This really did need more work.
The world and character building needed more work.
The story itself needed more work.
All in all it all needed more work.
Very basic.

I didn’t enjoy this book I’m afraid. I found the characters very unlikeable, the plot was very slow paced which I wasn’t expecting at all, the split between POVs was so uneven and frustrating. I couldn’t actually finish the book. It was such a shame because I was so looking forward to it but this just wasn’t for me. More in depth review on Goodreads.

I was going to rate this a 4 but then it went up to a 4.5 because that ending though! Just put me on a rollercoaster that never ends, because that is how I feel right now. My thoughts are spinning out of control like wtf. Don't leave me like this. I need to know now! I need my answers now!

So this is a post-invasion end of the world kinda read. Raven is sent to a camp along with her boyfriend Tucker and his twin brother Topher when the Nahx, who are basically described as armoured aliens, invade.

Raven isn't your typical female protagonist, for one she is mixed race, and Canadian, which is a nice change. She's a feisty character who goes through a lot of turmoil as you can imagine in that situation and all. And Eighth, who you get to know by a different name later, is just.. I kinda love him in a way. I just want to hug him. He's a defective Nahx. He's practically broken, he's so sad, with all these depressed thoughts but Raven becomes that little light in his life even if she causes him as much grief as happiness.

What the Nahx actually are and what their plans ultimately involve aren't really revealed. We see little snippets and can make our own guesses, although a reveal comes at the end which still poses many questions but omg, that end I did not expect.

I actually felt emotional at a certain point, like just no, how can this be happening?! And then reading the ending.. That was it. I'm done. I'm dead. I need the next book. Ugh.

It is a slow-burn kinda read but it gets more exciting half way through I'd say, when Raven and Eighth's journeys actually intertwine properly. Also it's written in first person and from both Eighth's perspective and Raven's so it's nice to get those two differing viewpoints.

Overall. Give. Me. The. Next. Book. Now. That is a threat.

This book is told from the perspective of both sides of the alien invasion. The human (Raven) struggling to survive and the Nahx (Eighth) struggling to reconcile a conscience he suddenly seems to possess. The result is a whole lot of angst, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but be warned there’s quite a lot of soul searching, if you’re looking for a straight up ‘kill the aliens and emerge triumphant’ you might be barking up the wrong tree.

What I enjoyed about reading this was how the author was so clearly trying to avoid the whole ‘Beauty and the Beast is just stockholm syndrome’ thing we all know and love. But with the plot she was going for it’s a hard thing to fight and there are times where that element of the story was a little off for me. I think that might be the issue with cramming too much plot into the first book in a series.

Having said that, what I appreciated was that this did not feel like the first book in a series. Until the last few chapters it didn’t feel like it was trying to set up some bigger plot it felt like a story in and of itself. In that sense it kind of reminded me of the Spellslinger novels which are designed to fit into themselves. So the amount of plot crammed in is perhaps a double edged sword. It limits what you can achieve but it also enhances the book in and of itself.

What this book truly has going for it are the moments of pure emotion that shine through. No spoilers but I can’t actually think ‘Zero Repeat Forever’ without getting a little misty eyed. If you’re looking for a book to help younger people (or to be honest older people) engage with the ethics of invasion and the mindset of soldiers this might be a good way to go about it.

I’m interested to see whether this series goes anywhere particularly interesting and will be keeping an ear out for what Prendergast is up to.

My rating: 5/5

By the way, I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.