As a YA book, I found this to be fascinating! For an end of times, virus ridden world, full of hyenas; it grabbed my emotions, caught my attention, and I fell for Huck. Huck had to be my favorite character. Now, I'm a grandmother but I have a son and grandson unique like Huck. I found his personality so very relatable. I'm a bookworm too. We could be going for a walk. Oh, a break, I'll read.lol. The book has such a realistic view, not sappy like some other books. It was worth reading. Whether you are 16 or 56, you ought give this a shot, especially with today's world. It's kind of refreshing. Hey, their world is out of coffee. *shudder* I would give it more than a 5 star if I could. LOVED IT. ( )

Kella is just trying to live to see another day – even if the day looks more like a horror movie than your typical teen’s life. On a mission to get data to the CDC is one thing, but hiking along the Appalachian Train is a whole other ball game in the end times. If being a teen wasn’t hard enough, Kella’s juggling being moderator in her group as well as trying to stay positive about their chances at reaching their destination while also avoiding ‘Hyenas’ – very dangerous, very sick, people who have a pension for homicide. I really loved reading this story because of the characters and Kella’s hilarious notes! When reading books about the apocalypse, you expect it to be dark and gloomy and full of horror, but this book had more of a comical feel that kept my attention and made the story so enjoyable! ( )

I had a lot of fun reading about this pandemic while enduring the real one. Kella is an engaging protagonist, a girl on the cusp of womanhood, at once childlike and mature beyond her years. Her commitment to live a normal life and protect her neuro-diverse brother in the face of a terrible disease that has ravaged the planet and destroyed civilization as we know it is gripping from start to finish. I loved the way her thoughts are interspersed throughout, sometimes wise, and sometimes poignantly touching, but always funny and heartwarming. This coming-of-age story on the Appalachian Trail with a small family of survivors trying to save the world is the best kind of dystopian fiction: authentic and heroic and hopeful. Highly recommended. ( )