
i'm not a big review writer, but this deserves one. the first half inundated me with a deeply-seated sense of overwhelming dread & confusion, & even after i somewhat figured out how it would end, i still could not put it down. i'm only sad that i won't ever get to read this again for the first time.
absolutely incredible.
i actually started this book thinking it was another i'd been planning to read. upon realizing this, i almost put it down, but i got attached to a couple of characters & was intrigued by the way they were written, & then i burned through the whole book in around 5 hours. the characters are incredibly well-written, the world-building is impeccable. this is, hands down, one of the best apocalyptic reads i've had in a while. i am literally about to start the second book because i simply have to know what happens next!
it was a great read, but it seemed like the characters rushed straight from being a-ok to being fully deranged, in a way that kinda made me say “what the fuck?” also, why was there almost an entire chapter focused on a basketball game? it was worth the time it took to read, but it could've used some tweaks IMHO.
i think my biggest bugger is that Georgie falls madly in love w this giant alien after knowing him for a week, never mind the fact that they only learned to fully communicate w one another through a plot device that, while VERY cool, came across a bit of deus ex machina after like, 5 days of survival & sexy time the wild together? i get that it's sci-fi, but Georgie & Vektal's relationship already felt so rushed without adding in the fact that all the women will die in a couple of days unless they accept the khui & the “oops i might be pregnant” toward the very end. i love the description of the aliens, & i love Georgie's character, i love the story itself, & i know it's a long series of books, so maybe i'll find the meat on the bone i'm looking for in another book further into the series. there were just a few plot points i wanted a bit more focus & polish on. overall, i'll still probably read it again.