Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live … live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.
Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?
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“Voices that do not speak out, cannot be heard! And hands that do not fight, cannot win wars! And Light that does not shine, cannot penetrate Darkness!” ~ Everything Under The Sun
This book may be a Dystopian Romance, but it is really so much more than that!! I’ve never found a book so difficult to review. It’s just there’s so much, and I don’t want to spoil anything. But know this. You may look and see a long book, and think there’s no way can I read this. I know I was a bit overwhelmed when I saw the page count. But then I started to read and was drawn right in from the start, and I did NOT like putting this book down for anything. I was completely consumed, I was living it! Emotionally I was on a roller coaster, of course it was an extremely emotional one. Life was hard in the dystopian world. Believe me I had several gulps in my throat throughout this book, never mind tears in my eyes. But I loved the book, like I said, I couldn’t stand to be away from it. This review is probably a bit crazy at this point, because all the feelings from the story are rushing through me as I write this and I feel like it’s so hard to get them out in words. But there is so much that happens, there’s just so much to it!! You’re really never bored!! It’s quite a rush!
“He is a good man; he is strong and kind and honorable and incredibly flawed but incredibly human, and to still be human is a feat in and of itself—he is so strong.” ~ Everything Under The Sun
I will say this though, the relationship between Thais and Atticus is so beautiful!!! They both have things that have happened in their pasts that they have a hard time getting past, of course it’s not surprising in the world they live in. But the way they’re there for each other. It’s refreshing too, because this is definitely NOT Insta love for sure. And as they grow to care, they make mistakes. It’s like they’re learning how to love together. It’s beautiful.
I cannot believe this is Jessica Redmerski’s debut book!!! This book is so deep, the characters are rich, the world building is vivid, the emotions are portrayed across the pages so intensely that at times they took my breath away. All I can say is BRAVO BRAVO Jessica Redmerski!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Dystopian Romance!!!
Thais Fenwick and her family has been living in a small community tucked into the mountains of Kentucky ever since civilization ended with The Sickness. After The Fall, there were no more hospitals, police, or stores where you could shop. Electricity along with clean water was gone. The new world they were living in was harsh with barely enough food to feed their community. Their community was safe for the past few years from the harsh realities of the big cities, but there time being free became short lived when they were found by raiders. Thais escaped with her sister, only to be captured later by a scouting party and brought to the Capital East-Central Territory where her fate rests solely in the hands of Atticus Hunt.
Atticus is a soldier filling in as Overseer for the Capital East-Central Territory. His life too has been altered by The Fall. He has done things he is not proud of to survive in the new world. He was once a good and caring man with honor and integrity, but that all changed with the loss of his family and his new role as a soldier to an Overlord with a cruel streak intent with ruling over the territories with an iron fist. Atticus does what he has to do to survive, dying a little inside the longer he stays in the Capital East-Central Territory. When Thais arrives along with other bound women, he can’t help the protective streak he feels for her.
With nothing to live for, can Atticus be the man he once was and help Thais escape a life of servitude?
I must admit, I was a bit shocked when I first looked at this book and realized it was over 600 pages long. Thinking it would take me days to read, I buckled down intent on at least starting with the first quarter of the book. After reading the first few pages, I was completely hooked and that quarter of the way reading I slotted in slowly started turning into reading half the book and before I realized it hours had passed and I could not even put it down. Nothing and I do mean nothing was going to pull me away! Everything Under the Sun is absolutely phenomenal. It is everything I envision a Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic book to be. Throw in a romance between the two main characters and now I think I am in love…..with the author! Like seriously, this book is game changing. Jessica Redmerski just completely dominated the Dystopian genre.
I don’t even know where to start with what I liked about the story. So, let’s start with the characters first. Thais is such a sweet innocent girl. She is kind, loves her family, would do anything to protect them, but you get glimpses of the fierceness that she doesn’t even know she possesses. She has a lot of heart and forgiveness in her heart as well especially when it comes to Atticus. She should hate him, but she doesn’t. Atticus makes decisions in the beginning when they first meet that completely shatter Thais’ world. But, yet she is drawn to him and shows him compassion. Atticus deep down is a good guy who has done bad things in order to survive. He hates himself. Atticus feels as if all of the goodness in him has been destroyed and buried so far deep that there is no way he could ever be the man he once was. Yet, Thais does something to him and he fights for her survival and safety. In a way, fate through tragedy brought them together as no one else has the power to heal Atticus like Thais. Their romance was realistically done and was a slow buildup throughout the story which I felt added more believability through their long journey.
The plot follows along smoothly through the transitions and it is filled with not only action, but a road romance weaved in. I enjoyed Thais and Atticus getting to know each other while he is doing his best to get her to safety. Their trip is filled with a lot of ups and downs with people they come across along the way. I never felt like the story lulled at all for me. I found myself just as engrossed the entire way through and to be honest I think anything less than the 600 plus pages would not have been as satisfying or would have allowed for the character growth of both Thais and Atticus. You can see how they both change along the way, both for the better. However, the story does end on a major cliffhanger.
Everything Under the Sun is a complex and exhilarating Dystopian/Romance with heartwarming and flawed characters and a story with intricate layers that simply moved me. This story is by far my top Dystopian read of the year! I am highly anticipating the second installment and pray that it comes out soon. I am just that hooked! I do admit this is my first read by Jessica Redmerski and I am kicking myself for not finding this author sooner. Redmerski writes with such passion and feeling. Her words completely melt me. I am in complete awe of her writing and the way she weaves a story. Do not let the page count scare you away. Every single page is well worth the read and deserving of way more than 5 stars.
FANTASIC!
If I could give this book more stars I would! I was blown away with how great this book is! The best dystopian I have ever read! It tore my heart out and broke it on several occasions and made me fall in love many times over. There were times I was cursing the author thinking how dare she do that as I cried horribly and other times I was laughing and giggling with joy. Its a wild ride. I HIGHLY recommend this flawlessly written story. You wont regret it. I absolutely loved Atticus and Thais. Their characters were amazing. I can’t say much more than that, or I’ll give too much away and I can’t do that. You just HAVE to read it! Like right now! Go! Its great!
Loved it. Can’t wait for the sequel. When will it be out.
This book is beautiful. Well-drawn characters, engaging plot, just wonderful. Do beware that it’s not a standalone.
This book…
Oh my goodness, this book!
I would say I’ve been left speechless but that’s not really true. It’s more like I have So Many Feelings that I just don’t know where to start. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything so completely engrossing, so heart wrenching, so dark and yet so hopeful. Everything Under the Sun is a post-apocalyptic dystopian tale but it’s also so much more. It’s an epic story of good vs evil. It’s a story of survival. It’s an action-adventure. And it’s a love story. It’s all that and more.
“When you die, you won’t need the soil to hold you, Thais, because I’ll be right there next to you holding you myself.”
Everything Under the Sun starts off with a bang. Redmerski throws us into a world of utter lawlessness, filled with violence and danger. Years after the world’s population has been devastated by a virus, society is stripped not only of life’s luxuries but of basic human needs like food, shelter and clean water. Living quietly and remotely with her father and sister, Thais’s circumstances change in an instant and so begins a journey that will see her through enormous loss, terrifying challenges, and seemingly insurmountable odds as she struggles to find safety and freedom. Her meeting with Atticus is under the direst of circumstances and is the catalyst that changes the course of her life yet again.
“Everything under the sun… it’s all going to be yours someday. It will, Thais, because you’re so good and pure. And you can change the world.”
I adored these characters. Thais was kind and sweet and vulnerable but also strong and fierce as hell. She rose to challenges instead of being defeated by them and she clung to her belief in the goodness of people and her hope for a better future. And then there was Atticus. Carrying a mantle of self-recrimination and guilt, Atticus was a like an onion whose layers were peeled back one at a time. I appreciated the complexities of his character and the changes in him over the course of the story were subtle yet powerful.
“I knew I could never leave her here, or anywhere, without me. She was my charge. She was my last chance at redemption.”
Told in dual POV’s (sometimes within the same chapter which took some getting used but I ended up loving it), Everything Under the Sun is filled with ups and downs that made it almost uputdownable from start to finish. Redmerski deftly added a subtle undercurrent of faith and belief in something greater than what can be seen. I usually find elements of religion or spirituality in novels to be heavy-handed (and, frankly, a turn-off), but it is so seamlessly woven into the story that it feels like a natural balance to the themes of good vs evil and lightness overcoming the dark.
“I want to teach people not to be afraid. I want them to understand that the world needs goodness now more than ever. That’s all I want: for people to understand, and not be afraid of doing what is right.”
With main characters that captured my heart, a cast of secondary characters that I rooted for and railed against, world building that was so immersive I could practically smell the fires burning and hear the chants and jeers of the crowds, Everything Under the Sun was everything I wanted and didn’t even know it. The ending was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful and has me desperate for the continuation of this incredible story. Yes, I may have had a few quibbles with the pacing of the plot and the pacing of Atticus and Thais’s relationship, but those issues are so minor compared to my love for the overall story. Redmerski has created a beautiful love story set in a brutal world – a story that warmed my heart, hurt my heart, made me cringe, and made me think. This is one that will stay with me for a very long time.
Note: Everything Under the Sun contains scenes that are sensitive in nature and may be troubling to some readers: violence, allusion to rape/sexual assault (which happens off the page), and suicide.
“Thais, I would stain the rivers red with blood of a thousand men for you—I would do anything for you.”
Holy Batman this book was good.
Where has this author been all my life, “Everything Under The Sun” has knocked me shocked on my derriere with just how amazing it actually was.
Despite being such an extensive read this kept my attention fully; quite a remarkable feat considering the sheer length of this epic saga.
I was so enthralled and enmeshed in this addictive story that I managed to lose parcels of time, this was and is one of my most enjoyed reads of this year, quite an accomplishment in itself when you consider the sheer amount of books I do get through annually.
Not going to do a big rehash of the plot as I do think you really just need to read and envelop yourself in the richly imagined dystopian post-apocalyptic landscape.
This story centres around Thais and Atticus and the events leading up to and then beyond there pathways crossing.
Maybe fate or even just random chance but from the very beginning of there initial connection a bond that will last and endure the tough brutal times ahead is formed.
And the road that Atticus and Thais are now traversing is one paved in tears, heartache and steadfast endurance.
A journey not only across country pitted against the harsh elements but also exposed to the darkness of the human psyche and how low mankind has plummeted back into the dark ages of the distant past.
Where woman are chattel to be bartered and everyone is out for themselves, the ugliness of human nature exposed in all its true and hideous form.
Peel back the disguise of civility and the bitter truth buried beneath the surface is finally revealed, just waiting for its chance to shine.
“Everything Under The Sun” does a fantastic job of portraying the breakdown of society in all its unapologetic glory.
This was not an easy read emotionally and my heart broke and shattered several times throughout.
This was harrowing and heartbreaking whilst at the same time also uplifting and inspirational.
Just when I thought human nature had all gone to the dark side and all hope in peoples inert goodness was lost.
Someone or something would surprise me reeling me back from the brink, just one simple act of human kindness was enough to pull forth from me that tangible hope.
So this was fantastic reading, it made me feel so much emotionally.
By the time the curtain temporarily closed I was crying like a baby; overwhelmed and so immersed in this epic love story that I had been temporarily transported to another world.
A landscape that the author here has done such an incredible job of creating; the world-building here is one of the best I have ever envisioned, a real accomplishment for this author, one that has suitably impressed me.
So where this left us, well let’s just say I need part two like now, Talk about a cliffhanger I really need to continue this chaotic journey wherever it is heading.
This was a fantastic book that everyone needs to give a chance to.
Do not be put off by its length that is a plus, not a minus, I honestly myself didn’t want this to end.
So come aboard and embark on this fraught perilous journey with both Atticus and Thais.
Follow in their footsteps as Atticus attempts with all his heart to hang onto his fading humanity. keeping Thais safe when everything else around him has withered and died a bleak death; She is the new sole purpose to his very existence.
“You may be the only good thing left in this world, and I’ll be goddamned if I let your light fade.”
In saving Thais; somehow Atticus manages to save himself right back.
So do yourself a favour, just add this to your TBR list I really don’t think you’ll have any regrets.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a Review copy of “Everything Under The Sun” of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
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I adore dystopian books and I’m a huge fan of Redmerski’s In the Company of Killers series, so when I heard about this book I was anxious to read it. Boy did it not disappoint me! Thais and Atticus are trying to survive in a future dystopian society that is harsh, dangerous and the perfect backdrop for an epic and intense love story.
Thais has grown up in a world gone made. Society fell when she was eleven and she and her family lived with a group of survivors deep in the Appalachian Mountains until their settlement is attacked and her and her sister are taken away. Atticus is a soldier that has spent the last seven years trying to retain his morality in a world filled with people willing to abandon everything that makes them human in order to survive. When his path crosses Thais, he risks everything to save her. Soon Thais and Atticus are setting out against the world in the hopes of finding in safety in a dangerous world without food, electricity, and clean water. Their journey is epic, a bit over the top and everything I hoped for and more. I won’t give spoilers away and this is a long, nuanced book, but if you love epic love stories and the dystopian genre, I can not recommend this one enough.
Do you know when you are left speechless by a book? This is the case, so I’ll keep it short and to the point. A story of love, family, survivor and so much more! When left in a post-apocalyptic world, Thais and Atticus have to face a lot of hardship only to survive. It was amazing to follow their journey and live with them. Just one more thing: I need more!!
“You may be the only good thing left in this world, and I’ll be goddamned if I let your light fade.”
First of all I want to say that I absolutely LOVE Post-Apocalyptic Romances. There aren’t that many in that particular genre, so I was out of my mind excited when I heard that one of my favorite authors was writing a book in that genre. My expectations were high because I know Jessica’s writing is amazing. However, she surprised me with this book (in a very good way). This book shows again that the author is very talented, and can write in different genres and hit it out of the park. I have a hate/love relationship with LONG books, I either absolutely love them and rate them 5 stars or I can’t finish them because I got bored with them. I loved that Everything Under the Sun was long. I don’t think it would’ve had the same impact on me and other readers if it was shorter. Everything in this book was necessary for the two main characters, Atticus and Thais to grow as individuals and as a couple.
“I’ve chosen you every step of the way, in every breath, with every bit of my broken heart and broken soul, and I choose you now, and tomorrow, and every day after it!”
The amount of shit these two go through was so heartbreaking and horrific. It broke my heart multiple times throughout the book. I am a crier, so I did my share of crying in this book. I was on such a long emotional roller coaster from start until finish. I never knew what would happen to Atticus and Thais, and how they would get themselves out of the most difficult situations. The author did such a phenomenal job in creating such an intriguing world and interesting characters. There were many side characters who played important roles in this book, both in a positive and negative way. What I loved most was how well Atticus and Thais worked together and took care of each other. Thais wasn’t a damsel in distress, she grew so much in this book, and found her inner-strength. The ending was unexpected and had me on the edge of my seat and screaming. I was shocked and all I can say is that I NEED part 2: Winds of the Iron Feather ASAP! Love this book so much. I really hope Jessica will continue writing in this genre, because I can’t get enough of it.