This was an unescorted surprise. My favourite thing about this book was how unique the plot was. It was a brilliant twist on the post apocalyptic genre, something that I think is super hard to do now. I hated Amaia but I loved her friend Liam. I just really didn’t like Alaima. I just really really hated her. I know she was scared but she just seemed to constantly put down Liam. Although the plot was well developed, it could be receptive in parts so it was hard to stay invested.

If you want a horror story but with feeling and hope, this is it. I would love it as a movie. It's a story about the greys of life and how to seek the light of light even if it's hard to do.

3.5 rounded up. I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First off, readers should realize that the main characters are 13, so they do act that way. There’s no adults so it’s just kids trying to survive a dystopian world. I did enjoy the story, but it did seem to abruptly end. It was a nice, quick read but I think it is really suited for younger readers, probably those that are 13/14/15 ish. Overall, I did enjoy it but thought that there should have been more to the story!

This really worked as a young adult dystopian novel, it had a great overall feel to it, the world had everything that I was expecting from the description. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their world, it had a great overall concept and hope there is more in this universe.

I appreciate what Candice Jarrett is doing with this novel. It's exciting and thrilling, and kinda weird, to be honest. It's a really curious take on the undead trope and I liked that aspect of it. My biggest issue with the novel was I just thought the pacing was too slow and that the action could have been a bit more exciting. I wonder also if a lot of the plot could've been resolved sooner in the book. There seemed to be quite a bit of retelling and telling in new ways the same thing happening. It's all good, but could've used a bit more editing. I know there are YA readers who will eat this book up and I'm here for that!

The day started off like any other day for Amaia, school and home, fighting with her older brother over the tv but it didn't go the way for long . After watching a weird newscast and seeing Carlo's girlfriend hurt and babbling, things go from bad to worse . After being in the attic for the night Amaia is rescued by her neighbor Liam. Together they try and figure out what is going on. All the parents have just disappeared and come out at night as gross zombie who just want to eat . The only thing that saves them is light when the geists basically blow up and float until sundown. When you feel all alone you find two different groups of kids who are trying to survive but which group do you trust and will the world ever be the same again. What would you do if you knew you would only survive until you turn twenty . Would you save the world or save the one person you love the most your family.
Amaia is a young girl at the age of thirteen, she is thrust into a world where there is no adults and she has to survive anyway she can. At first she comes out as a very naive young girl who has not had a family and a brother who she fought with on a daily business. But as she comes to terms with what happened she really grows and man that girl can fight. She is one stubborn girl who will do anything to find her brother and try and find someplace where her, Liam and baby Sara can feel safe with or without her brother . Liam is the sweet neighbor boy who rescues Amaia, he is such a sweet boy who is nervous and wants to figure out what is going on and wants to stay safe. When push comes to shove though he will stand up for Amaia and keep her safe. We also meet two different groups that want to stay safe. One group is run like a military camp keeping every one working and scavenging for things . The other group was more cordial and fun loving . Each group had its good points and its bad points . These characters are so likable and you want to keep them all safe through out the story.
This is a ya book that really kept me interested, the new take on zombies is very different. There is no way to actually kill them and they will never go away. I had fun reading and really got a Lord of the Flies vibe to it. and throw in a bit of survivor you have a good read . This book is geared for kids from 13 and up but you could read it also. The story moves pretty well and you want to cheer for the kids and also want to keep them safe. Check it out for your tween if you want them to read a fun zombie book without a lot of gore. It would make a great Christmas gift for your young reader.

I loved this book. It was scary, and suspenseful, but over all a good read. I thought this book was another trope trap, but it was well thought out. The themes were clear and played a major driving force in the story.

This books reads like a tv show!

The characters are really compelling, and don’t really do the normal apocalypse stuff that is suspected, but act like someone who knows the genre. It was really interesting to see these two teens start to see each other as friends and eventually as family, because of everything that happened to them.

It’s also interesting to see some other aspects of post apocalyptic settlements that you don’t normally see. This is specifically directed at Unity, and how that whole place works.

The books feels really dynamic, and the flow is great. I might actually buy this.

"A mortal tether is what binds us to this world. It's all the beautiful things in our life that make it worth living."

Mortal Tether reminded me a lot of Michael Grant's Gone series mixed the Ghosts from Marie Lu's Skyhunter.
The story is quickly paced, focusing on Amaia and Liam as they struggle to survive in a world where all adults have been turned into zombie creatures. There was rarely a dull moment, plus a handful of plot twists to keep me guessing until the very end. My only complaint plotwise would be that the ending felt a bit rushed and left on a note of uncertainty, despite this being what I believe to be a standalone novel. I still liked the ending, it just felt awfully convenient how it concluded. Still, I'm satisfied with it.
Surprisingly, the highlight for me in this story was the characters. First of all, I just want to mention how much I loved Amaia and Liam's relationship and how it didn't dissolve automatically into romantic feelings. It's implied that Liam has strong feelings for Amaia, but she still sees him as her best friend. Good platonic relationships are hard to find in literature, but this book did a great job. I also thought the characters were portrayed very realistically. Yes, they could be overdramatic or a bit crazy at times, but I kept reminding myself that all of them were children in an extremely stressful environment. Of course, they're going to react in certain ways.
Mortal Tether is a great new dystopian survival story that fans of Gone and The 100 will really enjoy.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4/5
"I want her to grow up knowing that a person can be both sweet and tough, fragile and strong... and just because a girl's in distress doesn't mean she's a damsel in distress. It's ok to need help."

This book was a little difficult for me to get through. While the synopses intrigued me a bit, the book itself did not live up to my expections.
(1) I didn't really like any of the characters in the book. Amaia was a little bratty, the other characters at the school weren't much better, Liam.....was also not the most mature character. In my opinion, there was very little character development in the story despite the synopsis calling it "coming-of-age." Even though Amaia has her hammer, she barely hit anything throughout the book, and based on her personality, I also don't really understand why she was the leader of her group by the end of the story.
(2) The characters' actions are way too questionable for me, like the feeling you get when characters in a horror movie insist on heading towards the strange noises when they should absolutely be escaping from ghosts. Some of these include the way-too-fast development of Amaia and Liam's relationship as well as their randomly picking up a baby when there are zombies to worry about.
(3) Babies are Chekhov's guns -- and this gun did not go off. Besides Amaia's pining for a family (wanting a husband and children before even being able to legally get a driver's license?), the presence of a baby does nothing for the story besides allowing the constant mention of baby formula and other products.
(4) Finally, I was not a fan of the writing in general. The writing style is too repetitive for my liking. 95% of the sentences use the simple-past (tense and aspect).

I wouldn't usually have chosen to read this sort of book because as much as I love a good post-apocalypse/dystopia, I'm not a fan of zombies or monsters or the paranormal and there's definitely a lot of that going on here. I am so pleased I decided to give it a go. I suspect this was because of the baby that the two main children, Amaia and Liam, find and the relationship that they build with her. Typically in stories, it would be the girl who bonds most easily with a baby but this is not the case. I also found the ages of Amaia and Liam interesting, as they're not quite old enough to try to have a parent/child relationship with the baby. She very much becomes their sister and as with siblings, they find her irritating at times as well as being fiercely protective. I liked seeing the changes in Amaia from being the younger sibling to suddenly being in the older sibling role that previously only belonged to Carlos.

There were a couple of spelling mistakes but this is the only negative one can think of and is certainly not worth knocking a star off for!

Ashes rained down from the heavens, carrying with them an airborne virus capable of twisting all adults on the planet into immortal monsters that hunt children each nightfall. These creatures can never die, but they can kill.

An excellent YA dystopia with great world-building and characters that are easy to root for. My only complaint is that it was too short! I want more!

Mortal Tether is about Amaia and Liam, two teenagers that try to survive an apocalypse where humans turn into zombies at the age of 20. Once they are exposed to too much light they explode to dust, just to form into zombies again when the light goes away.

I loved 95% of the book with my heart. The writing style was easy and accessible. I loved the story overall but the ending felt slightly rushed and in my opinion it could've been a bit longer because of that. It kind of bothered me personally and that's why I only gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. Other than that it was refreshing to see a teenager's POV in an apocalypse.

I recommend this to anyone that wants to dip their toes into apocalypse type of books and to an older teenage and young adult audience.

There's a high chance of me buying this book in physical form.

Mortal Tether follows the impulsive but sweet 13-year-old Amaia on her apocalyptic coming-of-age journey. Jarrett has created a really unique and fresh spin in the zombie and dystopian genres. Themes of found family, gang-like rivalry and perseverance bring this story together solidly. While Amaia is religious, I appreciated that this did not feel preachy in any way While this is YA, I think this could definitely be appropriate for readers teetering between young readers and YA. If you liked Day Break, you will LOVE this book.

I was recently given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of “Mortal Tether” by Candice Jarrett. It’s a young adult dystopian story that is kinda a zombie book, but not really.

It’s about a 14 year old girl alone at the start of a plague that turns anyone over 20 into mindless killing machines. The catch is, they turn to dust in bright light and are repulsed by lower levels of light. Pretty interesting concept and that drew me right in, immediately.

While there are already a few spoilers here, I am going to do my best to not spoil much else. Because, for me, the wonder if what might happen next kept me turning the pages. Our main character, Amaia, sometimes seems overly naive but then other times, incredibly ballsy for a girl her age.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story and the originality in the whole “zombie apocalypse” genre. Jarrett proves that you can take a tired concept and turn it into something new and unusual if you try hard enough.

My only complaint was that the ending was a little odd for me. I am happy that it was wrapped up nicely but it also didn’t entirely leave the future to my imagination. If we were going to get that much more time skips, I would have almost rather the book be longer.

I would also tell other readers that with the MC being 14, it is geared a little more to the younger readers. While many of us adults really like the YA genre, this one is written more for a younger audience, so keep that in mind when picking this one up.

All in all, an exciting read that will keep you turning the page long into the night!

Mortal Tether had me ready to turn each page as I read along. From the very first chapter, I was hooked and wanted to know how the main characters would navigate this new scary world in which they become the hunted at dusk. Character relationships are described so well. Highly recommend this read,

**No Spoilers**
The world building and character development are very well done. This book was a real page turner and kept me glued to the pages from the start.

I was given an ARC for my honest review.

I have received this book as an ARC. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

I am not joking when I say that I couldn't put this book down and I had to read it all straight away. This is just incredible.
In my eyes this book has elements of Lord of the flies (there's even an easter egg!), Stranger things, and the Goonies with a dash of The last of us mixed in. The children (that are protagonists of the story) are not taken seriously by the adults, however at the end of the day they are so much more than the adults gave them credit for.
The vibe also reminds me of the tabletop role play game Tales from the Loop.
I really hope that the story of Amaia, Liam, Sara and everyone else will continue, and I will for sure be there to read about it. Read this, you will not regret it.

Jarrett creates a captivating story that sucks you in from the first page. I found myself reading chapter after chapter desperate to know what happened next.

Mortal Tether is a thrilling yet charming story that sticks to the heart of the YA genre.

I can’t wait to add a physical copy to my collection.

This truly is a gripping piece peppered with literary allusions and vivid figurative language. Her descriptions made you feel like you were watching a movie.

I appreciated that the author did not shy away from complex emotional conversations as the main characters explore their new reality. .

I loved this book and will definitely recommend to my family, friends, and followers.

I really enjoyed this, it was a nice easy read I snuggled up on a wet Sunday and slipped into a world of ash, teens and a fight for survival. I loved the difference of this book it was a unique story. I adored Liam Amaia and baby Sara for being such young kids they were strong brave and loyal. I will be buying this for my younger sister for her Christmas Eve book as I think she would love it too perfect for a young teen / adult who love post apocalyptic with fantastic characters and a good story