October 18, 2012

Review: Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Dark Inside (Dark Inside #1)
Author: Jeyn Roberts
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Pages: 329
Source: Paperback/Library

Since the beginning of mankind, civilizations have fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs… and now us. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening: An ancient evil has been unleashed, and it’s turning everyday people into hunters, killers, and crazies.

This is the world Mason, Aries, Clementine, and Michael are living in—or rather, trying to survive. Each is fleeing unspeakable horror, from murderous chaos to brutal natural disasters, and each is traveling the same road in a world gone mad.

Amid the throes of the apocalypse and clinging to love and meaning wherever it can be found, these four teens are on a journey into the heart of darkness—and to find each other and a place of safety.

Review: I really enjoyed this book! I honestly had no idea what to expect from it since I read it based solely on other peoples suggestions for me to read it (THANK YOU all of you who suggested it!) This book was sooooo good! Ok, I just wanna get out of the way the one thing that bugged me about this book. It felt a bit like Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick in one way. The whole major event happens and a majority of the people lose their minds and some are smarter than others thing. It felt like Ashes in that way but it was also completely different as well. It was just that structure that felt the same. I loved how this was based on something that could happen, earthquakes do tend to happen a lot, especially along the West Coast (I would know, I live in AZ which is right next to Cali, so I hear all the news reports about them). Wow though! An earthquake that devastated the entire coast (and the others, and in other countries as far as we know). What I really want to know though is what exactly caused all those people to turn into killers pretty much after the earthquake. I am so so curious about what caused it!!! 

I'm gonna start with Aries & Mason. Aries. She definitely took on a leadership role right from the beginning. From helping those people who were hurt in the bus crash to leading the group of kids out of the school when the Baggers found out they were there. And just because of those few things everyone just saw her as the leader even though she wasn't trying to be. What I'm surprised about is how Aries and her group managed to stay hidden in that apartment building for so long without the Baggers finding out until the end of the book. That was pretty surprising to me. But then again, they took shifts, kept quiet when they had to and only left the building if they absolutely had to. And they only left the building when they were sure it was clear around it and at certain times. She definitely played it really smart in protecting her group. Her group.. I really liked everyone in her group except Colin. Colin acted like such a brat!!!! He wouldn't go on raids even when he said he would, wouldn't take a shift to watch just because he was "too tired." Like everyone else wasn't??? And he was constantly picking fights with everyone!!! If I was the rest of the group I would have thrown him out to be honest. Mason. I felt so bad for him! First he loses his mother right at the beginning of the book! That's really hard to deal with. Then on top of that, all this stuff with the Baggers going on makes him have to go on the run. He was alone for a while. I felt bad for him not having anyone at all just to be there with him for the first half of the book. I mean its already pretty scary with the Baggers. It'd be twice as scary being alone and trying to avoid them. Then he finds Paul and Chickadee after being attacked which gave him some hope and then Paul just takes off and Chickadee dies because she couldn't treat her diabetes! Gosh! It was just loss after loss for Mason! I am really happy he ends up with the others at the end, though I definitely need to read the next book because I need to see if he's gonna continue to fight the darkness threatening to overtake him. 

Clementine & Michael! Clementine. I also felt bad for her, because she was with her parents at the beginning and her mom made her leave because she knew something bad was about to happen. And when Clementine was outside she heard her parents get shot! And she couldn't do anything to help them! That must have been so hard for her! And then she has to hide in her own house just to get attacked there and have to take the truck and go on the run as well! She was also alone for a while and I felt for her as well for the same reasons I felt for Michael. I'd be so scared being alone in that type of world. Then there's Michael. He was with his friend at the beginning, then alone for a short time, then with a big group, then alone after they were killed until he found Clementine. He just had trouble finding a stable group to be with. And then he found Clementine and they stuck together after that. I was so shocked that we found out they were almost caught when they stayed in the cabin during the snow storm. I mean the Baggers were right outside!!!! I'm glad they got frozen to death. I'm also glad that after they took the SUV they found they made it to Seattle. 

The ending! Man. I am glad the four of them are together now! They definitely could use the friends and just people to be around! I must say though, that I really wanna know more about Daniel! He kept popping in and out of Aries life and he always tried to help her. Though he always wanted to be alone. I really want to know more about him!!!

4 1/2 Stars!