"How many times in life have we come to a crossroad without knowing that's what it is? How many times are we faced with decisions-and we make them-not realizing at the time that they could alter our entire life? Bear in mind that sometimes not making a decision or not acting is the same as making a decision..."-Jade C. Jamison, Savage
Thank you to Jade C. Jamison for the picture above AND the ARC I received!
This was a good 3.5 star read for me. There were so many things I enjoyed about this book, and there were a few things I wasn't so crazy about. Let's start off with the great things!
First, I liked Nina, a lot. I typically find that I always enjoy reading the male character more often than the woman's. For some reason, more times than not, the female-lead in a book can drive me crazy. Not to say Nina was perfect, but I liked her. I'd want to be friends with her, I'd want to be stuck in a little mountain house up in Chipeta Springs with her- much, much happier spending my time with someone like Nina versus Vera! She has lived a hard life, and she's not perfect, but she's a survivor. She's gone through heartbreak with the debilitating loss of her husband, and she's worked hard to make enough to keep her family going, after all the medical bills and expenses. She does all of this with the one goal of taking care of her family. Sure, she suffers with some depression and sadness-- how could she not?! Thank you to Ms. Jamison for writing a character who experiences true emotions, not writing about someone who tragically loses their spouse to a nasty disease like MS and is bouncing back from it in no time. The reader can experience some of the pain Nina feels through Ms. Jamison's words and that speaks of talented writing to me.
Now, who can talk about Nina without talking about her true love... Mr. Savage. Kevin Savage has been the twinkle in Nina's eye since she was old enough to really see the opposite sex. From a shy, quiet girl who doesn't know how to respond to that first touch from a boy you like to a woman that swallows her pride, her nerves, her fear to tell him how she really feels- Kevin is her dream. He's hard working, thoughtful, protective, and loyal. He's dedicated to helping her and himself, get out of a dangerous situation and back to their families. He is quiet, but determined, open, yet reserved. He's one of those guys who is strong and steady, and who'll die fighting to protect what's his.
I even liked Larry. I mean, don't get me wrong-- I didn't LIKE Larry or the person he was. I did like how he was written, though. He was a well written villain, and I always enjoy that! Larry and what he may or may not do is one of the main reasons that I kept quickly "turning the pages" in this book! Vera was ok. I just couldn't really get a good feeling for her, positive or negative throughout the book. No, I'd never want to have to deal with her in the situation they were in. Yes, I could see myself easily falling into the depths of despair being snowed in in a situation like they were, so her reactions weren't unlikely, but she just...didn't do much for me.
Now, on to some of those other things I mentioned... I liked the whole premise of this book. I like the books that are a little different and out there. There are a few different books out like this, some with the 'infected' piece and some just with the idea of a major terroristic act of tearing down our country. This one was good. I liked the overall plot point and story line, though I felt like it was long. I felt like this book could've been shorter and still packed the same punch. There were several times it felt like it dragged on and I ended up skimming over some of Nina's thoughts or some of her descriptions, to get on to a point of something else that'll grab my attention.
One other thing that is driving me crazy... SO MANY unanswered questions!! I have to believe, since I'm sure, that Ms. Jamison WILL BE writing a 2nd book and making this a series. She has to! There's SO MANY things left unexplained, so many things I want to know more about. Like, for the obvious-- what happened with Nina's kids?? What happened with Kevin's? Those are just some of my obvious questions. Another thing I'm wondering about is WHAT HAPPENED TO LARRY?! I felt like there was this whole, big, slow build throughout the last half of the book that Larry was going to go so totally off his rocker and I waited, and waited, and waited, and was SURE it was going to happen when Nina and Kevin decided to leave, but still-- nothing! There's got to be more to the storyline with Larry!
Ok, enough of my little freak out... Like I said originally, overall I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, I liked the premise, I liked the questions that popped in my head and the things that made me continue to keep reading. Now, I just need another book to answer all my unanswered questions and I'll be a happy girl!
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