Scan barcode
jareadforfilth's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
All I can say is WOW. I just finished this book and it has left me a complete and utter puddle. No notes, pure glorious storytelling.
When I first heard of this book, I was wary that it would be a very similar of All That’s Left in the World, one of my absolute faves. I’m thrilled to say that this book is very singular and stands strongly in its own right, telling a very different post-apocalyptic tale that is uniquely its own and utterly enticing. Zach needs to be protected at all costs, he is such a great character and so well-written! Aiden also has my heart, and the two of them together?! *melts* they’re blossoming relationship is an incredible one to read through and while it can be a bit frustrating at times *cough Aiden cough* it is superb and totally feasible in its trajectory and intensity.
Speaking of intensity, the feelings in here are VISCERAL, I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat clutching for dear life as I was reading. The stakes are high and feel high in the absolute best way. I have to commend the storytelling here, it is enrapturing, feels fresh and utterly captivating. Very seamlessly executed and smooth from start to end. The characters are all complex and consistent as well.
Lastly: CURTISSSSSS 😭✊🏻
Thank you so much to the author for the gifted early copy in exchange for my honest review. These are all my own opinions and I’m telling yall, READ THIS BOOK.
When I first heard of this book, I was wary that it would be a very similar of All That’s Left in the World, one of my absolute faves. I’m thrilled to say that this book is very singular and stands strongly in its own right, telling a very different post-apocalyptic tale that is uniquely its own and utterly enticing. Zach needs to be protected at all costs, he is such a great character and so well-written! Aiden also has my heart, and the two of them together?! *melts* they’re blossoming relationship is an incredible one to read through and while it can be a bit frustrating at times *cough Aiden cough* it is superb and totally feasible in its trajectory and intensity.
Speaking of intensity, the feelings in here are VISCERAL, I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat clutching for dear life as I was reading. The stakes are high and feel high in the absolute best way. I have to commend the storytelling here, it is enrapturing, feels fresh and utterly captivating. Very seamlessly executed and smooth from start to end. The characters are all complex and consistent as well.
Lastly: CURTISSSSSS 😭✊🏻
Thank you so much to the author for the gifted early copy in exchange for my honest review. These are all my own opinions and I’m telling yall, READ THIS BOOK.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Terminal illness, Slavery, and Torture
drakoulis's review
5.0
A captivating, emotional and adorable post-apocalyptic story!
Blending YA gay romance with the adventure, danger and mental toll of a road trip in a world where civilization has collapsed, Paul Michael Winters delivers an excellent debut novel which will keep your eyes on the page from start to finish!
A lot of people will compare it with All That's Left in the World, and fairly so since there aren't many gay YA post-apocalyptic books out there, and I do think that if you loved the one, you will love the other too - but the books aren't similar apart from the general concept, don't expect a copy!
Aiden and Zach had great chemistry from the start, and their interactions are adorable. The attraction is there in every smile and every thought, sometimes subtle sometimes on the forefront. They're quite open about it which moves the romance quite a bit - the big obstacles are the mental struggles they need to overcome.
The states of Montana, Idaho and Washington are not your usual setting for a road trip so the worldbuilding is refreshing and the author has paid a lot of attention to getting the locations, roads and landscape correct.
The danger chasing after Aiden ups the stakes of his relationship with Zach, since it brings him against the dilemma of listening to his heart but putting him in danger, or respecting his right to make his own choices and losing him forever.
I devoured this book in less than 2 days, enthralled with the characters, their relationship and their journey - don't sleep on this book in May!
Thank you Paul Michael Winters for the ARC!
Blending YA gay romance with the adventure, danger and mental toll of a road trip in a world where civilization has collapsed, Paul Michael Winters delivers an excellent debut novel which will keep your eyes on the page from start to finish!
A lot of people will compare it with All That's Left in the World, and fairly so since there aren't many gay YA post-apocalyptic books out there, and I do think that if you loved the one, you will love the other too - but the books aren't similar apart from the general concept, don't expect a copy!
Aiden and Zach had great chemistry from the start, and their interactions are adorable. The attraction is there in every smile and every thought, sometimes subtle sometimes on the forefront. They're quite open about it which moves the romance quite a bit - the big obstacles are the mental struggles they need to overcome.
The states of Montana, Idaho and Washington are not your usual setting for a road trip so the worldbuilding is refreshing and the author has paid a lot of attention to getting the locations, roads and landscape correct.
The danger chasing after Aiden ups the stakes of his relationship with Zach, since it brings him against the dilemma of listening to his heart but putting him in danger, or respecting his right to make his own choices and losing him forever.
I devoured this book in less than 2 days, enthralled with the characters, their relationship and their journey - don't sleep on this book in May!
Thank you Paul Michael Winters for the ARC!
so_many_books's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I was on the fence with this book for so long. I read the first 40% very slowly over several days, then I put the book away for almost a month, and finally, I read the rest of it in one sitting. Saying it was a roller coaster in more than one way is an understatement.
Let's break it down.
THE STORY:
If you loved All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown, then there's a good chance you will love Together in a Broken World, too, as they build on similar concepts. Two boys find each other and fall in love in the middle of the apocalypse while they are on a road trip.. kinda.
Rest assured, other than the base concept, Together in a Broken World is a unique story with its unique and exciting twist and turns.
The book is a fast-paced and action-packed race for survival. For Zach, it's a race home to finally face his ghosts. For Aiden, it's a race to complete his secret mission.
There are several high-stake scenes from the very first moment they stumble into each other and their journey snowballs from there. Let it be running from the immoral militia group after what Aiden's carrying or the Infected husks of once people trying to eat them, it's a constant fight for survival. I sat on the edge of my seat all the way, rooting for them.
Aiden and Zach both struggle with their own demons while also trying to navigate being a team and tentative friends along the way.
I enjoyed the fast pace and that there was always a twist or a turn to keep the story going.
THE CHARACTERS:
Zach and Aiden are relatable and loveable main characters, each with their own struggles and flaws.
Zach's sheepish, yet relentless nature is a joy to witness. I loved his brain and his talent for tinkering. His fear of facing the unknown and being reluctant to leave the known safety felt so real to me. It takes tremendous strength to do that, so Zach is very close to my heart.
Aiden is quite the opposite in a way that he masks his pain and fears with bravery and action. His strength lies in his loyalty and mission-oriented nature. I loved his protectiveness, but I also wanted to smack him on the head a few times when he was foolish.
They make a wonderful pair, and I enjoyed watching them grow closer together. Their little moments sharing tidbits of their soul with each other was wonderful. I would say their relationship is medium-burn. It takes some time for them to figure things out in a clumsy way.
THE STORYTELLING:
Now, this is the part where I had the most issues. As I mentioned above, both the story and the characters are promising and loveable. However, the execution was a tad all over the place, which is probably because this is the first book of the author.
In simple terms, this book needed another round of developmental editing. Especially in the first half of the book. The writing style is choppy and disproportionate in the beginning, which is probably why I struggled to get through the first half. There are quite a few slow monologues (inner and in conversations) to provide context and background mixed in with fast-paced action scenes. This structure stops the flow of the story, which makes it a lot harder to get through. I've seen readers DNF-ing this book in the first half because of this.
Fortunately, the third act is noticeably better edited, and the story flows much easily there, and that is why I devoured the second half of the book so quickly.
I'd like to say this is the inexperience of the author, but I do believe another round with an editor would help this in future projects.
SUMMARY:
All in all, Together in a Broken World turned out to be a quite enjoyable queer YA post-apocalyptic adventure. It's a fast-paced, action-packed story with two flawed but loveable main characters. The main issue is with the voice/structure, which makes the first half of the book quite a pain to get through.
*Thank you for the author for the review copy.*
Let's break it down.
THE STORY:
If you loved All That's Left in the World by Erik J. Brown, then there's a good chance you will love Together in a Broken World, too, as they build on similar concepts. Two boys find each other and fall in love in the middle of the apocalypse while they are on a road trip.. kinda.
Rest assured, other than the base concept, Together in a Broken World is a unique story with its unique and exciting twist and turns.
The book is a fast-paced and action-packed race for survival. For Zach, it's a race home to finally face his ghosts. For Aiden, it's a race to complete his secret mission.
There are several high-stake scenes from the very first moment they stumble into each other and their journey snowballs from there. Let it be running from the immoral militia group after what Aiden's carrying or the Infected husks of once people trying to eat them, it's a constant fight for survival. I sat on the edge of my seat all the way, rooting for them.
Aiden and Zach both struggle with their own demons while also trying to navigate being a team and tentative friends along the way.
I enjoyed the fast pace and that there was always a twist or a turn to keep the story going.
THE CHARACTERS:
Zach and Aiden are relatable and loveable main characters, each with their own struggles and flaws.
Zach's sheepish, yet relentless nature is a joy to witness. I loved his brain and his talent for tinkering. His fear of facing the unknown and being reluctant to leave the known safety felt so real to me. It takes tremendous strength to do that, so Zach is very close to my heart.
Aiden is quite the opposite in a way that he masks his pain and fears with bravery and action. His strength lies in his loyalty and mission-oriented nature. I loved his protectiveness, but I also wanted to smack him on the head a few times when he was foolish.
They make a wonderful pair, and I enjoyed watching them grow closer together. Their little moments sharing tidbits of their soul with each other was wonderful. I would say their relationship is medium-burn. It takes some time for them to figure things out in a clumsy way.
THE STORYTELLING:
Now, this is the part where I had the most issues. As I mentioned above, both the story and the characters are promising and loveable. However, the execution was a tad all over the place, which is probably because this is the first book of the author.
In simple terms, this book needed another round of developmental editing. Especially in the first half of the book. The writing style is choppy and disproportionate in the beginning, which is probably why I struggled to get through the first half. There are quite a few slow monologues (inner and in conversations) to provide context and background mixed in with fast-paced action scenes. This structure stops the flow of the story, which makes it a lot harder to get through. I've seen readers DNF-ing this book in the first half because of this.
Fortunately, the third act is noticeably better edited, and the story flows much easily there, and that is why I devoured the second half of the book so quickly.
I'd like to say this is the inexperience of the author, but I do believe another round with an editor would help this in future projects.
SUMMARY:
All in all, Together in a Broken World turned out to be a quite enjoyable queer YA post-apocalyptic adventure. It's a fast-paced, action-packed story with two flawed but loveable main characters. The main issue is with the voice/structure, which makes the first half of the book quite a pain to get through.
*Thank you for the author for the review copy.*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Kidnapping, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, and Death
Minor: Slavery
jsncnrd's review
5.0
Wow, wow, wow. This book had a chokehold on me from the very start and up until the final page. I am in awe that this is a debut.
The magic of Together in a Broken World lies within the two protagonists, Zach and Aiden. They are well-developed and lovable, and both of them have such emotional depth. They're human, they're flawed, they're kind-hearted, and they feel 3-dimensional. You become so invested in them that you take things personal when they hit a roadblock.
The plot is thrilling and exciting, but not at the expense of beautiful, romantic, touching moments that surround Zach and Aiden's slow-burn feelings for one another. The adventure aspects are balanced with the romance aspect of the book, and those two elements work so well together.
I laughed. I cried. I was on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down, and read it in 2 or 3 sittings simply because I was in love with these characters and I needed to know what would happen to them.
For fans of All That's Left in the World or The Last of Us, this book was written just for you.
I cannot recommend Together in a Broken World enough. I can find no faults in it. You will love it.
A huge thank you to Paul Michael Winters for being kind enough to give me an ARC of this absolutely incredible book. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to meet Zach and Aiden so I can fan-girl over this story with other people.
The magic of Together in a Broken World lies within the two protagonists, Zach and Aiden. They are well-developed and lovable, and both of them have such emotional depth. They're human, they're flawed, they're kind-hearted, and they feel 3-dimensional. You become so invested in them that you take things personal when they hit a roadblock.
The plot is thrilling and exciting, but not at the expense of beautiful, romantic, touching moments that surround Zach and Aiden's slow-burn feelings for one another. The adventure aspects are balanced with the romance aspect of the book, and those two elements work so well together.
I laughed. I cried. I was on the edge of my seat. I could not put this book down, and read it in 2 or 3 sittings simply because I was in love with these characters and I needed to know what would happen to them.
For fans of All That's Left in the World or The Last of Us, this book was written just for you.
I cannot recommend Together in a Broken World enough. I can find no faults in it. You will love it.
A huge thank you to Paul Michael Winters for being kind enough to give me an ARC of this absolutely incredible book. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to meet Zach and Aiden so I can fan-girl over this story with other people.
More...