Blackout

Blackout by Mira Grant

When I read the first book of the Newsflesh Trilogy, Feed, I loved George. When I read Deadline, I loved Becks. If you read my review for Feed, you know how I feel about what happened to George. In a different way, I felt horrible about what happened to Becks in Deadline. I could see it coming, but it didn’t make it any better. I wanted her to have a better go of things in the finale. Deep down, though, I knew no one would have a better anything.

No one ever having a better anything is one of the things I love most about Mira Grant’s trilogy. The crew of After the End Times has no illusions about their futures. They know their lives are destined to end at the wrong end of some government conspiracy, yet they never let fear stop them.

If you’ve read the first two books of this series, then you know that cloned George returns. It was great to read Grant write in Georgia’s voice again. In both Deadline and Blackout, I felt it took her a few chapters to really get into the groove of Shaun’s voice. No problem with George. She was back—as a replica, true—and I loved her all over again.

The author’s biggest success in Blackout was the reintroduction of George to the group. There were so many ways for that to go, and 97% of them were awful. Grant did such a great job with it, though, that it felt like one of the most realistic scenes in a trilogy that I’ve repeatedly praised for its realism. The success of the entire novel—and the series as a whole—is largely dependent upon that reunion. It couldn’t have been written better.

SPOILER ALERT







I was a little disappointed, though. I never imagined this series would end in anything other than George, Shaun, and Becks going out in a blaze of glory. I never considered Mira Grant would end it any other way. The fact that she did just seems wrong to me.

B+