Quirky Cat
Written on Nov 25, 2019
Day Zero is the first novel in a Duology of the same name by Kelly deVos. What do you do, when the end of the world as you know it is looming on the horizon? That’s a question that Jinx Marshall is going to have to answer. Thankfully, being the daughter of a doomsday prepper has left her fairly well prepared for it. Though she never could have prepared for the cause of the downfall.
Day Zero is a novel made up of many elements. It’s an apocalyptic novel (not quite post – not yet, at any rate). It’s a discussion on politics and ethics. It’s a survival novel, with a healthy dose of hacking and tech speak. There’s family drama and romance, and basically everything you can think of in here.
Jinx was never really an ordinary girl. You’d have to live an ordinary life for that. She grew up running practice drills for any and all major events that could happen. Not exactly normal – but it’s going to come in use now. In her downtime, Jinx likes to code and relax online, usually by gaming with her friends. She’s paranoid, quick, and unafraid to follow through on her decisions. Oh, and she earned her nickname thanks to all the bad things that seem to happen around her.
“It’s not a raid without cheese puffs and Extra Jolt strawberry soda.”
Day Zero was a fast-paced novel, packed to the brim with details and explanations that made the entire plot feel real. Perhaps too real, given the circumstances. Jinx’s quest for answers and resolution was fascinating; resulting in a mad dash from one event to the next.
There was a lot to enjoy about Day Zero. For one thing, I love how many different elements were woven into this piece (see above). It’s not every day you get to see a novel like that, so I always make a point of appreciating it when it happens.
Another part I loved about this novel was how it made you think. There are several different moments of political discourse laid out onto the table here. It was food for thought, especially as Kelly deVos played Devil’s Advocate through her characters – which in itself was fascinating.
The pacing was exceptionally done as well. There was a lot to fit into this book (obviously), and yet it never really felt like it was dragging. Sometimes it did seem like Jinx and her family were being thrown all over the map, but in a good way. After all, they were on a run for their lives.
Speaking of Jinx, I really enjoyed her character. I wasn’t sure about her at first, since she seemed to be so closed off from the rest of the world. But the more I got to see of her, the more I became invested in her story (and thus her survival). She’s quick-witted, driven, and stubborn as a mule. But it’s perfect for this story.
The final element I loved about this novel had to be the conclusion. Don’t worry: I’m not about to spoil it on you. But I will say that I feel like this ending perfectly fit the tale being told. Lately, it seems like I’ve come up against so many novels with a rushed ending that didn’t fit the intrigue of the introduction. That is not the day for Day Zero. This was the ending us readers deserved, and I couldn’t be happier about that fact.
I’m looking forward to seeing what the second novel in this duology brings with it. It will be interesting to see how Jinx and her crew resolve this whole mess – because you just know that there’s no way they’re staying out of it.
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