You know, I'm not a prude. I love horror and post-apocalyptic. Blood, gore, violence and vulgarity don't phase me. So I thought I'd give this one a try. I mean, it's an interesting concept. Cannibalism is something that we are all horrified by and fascinated with at the same time.

So I tried. I really did try. Right from the beginning I was turned off by the needless brutality. And the writing was so juvenile that it reminded me of what a teenage boy might write when he's alone in his bedroom and his mind is running wild. Then I learned that it is being classified as "young adult". This both made sense and was a little disturbing. Young Adult is a cross-over genre that tends to appeal to a younger crowd. And while I was reading some very disturbing things by the age of 12, I don't think every kid can take it. So I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of this book making it into the hands of 11 and 12 year olds out there. These people don't just practice cannibalism. These people eat people alive, cut limbs from their bodies and keep them alive for awhile, etc.

Additionally I found the writing to be lacking. It was sort of choppy and cheesy, and I mentioned earlier that it felt "juvenile". And things just didn't jive or make sense to me. These people live like a primitive clan, living and working in "shacks" and "halls", no electricity, subsisting on human meat. And then there will be a mention of a "hoodie", and I would think, "Do they mean a sweatshirt? These primitive people wear sweatshirts?" One minute these primitive cannibals would be referencing the "metal sticks" of their enemies (which I took to mean "guns", and which they didn't seem to know they names of, but later would mention guns?), and the next they would be talking about the armor worn by their prey, striped suits (what kind of primitive person is familiar with a striped suit), and magic eight balls!

My final word: I just didn't get it. The violence felt over-the-top and gratuitous, the writing was severely lacking, the story felt disjointed and mish-mashed together. I couldn't finish it. I made it about 80 pages in, and I called it a day-- something I never do. ( )

Absolutely riveting, you seem to connect immediately with the main character Sarah. This is not a romance, but a dark horror story, in the same vein as the truly good horrors of yesteryear. Do not mistake this book for a romance this is a dark story equivalent to the old style horror movies. The book is well written and flows easily. The well paced story keeps one completely riveted

The book has a solid plot and story line with lots of twists and turns. You, and Sarah, the main character, are never sure who to trust, what to believe, and are in a state of confusion almost from the start. Just when you think you are getting answers you realize, as does Sarah, the truth is not necessarily what you think it is. Unfortunately the confusion doesn’t really resolve itself. This may be because there will be a second book or, as in real life, there is no guarantee as to our life’s outcome. Even with no real resolutions however, it is a complete book and with any dark read you understand that.

This is certainly a different type of book but an outstanding read from this new author. I will certainly look for more from Jaret Martens. ( )

Though the general premise of this book had some promise, the execution fell flat on its face. The author tries way too hard with her writing, using over-the-top metaphors that pull the reader right out of the story in sheer confusion. I rolled my eyes so much at these that I think they almost fell out of my head.

The plot was really messy and it was often difficult to follow what was happening. I absolutely didn't care about any of the characters and as the story continued long past what I thought would be its end, I didn't even care for any sort of closure. With each plot twist, I found myself not surprised, but even more confused and irritated.

Two stars given for a lot of promise. With some major work, this story could be something great. ( )

I'll be honest, I could not finish this book. The concept is interesting, but the execution was poor. Amidst gratuitous images and the off-hand treatment of cannibalism there lies a concept that could have made for an interesting read. The prose is dry and lackluster, the characters are flat and the plot is not well thought-out. I cannot recommend this book, but I can recommend that the author spend much more time finessing their craft. ( )

This book was written so poorly I couldn't continue reading it. Martens shoots for flowery language, but really all that's here is weeds. The narrative flow was clunky, the imprecise metaphors were incessant, and the tone was melodramatic. There were also issues with the narrator's understanding and explanation of the world around her. I wanted to give this book a real chance because the premise was captivating, but the writing was too painful. Maybe that was the point? The terrible writing was supposed to simulate the pain I would feel should a cannibal eat me alive? If so, superb job! ( )