shit anymore."
...I did. But only because the writing was pretty compelling.
Oh, but how I wished I didn't.
I had nightmares about this whole post-apocalyptic scenario, fueled by Starbucks Doubleshot, a B-complex vitamin, and an empty stomach.
There were some other things I wanted to touch upon, but none of them were as bad as the three I posted above.
Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go watch a month's worth of Sesame Street to get rid of the depressing aura this book gave me.
June 2, 2011
I love Cass Dollar. She is not a heroine I envy or want to be, but I love her strengths. She has will power, drive and a desire to see her daughter live and thrive in a world where that no longer seems like a possibility. Cass has been down many difficult roads in life, she has filled her life with numerous poor decisions and yet she still goes on. Rebirth picks up shortly after the end of Aftertime. Cass has her daughter Ruthie back. She is living at the Box with her lover Smoke, life is going extremely well considering all of the circumstances. All is well until the school where Cass initially met Smoke, was attacked and burned by the Rebuilders. The women and children are taken to Colima, the Rebuilder’s central command compound. Sammi, Dor's daughter is among the survivors that have been taken away.
This is a series that must be read in order. There was little to no rehashing in these pages. Rebirth is a whole new adventure. Smoke leaves Cass at the Box to go on a vengeance mission. Feeling betrayed she leaves the Box with Dor on the quest to rescue his daughter. After reading Aftertime I was left with a feeling that the Rebuilders most likely had their own agenda in the scheme of things in this After World. These people are beyond twisted. The atrocities that they are putting humans through for their own maniacal narcissistic reasons are pure craziness. The readers are given much more Dor in this book. He is a fascinating character. Just when you think that Dor does the things he does for his own advancement and purposes he shows a different side of himself. He is a very caring man and a loving father. I enjoyed getting to know his character better.
I will continue reading this series. I’m very eager to see where the author takes Cass and the other passengers she has in the van at the end of the book. My complaints for this book are weak and personal whiney complaints. Rebirth moved at a much slower pace than Aftertime. The action scenes are fast paced and intense, but some of the in between time dragged. There is a cliffhanger ending. I hate these. This is why I like to read series that have been out for some time and there are numerous books to answer all of my unanswered questions. My other complaint was the sex. I know this is Cass and her behavior towards men due to her past. It just felt like raw, dirty sex to me. The romance aspect was missing. I don’t want to give away a spoiler, but considering the sex scenes of the book there should have been a lack of romance. (no rape was involved, very willing participants) This book is not a romance, thus this is really just a whiney complaint on my part.
This is a series that must be read in order. There was little to no rehashing in these pages. Rebirth is a whole new adventure. Smoke leaves Cass at the Box to go on a vengeance mission. Feeling betrayed she leaves the Box with Dor on the quest to rescue his daughter. After reading Aftertime I was left with a feeling that the Rebuilders most likely had their own agenda in the scheme of things in this After World. These people are beyond twisted. The atrocities that they are putting humans through for their own maniacal narcissistic reasons are pure craziness. The readers are given much more Dor in this book. He is a fascinating character. Just when you think that Dor does the things he does for his own advancement and purposes he shows a different side of himself. He is a very caring man and a loving father. I enjoyed getting to know his character better.
I will continue reading this series. I’m very eager to see where the author takes Cass and the other passengers she has in the van at the end of the book. My complaints for this book are weak and personal whiney complaints. Rebirth moved at a much slower pace than Aftertime. The action scenes are fast paced and intense, but some of the in between time dragged. There is a cliffhanger ending. I hate these. This is why I like to read series that have been out for some time and there are numerous books to answer all of my unanswered questions. My other complaint was the sex. I know this is Cass and her behavior towards men due to her past. It just felt like raw, dirty sex to me. The romance aspect was missing. I don’t want to give away a spoiler, but considering the sex scenes of the book there should have been a lack of romance. (no rape was involved, very willing participants) This book is not a romance, thus this is really just a whiney complaint on my part.
July 27, 2011
Memorable passage: '...the truck offered them exactly what they wanted: a shelter with only one way in, a dark box that would serve as their butcher's table and which would run with the blood of the fallen.'
The follow up to 'Aftertime', Sophie Littlefield's post apocalyptic California-based zombie (Beaters as they're known here) survival horror is just as suspenseful and vivid as any of its kind. A morbid opening unleashes a torrent of dread and sets the tone for the rest of the novel as a Box inhabitant is put to rest in a shallow grave following yet another untimely death. Apt given the life expectancy is significantly lower in this new world with a dwindling human population and a thriving (if I can use that word) Beater meat economy. In 'Rebirth' we reintroduced to Cass, as more of her dark back story is revealed from her battle with alcohol to various misgivings in her youth/early adult life to her varied and lengthy interactions with members of the opposite sex. Cass is one hard woman, no more so than in this book as she uses her bodily currency to make men do her bidding in an effort to save those she holds dear. Vivacious and vicious, the Outlier fights like a caged demon to protect her faithful at all costs, providing some of the most entertaining scenes I've ever read. On a mission to bring back lover, Smoke, she is once again thrust into the hardships of a broken world - interestingly enough, its not the Beaters who pose the most significant threat, rather, the Rebuilders, a faction of society hell bent on developing immunity to the virus while raping and pillaging the world of its resources. Similar in many ways to Aftertime but with an added layer of human emotion and world building depth, Rebirth is an adventure doused in noir on a hotbed of horror. I cant wait for third installment - 4 stars.
The follow up to 'Aftertime', Sophie Littlefield's post apocalyptic California-based zombie (Beaters as they're known here) survival horror is just as suspenseful and vivid as any of its kind. A morbid opening unleashes a torrent of dread and sets the tone for the rest of the novel as a Box inhabitant is put to rest in a shallow grave following yet another untimely death. Apt given the life expectancy is significantly lower in this new world with a dwindling human population and a thriving (if I can use that word) Beater meat economy. In 'Rebirth' we reintroduced to Cass, as more of her dark back story is revealed from her battle with alcohol to various misgivings in her youth/early adult life to her varied and lengthy interactions with members of the opposite sex. Cass is one hard woman, no more so than in this book as she uses her bodily currency to make men do her bidding in an effort to save those she holds dear. Vivacious and vicious, the Outlier fights like a caged demon to protect her faithful at all costs, providing some of the most entertaining scenes I've ever read. On a mission to bring back lover, Smoke, she is once again thrust into the hardships of a broken world - interestingly enough, its not the Beaters who pose the most significant threat, rather, the Rebuilders, a faction of society hell bent on developing immunity to the virus while raping and pillaging the world of its resources. Similar in many ways to Aftertime but with an added layer of human emotion and world building depth, Rebirth is an adventure doused in noir on a hotbed of horror. I cant wait for third installment - 4 stars.
June 22, 2014
First paragraph:
The first snowflake Aftertime was like no snowflake that ever fell Before. Cass nearly missed it, kneeling on the matted dead kaysev plants, their woody stalks poking into her skin through the thick leggings she wore beneath her dress. Her eyes had been closed, but Randall had gone on too long, the way people do when they are trying to say something meaningful about someone they didn’t know well. After a while Cass grew restless and began to look around, and there, not two feet away, the snowflake drifted past in a lazy swoop as though it had all the time in the world.
"Rebirth" is a great follow up to "Aftertime", Sophie Littlefield's awesome story of a flawed young mother trying to find her daughter in a ravaged world. In this, Cass has been reunited with Ruthie and is living in the Box with Smoke, in relative safety. Yet things go swiftly astray - the sanctuary at the library is attacked, Dor's daughter is taken, and Smoke leaves Cass to seek vengeance against the Rebuilders.
Lots of stuff happening in this, yet the action doesn't really pick up until the second half of the book. In the first half, there's a lot of introspection and internal dialogue and just stuff that I didn't like about Cassie. I had to keep telling myself that she's a flawed character, recovering from child abuse and alcoholism and a host of other problems before the shit hit the fan with the rest of the world. Of course she's going to do things and say things and make choices that I disagree with. Argh...annoying, but probably true.
Word of caution...the story ends with a beginning, but the main element that I wanted resolved, the triangle of Cassie, Smoke and Dor, remains unresolved. I will definitely need to find and download the third part in this series.
The first snowflake Aftertime was like no snowflake that ever fell Before. Cass nearly missed it, kneeling on the matted dead kaysev plants, their woody stalks poking into her skin through the thick leggings she wore beneath her dress. Her eyes had been closed, but Randall had gone on too long, the way people do when they are trying to say something meaningful about someone they didn’t know well. After a while Cass grew restless and began to look around, and there, not two feet away, the snowflake drifted past in a lazy swoop as though it had all the time in the world.
"Rebirth" is a great follow up to "Aftertime", Sophie Littlefield's awesome story of a flawed young mother trying to find her daughter in a ravaged world. In this, Cass has been reunited with Ruthie and is living in the Box with Smoke, in relative safety. Yet things go swiftly astray - the sanctuary at the library is attacked, Dor's daughter is taken, and Smoke leaves Cass to seek vengeance against the Rebuilders.
Lots of stuff happening in this, yet the action doesn't really pick up until the second half of the book. In the first half, there's a lot of introspection and internal dialogue and just stuff that I didn't like about Cassie. I had to keep telling myself that she's a flawed character, recovering from child abuse and alcoholism and a host of other problems before the shit hit the fan with the rest of the world. Of course she's going to do things and say things and make choices that I disagree with. Argh...annoying, but probably true.
Word of caution...the story ends with a beginning, but the main element that I wanted resolved, the triangle of Cassie, Smoke and Dor, remains unresolved. I will definitely need to find and download the third part in this series.
November 14, 2024
(6/10/11) AFTERTIME claimed the distinction of being one of the few dystopian novels that I not just enjoyed but loved. Rather than coasting on that legacy, REBIRTH climbs even higher in my esteem by delving deeper into the relationships and emotional baggage of already enthralling characters. So much of Cass's strength and discipline in AFTERTIME is wrapped up in finding Ruthie, making it fascinating to see her on the other side of that mountain. If AFTERTIME is devoted to Cass's ferocity as a mother, REBIRTH is the story of her triumphs, and wounds, as a woman. Sexual politics is always the elephant in the room in any post-apocalyptic novel, and REBIRTH attacks the subject head on in a visceral and heartbreaking way, revealing more of Cass's painful past as she struggles with her present. REBIRTH will reach right into your heart, as beautiful and painful as sunlight to the eyes. I can't stop thinking about it, weeks after I've read it, and I know I'll return to Cass and this world time and time again.
(9/28/15): Oh God, still my favorite of the series. The acrid, jagged edges of Cass's rage are so relatable, the way she smashes into Dor... unforgettable.
(9/28/15): Oh God, still my favorite of the series. The acrid, jagged edges of Cass's rage are so relatable, the way she smashes into Dor... unforgettable.
August 31, 2011
When you hope that the zombies running amok in a story go ahead & catch the main character & eat her just so you won't have to put up with her anymore, well, that's not a good sign. Though the story picked up a little towards the end with an action packed closing the rest of it wasn't to my liking. Cass, the main character is a whiny, sleazy, angry, weak idiot. Every time she started in on the self loathing & said things about hating herself I agreed wholeheartedly with her uselessness. In the first book her plight moved me & I wanted her to find her daughter, but in this one I decided her daughter would be better off without being raised by such a mess of a woman. If she hadn't been so unlikable this would have been highly engrossing because the horror aspect of it all was quite creepy & entertaining, like an episode of The Walking Dead & the like.
October 1, 2011
I got this book this morning and have read the last page now! Holy cow I couldn't put it down. I really like Cass. I'm not sure how many layers of Hell this young woman has seen but I think Dante would be proud. She is hard and capable, but never seems to border on unsociable. Even through it all she has a touch of humanity and a very loving supportive relationship with her daughter. Her personal issues are not small by any means and I like how she deals with them and is trying to accept who she is and move on. I will have a hard time waiting for the next book in the series! I know what I would do if I were Cass, but if it's anything like the first 2 books I will enjoy every minute of reading what she decides to do!!
May 18, 2011
Well, I rated book one with one star and book two with two stars. I think this bodes very well for books four and five! I'm afraid my complaint with this book is the same as with it's predecessor. It's slow. The main character Cass has people all around her, all the time, but there is no conversation. It's all internal reflections. This is an apocalyptic zombie book, the one thing it shouldn't be is boring.
May 30, 2013
Even better than the first one! Love Cass a very strong woman who is willing to do anything for the ones she loves.
May 6, 2018
Eccoci arrivati al secondo libro della saga distopica Aftertime “Tomorrow la rinascita” di Littlefield Sophie, ambientata in un mondo post apocalittico in cui gli esseri umani sono stati contagiati da un terribile virus che li trasforma in zombie. In questo libro, ovviamente, non essendoci bisogno di descrizione del luogo o dei personaggi la storia parte immediatamente, come se non ci fosse stato un finale nel libro precedente, infatti i personaggi sono gli stessi che abbiamo trovato nel primo romanzo (“Aftertime il risveglio”), perciò è assolutamente da leggere rispettando la sequenza per avere una visione chiara e precisa dei fatti, e capire qualcosa degli avvenimenti.
Appena concluso il primo libro pensavo che l’autrice non riuscisse più a stupirmi con le sue storie, credevo di aver capito quello che voleva far dire e fare ai suoi personaggi, ma mi sono sbagliata! Le vicende che circondano la protagonista sono talmente avvincenti che non si può fare a meno di leggere il libro senza staccarsi un attimo, e augurandosi di avere a portata di mano il terzo e conclusivo libro. Posso dire senza ombra di dubbio che, essendo amante anche della vecchia fantascienza, trovare un lavoro che si allontana dall’urban fantasy e dove l’amore per le cose e le persone è presente senza esserne la parte principale della storia, è bellissimo e non posso che consigliarlo caldamente, specialmente a tutti quelli che come me, in gioventù hanno letto e amato Asimov, King, o Robin Cook .
Baby Lady Kira - per RFS
Appena concluso il primo libro pensavo che l’autrice non riuscisse più a stupirmi con le sue storie, credevo di aver capito quello che voleva far dire e fare ai suoi personaggi, ma mi sono sbagliata! Le vicende che circondano la protagonista sono talmente avvincenti che non si può fare a meno di leggere il libro senza staccarsi un attimo, e augurandosi di avere a portata di mano il terzo e conclusivo libro. Posso dire senza ombra di dubbio che, essendo amante anche della vecchia fantascienza, trovare un lavoro che si allontana dall’urban fantasy e dove l’amore per le cose e le persone è presente senza esserne la parte principale della storia, è bellissimo e non posso che consigliarlo caldamente, specialmente a tutti quelli che come me, in gioventù hanno letto e amato Asimov, King, o Robin Cook .
Baby Lady Kira - per RFS
February 6, 2017
MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
EXPECTATIONS: Okay so Rebirth is the second installment in Aftertime series by Sophie Littlefield. I have started this series pretty recently and felt all the way to the bottom in love with it so no surprise I ended up picking up the second book almost immediately.
THE WORLD: As the blurb already indicated, the world has fallen. Once upon a time there was a virus releases which turned people in Beaters aka Zombies and now they are after the survivors. Pretty much 95 or even 98% of population have turned into Beaters by now and the rest aka survivors are living in clusters in supposedly protected places. Well protected really as much as they can protect it themselves. And not just from the Beaters. There is a group called Rebuilders who fancy themselves the savers of human kind but really it is either you are with them or you die. So when I said protected places as much as you can protect it yourself, you protect them from Beaters pretty much till Rebuilders come and burn you down. At least that's what happened with the shelter at school. Anyways, this whole burning down the school shelters is what sets this book into actions because Smoke goes onto suicide/revenge mission to Rebuilders and Cass with Dor follow him. And that is how we meet very very bad people and later even worse Rebuilders. Oh and a few Beaters, but not that many in this book frankly.
CHARACTERS: So Cass....oh how much I loved her in the first book. I am not saying she gets worse in this book but there is just something about her that I don't like, something new and skinny and not Cass style at all. Basically she is pissed that Smoke leaves her and Ruthie behind and goes to revenge on Rebuilders. So she goes to Dor, the leader of the box where they live and because Rebuilders have Sammy, Dor's daughter Cass, Dor and Ruthie set out to follow Smoke and go to Rebuilders to get Sammy out. What happens during the time they travel was a bit well I don't know. I guess apocalypse brings out the worst of the people, especially where we had the part about barricade. But it was also realistic so all good in the end. And then we have Cass and Dor...hell I did not how to feel about whole situation at first but eventually Dor grew on me. I mean really Smoke just left and he supposedly has this big scary secret well you know what? In ya face Smoke, I am team Dor now. You don't deserve Cass.
ROMANCE: So I kinda spilled the beans already, we get a triangle. But not the worst type of so it kinda does not get annoying much.
GOOD: I liked that they went back on the road again. There is action. And I love the kind of action Sophie Littlefield writes. Plus she really can make you mad...some people are just evil but that is pretty much pink fields in comparison to Rebuilders. Let me just drop a few phrases here...like baby factory...or ash tray full of wedding rings...or I don't even know. Just horrible people.
BAD: I am not sure if there really was a minus in this book besides that nagging feeling I started to get towards Cass. She has changed and I did not necessary liked where it was going.
OVERALL: Jup still in love with the series. Sophie Littlefield managed to avoid a second book syndrome for sure! Of we go to the third and final book!
MORE? MORE! @ P.S. I love that book!
August 15, 2019
The entire setup that brings us into the supposed community of the Rebuilders had me go off the rails once the true goings-on of the campus of Calima (I hope I spelled that correctly) are revealed. I especially applaud Sophie Littlefield in displaying multiple strong, realistic women in this series. A lot of the "zombie apocalypse" novels I read will either make the women impossibly tough or weak. Cass is a recovered alcoholic who was focused on getting her child back. She honed her skills in order to do so- it wasn't the typical "I need to survive" situation. She was determined to get Ruthie back.
Her relationship with Smoke, Dor, Ruthie, and others in this particular book were well-developed. I liked being able to see from another person's POV in addition to Cass's (if only to provide a whole different perspective of the adaptations humanity has had to go through in the After).
Her relationship with Smoke, Dor, Ruthie, and others in this particular book were well-developed. I liked being able to see from another person's POV in addition to Cass's (if only to provide a whole different perspective of the adaptations humanity has had to go through in the After).
July 7, 2011
Rating: 4.0
Genre: Adult Dystopian-Zombies
**Review**
Rebirth, by Sophie Littlefield, is the second book in the Aftertime series. It has only been eight months since the air force rained Kaysev down from the sky during their last flights in hopes of saving the remaining survivors of a bio terrorism attack. The plant was meant to feed the population, but instead caused widespread panic because of what happened with the blueleaf fever that spawned the Beaters in the first place. Originally it was limited to California, but spread outward. Supposingly, the east is the only safe area remaining in the country. Kaysev is now used in every part of life including fuel.
What lie behind the survivors is the Siege, Beaters, famine and the devastation and death that was left in its wake. What lies ahead is an uncertain future where it’s anyone guesses whether or not the Beaters will win out in the end or if they will have enough supplies to last through the winter months.
Rebirth reintroduces readers to Cass Dollar, Smoke, Dor, and Ruthie. Alot of this book is pro-Dor and that is fine with me. We don’t really get to see much of Smoke after he leaves on his walkabout after the Rebuilders attacked the school in Silva where his former lover Nora lived. They burned it down and gave the women and children a choice to join them or die. All the men were killed. One of those taken was Dor's own daughter Sammi who lived there with her mother.
Doran (Dor) is the founder and leader of the box. He is a trader and enforcer of the peace. The residents of the Box live in a former football stadium where they trade for goods and services. He believes things are going to get a whole lot worse and soon. Rations and raiding parties aren’t as abundant as they were before, and winter is just around the corner. Dor realizes that his position at the Box is not as important as saving his daughter.
After Smoke takes his walk for revenge, Cass and Dor leave together from the Box. Cass wants to find Smoke who went for a walk for justice for the members of the school where he and Cass first met. Cass believes that Smoke betrayed her in leaving her behind without even asking if she wanted to go with him or saying goodbye. Cass believed that she was slowly building a new life with Smoke and Ruthie, and that things were actually getting better. Dor also knows a secret about Smoke that Cass doesn’t. This secret, if told, would shock her to the core.
Cass Dollar hasn’t taken a drink of alcohol in nearly 10 months. She used to be a fall down drunk and drug addict before everything fell apart. Cass is also an outlier; a person who survived being infected by zombies and came back to life. It happened almost 4 months ago and it appears she is fully healed now with minor scars. Cass and Ruthie have been living at the Box with Smoke for nearly three months. Cass, since her infection, has changed. Her hair grows faster, as does her nails. Cass’s past is riddled with things that she can’t do anything to change. Not her stepfather molesting her. Not the fact that she slept with 200 or more men of all ages. Not even the fact that she lost Ruthie because of an alcoholic relapse. Cass uses the only weapon she has in retaliation for Smoke’s betrayal; her own body. She also believes she is protecting her daughter, but in reality she is doing what thousands of women before her did before her; using her body to get what she wants from others.
Ruthie, who hasn’t spoken in forever, has what appears to be premonition into what is going to happen. She seems to know when things are going to happen before hand including carrion birds arriving to an ambush that neither Cass or Dor see's coming. Ruthie also seems to be coming out of her cocoon of silence after what she experienced at the hands of the covenant that refused to allow children to speak. Ruthie is also an outlier like her mother.
Rebirth, in my humble opinion, moves really slowly until you get halfway into the story. I would definitely rate the last part of this book when Cass, Dor and Ruthie arrive at the Rebuilder camp, the best action and story of the entire book. The ending leaves a lot of different feelings that I'm forced to wait till next year when the next installment comes out to find answers to my questions.
I am a believer that Aftertime was the better story of the two books released so far. I appreciate the fact that we get to see more of the Rebuilders who are plain and simple evil, especially Rebuilder scientist Mary Vane who is as creepy as anyone you will meet. If you aren’t with them, then they eliminate you. If you are an outlier, and a female, you are prized possessions for the Rebuilder leadership who claims they are looking for a cure but have other plans instead.
I really had a hard time grasping Cass's character this time around. She was rather lethargic and boring most of the first half. She pretty much jumps Dor's bones, and then later is shocked when he turns around and wants it again. In the end after they escape from the Rebuilders, she’s an entirely different character altogether which will definitely make me look forward to the next installment.
It was recently announced by the author that Horizon will be released February 2012.
ARC Recvd 05/15/2011 - Release 07/26/2011
Genre: Adult Dystopian-Zombies
**Review**
Rebirth, by Sophie Littlefield, is the second book in the Aftertime series. It has only been eight months since the air force rained Kaysev down from the sky during their last flights in hopes of saving the remaining survivors of a bio terrorism attack. The plant was meant to feed the population, but instead caused widespread panic because of what happened with the blueleaf fever that spawned the Beaters in the first place. Originally it was limited to California, but spread outward. Supposingly, the east is the only safe area remaining in the country. Kaysev is now used in every part of life including fuel.
What lie behind the survivors is the Siege, Beaters, famine and the devastation and death that was left in its wake. What lies ahead is an uncertain future where it’s anyone guesses whether or not the Beaters will win out in the end or if they will have enough supplies to last through the winter months.
Rebirth reintroduces readers to Cass Dollar, Smoke, Dor, and Ruthie. Alot of this book is pro-Dor and that is fine with me. We don’t really get to see much of Smoke after he leaves on his walkabout after the Rebuilders attacked the school in Silva where his former lover Nora lived. They burned it down and gave the women and children a choice to join them or die. All the men were killed. One of those taken was Dor's own daughter Sammi who lived there with her mother.
Doran (Dor) is the founder and leader of the box. He is a trader and enforcer of the peace. The residents of the Box live in a former football stadium where they trade for goods and services. He believes things are going to get a whole lot worse and soon. Rations and raiding parties aren’t as abundant as they were before, and winter is just around the corner. Dor realizes that his position at the Box is not as important as saving his daughter.
After Smoke takes his walk for revenge, Cass and Dor leave together from the Box. Cass wants to find Smoke who went for a walk for justice for the members of the school where he and Cass first met. Cass believes that Smoke betrayed her in leaving her behind without even asking if she wanted to go with him or saying goodbye. Cass believed that she was slowly building a new life with Smoke and Ruthie, and that things were actually getting better. Dor also knows a secret about Smoke that Cass doesn’t. This secret, if told, would shock her to the core.
Cass Dollar hasn’t taken a drink of alcohol in nearly 10 months. She used to be a fall down drunk and drug addict before everything fell apart. Cass is also an outlier; a person who survived being infected by zombies and came back to life. It happened almost 4 months ago and it appears she is fully healed now with minor scars. Cass and Ruthie have been living at the Box with Smoke for nearly three months. Cass, since her infection, has changed. Her hair grows faster, as does her nails. Cass’s past is riddled with things that she can’t do anything to change. Not her stepfather molesting her. Not the fact that she slept with 200 or more men of all ages. Not even the fact that she lost Ruthie because of an alcoholic relapse. Cass uses the only weapon she has in retaliation for Smoke’s betrayal; her own body. She also believes she is protecting her daughter, but in reality she is doing what thousands of women before her did before her; using her body to get what she wants from others.
Ruthie, who hasn’t spoken in forever, has what appears to be premonition into what is going to happen. She seems to know when things are going to happen before hand including carrion birds arriving to an ambush that neither Cass or Dor see's coming. Ruthie also seems to be coming out of her cocoon of silence after what she experienced at the hands of the covenant that refused to allow children to speak. Ruthie is also an outlier like her mother.
Rebirth, in my humble opinion, moves really slowly until you get halfway into the story. I would definitely rate the last part of this book when Cass, Dor and Ruthie arrive at the Rebuilder camp, the best action and story of the entire book. The ending leaves a lot of different feelings that I'm forced to wait till next year when the next installment comes out to find answers to my questions.
I am a believer that Aftertime was the better story of the two books released so far. I appreciate the fact that we get to see more of the Rebuilders who are plain and simple evil, especially Rebuilder scientist Mary Vane who is as creepy as anyone you will meet. If you aren’t with them, then they eliminate you. If you are an outlier, and a female, you are prized possessions for the Rebuilder leadership who claims they are looking for a cure but have other plans instead.
I really had a hard time grasping Cass's character this time around. She was rather lethargic and boring most of the first half. She pretty much jumps Dor's bones, and then later is shocked when he turns around and wants it again. In the end after they escape from the Rebuilders, she’s an entirely different character altogether which will definitely make me look forward to the next installment.
It was recently announced by the author that Horizon will be released February 2012.
ARC Recvd 05/15/2011 - Release 07/26/2011
June 12, 2021
For people starting out with the whole apocalypse and zombie thing and having a female hero scars and all this series would be a great lil read.
For me, it was ok.
I am hoping the third installment gets better and finishes with a bang
I am not a fan of the whole romance and love triangle all the time.
It becomes tiresome and boring.
For me, it was ok.
I am hoping the third installment gets better and finishes with a bang
I am not a fan of the whole romance and love triangle all the time.
It becomes tiresome and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2018
One of the best series ever! Really amazing story!
May 17, 2020
Wonderful
I loved this even more than the first book. It’s not a pretty ending with happily ever after ending whist shouldn’t be in an apocalypse.
I loved this even more than the first book. It’s not a pretty ending with happily ever after ending whist shouldn’t be in an apocalypse.
November 23, 2024
2.5 rounded up to 3 for the ending as Cass finally steps up. Her internal monologue can be irritating.
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