The Aftermath by Jen Alexander

Sometimes, I dream that I’m someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn’t worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don’t exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other’s best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia’s ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.

A native of North Carolina, Jen Alexander spent her childhood with her nose buried in either a book or a video game, and sometimes both at the same time. Following a dream about a character trapped inside a live-action video game, Jen was encouraged by her husband to write The Aftermath, which is her debut novel. In her spare time, she enjoys time with her family, going to the gym, and trying to beat agonizingly tough levels of God of War and Call of Duty.
I wanted to read this book because of the post apocalyptic aspect.  I am not a gamer so I wasn’t drawn in by that – but also not turned away because of it.  All in all this book is unlike any other I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Will I read future books in the series?  Yes, without a doubt.  And there will be future books – this is the first.  If you enjoy Dystopian Thrillers – this is definitely a book to add to your collection.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.