Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

[First: WARNING -- at least one review has spoilers that appear intentional. A short one called "A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORY" has major spoilers! Skip it if you want to enjoy the story as the author intended.] What a gem. Could not wait to get back to this book every time I had to put it down. I felt anxiety, despair, rage, wonder, all of it. Also -- I confess -- there were times I wanted to choke the author. The tension! But trust: whenever you think you know what's going on or what's going to happen -- you don't. No, really, you don't. Not just once or twice, either. I got over that whole author-choking thing and moved on to hoping for a sequel. I didn't want to leave this world, which is an odd thing to say about a post-apocalyptic world, but there it is. I enjoyed things in this book that normally annoy me: 1. first-person POV, 2. child or teen who goes off half-cocked against adults'/parents' sage advice only to end up in risky situations. (It's a mom thing, can't shake it.) But the first-person worked so well here, and I loved Griz's character. My judgy inner-mom wasn't even activated, so I could just get behind Griz and be along for the ride. I especially loved the scenes that described a character experiencing for the first time something that we, today, take for granted. I was going to quote a couple of those here because they're just captured so beautifully, but I don't even want to spoil that for future readers. Those scenes were a delight. In that same vein, things that Griz wondered about our world were also interesting. I found myself thinking about all this afterward, noticing and appreciating simple, everyday things in my own life. What sights, sounds, and tastes would I miss? I highlighted so many places in this book. The writing is gorgeous and still lingers. This is one that I will read again, which is quite rare for me. Fabulous characters and story. I would love to see the author explore this world some more. Audio: I combined reading with audio (you know, so the story could continue when I had to physically put the book down to do inconvenient things like cook or feed my own dog), and was impressed that the author did his own audio narration. Well done! I like it when the narrator's voice lets you fall into the story without being constantly distracted by the voice itself. Added later: I went to start another book today and discovered I feel resentful and mopey that this book is over.