There was so much that I wanted to love about this. It was supposed to be humorous, exciting, action-packed. Basically just fun, fun, fun. But It didn’t live up to expectations. Inappropriate sarcastic humour is definitely my style. Clever wit usually has me dying with laughter. Yet, somehow, Sebastian’s quirks and quips didn’t really do it for me. It seemed more forced than naturally hilarious. Then something about the way he handled things in general didn’t fit the world that he was placed in. Something just felt off.
The good things were the world was easy to fit into and understand. How things worked and how the humans lived post-apocalypse. The problem was I liked his sidekick more than him. And then, his nemesis was all sorts of awesome. She was the best and most fun thing, character-wise about this book. That also brings its problems relating to the plot. The creatures come through these odd fissures or holes that pop up here and there. Chances are if you’re near one you will die. Bearing that in mind the plot takes a weird turn towards the end.
Sebastian is so hell-bent on taking her down that even after witnessing she can do what she claims to do he does the most ridiculous thing. In a world built on survival at all costs, a weird item that seems to get rid of the creatures is found on her person and he throws it up into the sky and blasts it thus opening up a hole. This makes zero sense. Whether she is stealing people’s money or not she isn’t exactly lying. She did make the creatures go away, and he has the device in his hands. Knowing all this and with supposedly acute survival instincts he just blasts it. Not concerned even one bit about one-upping the alien species. Not concerned at all about having his awesome tech sidekick see if she can duplicate the technology. I honestly read it a few times to be sure he really did this.
After all that time trying to disprove her of something she can actually do he then doesn’t ask, think or anything really just meh, we don’t need an easy way to be rid of aliens so we can live. Nothing about this makes sense. And then, because he destroys the device and entire community is almost killed. Before his nemesis arrives in town there’s a lot of stuff to make us like Sebastian and get on his side but he’s not likeable, and his chance to redeem himself went up in smoke when he destroyed an item without knowing what it was.
Was the action great… all sorts of great. Once you get past the lengthy intro of the main character and things start happening for real it was definitely an okay read. This, however, didn’t take away from the fact the entire essence of this book revolves around staying alive post-apocalypse and Sebastian’s actions at the most pivotal moment, that could’ve sent this book down all sorts of amazing avenues, too many to name, but his action doesn’t wash and reads like a device specifically designed to lead to action when, in this world, there are natural ways this could’ve happened.
And the language used in this book felt very before my time in places. If these guys were raised in a time where they can make believable mechanical animals, have such advanced weaponry, hover crafts and all sorts of other technical things, they should at the very least converse the way we do now. That brings up the other point of age. Sebastian is eighteen. His nemesis is only a year or two older. Yet the book reads like he’s been alive much longer and not just that, that he and her have serious history. Like the type that takes time to cultivate. It’s hard to believe she’s been a scam artist for so long if she’s so young. Like she’s been fooling people since she was thirteen. When did their relationship even happen together because they did have one, a physical one by the clues given. Teens have relations so that’s not the problem, the problem was matching up based on when the world ended and what was going on now how, even with a fast-learning curve did the lead characters, especially the nemesis, have cultivated enough past background, foundation to match their present self in the story.
I dunno. For a book with everything that I like reading in it from snarky humour to aliens, and fun villains, bad blood, and intense action, this book plot-wise just didn’t come together for me. The humour didn’t make me laugh from the main character Sebastian. And, were not for his travelling companion and his nemesis who I loved equally, I might not have finished this book. It gets three stars for solid writing and good action but ultimately this story was just okay as most of the main character’s actions seemed off and his jokes didn’t quite lift off the page for me. And the main plot device that sent the ending into action definitely didn’t make sense in a post-apocalyptic setting. I just can’t see even the worst of enemies doing what Sebastian did when lives were at stake.
Reading Is My Drug 
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