A true friendship never dies.
Leisel and Evelyn lost everything. Husbands. Families. Friends. Lives that made sense. All they had left was each other, and a friendship that could withstand anything… Even an apocalypse.
Until one fateful night, the marginal safety they’d come to rely on comes to a vicious and brutal end. With the help of Alex & Jami, both unlikely allies, Leisel and Evelyn … Leisel and Evelyn are able to escape their shattered sanctuary only to find themselves face-to-face with a much altered, much crueler life where they have to find the way—and the will—to stay alive in a world they no longer recognize.
Traveling across a broken and infection-ridden country; the road-weary group are pitted against endless violence, improbable circumstances, and the ultimate loss.
Everything comes at a price—especially safety, the cost of which could very well strip them of the one thing they’ve tried so hard to cling to: their humanity.
Yet along with all the trials they’re forced to endure, there’s also hope in the form of love. Having loved Leisel from afar, Alex attempts to put the pieces of her fractured heart back together.
But in such a savage world, is there room for love?
In a place of nightmares-made-reality, where the living should be feared far more than the dead, an unbreakable friendship and a love amongst all odds can mean the difference between life and death.
There are friends…
And then there are Leisel and Evelyn.
NOTE TO READERS: Thicker than Blood is the first in a series consisting of several STANDALONE novels all based in the same setting.
more
I am a big fan of Claire C Riley but I haven’t read anything from Madeline Sheehan before this co-write. Claire’s Odium series is one of my favourites so I decided to pick up Thicker than Blood and give another dystopian, apocalyptic book a try.
It was a little slow to get going but I became invested in the three characters the story follows, once the pacing picked up. Alex is a Hero that is wasn’t sure of first but once is protective nature kicked in I really loved his character and he was the strength needed to drive the group forward and keep them fighting for survival. Leisel a woman that has been through so much, a woman with an inner strength that you will to come out of her, and her best friend Eve rounds out the trio. Eve is the character that has a little more free spirited attitude so pushes Leisel and I really liked the dynamic of the friendship between the two female leads.
As they escape one protected community to free themselves of the horrors the dystopian societies run under, they find themselves out in the wild, only to land inside another ‘township’ called Purgatory that is worse than the last. I think the Authors set up the atmosphere of Purgatory well, you get the sense of it being a place of depravity, of strict rules and it’s built of offers and trading to survive. If you don’t have anything to trade of offer to the community as a valued member you won’t survive here.
As I read the risk for Alex, Leisel and Eve was always present and I wondered how they were going to make it through living here or getting out. When Eagle is introduced he was a menacing characters; but would he be the one to give them the lifeline they needed?
The end of the novel played out full of twists and turns, plenty of drama and moments that broke my heart. I am definitely curious about book 2 in the series now.
For the most part I found this absolutely heartbreaking, the struggle and pain these women went through just to try and survive. I also hated the authors at times for some of the things that happened. Whatever the reactions expected when they wrote this story, I am sure I covered them at some point while reading. Fear of the virus and the zombies was lessened by the fear of the people in supposed sanctuaries. There was no safe place from what I read. The love and bond these women had was strong, there support of each other unwavering even at times of stress and anger, that love was still there and deep down each knew that. Twists, turns and suspense make it an edgy and emotional story, it’s one that grabs the reader and grips them tight until the end. I loved and hated but wow! Overall I think that is what was expected and I’ve gone straight into book two lol I know from Claire’s other zombie books, she doesn’t hold back with her characters and they go whichever way the plot dictates, so be prepared not to always get what you want, it’s an Apocalypse after all. Started 5/7/21 Finished 7/7/21
MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER, HANDS DOWN!
It takes a lot to make me cry during a book but this one did it.
5 beautiful gut wrenching stars
This entire book is worth reading 10 times over again just for the ending alone.
Well done!
*Edit to add: it’s been a few years since I’ve read this book and it’s still my all time favorite. Ahh the emotions. One day I will bring myself to read it and face them all over again!
Thicker Than Blood is one of my all time favorite post-apocalyptic book. This book is about friendship and surviving. It gutted me so bad and had me crying my eyes out. Claire and Madeline are phenomenal co-writers. I will read anything these two write! If you want a heartbreaking and a very emotional tear-jerker, then I recommend you to read this book!
I loved this book so much. I cried, I raged and was split wide open. This is a story of love, loss and friendship but mostly it’s about inner strength and the will to survive.
I was just ripped to shreds, stomped on, knocked to the curb, and left to put myself back together . I had no choice but to put on my big girl panties and figure it out my damn self and I did. Phew, this was far from an easy read but one that has impacted my thinking and my heart. So worth it!!!!
This book is in my top five. It’s such an amazing book that seriously makes you feel every emotion possible.