Review + Giveaway: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
11:56 PM
Author: Jo Treggiari
Release Date: June 1, 2011 (hardcover)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 352
Source: Copy provided by publisher
Overall: 4 Stars
Summary:
An unbelievable tale of adventure and romance, in the face of the darkest of nightmares.Smallpox epidemics, floods, droughts— for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park, hunting and foraging for food. But when she is rescued from a vicious pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she cannot continue on her own. She joins Aidan's band of survivors, yet a new danger awaits her: The Sweepers are looking for her, and they've laid a trap. There's something special about Lucy, and the Sweepers will stop at nothing to have her in their clutches.
My Thoughts:
I've been so excited to read Ashes, Ashes for quite some time now and it didn't come as any surprise when I found myself easily immersed within the pages as soon as I had a copy of the novel in my hands. Bound inside the jaw-dropping awesomeness that is the cover, Ashes, Ashes is a suspenseful tale full of plenty of action and a dash of romance as it plays out just like a movie right inside your head!
Jo Treggiari has done a wonderful job creating a vivid setting that easily describes the destruction and drastic state much of the landscape has fallen into as Lucy does her best to survive in a post-apocalyptic New York. In some ways, Lucy's lack of knowledge limits the reader at first because while we're brimming with questions, we only get the answers that Lucy knows from her own understanding and personal experience. As the novel progressed though, just like Lucy, we got the chance to learn more and more about the fate of our world in more of a wider scope since climate change and a fatal plague took its toll.
Lucy definitely has my admiration. She went from being a clumsy, quiet girl who lingered in the shadows as her two siblings shined in the spotlight to being the lone survivor in her entire family. Almost before her very eyes, she has watched the world change for the worse and has had to adapt in whatever way she could. She may possess a certain drive and instinct to do whatever is necessary to live, but at the same time, neither does she ever lose her compassion. The romance that unfolds between Lucy and Aidan is sweet and unhurried, which gave the two characters more time to learn more about one another before they started to profess their feelings.
What's interesting about Ashes, Ashes is that the natural disasters which have wreaked havoc on the society are very recent. In the growing number of YA dystopian novels these days, we learn of a society with their own set of laws and rules already implemented for their citizens to follow. However, in Ashes, Ashes, the much smaller populace is only beginning to show the makings of a dystopian one as the Sweepers constantly scour and search to bring people to the Compound, a hospital that has always unsettled Lucy.
I'm really hoping there were will be a sequel to Lucy and Aidan's story, but I wouldn't deny the opportunity to read a companion novel set in the same world either. I really do feel that there is still potential for more heart-pounding events to occur! Without a doubt, Ashes, Ashes is an exciting, action-packed tale that will leave you as breathless as its cover!
Thanks so much to Scholastic Canada for providing this review copy!
*****
Now, it's time for the giveaway! Scholastic Canada has very kindly offered to give a copy of ASHES, ASHES away to one lucky CANADIAN resident! You don't need to be a follower to enter and the giveaway will end June 30, 2011. I'll use a random number generator to choose a winner, who will have 48 hours to respond back to my email asking for their mailing address.
To enter, PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM and you're all set to go! Good luck!
If you missed it yesterday, you can read my author interview with Jo Treggiari!
And don't forget! The ASHES, ASHES Plague and Pestilence Tour is still on-going! Here is the full schedule below where you can find more reviews, giveaways, and author interviews with Jo Treggiari:
Midnight Bloom Reads - June 14
Rayment's Readings, Rants and Ramblings - June 14
Lavender Lines - June 15
21 Pages - June 16
Geek Girl's Book Blog - June 16
The Moody Teenager - June 17
Dreaming of Books - June 17
YA Book Shelf - June 17
Shelf Elf - June 18
SMS Book Reviews - June 19
The Crazy Bookworm - June 19
In The Next Room - June 20
Lost in the Library - June 20
He Followed Me Home... Can I Keep Him? - June 20
Book Madam YA - June 21
6 comments
Thanks for the giveaway, Liz! I'm glad it's a gradually unfolding romance rather than the ever-rampant insta-love. And interesting that the society is just starting to show dystopian elements...we don't often see a society in the process of becoming dystopian!
ReplyDeleteAshes, Ashes sounds wonderful. And I agree with Danya, unfolding romances are best! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteventurinhawendy(at)gmail(dot)com
So glad you liked this one! It definitely sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway. =)
I bought this book recently--glad it was a good choice!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and it sounds like Lucy manages to grow through the entire book. Even better, there's a romance that develops slowly. The instant love phenomenon really bugs me. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis really sounds like a wonderful read! Thank you for sharing and for the amazing opportunity!
ReplyDelete