Title: New World
Series: Surviving The World
Author: Grace Hamilton
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic
Release Date: 8th January 2020
BLURB from Goodreads
They’ll protect what’s theirs—or die trying.The McDonald clan have learned their lessons the hard way these last months. Shane and Jodi finally realize they must keep their reunited family close and protect their own above all others to survive in this new post-apocalyptic reality. The repairs on the home are complete, solar panels installed, and the now operational pump means they won’t have to continue collecting rainwater for the foreseeable future.
But it’s no longer just outsiders wreaking havoc on the small Georgia town, as unprepared townsfolk learn of their hard-earned stores—and threaten to take their prepper supplies by force.
To stem the mayor’s confiscation plans and keep the angry hordes at bay, the McDonalds’ blind teenaged daughter spearheads a community garden project to teach the citizens how to survive the coming lean years. But word travels fast when there are too many hungry mouths to feed.
And the gang that has long menaced the McDonalds comes looking to exact their pound of flesh.
When loved ones get caught in the crossfire, Shane and company won’t hold back against an enemy that threatens to take everything they have left.
Or kill those they hold dear.
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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?
I really adored Beth as a character, she was
willing to help anyone that asked, so much so she gave food as an act of
kindness to her rather nosey neighbour Nora. Nora eagerly took the food and
kept quiet about it whilst at the same time kept popping her head over the
McDonald Clan erected fence to see what they were doing and continually
complaining of lack of food etc. Beth knowing full well she didn’t have enough
supplies to keep freely handing out offered Nora seeds to grow her own food,
even volunteering to help her get started and teach her to care for the plants
but Nora takes offence as she clearly doesn’t want to work for her food. Then
Nora betrays her friend Beth my claiming to have seen packed shelves and
cupboards brimming with food, implying Beth is greedily hoarding for herself
and her family. Despite all of this Beth still runs to Nora’s aid when she is
called upon to give possible medical attention to Nora’s partner. Beth arranges
for someone to come for Nora’s partner and encourages Nora to get herself
something to eat, even offering to prepare it. It is then that Beth discovers
it is her neighbour Nora that has a cupboard full of food and tins. When Beth asks
Nora about it, the answer she receives is senseless, as Nora claims she is
saving it for if she needs it in the future!
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.
To sum up if you haven’t read this series, you
really need to. In my opinion it’s a must-read series!
Now what am I going to read? I’m certainly in the
mood for some more brilliant post-apocalyptic stories.
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