I mean compared to the world behind the story and the game itself, the characters almost seemed a bit secondary. The control vs non control was such a large part, that I think it eclipsed the character development just a bit. That being said, while I was sucked in at first into Claudia's plight, so much of the book is about the game and the different aspects behind it along with the real world as well in the mix. In fact, I think the opening confusion better allowed me to connect with Claudia directly early on as it felt like we were experiencing that same confusion together, ramping up my enjoyment even more. Sure, the beginning was rather confusing, and answers were a bit slow coming at first, but it never reached the point of frustration. It really made for an interesting read, not quite like anything else I've read, and trust me, when something stands apart like that, it's something worth some attention.

On one hand, there were the thriller and gamer aspects and on the other hand you have the heavy dystopian/post apocalyptic feel. This was a different sort of book, and by that I mean, it stands out in the sometimes crowed dystopian YA genre. If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival-and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge-sometimes with devastating consequences-all just to live another day. Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville-polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibals.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist…. Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.Ī girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

The aftermath by jen alexander