I was intrigued by the premise of this book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. I found it so difficult to get into and the pacing just felt slow for the majority of the book. I am not a fan of ambiguous endings so for this to leave so many unanswered questions really annoyed me. Not for me sadly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Thank you for the arc!
Although the concept really caught my attention, I just ended up not enjoying this at all.

The story felt empty, the characters felt very “made up” which is not something you want when you read. The execution just didn’t live up to what I’d imagined would’ve been.

Props to the author for coming up with such a good concept though!

This was an interesting premise but just didn’t hold my attention as much as I’d have liked it to: I think some high schoolers would enjoy the story if they are into dystopia stories so I wouldn’t mind having it in the library to recommend for that purpose.

We've come to expect post apocalyptic stories to be raging stories of adventure, danger, and political evils, but this is much softer, slower, lyrical story. It's hints at these things but is more about survival and relationships. If you read for the first style, you may be disappointed, but go in for the second and enjoy

The Way of the Ciccadas

I was so excited to read this one, it’s been a while since I’ve read anything dystopian and I really miss the genre, so everything about this was exactly what I was in the mood for. The blurb had me intrigued, the story sounded like a gripping read - reading it didn’t quite meet what I expected. I did really want (and try) to love this more.

It did start off really well. I loved the atmosphere and feel of the first few chapters. It was so claustrophobic in the underground space, and as dark and drab as it was I think I preferred the story there. I found the story dragged a little in the middle but it did pick up towards the end.

I think though, that while the characters were good, they weren’t vibrant enough to carry me through the story. There weren’t any I truely connected with.

I feel this could have been such a wonderful book, and while it wasn’t all bad, I feel there is so much more it could do. I have a feeling though that there will be people who love this book so much, I just sadly wasn’t one of them.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sending me this free eARC (eAdvanced Reader Copy). I am leaving this review voluntarily. This title was published 4th April 2023.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book and it's premise, but it sadly did not live up to my expectations.

Although we got several points of view, none of them seemed distinct enough. That is to say, the characters were mostly indistinguishable from one another, so the POV changes did next to nothing for me. Plus, the characters were poorly fleshed-out, and none of their actions or motivations made sense.

I also had a problem with the pacing. The first 65% of the book drags on for ages, and then the rest wraps up so quickly it's not satisfying at all. And speaking of the resolution — it didn't feel like one at all. Too many questions are left open in the end, which adds even more to the unresolved feeling.

The story on its own wasn't bad — it's a pretty standard dystopia. However, it falls far too flat to offer anything substantial to the genre.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- unfortunately, i did dnf this one. the story felt very empty, with the concept amazing, but the execution poor. the characters didn’t feel at all realistic, and i ended up wanting more from this story. very cool concept, i will say.

3 / 5 ⭐️‘s

"The Way of the Cicadas" by Audrey Henley

This was a well-written post-apocalyptic story that takes you on a journey through a world devastated by nuclear war. The story is set in a bunker where Hayden, a young man who has lived there since childhood, is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the sterile and restricted life inside.

When a mysterious girl named Brita arrives with no long-term memory, she sparks hope in Hayden and the other residents that the outside world may be survivable. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey through an irradiated wasteland, facing challenges and betrayals along the way.

Henley's writing is lyrical and evocative, creating a vivid sense of place and atmosphere in the Nevada desert. The characters are well-drawn, with Hayden and Brita's relationship at the heart of the story.

As a fan of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, I found this to be an engaging enough story. However, I was expecting some kind of queer relationship as the book was labeled as "LGBT," but there was only a slight undertone of one. The author has since addressed this and corrected it, which I appreciate.

Out now: https://amzn.to/3nL1lPO

This ARC was provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was compared to The 100, so I needed to read it. I suppose that is scary, that I will legit read anything that claims it is akin to The 100 but here we are. It is also compared to Station Eleven, and I loved that too, so obviously. Here's the thing: I loved those shows way more than the books, which is something that kind of comes into play here.

See, I do think that those are fair comps to this story. In fact, as I thought about it, The Way of the Cicadas actually has a very similar vibe especially to The 100- but the Kass Morgan The 100, not the cannibalistic, body snatching, culling-addicted, genocidal The 100. And that isn't a bad thing even! It is just... something to be aware of? This story is just a bit more on the level of the book. Tamer, I suppose? Perhaps younger? (It was listed as "adult fiction" on Netgalley, but I absolutely think it is YA.) Again, these are not bad things! Just things of note!

It is definitely an entertaining story, and has a lot of elements that I love. Things like:

►Bunkers
►Apocalypses
►Being stuck in bunkers during apocalypses
►Not knowing who to trust
►"No good choices"
►And more!

So yeah, the comps definitely fit here. And like I said, I was certainly entertained. It is a pretty fast moving book, and I enjoyed the world. My biggest qualm would be that the characters felt a bit one dimensional. I didn't feel much of a connection to them, and it was sometimes hard to keep track of who was who because they didn't have a ton of like, distinct personality traits.

But as a whole, this was definitely more positive than negative, and I liked far more than I didn't, so I consider that a win!

Bottom Line: It was certainly entertaining and kept me interested throughout, though the characters weren't quite as strong as I'd have liked.

The Way of the Cicadas was an unexpectedly phenomenal read!!

I love reading dystopia apocalyptic futuristic books, and this book covers all of that wonderfully!! And yet, it leaves you suspended, wanting to know what's going to happen next. And keeps you hanging on with each twist. 

This book very well could reflect what our future could look like, with all the nuclear arms crap going on, so this brings forth a realistic sounding real world event. I hope we don't experience it, because this book doesn't shy away from the horrors an apocalyptic world would hold.

I initially understood the name of the book from the title, and the description of the book, but I understood it even more while reading The Way of the Cicadas, and it made me actually happy, because I may be one of the few people who actually love cicadas. They are music to my ears. And knowing how The Way of the Cicadas reflects the life of a cicada, in a way, it made me enjoy the book even more!!

I highly suggest giving The Way of the Cicadas a read!!! I can't wait to know more!!

The Way of the Cicadas is a dystopian/science fiction novel. Aimed at a youthful audience, adult readers may not enjoy it. It was well written but not for me.

"The Way of the Cicadas" by Audrey Henley is a great Sci Fi book aimed at the YA demographic. I think this book is great for the demographic it is intended for but ma fall short with adult readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the sRC in exchange for an honest review.

The Way of the Cicadas is a post-apocalyptic book described as being “an adult book with YA appeal”; I would certainly say it’s more YA/NA than adult as such — it definitely feels like the audience is younger than adult, but it doesn’t feel especially juvenile.

As a Xillenial reader, it’s weirdly refreshing to read a post-apocalyptic novel where the apocalypse is the Cold War favourite of nuclear armageddon; it’s been a long time since that was the primary end-of-the-world fear I was reading about and that certainly warmed me to the book.

The pacing could do with a little work for my taste. The first third felt a little slow while I was reading it, though I liked that more in hindsight — it actually gave me a better chance to get used to the characters’ frame of reference and to get to know them some more. I really liked the insights we got into some of the characters, but I was conscious that I had a gut-feel dislike to some of them without really getting enough opportunity to understand why.

Contrasting with the earlier portions, though, the last third (or so) of the book felt hurried and way too fast. I think I would have preferred that portion to have been significantly longer to pace that information better; I was reminded a little of a portion of Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin, where a similar in-and-out (to be deliberately vague) took much more time to feel better-earned, I suppose.

I was also a little disappointed that the publisher’s blurb “features multiple bisexual main characters” but, with the exception of 2 female characters being romantically involved, the disclaimer “but romance is not a central theme” felt more like Schrödinger’s bisexuals, with little evidence of their queerness beyond the publisher’s statement here. I’m not sure the story has shown enough of most of the MCs to able to claim them as queer — a bit more “show don’t tell”, perhaps?

All that said, The Way of the Cicadas is quite a fun YA/NA book — and with a stunning cover — but the execution could have been better. I doubt I will pick it up for a re-read but definitely look forward to seeing what comes next from Henley and how she develops — this is a solid first novel and in hindsight the 3 stars I awarded on finishing the book (a month before writing this review from my notes) might be a little ungenerous of me.

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

I am sorry to say that this book didn't really grab me. I found it too young for me, probably my fault for not realising it was aimed at a much younger audience than myself. Hopefully it will appeal to younger readers more..

The note from the publisher claims this is an adult novel with YA appeal however the chapters I was able to get through read as YA only. Personally I don’t tend to enjoy young adult so this book is not for me.

The Way of Cicadas by Audrey Henley

I have read several dystopian and postapocalyptic books and high hopes for this one. I read “adult reader” and the blurb sounded promising but as I look again, the book details mention it will appeal to YA readers. If I had seen that, I would not have requested a copy as I tend to avoid that genre.

The book is well written, for a YA novel. It has basic language, emotions, and descriptions that would, I believe, resonate with young readers. Sadly, the story did not provide me with anything new or different and did not engage me as an adult reader.

I skimmed the book after reading a few of the opening chapters and then read the end and decided not to invest more time in a book that I do not feel is the right fit for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Monodon Books, and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

1-2 Stars for me and adult readers who are well versed in this genre
3-4 Stars if recommending to YA readers

This book was unlike anything I have ever read. There has been a nuclear war and while many did not prepare in advance for it, many scientists and their families constructed a bunker. The bunker was to be self-sufficient for 10 years, but lately the water supply has been depleted. Those on the outside are tapping into their water supply. Before people are to go on the outside to see if it it habitable, a woman finds the bunker and wants to get in. She is severely dehydrated, sunburn and has no memory of who she is or how she got there. The people in the bunker welcome her in and nurse her back to health.
Soon afterwards, a small team voyage to the outside to find out what is there. While the radiation is not a problem, it is those who are now surviving on what was left and has no consideration for anyone.
Other than the duplication of paragraphs several times throughout the book, it was a interesting read.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5*

This was a bit too mixed and varied for me. It was also more of a YA book than I'd realised at first, which was on me, but I definitely struggled a little with range of settings and how that worked within the narrative.

The first section, covering their lives in an increasingly tense and claustrophobic underground environment, was the most successful for me, showing how the relationships and the environment impacted on each other. The second part however, once they were exploring the outside, was less gripping for me. The various relationship dynamics were lost amongst the plot drama, and I didn't care enough. The final part, where the dystopia really ramps up, was a potentially intriguing return to the more interesting relationships although mixed with some slightly confusing moustache twirling baddies, but it overall felt too rushed and incomplete.

There was potential here but it didn't quick hit for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC*

With thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

The Way of the Cicadas is a dystopian fiction where the world above is an irradiated wasteland, and the survivors have been living underground for 10 years. When an amnesiac finds her way to the bunker and proves that the land is habitable, this starts a chain of events unlike any other.

The story is gritty, and interesting. I enjoyed this novel, the story was quite unique which can be difficult when so many great dystopian fiction novels have been written but I do think that a couple of extra edits would have made this book even more intense and poignant, A post apocalyptic novel is meant to allow us to imagine that it can really happen, and I found some parts to be a little too predictable, and unbelievable. Saying that, it was an enjoyable novel, and very easy to read. I do think that younger readers will love this book.