The book does have multiple instances of swearing, people do die (which is mentioned in the description, but sometimes the book goes into detail), sexual acts, and killing someone. Rated 3.75 (which I rounded down to 3.5).

I found it hard to start this book, as the introduction was boring, but it did provide some context of what's to come.

“Jacob squinted. “What’s the point?”
Lauren shook her head. “I honestly don’t know.”

There were many instances of the book going into tons of detail, which sometimes was helpful to be able to visually see what's going on. However, in multiple cases, it felt like the author was adding padding to the book to make it longer.

“The book, Lauren realized, didn’t just preserve knowledge; it preserved their past selves, captured them in amber. But their identities weren’t set in stone. They were changing whether they wanted to or not, just as the world outside had changed.”

“Lauren clenched her teeth and sunk deeper into her chair, wishing herself five or ten minutes into the future”

There is a one chapter in the book, where the author switches from present to past in the middle of the chapter. It was very confusing, and I felt I had to stop reading to full understand the switch. I wish the author did a better job with the switch.

When reading I felt the book was going to end a certain way, however, there is a big twist within the last few chapters. After I started reading that, I just wanted to finish the book. Thanks to the author for ending the book the way they did.

““Hello,” he said. “My name is Tristan Brandt. I’ve been waiting for you.”” ( )

An apocalyptic novel with a fairly unsurprising outcome. The victims are most of the world, after being exposed to a toxic gas released in a local industrial accident and then deliberately by an evil conglomerate and a much-admired executive. The story's primary narrator is Jacob, a lost boy college grad who is dissatisfied with his lack of achievement, status, and rejection from grad school. When he discovers some hard truths about the tech campus that shelters the few survivors, he's doomed and the narrative is taken up by a trio of women. The premise that it's the intrinsic evil in all humans is pretty scary, and I hope, not true, but a good premise for this type of armageddon. It's unsettling but ultimately dissatisfying. ( )