ARV-3 (The after life saga #1)
by Cameo Renae
MY REVIEW
Seventeen-year-old Abigail (Abi) lives
in a post apocalyptic world caused by a solar flare, nuclear power
plant meltdowns and an anti-radiation vaccine that caused unforseen
side effects. She and her family live in an underground bunker. There
is a lot of action. The writing is good.The pacing is pretty good
but there is a lot of explanation in the beginning to set up the post
apocalyptic world. I thought that slowed down the story a bit but
then things started getting exciting once they went topside and
encountered the zombie mutants. I think the second half of the book
is much better than the first half. I found the story interesting and
entertaining. The romance was sweet. Since this is the beginning of a
series it ends with a cliffhanger. 4 stars.
BLURB:
The beginning of the end. The Apocalypse.
A nuclear fallout wiped out every living thing
on the planet, except for a few thousand of us who took shelter in
underground bunkers across the globe. Now, after thirteen long years,
we were finally able to return to the topside to begin to rebuild.
We thought we were alone. We were never more
wrong.
Before the fallout, scientists had worked on
creating an anti-radiation vaccine (ARV). The first two attempts
failed, but despite the incomplete tests and results, the government
approved and distributed the third serum to the masses in an effort
to aid those who had no shelter.
It worked, keeping those who remained on the
topside alive, but it also altered and mutated them. This new and
infectious threat had completely outnumbered us. Now, we not only had
to rebuild our planet. We would have to fight for it.
My name is Abigail Park. I'm seventeen, and
this is my story.
BIO:
Cameo Renae was born in San Francisco, CA,
raised in Maui, Hawaii, and recently moved with her husband and
children to Alaska.
She loved reading from as long as
she can remember, and it was C.S. Lewis' - Chronicles of Narnia -
which sparked a fire in her soul and made her want to create her own
wondrous, magical worlds and awesome characters to go on adventures
with.
In My Dreams & Hidden Wings
were both recently published through Crushing Hearts and Black
Butterfly Publishing earlier this year. Descent (A Hidden Wings
novella) was released May 15, 2013, and Broken Wings (Book 2 in the
Hidden Wings Series) was released June 1, 2013.
Her most recent release is ARV-3.
A YA Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian novel with a new twist on zombies.
She is currently working on the
next Hidden Wings Series book titled: Tethered Wings. No release date
yet. :)
One day she hopes to find her own
magic wardrobe, and ride away on her magical unicorn... Until then...
she'll keep writing!
ONLINE LINKS:
Website: http://cameorenae.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CameoRenae
BUY NOW LINK:
Prelude:
According
to the Mayan calendar, many thought the world was going to end on
December 21, 2012. Some stayed home from work and school, some
gathered in prayer, while others just blew it off and went on with
their daily routines.
That
Friday, on the day of the predicted doomsday, the sun rose and set
without change. A few days later… life continued.
People
crawled from their worried slumps and assumed their normal positions
back in the daily grind. Many years passed, with no signs of world
destruction. In no time, talk of the end of the world had dissipated
like a foul smell caught in the winds.
Unbeknownst
to the public, NASA had been giving warnings to the government of
impending natural disasters, but they were never officially broadcast
to the general population because it was all considered… “theory”.
No one really knew what was going to happen. No one expected
anything.
Behind
closed doors, the government began preparations for building large,
underground bunkers that would survive any type of apocalypse. Only
select military personnel, and a handful of the world’s leading
scientists, were privy to this information.
They
knew it wasn’t a matter of if it was going to happen - it was a
matter of when.
*****
START
OF THE APOCALYPSE
THURSDAY
– 3:16 PM GST
The
sun aligned with the Milky Way galaxy, causing a gravitational pull,
tugging on the sun’s surface. This caused a massive solar storm to
erupt.
It
was a solar storm of maximum proportions, labeled Class-X, and it
triggered the beginning of the end. As soon as the mass ejection
entered the earth’s atmosphere, it completely collapsed the
national power grids, shutting down all navigational and
communication systems across the globe. Millions were suddenly thrust
into darkness.
The
solar flare not only disrupted the earth’s magnetic field, causing
thousands of birds and fish to die instantly, it also set off massive
earthquakes and volcanic activity. Those who were at higher altitudes
were exposed to massive doses of radiation from the sun.
Terror
and chaos, along with widespread rioting and looting, broke out
across the globe.
But
that wasn’t the worst of it.
Over
four hundred nuclear power plants were operating across thirty
countries. Very few nuclear power plants were “walk away safe”.
Even fewer had backup generator pumps which relied on large tanks of
water for cooling the containment shells. Without electricity, it was
only a matter of days before the unimaginable would befall.
Every
nuclear power plant was a ticking time bomb, and most were running on
battery power alone.
A
majority of the population had no inclination their days were
numbered. Within a span of about ten days, nuclear fuel would begin
to melt through containment rods, sending out vicious, unspeakable
amounts of radiation into the atmosphere.
There
was no way to give warnings without communication.
The
government, and a select few, started emergency evacuations into
their underground bunkers around the world. Even the Doomsday
Preppers withdrew to their own shelters, which left the rest of
humanity unprotected, with no means of survival.
After
the solar flare, skies everywhere danced with the most beautifully
colored auroras. The beauty… before the beast.
All
those who didn’t prepare, panicked, and ran to the few shelters set
up by the governments. Shelters which were completely useless against
the oncoming horror.
A
handful of scientists had been working on a new serum, an
anti-radiation vaccine, which was supposed to aid the body in
resisting the absorption of radiation. The first two versions failed,
causing the lab animals to become crazed and subsequently, die.
With
the end swiftly approaching, the governments made an urgent and
ill-advised decision. In an effort to keep the world’s populations
from revolting and storming the emergency bunkers, they gave the
people some kind of hope, offering reassurance that a vaccine had
been created which would save them.
So,
despite a lack of proper testing or receiving positive results, the
government not only approved the third anti-radiation vaccine, it was
mass produced. They used helicopters, which had been strategically
kept protected against the electromagnetic pulses, for distribution
to the shelters.
The
helicopters were given orders not to land, but to simply drop the
crates of serum, and head back to the bunkers. The risks of landing
were too great.
Thousands
panicked, storming the shelters; hundreds were killed in the name of
survival. Many brandished guns or other types of weapons, and used
them to try and secure vaccines for themselves and their families.
Meanwhile,
secret bunkers around the world were filled to capacity and locked
down.
Amidst
all of this mayhem…it began.
The
end of all things.
The
Apocalypse.
One
by one, nuclear power plants across the globe began meltdown. Due to
their size, a number of them exploded like atom bombs, spewing
massive doses of radiation into the atmosphere. Slowly and quietly,
the invisible death stalked, and was believed to have eventually
killed every living organism on the topside.
Scientists
estimated it would be a minimum of ten years before any form of life
could safely set foot on the topside. Even then, many areas of the
earth would be uninhabitable.
This
is where I come in.
My
name is Abigail Park. I’m seventeen, and this is my story.
Excerpt
#1:
I
walked up to the tarp and knelt down next to it.
“Abi,
I don’t think you want to do that,” Finn whispered behind me.
“Why?”
I breathed. My fingers brushed the rough fabric.
“Because,
it’s just not a good idea,” he said.
He
knew that wasn’t a good enough answer for me. This was something I
needed to see now. I needed to know what I was up against, so that I
wouldn’t freak out and freeze when I saw it for the first time,
alive. This was my way. I knew myself best, and I didn’t like
surprises.
My
fingers carefully wrapped around the edge of the tarp and then slowly
lifted. I gasped, but couldn’t tear my eyes away. Milky white eyes
were wide and steeled on me. There was a strong, putrid smell the
mask could not block.
The
creature was completely hairless, and its skin was creased with
countless wrinkles, appearing scabrous and leathery. It was horribly
pale. Purplish blue veins protruded and snaked all over its body.
Its
eyes were sunken deep into its skull; the teeth were horribly rotted
and looked as if they’d been sharpened at some point. Each finger
was bony and curled. The nails were long and sharp, covered with
filth. I tried to search for anything that resembled humanity, but
there wasn’t much left. It was a sickly, horrifying mutation.
Thick
crimson liquid was seeping from a bullet wound to its chest. It was
something right out of a worst nightmare. Suddenly its hand shot up
and touched my arm.
I
screamed and jumped back into the sturdy arms of Finn.
“Don’t
worry. It’s dead. It’s just the muscles reacting to random
impulses from the nerves,” Dr. Banks said, covering the body back
up.” I don’t think the others should see this.”
Excerpt
#2:
I
turned and shot at every creature coming, but as soon as one dropped,
another two took its place. All of our efforts were useless. This was
it. This would be our final resting place. We’d come out from the
safety of our hive, surviving thirteen years underground, to die.
“God.
If you’re out there, we desperately need your help. Please,” I
cried to myself. Tears streamed down my face, after witnessing what
happened to Dr. Lisa.
Kaboom!!!
A huge explosion rattled the whole mountain, sending a bunch of rocks
tumbling and crashing down all around us.
“What
the hell?” Sergeant Powell yelled, covering his face from the
falling debris.
Then
we heard it. Our redemption. There was a God, and he sent someone to
save us.
Two
choppers were headed our way, and in a matter of minutes a machine
gun started firing and dropping the Arvies surrounding us. They even
dropped a few grenades on the side of the mountain. The sound of
gunfire and explosions were the most beautiful sounds I’d ever
heard.
Death.
It was all around us.
Excerpt
#3:
I
woke on a day like any other. As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Tina
standing there, right in front of me. I gasped, almost smacking her.
“What?”
my tired voice cracked.
“Guess
what?” She squealed, too loud for this early in the morning.
She
clasped her hands over her mouth, and her eyes were smiling.
“Tina,
it’s too damn early to play guessing games,” I huffed.
“Okay!”
Bouncing up and down, her excitement couldn’t be contained, “We’re
going to the Garden of Eden today!”
“Yaaaay,”
I cheered sarcastically. Her expression told me my reaction was not
what she expected.
“Abi,
you have no idea! No idea at all! I can’t wait to see your face.”
“So
when will this face-altering event be?”
“After
breakfast. So get moving.”
Her
excitement pushed me out of bed, and had me stumbling towards the
bathroom. After a hot shower, I was up and had changed into the
awesome white scrub uniform-thing we wore every single day. Every
drawer was filled with the same colorless clothes.
“This
will be good for you, Abi,” she said.
“I
hope so. I need something good.”
Giveaway: A
print copy of ARV-3 with an ARV-3 Swag Pack.
Hello! :) I've been wanting to read this so I hope I win! *crossing fingers* email: missjocsan @ gmail,com
ReplyDeleteSounds like a cool story. I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic stories.
ReplyDelete