I was really looking forward to this as the world is genius and I adored the short stories, but the full novel didn't quite click for me. Perhaps because it's a mix of mystery and fantasy thriller, and we had a lot of setting up of the mystery element, with clues and red herrings, which I thought slowed the first half down.

I really enjoyed this one and I can’t wait to read more from this author. This was my first read from Pixie and it was okay.

I love when I pick up a book and can get sucked in from the very first chapter. This is when I realize that I will finish it quickly because all I want to do is keep reading until the end. This is what this book had done for me and I loved it!

There was a lot of action and it started immediately so it was easy to get sucked in. There were zombies but the whole book is more character driven so the zombies are kind of secondary. Don't get me wrong, you do get your fair share of zombie slaying but the plot of the book is different and not just about the walking dead.

I enjoyed all of the characters. I felt that they meshed very well together. Alyx, Will and Tommy started off as young kids but have to grow up really quickly by the end of the book. The author had written them so well that you can see the subtle changes throughout. I really felt like I got to know our female heroine and enjoyed seeing the whole story through her eyes.

I cannot wait to see where this story is going to go and I would love to get a history of Winter in the next book. There is also a little love triangle going on (which I adore BTW) and I cannot wait to see how that pans out. I think that I know which way Alyx's heart is leading her but I feel that she has a strong bond to her other love interest which may hold her back from showing her true feelings.

That ending shattered my heart! It was a bit of a tear jerker and I was left sobbing! The writer did a great job at pulling my heart strings. Of course it is going to be a series...so now the wait for the second book!

I was provided an ARC of this title by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

Where to begin? This is a quick read set in a post-apocalyptic world where the Infected are taking over. Much like The Walking Dead, Kill or Cure focuses on the people who are trying to survive the apocalypse, rather than focus on the zombies themselves. I very much enjoyed the family dynamic in this book. The story jumps right in to the action, but I would have liked more world building. It was over 50% in to the book that I even knew what the main character looked like because there was not enough description in the beginning.

I am not a fan of “insta-love,” but the romance is not a focal point in the story. However, I can sense that the love triangle will play a big role in the next book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book enough that I kept going. The writing is very simple, which is not a bad thing. It was a quick read and despite some flaws, I am still interested to know what happens to these characters next.

3.5 stars

This book had amazing potential.
It had so many things going for it: an intriguing premise, thrilling action scenes, an emotional and bleak atmosphere, loveable secondary characters, gore, and even a hint of romance between two best friends. I didn't even mind the heroine's sulking or the repetitive writing that much - I was totally engrossed in what was happening.
It would have easily been a 4 star read for me, maybe more, hadn't it been for that completely unnecessary love triangle, particularly its sloppy and cringy execution. There was no relationship development at all between Alyx and Colt. They went from mildly annoyed by one another to love-struck saps within about ten hours. How the heck did that happen

Still, the plot was great, as were the quick pace and the majority of the writing. I even found myself shedding a few tears a time or two.
Which is why I'll definitely be reading the sequel.

Joining in the plethora of zombie/apocalyptic novels that we are currently awash in, the debut by author Pixie Britton is a cut above many of the above mentioned. The zombies are definitely there, but the focus is more on what a strong-minded, determined sister will do for a brother, and the family dynamics are well expressed.

This it isn't your stereotypical run of the mill, zombie apocalypse novel, Pixie Britton takes the zombie genre and gives it her own thrilling unique twist. The story focuses on the relationships between Alyx and her family and starts long after the “infection” has spread. The main group of characters have already survived in the apocalypse for years on a peaceful settlement, safe from the dangers from the outside world only to realise that they were never truly safe. The book isn’t only about survival but also how to keep yourself and your family together in the disastrous consequences of the apocalypse.

This novel takes an already done genre and carves its own unique mark through the zombie apocalypse genre. It’s captivating without being cliché and stays unpredictable. While zombies are definitely an issue in this, the family aspect is the real focus which I think is a refreshing take on the genre. The book pulls you into a new world and once you are there it’s hard to leave. The plot is paced wonderfully as I felt a sense of urgency and importance without losing any details or characterisation. There is a good amount of action and drama, but also time to get to know the characters and their personalities.

Pixie Britton has done a brilliant job with her debut novel! Dystopian world, zombies and family all come together to create an out of this world story. I could feel the family love through the pages. Highly recommended.

This book was so fun to read! A great debut for Pixie Britton! While zombies are definitely a thing in this, the family aspect is much more the real focus. I love the way the author writes, especially the way she describes the characters, their emotions, and the world around them. I found this to be an easy to follow book. Everything had a nice flow to it, so nothing felt too rushed or too slow unless it was necessary. I found myself actually caring about the characters and what was going on. I didn't feel bored at all when reading this. Books like this is usually a tough sell as I'm very picky with anything otherworldly, but the way the author constructed her book into focusing more on relationships actually made me enjoy this much more than I thought I would. I would definitely recommend getting this. I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for free in exchange for my completely honest opinion.

The story focuses on the relationships between Alyx and her "family" and their attempt to keep her brother Tommy safe after he seems he may have succumbed to the virus. The plot is paced well enough that I felt a sense of urgency and importance, and also made everything else really. The was a good amount of action scene, but also time to get to know the characters and their personalities. The idea was interesting and there are a few plot twists that were done really well, however towards the end it felt like it was a little bit too lucky and convenient the way in which events unfolded so that Alyx could achieve her objectives. I bet she was surprised herself. There were some pacing issues in my opinion once they get into the new camp when the romance seemed to have taken the attention from the main plot. I am hoping that there will be more bloodshed in the sequel.

THE CHARACTERS….

Alyx is a 17 years old girl who in the beginning is trying her best to save her brother who was ill, so she and Will go to collect this supposedly healing plant outside the compound. I really liked her for her selflessness and her ability to keep her shit together when things turned sour and for most of the part did what she was told even when she wanted to rebel. The ability to keep one's mouth shut is actually, in my book, an incredibly good asset. Throughout the plot, she is trying to keep her family safe and together so when they end up in a worse place from where they left, she has to collect her courage and do her best to save her family. However, after she meets Colt, she seems to go into silly mode around him; I wanted to shake her a few times and point her towards Will since she was so blind towards him. Like you could see that attraction from a mile away, but she wasn't having it. Sigh.

I liked Will, he was there for her at all times, he even left his own mother behind to go with them (not that said mother was much of a mother, but still his mother, capisce?). I could see that he had strong feelings for her and he was willing to walk with her to the end of the world to keep her happy and safe, but that did not make him a loser. He was also dead funny and wicked, and I liked him a lot. On the other hand, Colt, besides the fact that he was strong and handsome I do not know more about him and because he kinda forced himself into the story, I did not really like him. Yes, he proves himself to her, but I was just not with him (maybe because I really don't like love triangles). Team Will!

The villain aka The General wasn't that terrifying to me and did not care much about him. I would've liked his character to be explored a little bit more. We only meet him on a handful of occasions so his motivations for being an assholes felt a little bit meh. I am hoping that in the next instalment we will find out more about what makes him really tick. 

THE WRITING…

The writing was in tune with the tone of the book, it was easy to read because the story flowed nicely. There were a few cliches here and there (Eg.: hot girl is hot but doesn't know she's hot until she wears tight clothes to show curves she didn't know she had...), but overall it was a good reading experience. 

THE ENJOYMENT…

I really enjoyed this book. I think I read it 2-3 days and I do recommend it especially if you want something dystopian to read quickly, but also with some romance.

A great start for a debut author! I've read a lot of zombie fiction, and this definitely fits in well - though in truth the zombies themselves don't earn a lot of focus. Instead, it's the family our protagonist builds for herself that's front and center - providing a real sense of heart for the story.

There were a couple of issues that could have used an editors attention - particularly in the first half, there's an overly enthusiastic use of exclamation marks in particular - but overall this was well worth the read.