Abandon Us

NO SPOILERS, don’t worry! Good book. Well written. I have a few notes but I’d recommend others to read it. Solid 4 stars in my opinion.

- I love the futuristic feel and I like how the author relates back to “old times” so we know the changes that have taken place.
- Use of description is used well. However, I feel characters need a little more description and/or backstory to them.
- I didn’t know zilv was male right away, throw some pronouns in there and make it obvious! Love a MM couple and I want to see it off the bat!
- Great twists and turns. Won’t add any spoilers but I feel the author writes really well and can hold the suspense and drama when needed.

So if you want something futuristic, queer and fun, read this!

A BLOODY CIVIL WAR
A RAPIDLY COLLAPSING ECONOMY
A GLOBAL DEADLY PLAGUE

Abandon Us is the prequel to Forgive Us (which now I definitely need to read)

Abandon Us by E.T. Gunnarsson is a wonderful post-apocalyptic story.
The world building was absolutely incredible
This book is riveting, interesting and kept my attention throughout the entire read.
I felt the characters were developed very well and kept thins very much enjoyable.
I've always been intrigued by Global Plagues and apocalyptic stories.
And I must say E.T. Gunnarsson made this one so fun.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Bragi Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This book has 3 parts, the first one, reminded me very much of the book “sheep's look up” because the world is trashed, there’s pollution all over the place, people need to use gas masks to be able to breath outside and in some places inside as well… but a plague comes and makes things much harder and some very “zombies”, and then the war and we jump some years in the future, always becoming much dire and grim, we also learn more about this kind of zombies, the lurkers…, the third part takes place almost 20 years after the first one. Of course without spoilers, in this book, we follow Robert, and what life brings to him, he is the kind of character that makes you want to read a little more and know him and his situation better.

I recommend this book for fans of the road, the sheep's look up, and all those dystopian post-apocalyptical books that leave you with a sadness in your heart, because you empathise with the main character.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Some time ago, I reviewed a book about a dystopian world that takes place in three stages.  In Forgive Us, we meet three different individuals struggling to survive in different eras of an Earth that has been destroyed through pollution and war.  We eventually discover that the stories of these individuals overlap and effect each other in varying ways.  I, for one, wanted to know more regarding how Earth and its denizens arrived at such a state.  My hope came through with a prequel to Forgive Us, entitled Abandon Us.

               This time around, the story revolves about one person – Robert Ashton.  When we first meet Robert, he is a street thug, stealing from others to support his habit in a world that is already strangling on waste and pollution.  After a robbery gone wrong that lands his best friend, William, in prison, Robert turns his life around, going to tech school and meeting and marrying his partner Zilv.  Together, they have made a decent living for themselves, even as the world around them begins to seriously crumble.  Death, destruction, pollution and poverty are coming together to cause a civil war.  When Robert loses his job, he knows that he and Zilv have no choice by to go underground with recently released William. 

               Things are dangerous underground, but Robert and William’s smuggling operation has kept the trio fed and clothed.  But then the Third World War begins, bringing the battle to the underworld and forcing Robert, Zilv and William to survive in the wastelands of the surface.  Unable to discern which side is safer and fighting disease, mutated monsters and a serious lack of supplies or shelter, Robert wonders how he and his loved ones will survive.  Sometimes it seems as if he is close to abandoning all hope.

               I was so absorbed in E.T. Gunnarsson’s incredibly descriptive and captivating story that I read Abandon Us in only a few days’ time, pausing only for the essentials – eat, work, sleep.  That being said, it has taken me a while to write this review.  That’s because I wasn’t sure I could do the book the justice it deserves.  E.T. Gunnarsson cleverly weaves events of today in his apocalyptic tale – COVID 19, the war in Ukraine, the distrust between the United States, Russia and China, global warming, pollution and more – making the story incredibly realistic and relatable.  There were times when I had to put the book down for a couple of minutes and catch my breath.  That’s how disturbing I found some of its contents. 

               In the end, Abandon Us is a story of survival and what that survival means for different people.  It not only shows how morals and ethics can be compromised in the attempt to survive, but how humans react to apocalyptic situations – the psychology behind survivor's guilt, the greed, the loss of humanity.  Abandon Us leads the reader perfectly into the events of Forgive Us, explaining how the war for survival and territory began after picking up the pieces in the wake of the third World War. 

               E.T. Gunnarsson is an amazing storyteller who writes a relatable and realistic tale with characters you become invested in, situations you can see yourself in and a descriptiveness that places you right in the middle of the action.  I understand that these two books are part of a trilogy.  I can’t wait to read the final chapter!  I am more than certain it will be worth the wait!