Scan barcode
A review by momwithareadingproblem
Life by Rebecca Belliston
5.0
I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Life by Rebecca Belliston hooked me immediately! The prologue alone was enough to say I would love the book. It starts with the fall of society as we know it and spirals quickly into work *cough* prison *cough* camps. The economy collapsed, civil society is gone, and Carrie Ashworth now has two siblings to care for. In the clan they live in (illegally I might add), 36 people rely on Carrie to grow the food and keep peace with the local patrolman. Carrie does this just fine until Greg Pierce shows up.
I really, really like Carrie! She was only 17 when the economy collapsed and didn’t understand the choices her parents made to bring her and her siblings back to Logan Pond. Now at 22, she’s a sister and parent to her younger siblings having lost her parents during the first year. She’s quiet, shy, insecure but loyal, determined, and very loving! She’s the backbone of what’s left of her family. She’s also a work horse which just makes me like her more. She isn’t the typical heroine you see in today’s young adult dystopians (in other words, she’s no Katniss!) but her quiet determination endeared her to me.
Greg *sighs in exasperation* how do I even begin to describe him? He is a contradiction. In one instance, he is a family man, kind, caring, would do anything to protect what little family he has left. But the death of his sister and losing everything he ever knew, including having a very sick mother, has harden him. He’s bitter, can be quite harsh, and has no love for Carrie Ashworth, the woman his grandmother keeps thrusting at him. I had a hard time reconciling my feelings for him. At one point he’s just plain rude and callous with Carrie and the next he’s sweet and kind. Don’t get me wrong, I understand his severe mood swings. He’s hurting and has walls that rival Berlin’s but he takes it out on poor Carrie. Not cool!
Perhaps my favorite character is May, Greg’s grandmother. She’s this sweet little lady who was lucky enough to own her house before the collapse, making her a citizen of this new bizarre America. Along with her husband, May opens her home to the neighbors that no longer have theirs. Hiding them, protecting them from the patrolmen, and providing their yard for crops and animals, but most importantly May becomes a surrogate for Carrie. She’s her confidante and friend, her mother in place of the one she’s lost. May reminds me a lot of my own grandmother, spunky and loving. She’s just what Carrie needs when life keeps throwing them down.
The plot of this book is as simple as the title. It’s been 5 years since the collapse and the characters are learning to live life again and IF they can do so safely, under the nose of the government. I really connected with these characters and their plight. It’s one of the most realistic dystopians I’ve ever read. I could easily see an economic collapse in America’s future, a totalitarian dictatorship taking place of democracy, and the socialistic aspects (such as requiring citizens to get cards – yellow for landowners, blue for workers, and green for government) which leaves more than 3/4 quarters of the population now illegal. It was scary how easy I could imagine this fate, making the book even more enjoyable. The characters are simply learning to live off the radar, have two sets of threadbare clothes, and eat what they scavenge. It’s really intense and suspenseful yet also comfortable. How’s that for irony?!
Overall I LOVED this book! And I totally owe the author an apology. She sent me the book at the end of 2014. Somehow this slipped my notice and now that I’ve read it I can’t believe I missed it!!! I immediately bought book two and devoured it just as quickly. If you enjoy a good, character-driven dystopian, I highly recommend you check out Citizens of Logan Pond. You won’t regret it!
Life by Rebecca Belliston hooked me immediately! The prologue alone was enough to say I would love the book. It starts with the fall of society as we know it and spirals quickly into work *cough* prison *cough* camps. The economy collapsed, civil society is gone, and Carrie Ashworth now has two siblings to care for. In the clan they live in (illegally I might add), 36 people rely on Carrie to grow the food and keep peace with the local patrolman. Carrie does this just fine until Greg Pierce shows up.
I really, really like Carrie! She was only 17 when the economy collapsed and didn’t understand the choices her parents made to bring her and her siblings back to Logan Pond. Now at 22, she’s a sister and parent to her younger siblings having lost her parents during the first year. She’s quiet, shy, insecure but loyal, determined, and very loving! She’s the backbone of what’s left of her family. She’s also a work horse which just makes me like her more. She isn’t the typical heroine you see in today’s young adult dystopians (in other words, she’s no Katniss!) but her quiet determination endeared her to me.
Greg *sighs in exasperation* how do I even begin to describe him? He is a contradiction. In one instance, he is a family man, kind, caring, would do anything to protect what little family he has left. But the death of his sister and losing everything he ever knew, including having a very sick mother, has harden him. He’s bitter, can be quite harsh, and has no love for Carrie Ashworth, the woman his grandmother keeps thrusting at him. I had a hard time reconciling my feelings for him. At one point he’s just plain rude and callous with Carrie and the next he’s sweet and kind. Don’t get me wrong, I understand his severe mood swings. He’s hurting and has walls that rival Berlin’s but he takes it out on poor Carrie. Not cool!
Perhaps my favorite character is May, Greg’s grandmother. She’s this sweet little lady who was lucky enough to own her house before the collapse, making her a citizen of this new bizarre America. Along with her husband, May opens her home to the neighbors that no longer have theirs. Hiding them, protecting them from the patrolmen, and providing their yard for crops and animals, but most importantly May becomes a surrogate for Carrie. She’s her confidante and friend, her mother in place of the one she’s lost. May reminds me a lot of my own grandmother, spunky and loving. She’s just what Carrie needs when life keeps throwing them down.
The plot of this book is as simple as the title. It’s been 5 years since the collapse and the characters are learning to live life again and IF they can do so safely, under the nose of the government. I really connected with these characters and their plight. It’s one of the most realistic dystopians I’ve ever read. I could easily see an economic collapse in America’s future, a totalitarian dictatorship taking place of democracy, and the socialistic aspects (such as requiring citizens to get cards – yellow for landowners, blue for workers, and green for government) which leaves more than 3/4 quarters of the population now illegal. It was scary how easy I could imagine this fate, making the book even more enjoyable. The characters are simply learning to live off the radar, have two sets of threadbare clothes, and eat what they scavenge. It’s really intense and suspenseful yet also comfortable. How’s that for irony?!
Overall I LOVED this book! And I totally owe the author an apology. She sent me the book at the end of 2014. Somehow this slipped my notice and now that I’ve read it I can’t believe I missed it!!! I immediately bought book two and devoured it just as quickly. If you enjoy a good, character-driven dystopian, I highly recommend you check out Citizens of Logan Pond. You won’t regret it!