Review - The Other Life By Susanne Winnacker

"3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?" - taken from Goodreads.com

First things first - AMAZING cover.  Very simple yet so effective.  I love the innocence of the butterfly, but when you look more closely you can see spidery hands, people running & blood dripping.  The city setting and also the barb wire near the title are all points that are in the story.  Just Awesome!!

Basically the idea of this book is pretty horrifying.  A rabies like infection has taken hold of people and the only way to save yourself is to lock yourself away from all other people.  This is the story of Sherry and her family.  They have lived in their bunker for over 3 years.  The thought of everyone potentially getting some awful disease turning you into a zombie is pretty scary, then add on the fact that you have to live with JUST your family for 3 years solid Eeeeek!!  I love my family to death but I don't know if I could cope with that!!!

But things as you would expect happen that mean Sherry and her Dad have to venture outside.  This is where the story really started for me.  The realisation of the devastation caused by the zombiefying illness.  It also made me think though, if as speculated we were unlucky enough to have a chemical war in our real life, then maybe this wouldn't be so different from what life could be like.  That is truly terrifying.

At the beginning of each chapter there is a page or so of content from Sherry's 'other life'  this is her life before the outbreak.  It was wonderful reading the simplicities & minor worries followed by the actual horrors they are living now. 

I loved that a first love story was incorporated into the book.  It gave me a little hope that in the midst of tragedy and living hell, light can still shine through.  That's the hope we all need to live by.

This is a fantastic story that for me was like a cross between Resident Evil & Lost.  You are constantly kept on your toes with fear and lightness, followed by horror.  There is even brief bits of humour, sometimes quite black.  I'm desperate to find out what will happen to everyone in the next part of the story 'The Life Beyond' 

Rating 4 1/2 Out Of 5

Due For Release 1st February 2012

Published In The UK By Usborne

This Can Be Purchased HERE and From Good Book Retailers