Crimson Ash

by Haley Sulich

[anastasia]

Full Review on my blog!

*a copy was provided by NetGalley*

I'm sooo excited to review this! Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich is such an amazing, unique book! It is a fun but dark read. So prepare for angst and a lot of emotion. The book moves fast. From the first chapter on, there are surprises that you don't see coming mixed with themes of dealing with depression, loss and self blame while learning on how to deal with all of those.
I literally devoured this book in one day. My only regret is that it's over!!

This book grips you from the moment you read that first page. The world building is crazy; it's dark and twisted and dangerous and incredibly imaginative with the technological advances the author has thought up.

It's the year 2065 and a virus called the Devil's Dream has wiped out almost the whole human race. No one particularity knows the source of the virus, because it spread so incredibly fast. Those who are affected by the virus are soldiers. And these soldiers search the Earth for human survivors and give them the Choice to take part in the new society and live or die.

Ember, one of the main characters, is one of these soldiers, while her sister Solanine still roams the Earth freely. Solanine's ultimate goal is save and free her sister from the soldiers, in order to do this Solanine joins Nightshade and her rebels in their war against evil.

The sisters, Ember & Solanine, are both still teens, they have real issues and real struggles that actually fit within the storyline. Their story is filled with death and destruction and their mental health, naturally, shows it. These characters are some of the most complex I've read. They often make difficult choices and the author does a great job of making you understand why they make those choices and what they must learn as a result. They are all on a path to healing in some way and the author creates their arcs in a way that feels real and satisfying by the end of the story.

I wish some of the side characters were expanded more upon and some of the battles were more elaborate. There's advanced technology being used, which is great, but no explanation as to how it is possible that this technology is available less than 50 years from now after the world has succumbed to a very deathly virus. There's also an element of mind control but it's not clear if this is all advanced technology or something else.

But overall, this book is a unique, roller-coaster dystopian. A must read! I highly recommend it!

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