Teen Fiction Review: ASHES, ASHES by Jo Treggiari + Giveaway!

ASHES, ASHES

author: Jo Treggiari
release: June 1, 2011

genre: Teen Fiction- Post Apocalyptic

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

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Great world building and a strong main character were my favorite parts of ASHES, ASHES. Lucy has lost everything in this miserable post apocalyptic New York. Talk about lonely. In I Am Legend even Will Smith had a dog! 

Circumstances cause her to reluctantly join up with a group of survivors where she begins to find a family, and budding romance. But danger lurks, betrayal ensues, surprises spring, and Lucy's new found happiness threatens to unravel.  

Lucy perseverance and drive are her standout qualities. The romance is mild, put on the backburner for the story's action, but Aidan's a sweetie. When it came to the 'bad' guys, even the book's own 'good guys' were sometimes confused as to whether or not they're truly bad. Questions come up like, 'Does the ends justify the means?' and 'Should the few be sacrificed for the many?' 

The beginning lacks dialog since Lucy is alone but Treggiari provides a vivid sense of the horrific landscape as well as the backstory of how the world came to this miserable state and Lucy's place in it. The plot kicks into high gear when Lucy joins Aidan's group and we find that she's a key player in humanity's survival. 

ASHES, ASHES manages to deliver a sense of hope among all the misery which I always appreciate. It's a great story of mankind's ability to overcome. It's scary in many ways since with all the natural disasters going on lately it's easy to envision mother nature wreaking havoc and starting this destructive ball rolling. 

The world of ASHES, ASHES is nowhere you want to live, but it's a great place to visit within the pages of this gripping tale!

Be sure to check out our interview with Jo and her fantabulous answer to the Zombie Apocalypse question starring carnivorous butterflies! And were giving away an arc! 

Giveaway Details:

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• Open to US/Canada
• Must be 13 years or older
• Enter by June 19