Reviews

After America by John Birmingham

beingshort's review against another edition

dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

skybalon's review against another edition

4.0

OK so reading the second book of a series without reading the first one isn't the best choice--it's what I did. On its own, it is a fine techno/political thriller. Nothing too memorable, but a fine read.

balthazarlawson's review against another edition

2.0

It took me ages to get into this book and remember who's who in the zoo. This meant that the read was a bit of a drag.

I thought there were too many story lines and they didn’t come together. Large parts of this book could have been completely excluded and it would have helped to make it a tighter more coherent read.

Plus there is the issue of it being part of series. I think all books, part of series or not, should stand on their own and this one doesn’t. It’s clearly leading to another book as there are many story lines that did not have a conclusion. The only good point is that the next book is not that far away so it might not be so hard to get into.

markazarnie's review against another edition

4.0

Aa good second book and the characters are developing well.

readerxxx's review against another edition

2.0

I quit the book at the 75% mark. The chapters just got slower and slower. I just quit caring.

markazarnie's review against another edition

4.0

Aa good second book and the characters are developing well.

lefa's review against another edition

I don't think I should rate this as I accidentally started reading it not realising it was the second book in a series. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, on the cover or blurb did it mention this! Very annoyed once I realised, but was already halfway. I did enjoy it, but obviously there was a lot I missed or had to piece together.

otherwyrld's review against another edition

3.0

The sequel to Without Warning could best be described as 'more of the same'. This book is set a few years after the Wave mysteriously appeared to wipe out most of North America, then just as mysteriously went away again, leaving vast tracts of empty land. This land is now being fought over, both by the remnants of the American people, and by anyone else from the rest of this shattered world who has the means to get there. Some of those people are not very nice - Islamic terrorists are fighting it out with Eastern European criminal gangs amidst the ruins of New York. Others are just people who are trying to make their own way in this new brutal dystopia.

Much of the story-line is set in New York, and its pretty brutal stuff. Some of the characters from the first novel reappear, and their points of view are the ones we follow. As with the first book, this story ends abruptly, with a lot to be done in the final book.

So, it was still entertaining to read, but suffers from all the same flaws as the first book

tilmar's review against another edition

3.0

wave of energy wipes out 99% of North America's population

thiefofcamorr's review

Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.