New World (Surviving the End Book 3)

This author does such a wonderful job of creating a world the reader can become a part of. This book is no exception with realistic characters and a compelling story that is difficult to put down.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

After the cliff-hanger-esque ending of Fallen World I was super eager to read this one. The cover fits really well with the previous two books in this series. I would say the cover is a scene from the book though it could be Shane & Jodi or maybe a scene from later in the book and be Owen & Amelia on guard duty together. The genres listed for this book and series are Sci-Fi & Post-Apocalyptic which fit the book well. I have seen posts where people ask for specific types of Post-Apocalyptic scenarios, so for anyone wanting information of type of Apocalyptic event, it is some sort of coronal mass ejection which has taken out all power, so no electric along with the consequences of that along with the vast majority of vehicles being useless unless you have an older model vehicle often referred to as a gas guzzler.

This book picks up the story as things were left in Fallen World. It begins with Jodi being frustrated but pushing herself to do the exercises that Dr Yates had given her to help rehabilitate her injuries. Also still nursing a slowly healing injury is Violet, who is still frustrated about people thinking she has no valuable input into working out problems and been looked upon as defenceless. Well she certainly proved she was most certainly not defenceless and when it came to it ended up having the necessary skills to shoot someone to defend herself and younger sister when needed.

Pike the surviving member of the biker crew that had followed Sheriff James & Shane when they rescued Jodi is still under arrest and moaning loudly and regularly about what he sees, as mistreatment, not being able to make his phone call or have access to a lawyer and trial. The Sheriff reasons with Pike saying no phones are working, he doubts and lawyers are either and honestly Pike is probably in a better position being in the Police Station cells as it means Sheriff James has to give Pike food on a daily basis!

The community meetings continue regularly and more and more residents along with people new to the area attend them. After more and more problems at the few stores that have stock remaining, the Mayor commandeers the food and takes it to a central location to be distributed equally throughout the community.

Pike still holds a grudge against the McDonalds particularly Violet and when the opportunity arises, he contacts the rest of his gang informing them of the whereabouts of the community as well as attempting to exact some revenge of his own whilst he awaits the arrival of Trent, the head of the gang along with the rest of the biker gang.

Beth’s kindness towards her nosey neighbour certainly comes back to bite her and cause danger to the whole McDonald clan when Nora stands up at a community meeting and declares that Beth is hoarding food and has enough to feed them all for a long time! A few locals latch onto this and the Mayor wanting to be a people pleaser proposes and takes a vote on all private supplies to be confiscated and then be re-distributed on some sort of ration system. Beth tries to explain all she has is food she has grown in her garden and even brings seeds to freely give to everyone to start their own vegetable plots.

Eventually after a lot of thought and planning Violet comes up with the idea of using an area in the park to grow food. Violet approaches the Mayor to be dismissed before even being able to explain her idea, it’s only when her mother intervenes that the Mayor takes the idea seriously and gives his permission. Those living in the tent city within the park eagerly volunteer to help. Volunteers also go around empty houses and places where medicines and first aid equipment when Dr Yates reveals he is rapidly running low on supplies. Sadly, it’s during one of these trips a character is killed by a few members of an advance searching party from the biker gang. Even with the problem of outsiders invading their community there are still troublemakers encouraged by the lies from Nora who seem to think anything and everything Beth has collected and bought over the years should be taken from her and shared with the whole community. When it becomes clear the community is turning against them with the Mayor at the helm the McDonald Clan have to make the difficult decision to prepare to fight and guard their food supply if necessary. Even the Sheriff cannot seem able to talk sense into the Mayor who seems to have become as hungry for power as his people are for food. The Sheriff hurls his badge on the stage at the Mayor during one of the meetings when he is accused of favouritism toward Beth and her family. The Mayor then calls for Mike McDonald to hand in his badge as in his opinion Mike cannot continue in the position basically because of who his family is.
However, the Mayor soon regrets his decision when the biker gang who Pike contacted arrive intent on looting and taking over the community. The Sheriff offers the advice of hiding and being prepared to fight the bikers. Will anyone survive the impending threat of the biker gang. Unfortunately, two members of the McDonalds Clan decide to do a bit of snooping to try to find how many bikers are congregating at the park, ready to attack and one ends up being caught! The fighting begins at the school where people have chosen to hide and perhaps make a last stand but eventually ends up at Beth’s house, who will be injured this time? Will the McDonalds clan manage to keep a hold of the house and supplies they have?

There’s so much going on in this final book, budding romances, such as Beth & Sheriff James Cooley who ends up moving in to the house and her room with her. There are also fledgling romances amongst the younger members of the McDonalds Clan along with an unplanned pregnancy that needs confirming. Then there are injuries and illnesses that before the coronal mass election would have been so simple to treat with tablets and the plentiful, regularly, restocked medical supplies. Even Dr Yates has to admit he may need to look into what he would normally have called old fashioned remedies and herbal therapies. Of course, there are deaths in this book too, some deserved when you take into account the awful things they have done as well as some quite good characters losing their lives too in their bid to survive attacks from others.

I did like the epilogue at the end of the book, it served as a final goodbye to the characters I had become attached to and cared about. A little glimpse into future possibilities for the characters and the community as a whole.

I have honestly really enjoyed this series, I was a tiny bit worried at the very beginning of this book as the pace felt a little slower, something felt different but I was soon pulled in and happily engulfed back into the plot.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing this book were wow! What a fantastic book and great series end! But what on earth am I going to look forward to now as this book is the last in this series?

This book is so realistic, the way the community has so many different people. Those who try to help themselves, plan ahead and help others. Then there were those who wanted to turn up to someone and be given what they needed for nothing in exchange, they didn’t want to put any effort in. There are so many different, yet believable characters. The Mayor who seems to enjoy the extra power and importance the coronal mass election has given him. He enjoys the attention and the power to hold a vote, to appear to always agree with the majority vote. He seems to forget or discount what those on the opposing side to his opinion/vote have and do in the community. He see’s Violet & Amelia as two kids who aren’t worth his time and trouble, yet their idea is great and well thought out, which he would have realised if he had listened to them for a minute. Then there’s Sheriff James Cooley who stays impartial, true to his job role and continues to attempt to keep order in the community, to be fair by everyone even those committing offenses such as burglary and violence. However even his almost never ending, supply of patience is tested and he has to make some pretty difficult decision. When it seems the greedy, small minded in the community intend to take Beth & her families food supplies to re-distribute rather than work together to provide for all he comes to the decision he can no longer perform his duty as Sheriff. He feels his place is at the side of the women he loves and her family whom he has also grown to love and be part of. Yet even then when called on for advice and help he still tries to do his best by everyone.

If post-apocalyptic is your genre then you need to read this series, it’s absolutely brilliant. I recommend reading these in order so you get the full story, you shall not be disappointed. The author has done an amazing job in this book bringing everything to a conclusion and it’s a book that was impossible to put down once I had started reading it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.