W. T. H.?

If this is the author’s first published book series, I wouldn’t be surprised. There are a lot of amateur mistakes that ruin this series. To name a few: overly describing things; unrealistic “timing” (such as a narrator taking too long to think while something serious is occurring); scenes drag on outrageously (that is to say, there is a criminal level of page filler); a lot of unrealistic and corny dialogue; many overused cliches; and, lastly, many stereotyped characters bog down the story.

Update: Christ almighty. I wrote “many stereotyped characters”, but I was wrong. Her work is nothing BUT cliches and stereotypes. The first story is as dramatic as a wet noodle flopping onto the floor. Nothing happens. I mean, the end of the US happens in an unexciting, predictable, anticlimactic sort of way.

The plot goes nowhere fast and the MCs accomplish nothing. The author, as I mention above, is dragging every darn bit of action out to the point where I’m fast forwarding through it. One scene in particular in the second book comes to mind. It was a travesty of suspense that lasted seven chapters (about an hour at 1.3x speed), starting with chapter 21. It’s filled with stupidity, empty threats, posturing, more empty threats, more stupidity, lots and lots of truly awful dialogue, and stupid thoughts on what’s happening, and, oh my god, why am I continuing to read this? (Update: I’m not. I’m done. Never again. I gave up partway through chapter 29 of book two.)

The bad writing doesn’t ever stop and it’s awful enough that I’m becoming embarrassed for the author. Kyla Stone can research nuclear warfare and thoroughly understand the consequences of it, but she can’t fold that knowledge into fiction in a compelling and interesting way. Furthermore, she doesn’t have an intuitive grasp of humans and their behavior, which is necessary to become an incredible writer. That missing skill is why KS’s dialogue sucks, why her characters are stagnant, lack imagination, and can’t generate genuine camaraderie or tension with other characters. It’s why I don’t care if any of them die. It’s impossible to become invested in these fictitious people because they’re not believable.

Don’t waste your credit if you’re an experienced reader and demand a lot from your authors. Seriously, don’t.

3 people found this helpful

slow

I didn't give this book 1 star, because there are probably worse books. It took one entire book for the characters to travel 5 blocks. The voice actor is fine, but the story moves very very slowly. I made to the 10th chapter of the 2nd book , but I just couldn't continue. I have better luck with the free books.

1 person found this helpful

A story stretched out for no good plot reason

Get on with it. A for plot. C+ for story line. D for dialog. Characters should not stand around with half an hour of dialog only to discuss that they can't go half a mile to achieve one of the primary objectives early in the story. Just shut up and go do it already. Also maybe don't end an apocalypse drama with a Lifetime movie-style sob ending.

1 person found this helpful

I found this surprisingly entertaining!

I love post apocalyptic books but have never read any that take place during a nuclear attack so that alone was interesting but this storyline kept me up listening to the wee hours of the night. it really has everything.

I wanted to love it

I have read a lot of Kyla Stone’s books and I generally really enjoy them. I was excited to try this series. The thought of more than 30 hours to keep me occupied was awesome. I liked the premise of this story but it did drag quite a bit. There were a few times I considered turning it off and not going back to it, but ultimately I persevered through the whole thing. I couldn’t connect with the characters and I really didn’t care too much who made it to the end (although I wish there had been more to Ezra’s story because I loved those parts). The narrator was awesome and did great with the different voices. I’m glad I listened to the whole story but it’s not one I’ll ever re-listen to.

Drags on quite a bit.

The narrator was great at creating different voices for characters. It made it easy to follow conversations.
There was a lot of "blah blah blah... Get on with it." for me. It took a whole book for the characters to go 1/2 mile. Also, in case you don't catch it, it's mentioned probably 100 times that she has scars. 🙄

Excellent!

My second listen and loved it again. Narrator and story are excellent!
This includes nuclear bomb drops and Ms Stone has researched it well. You can imagine being in it and the fear and horror if it.

Best apocalyptic series ever!

This series is full of strong characters that you can’t help championing as they tackle things no one should ever have to.
There are poignant moments that will touch your heart and have you reaching for the tissues. There are also moments where peoples weakness of character and unwillingness to see the truth will make you want to cry out in frustration.

Excellent read, excellent value!

Loved this story. It has a great narrator, wonderful world building, and was well-done all the way around. Can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!

Awesome Series!

I truly love this series. I read the books when they came out but listening to the audio book really brought it to life. The narration was excellently done. The story line was gripping. The detailed description of the different scenes made it so easy to see what the characters were experiencing on their journey through the disaster areas. This is a series that I will enjoy listening to many times. Thank you Kyla Stone for sharing your wonderful storytelling talent.