Red Hill Author: Visit Amazon's Jamie McGuire Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1476759529 | Format: EPUB
Red Hill Description
From Booklist
When a very ill young woman shows up in the ER after being bitten by a stranger, nurse Scarlet realizes the news reports she’s been listening to about a mysterious epidemic taking hold in other parts of the world has struck close to home, and it’s no ordinary virus. That’s right, some scientist was finally smart enough to figure out how to make zombies but not smart enough to contain an outbreak. Nathan gets the news as he’s picking his daughter up from elementary school, and he races home to find that his wife has selected a very bad day to run off. College student Miranda thinks the worst thing that can happen is missing out on her weekend plans, but her road trip is about to take a decidedly different turn. These three strangers end up on the run together, looking for a safe place to wait out the end of the world in this fast-paced apocalyptic tale. Contemporary romance novelist McGuire effortlessly switches genres with this novel, giving readers plenty of satisfying backstory and well-constructed characters. She even tosses in a love story. --Rebecca Vnuk
Review
“A fast-paced apocalyptic tale… McGuire effortlessly switches genres with this novel, giving readers plenty of satisfying backstory and well-constructed characters." (
Booklist)
"Spooky, gripping, and relentlessly tense." (
Closer Magazine (UK), 4 out of 5 stars)
"This hauntingly evocative tale had me on the edge of my seat as I gasped, cried, and cheered. Set against a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape,
Red Hill is a true testament to Jamie McGuire’s skill as a storyteller. You’ll love every heart-pounding minute of it." (Tracey Garvis Graves, New York Times bestselling author of On the Island and Covet)
See all Editorial Reviews
- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Atria Books (October 1, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1476759529
- ISBN-13: 978-1476759524
- Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Rating: C+ ... Heat: Sweet
Red Hill is told in three points-of-view.
Scarlet is a mom of two girls and recently divorced. When the outbreak hits, her only goal is to reach her girls, Jenna and Halle. She'll stop at nothing--and let no one--get in her way. Alive or dead.
Nathan is a dad of one girl and, though still married, has been estranged from his wife for years. When he hears about the outbreak on the radio, he rushes to his daughter's school. His only goal is to find someplace safe for him and his daughter, Zoe.
Miranda, the daughter of one Scarlet's co-workers, is traveling to her dad's farmhouse for a weekend getaway with her boyfriend, Bryce, and her sister Ashley and Ashley's boyfriend, Cooper. When they hear about the outbreak, all she wants is to get to her dad. She knows he'll keep them safe.
Three lives become interconnected by the outbreak. Each character has different, separate journeys that eventually interweave in dramatic ways. And all of them have only one goal: survival. No one is safe in this new world... and I do mean no one. Each character goes through hell. People are tested, bonds are made or broken, and many, many lives are lost.
The first 60% felt slow at times, following them as they tried to get to safety. It was interesting, don't get me wrong, but repetitive. The journey was the main focus--getting from Point A to Point B. The emotional aspect, where I became truly invested in each individual character, didn't hit me until later. Around the time they all reach Red Hill. And, even then, I was expecting more romance to come through. After reading the all-consuming romance that is Travis Maddox and Abby Abernathy (Beautiful Disaster), I expected some element of deep, heart-melting love.
The book blurb summary is adequate enough to give you an idea of what this book is about. There has been an "outbreak," which quickly sweeps over the world spreading pandemonium wherever it goes. Time is of the essence, you only have the resources that are around you, and if you're not quick on your feet and use your head, you'll be dead. To me, the action and the storyline felt very current. Typically these stories feel like, well, stories. Stories told from the future or an alternative world, frequently with some supernatural element to them. RED HILL felt realistic, like it could happen today or tomorrow, particularly with its man-made infection. I was also impressed that Jamie could fit so much in a standalone. Typically, the zombie-type books I've read are a minimum three-book series, some more. For her to fit a complete story into one book, and not make it feel rushed, really impressed me.
Besides the story, the characters were a big draw for me. The use of three different POVs to tell the story really worked for me. This was particularly effective in seeing how everything came together, and Jamie seemed to bring things together brilliantly. There was also a wide range of other characters, diverse personality-wise more than racially, and outside of having a soldier in the mix, most weren't stuck in your typical category boxes.
First we have Scarlet, divorced, single mom with two daughters. Like Scarlet, I work in a hospital, and I could completely imagine what was happening around her, and how alone I would feel being separated from my family, and surrounded by the sickest of the sick. Her deep love for her daughters was obvious, and her dilemma was heart-breaking. I may not have agreed with all the decisions she made, but her passion for her children was unquestionable.
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