The Aussie Zombie

I liked the first book in the Fallen World series, The Way We Fall, despite the first half being incredibly slow moving and little 'light' for my personal tastes. The second half was a big improvement and by the end I could appreciate the book in full. So although I wasn't rushing out to buy The Way We Fall, I was interested to see where Ms. Crewe took the story next.

The Lives We Lost starts almost immediately after the end of The Way We Fall, and it wasn't long before the characters and storyline came back to me, in the most part. There isn't really any kind of recap, but the plot is pretty straightforward so it's not really necessary.

I do like that Ms. Crewe has a racially diverse cast of characters, although it's only briefly mentioned in parts, it's enough to make them feel like a more realistic representation of a group of people trying to survival a viral apocalypse. Kaelyn is a tenacious, brave girl and I really liked her determination to continue with whatever she has set her mind to, and each of the other characters are solidly written and stand out as individuals.

Perhaps it is my cynicism getting a little out of control, but the seemingly inevitable love triangle appears to be taking hold on this series, and although it's not my favourite plot device, it's not overly prominent which makes it a little easier to digest.

Compared to The Way We Fall, the pacing is significantly more even in The Lives We Lost - there is a focus and purpose to the characters' journey and again there is a range of humanity from the helpful to the downright evil that makes it feel realistic, despite the actual premise of the series being slightly unbelievable.

The Fallen World series is another one that I've enjoyed so far for what it is, but it's never going to make my list of top post-apocalyptic YA novels - it's well written and has diverse characters but otherwise there are too many cliches to make it outstanding.

Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie