White Horse [Paperback]

When I first saw this book, bear in mind it had the US cover at the time, I believed it was a YA post-apocalyptic novel. First things first this is not a YA novel, in no way has this been written to be aimed at a younger audience. One of the things I loved about this book was the writing, how it was harsh and hit straight to the point but also the way it flowed so well. It's one of those books where the writing itself is mature, detailed and full of depth. You can tell just how much time Alex Adams has put into her writing to perfect it to convey the correct emotion. This novel was on top form from start until finish, the whole thing was rather haunting. White Horse deals with many dark topics, it is the end of the world after all. We see people change in these dark times and how even now they still have needs. So many lessons need to be learnt and many people cannot be trusted. It truly is survival of the fittest.

White Horse is written in two different time segments. You have before the end of the world which is Then and Now, which is after the Apocalypse. This allows the reader to see into Zoe's world and how her normal routine went and all the relationships she had. Her life is disrupted when a strange jar is found in her apartment. Seeking help from her friends she does not dare touch it herself. Her mind begins to play tricks on her so she seeks help, the thing is she cannot bring herself to tell him the truth about the jar and her suspicions. After all nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

In the now part of the novel, Zoe is currently pregnant and she wants to find the father of the baby. She sets out to trek around the world in hope to find him alive. After all the plague and war have killed so many, there are very few survivors. Zoe is trying to keep her humanity in check and not fall into the darkness that will switch it off. Not far into her trek she encounters a rather nasty doctor, whose humanity has long been distinguished. She must keep her baby safe and find her way to her partner. Trouble is around every corner and things will not goes as smoothly as she liked.

Zoe is a very interesting heroine. She's very mature and tries to stay calm and collected, but the past will soon catch up with her. Grief and sorrow for her loved ones will hit her, also fierce protection for her child. The most important thing is the reader wants Zoe to survive, we become attached and with her back story we just cheer her on even more. We want a happy ending for her but in the end of the world can it be possible?

Right, the villain is the Swiss. He is a seriously creepy man who wants to experiment on all the plague survivors. He literally cuts them open while they're alive, his humanity is long gone. Instead he thinks he's playing god while saving the future race at the same time. There was just nothing likable about him at all. He was one scary antagonist that sent chills down your spine.

I'm going to talk a little bit about what led to the end of the world in White Horse as there were more than one factors in the destruction. The first one being a plague or disease named White Horse after one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the rider also known as pestilence. This man made disease was distributed to humanity and soon it spread to a world wide plague. This disease will either kill the host or mutate them into some very frightful things. Both will lead to the destruction of the individual. The second thing was scientists trying to control the weather, this lead to shift in the environment of which the final result would be very catastrophic. Then there is war too, it is always devastating and this is no different. Each of these plays a key role in the Apocalypse and brings about the end of the world in White Horse.

White Horse is an incredible debut novel about trying to keep sane in desperate times. It also shows the importance of clinging on to your humanity until the very end. There are many tough truths and life lessons in the novel and each are of high importance. The writing is superb and full of depth. I really did love this book and I hope this review does it justice.

I read this book but can't say that I enjoyed it. The storyline is certainly imaginative but I believe a little too far fetched. It did not flow and the jumps between then and now were imperative to the storyline but sometimes hard work as seemed ill-placed. I would not be able to recommend but would not say to avoid it either. I wont be looking to read anything else by this author in the future.

Told as a series of short alternating episodes from the past and present this is the story of Zoe's struggle for survival in a post apocalyptic world. Not content with a world war, weather gone crazy, loss of technology, deadly disease or zombie type mutation this book messily combines all of them as society breaks down. Details of the different contributing factors are vague (exactly who is fighting who, where and with what?) and acknowledgement of the disease that is sweeping the population seems implausably slow. For me the different episodes were too short to engage me, too loosely linked and implausable for me to really understand what was supposed to be going on, and I gave up before the end. Admittedly it is not the author or publisher who referrred to this as 'the New Hunger Games' - but they seem happy to put that quote on the cover. Similarities with the Hunger Games are minimal and although not spelt out in detail some of the unsavoury incidents that take place suggest to me that this is not one that is aimed at young teenagers. Basic concept probably OK but not a book that I would recommend.