The Rains

This book is one of the better post- apocalyptic reads I've found. It's told in the form of diary entries (but they're just like regular chapters) told by Chance Rain, the younger brother of Patrick, as they struggle to survive along with Patrick's girlfriend Alex. Meteorites fall from the sky and where they land, strange plants begin to grow. When the plants give off spores, it spells trouble for human beings. However it only appears to affect adults- anyone under eighteen is unaffected. 

This is like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets The Walking Dead. Although in this case the "zombies" don't shuffle around, they leap over cars and run you down, pushing their bodies to the max. Even injuries barely slow them. This book takes off like a shot and doesn't ever slow down. It's tense and suspenseful and horrifying at times. And I loved it. The most fun I've had reading in a while. Yeah the hard cutoff at eighteen is implausible but if you can overlook that detail the rest is a thrill ride. 

Like I said the action never slows. But it's not all action. There are surprising moments of poignancy, and Chance and Patrick are both likable. So is Alex- in fact, she's quite the badass! Gregg Hurwitz is a well known author and this is his first foray into YA. The writing is polished and frankly I think this would appeal to fans of adult books or YA books. 

It's also not for the faint of heart. There's an atmosphere of dread and what the visitors are really doing is pretty horrific. The book does end on a cliffhanger, and while I'm not fond of those I don't mind here. I just want to keep reading.  

While this is largely plot- driven and careens from one breathtaking sequence to another, there are surprisingly emotional moments, as I mentioned above. The brothers have Rhodesian ridgebacks that they train and the dogs come in handy, as one can imagine. But this comes down to the character moments and I thought this was an excellent (and terrifying) post- apoc read.