Title: Stormy World
Series: Surviving The End
Author: Grace Hamilton
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Release Date: 13th December 2023
BLURB
In a world gone mad, one family will do anything to keep each other safe… Jodi McDonald and her family have escaped from the Helios cult. But their freedom has come at a heavy price. Now, grief-stricken and fractured, they are once again on the road. As they search for a new sanctuary, Jodi is driven by one need above all to protect her family at all costs. Every person has their breaking point, and Owen McDonald has reached his. To cope with unbearable loss, he fixates on finding a new home—a fresh start. But his obsession with reaching the coast could have deadly consequences. And as his actions become ever more extreme, Jodi’s family must contend with his descent into madness. The McDonalds have learned to be wary of outsiders. But this time, danger comes from within. And the greatest threat to the family might be Owen himself.
REVIEW
The cover fits really well with the rest of the series. It could literally be one of many scenes from within the book. It tells you the book is post apocalyptic and does its job well as it makes you want to pick up the book and learn more about it!
The book picks up right where the previous one, Ruined World left off. To say the family are devastated at their recent loss is an understatement and they haven’t even come to terms with their previous losses from them fleeing their home and safe have. Now they have escaped Helios and its strange group of people, but at an extremely high cost at one of their family being shot as they fled and sadly dying. As Owen naturally seems to be suffering the most and coping the least the others seem to be trying to soothe him and are going along with his wish to head to the coast despite Jodi having misgivings about doing so. Beth is struggling with her health, her heart is hampering her when she wants to keep battling on and continue walking at the gruelling pace Owen seems determined to keep to. Owen has his heart and mind set on going to the coast as that is where he and his wife had wanted to live and bring up their daughter Katie before everything collapsed. He is so set on going he informs his family he will go with or without them, which leaves them little choice but to follow him as he leads them towards the unknown at the coast. Jodi is trying to lighten the dark atmosphere and mood being created by Owen by playing games with the younger members of the family. So she is playing the Alphabet game with Kaylee to pass the time with the youngster. Owen is however not willing to play along, even for the younger ones, refusing to join in the game correctly just stating N is for Not joining in!! Jodi tries numerous times to reach her son, to help him spend time with his daughter Katie without snapping at her and scaring her, but Owen goes over and over what happened, choosing other scenarios that might have resulted in a different outcome. A route and outcome that wouldn’t have resulted in more loss. Even Beth tries to reach out to her Grandson explaining she has lost loved ones and had her heart broken too, and that they have to go on for the younger ones, that those that had died would want them to get on with life.
Owen breaks the code the family have lived by so far and sets a series of unfortunate events in to motion. It seems like Owen has hardened and will do whatever he feels he has to to provide for his daughter Katie. They need to find a way to get to the coast quicker, so he not only finds a solution, he then takes something, without an attempt at trading or being friendly to the community he is stealing from. When circumstances get out of hand the rest of the family have no choice but to go along with Owen and let the drama unfold.
The family finally arrive at the coast but things are not much better there. They come across another settlement who are very off standish and seem to not want anything to do with them. The family persist in helping where they are able to. To be honest they are wary of strangers themselves after the Helios settlement. The settlement soon accepts their help when it becomes apparent Jodi, Violet & Beth can help treat their sick. The people are becoming sick because of their water source but just as the McDonalds come up with a solution to the water issue decide to help sort out the water then be on their way as a family as the settlement just doesn’t feel quite right for them there is a bigger problem, a large ferocious storm that forces the McDonald family and the coastal settlers to try to run ahead of it in an attempt to get to higher ground and safety. The McDonald family eventually find an old church and an argument ensues between Owen and the rest of the family about its suitability to stay standing in the storm. The family end up caught up in the storm, they then get split up, with some making it to the old church which causes its own problems as Beth collapses and orders her family to safety, demanding they leave her where she is, whether that is to die alone or not! However Beth finds herself escaping the part of the church she is in when it is collapsing. Once again she finds herself outside in the horrendous storm. Owen is reunited with Beth as she wanders outside in the storm and despite her protests he carries both Beth and Katie to safety and they take refuge in a school, where they have a real heart to heart talk. Beth makes Owen promise to take Katie and reunite with the family that are still up at the church. Owen struggles leaving Beth behind in the school but decides to deliver on his promise and arrives at the church and reunites with the other McDonalds just when all looks lost Owen makes the ultimate sacrifice for his family.
The members of the McDonald family that survive the storm end up finding a boat and finding some peace and having time together to grieve and heal somewhat as a family cut off from others, util they decide they need to leave their haven to get ahead of the coming stormy season.
I really enjoyed reading this whole series, the world building was detailed and interesting. The way people acted badly when things went wrong in the world were sadly really believable. Though there were some kinder, generous characters the McDonald met along their way too. The female family characters I loved were Jodi, Beth, Violet and her guide dog Ruby who were all fiercely independent and determined to do as much work if not more than the men around them. The male family characters I liked were Shane, Mike and Owen who despite the women wanting to do the difficult jobs too tried their best to do that little bit more and were determined to protect their family at all cost. Even when Owen was “doing the wrong thing” he was in his own mind doing what he thought was right and what his family desperately needed. The character that wasn’t actually a McDonald but still did anything and everything he could for the family that I loved was Corbin. He was a good friend to Owen despite him trying to push him away in his grief, it was also clear he loved Violet and would protect her with his own life.
Summing up this book has lots of “Wow” moments it also has tornadoes, death, destruction and devastation, all things the McDonald family clan find themselves going through, sadness, slivers of happiness, loss, heartbreak and grief, the emotions the McDonalds endure in this book. I definitely recommend reading this series, and in fact others by this author.
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