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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
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