School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Bick takes listeners on a post-apocalyptic journey in this final volume in the "Ashes" trilogy. The sheer volume of main and secondary characters and their complex (and often serendipitous) relationships are impressive, but the capriciousness of the point of view makes the story difficult to follow. Also, many of the mysteries from previous books in the trilogy (Ashes, Shadows) remain unresolved. Listeners learn that the Changed are evolving, but little is shared about how and, even less, about why. Despite the weakened story line, Katherine Kellgren offers a gripping performance for listeners, with climactic pacing around every turn during Bick's lengthy action sequences. The audiobook opens with Kellgren's decrescendo as Alex plunges into water, her voice fading to almost a whisper as Alex sinks into a memory, allowing listeners to experience the full gamut of her emotions. Despite Kellgren's outstanding performance, however, this dark dystopian thriller is only recommended if books one and two are popular in your collection.-April -Everett, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
A brutal, stunning, and compellingly written trilogy (Ashes; Shadows, rev. 9/12) comes to a close as Alex, who had been destined to die of a brain tumor just before the world effectively ended, is still battling nature, herself, the humans who have turned into monsters, and the other "normal" humans whose ethics seem rather monstrous as well. Tom and Ellie are still separated from Alex, each struggling to survive and find his or her place in this constantly horrifying world (though Bick excels at always acknowledging the spark of hope that keeps everyone fighting to live in spite of incessant danger and hardships). The frequent cliffhangers created by chapters that focus on different characters wear a bit thin but are a logical choice given the division of the three protagonists around whom the first book was focused. Fans may initially find the length daunting, but there are few wasted scenes and ample chances to say goodbye to these beleaguered characters, who all deserve better but whose outcomes absolutely fit the tone of the post-apocalyptic scenario. april spisak (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
All of the Ashes Trilogy storylines converge in this action-packed series conclusion. Picking up immediately where Shadows (2012) left off, indomitable heroine Alex again claws her way out of one danger and into another. Rescued from a cave-in by Wolf, she rejoins the Changed, despite the risk of ending up on the menu, and gradually learns Wolf's and Peter's secrets. Meanwhile, other familiar faces reappear, each belonging to one of various other small groups scrapping for survival. The jarring narration jumps back and forth between Alex's story and the other characters', often in short bursts with deadly-peril parallels in characters' situations. There are so many near brushes with death that, at times, danger becomes tedious and expected, losing some tension. It's recovered through well-crafted sentences, especially Bick's signature, deliberate cliffhanger chapter endings that ensure that readers won't be able to stop until they've reached the climactic showdown. As the novel progresses, the seemingly disparate storylines bleed into one another more and more, and connections and relationships among factions and characters are clarified as all storylines converge on Finn's grudge against Rule, his influence on other characters and the terrifying results of his experiments on his Changed army. The ending wraps up most questions but still leaves enough mystery for readers to dwell on. An opus of blood, gore and pain that will leave fans breathless. (Horror. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Seventeen-year-old Alex left the postapocalyptic town of Rule to save herself from the misdirected leadership there. But in this conclusion to the Ashes trilogy, she returns in an effort to save others from the flesh-eating, zombie-like teens known as the Changed, who now seem to be controlled by someone or something. If Alex or any of the other Spared can stop a madman, there may be hope for some kind of future for the unchanged children who remain. This gargantuan (over 800 pages!), action-packed conclusion really needs the character list planned for the finished book to help readers follow multiple story lines that converge at the reunion of Alex, Tom, and Ellie. Bick ably juggles the different strands to create a tension-filled narrative wherein the bloody bits tend to be thorough and clinical rather than crudely splashy. Moments of tenderness and hope balance the gore, and the ending seems to indicate that all, at long last, might be well.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2010 Booklist
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