I received this book for free from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Please Remain Calm by Courtney Summers
Series: This Is Not a Test, #2
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on January 20th 2015
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, YA
Source: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
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In this gripping sequel to THIS IS NOT A TEST, Rhys and Sloane are headed for a safe haven when they get separated along the way. Rhys is determined to reunite with Sloane until he discovers people who might need him more--people who offer him the closest he'll get to everything he's lost, if they can just hold on long enough.
Rhys thinks he has what it takes to survive and find the girl he lost, but in a world overrun by the dead, there are no guarantees and the next leg of his journey will test him in unimaginable ways ...
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
I could leave my review at that, really >.<
Courtney Summers has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her books are just so well written -enthralling and character driven. My first book by her was This is Not a Test, which I absolutely loved, so I was stoked when I heard she was coming out with a sequel. This is a novella, though, but it’s on the long side with about 100 pages or so (mine was an eBook so I’m approximating). Still, there’s no lack of intensity and general Summersness I’ve come to love!
Please Remain Calm begins right where we left off in This is Not a Test, but this time we’re in Rhys’s perspective. After hearing there was a safe haven not so far away, they left the safety of the school to try and find it. This book is basically their journey to there amongst zombies and whatever else they may or may not find – and where they end up might not be quite where you expect (it never is!). This is a survivalist story through and through. As with book 1, what Summers does best is the fear of the unknown – the knowledge that at any moment now… All it takes is one wrong tiny step. It makes the book completely unpredictable and absolutely terrifying. We also get to see how ravaged and death-ridden their world has become during this trek. It’s terribly creepy. *shudders*
Even though this is a short book, the characterization is still flawless, and the emotional depth is there and very real! Our main characters get separated along the way, then we meet some side characters who, in such a short time, make their way into our hearts. And in true Courtney Summers’ style, the ending makes you feel both elated and startled. Her endings have always been blunt; you never get the true closure you want, but they’re memorable and realistic. But… IF ONLY THERE WAS 1 MORE PAGE! GAAAAH! Still, it’s why I love her. We don’t get all the answers in life (it’s what I tell myself to survive her endings). In the end, even though it’s a short read, it’s one helluva ride!
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