(ARC) YA Book Review: The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

Release Date: 1 May 2012 (1 Feb 2012 UK)

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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Goodreads description:

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above...and two minutes ago they ran out of food. Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

My Thoughts...
The Other Life is a quick, action-packed read that will keep you on your toes and flying through its pages.   Ms. Winnacker's writing and storytelling shines in this action-packed debut, even if it arguably a story that we've read before (virus gone bad turns humans into a zombie-like creature). The writing is tight and the story moves along at a quick pace, completely engulfing the reader.

The characters in this book are a little hit or miss and while I really liked them, I didn't feel a really deep connection with anyone in particular. Sherry is a very strong, determined young woman, which I like seeing, and Josh is a good guy, a change-up from that "bad boy for a good girl" line we see so often.  What I found I really enjoyed with these characters were their interactions with each other and by the end I found that I could connect with them.  They won me over in a series of interactions instead of solely on their personalities. Watching the family and friendship relationships develop throughout the novel really worked for me.

The story itself is a common one--zombie apocalypse, virus gone wild, people turned hunter/prey.  The story will have the reader flying through the pages (and there aren't honestly very many pages to fly through), so I have no objections there. I couldn't put this one down and found myself hiding it under the pillow so I could read more after my husband fell asleep. The book is infused with a good helping of action that is guaranteed to suck you in.

This is definitely a book that I couldn't put down, which made me think "5 stars," but if I'm being 100% honest, the ending with its twist that's not quite a cliffhanger but close enough is what really made this story  phenomenal.  I wish the book had been longer and had explored this revelation some more (and really, I just wanted to keep reading). Also, I'm a sucker for a sweet teen romance (which if you've been around for awhile you totally already know). I think that some people will feel that the budding romance between Josh and Sherry is unnecessary, but for those of us who like a little (or more than a little) kissing in our books it is a definite plus.  I, personally, am really excited to read more (and I can't find any information about whether there will be more anywhere?).

Cover note: At first, I really liked the UK cover better (the one with the butterfly), but after reading the book, I think that this one fits a little better.  While it's not a "pretty" cover per se, I can appreciate it with this novel.

So, this trailer is totally for the UK release but I think it conveys the creepiness well. :)