This novel was incredibly. the fast pace of it kept the novel intriguing and interesting, I never felt bored while reading this book. This book was filled with emotion and was very well written. However the pace may have even been too fast, I found myself having to take a second and reread portions of the novel to fully understand what was going on. Overall, this novel was very interesting and well written. I would absolutely recommend reading it.

The Poison Balance
Sci-Fi
Lucy Ghose
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• ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴘᴏᴠꜱ • ᴢᴏᴍʙɪᴇꜱ • ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ •

I really liked the sci-fi elements of the plot, but the romance between Amy and Joel felt forced. I wanted the plot to focus on the disaster and the "zombies" etc, but sometimes it seemed that the romance aspect came first, and the miscommunication trope annoyed me 😂.

Although something was always happening (discoveries, flirting, fighting, escaping, etc), the pacing was slow most of the time.

Mei was my favourite character. I wanted even more chapters from her POV, and I wanted her to survive a bit longer, too.

Dex was annoying with his sayings and the weird way he acted. I'm glad he wasn't a MC.

I found the zombies interesting. They weren't the stereotypical zombie, and combined with the acid rain/poison, it made a really intriguing plot.

I liked the ending. The cliffhanger made me curious about the cure, the radio message the characters received, and who was coming to the Fort. I look forward to reading the next book.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn't influence my review. I love the dystopian, hate to love trope and this book delivered.

This book is a gripping tale that seamlessly blends elements. This skillful storytelling weaves a complex narrative, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The characters are well-developed, and the intricate plot twists make for an engaging read. The exploration of moral dilemmas and the consequences of choices adds depth to the narrative. Overall, it is a captivating novel that captivates with its compelling story and thought-provoking themes.

BOOK: THE POISIN BALANCE
AUTHOR: LUCY GHOSE: 4.5 stars
PUB DATE: JANUARY 2023
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I don't really like sci-fi, but this book might change it for me. I liked almost everything about this book, especially the poison balance theme. I liked how realistic it was, along with climate change. This apocalyptic book had all the elements found in dystopia sci-fi such as this. There's the 'crazy' scientist no one listens to or believes. The government, who thinks said scientist, is overreacting and who fails to inform the public. I liked how the book kept me to the edge of my seat, wondering who was going to die first and what would happen next. It was very good, and it felt like I experienced it with them (God Forbid!). It's a kind of book I can see getting turned into a movie
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I really loved the sci-fi aspect, but I didn't like the romance part at all. The characters were okay individually, but not together. They were both very immature when it came to their relationship, but sensible otherwise. I also felt the romance happened too soon. Do people really have the time to fall in love when the world is ending? I also wished the author had written the days, months as they went by. As I read the book, I was lost because I didn't really know if it was weeks that passed or days, it was confusing. Other than that, it was very good.
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The characters; Amy Joel and Mei were okay, and I liked them. They all fought very hard to find a solution to the howlers, and they didn't give up at risk to their lives, it was admirable.
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This book was a very good read and you should try it if you're a fan of svi fi genre
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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. The premise of the book sounded really interesting and the fact that it also has a romance plot as well made me very intrigued. I don’t think the writing style was for me though. I felt like the book jumped around a bit too much. There was also repetitive wording throughout. I think if you enjoy environmental disaster books check this one out!

In my opinion zombies never get old. There’s always a new way to portray them and the apocalypse they inevitably bring. This was a completely new spin on it and I thoroughly enjoyed the creativity. I think what is extremely unique about this plot is how realistic it was played out as, and in turn that brings the tiniest amount of fear into the story.
There are a lot of moving parts in terms of characters and locations, which left my head spinning a bit. Often times it felt like rapid fire each chapter, making it a less than seamless transition. To me it felt like I was constantly jumping back and forth, oftentimes having to reread portions of chapters to make sure I was follow correctly.
I felt that in terms of character growth it was unfortunately very superficial, and again very fast paced. There was a good slow pace in the beginning, but the final outcome only occurred in the last few chapters or so with little change during the story.
The twists in the plot were absolutely outstanding though! I honestly felt like I couldn’t even predict what would happened next, and I absolutely needed to keep reading what other obstacles could possibly come up for the protagonists.
All in all I would say this is a 3/5 stars. The storyline was extremely unique and something I fully enjoyed. However the execution had a few bumps that unfortunately couldn’t be overlooked as it did affect the delivery of the story.

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Ok this actually gave me nightmares just imagining If this did happen. I really enjoyed it the uniqueness. Good character who I could connect with. A crazy scary gripping story with a little romance to top of a good book.

This book definitely had me gripped right away and I felt immersed in the story, I didn't feel that this tension and pace carried out all the way through but I enjoyed it overall

Wow, what a journey! I have never read a book like this one. It felt like I was watching a zombie movie while reading, it was a such a unique story.

There were several characters POV throughout, but we mostly followed Amy, a super smart intern who figured out “the poison balance” before anyone else. I was impressed with the authors amount of research she poured into this book!

Amy and Joel (our MMC) had great chemistry as they were, quite literally, trying to save the world! They faced SO MANY obstacles in this! It was nuts. Between the howlers(zombies!!), the government, and the world falling apart there was no shortage of adversity!

I absolutely loved the banter between Amy and Joel, and I’m always a fan of the age gap trope!

This book is not for those who are easily triggered. The world and the characters back story had a lot of depth/ darkness. So warning!

Tropes:
*Enemies to lovers
*Age gap
*Saving the world
*Zombies
*Tension
*Brilliant FMC and MMC

Thank you Net Galley and Cranthorpe Millner for this ARC!

The plot was great, the way the book started off hooked me instantly. However, I am confused about a few things. like for example, why does the main characters get their own POV if it is still written in third person? The back story of the main FMC does not line up with her traits. I am the second oldest in my family with my older sister being adopted along with my grandparents being foster parents for 20 years and there was just a lot about the FMC that was confusing. I understand wanting a headstrong and strong willed FMC but she presented as immature to me, not stubborn. Besides the previous things mentioned the flow of action felt really natural, expect the romance part that felt rushed compared to what was happening with the other part of the plot. some sentences were not completed, specifically when there was to be dialogue so I was left guessing. I really wanted to like it but it's just not my cup of tea.