Official Review: Evasion by Érica L Hernández

[Marsnikk]

The beginning of your review reminded me of “Birdbox”. It’s unfortunate that the book couldn’t live up to this genre! Thank you for being honest!

[Ellylion]

I do hope the author takes your suggestions into consideration and polishes a promising story-line I guess this one was really hard to follow considering all the issues. Thank you for a great review!

[LauraLeeWasHere]

I think I am much like you in that I wanted to be able to enjoy this book, but because of your review, I will give it a skip until the writer and editor have gone over it again.

I appreciate all the effort and thought you put into analyzing this story and it was quickly obvious that it was with a begrudging attitude you felt compelled to remove stars from it's a rating. Yet you still continued in a positive way by pointing out it's several redeeming qualities. I'm with you in hoping this book will be ready in the not-too-distant future for another review and you will be the one doing it.

Thank you for sharing with us a review that must have been somewhat uncomfortable for you.

Sincerely, Laura-Lee

[Laura Lee]

Thanks for your review! You're right: the premise of the book sounds very interesting. Too bad it didn't live up to its potential. Just out of curiosity, were the sections that covered gathering food and wound care actually helpful and informative? Could you tell if the author had done any research into actual practical survival skills?

[nicole-adrianne]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Evasion" by Érica L Hernández.]

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1 out of 4 stars

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The flu has finally developed to the point where it is defeating the majority of the world’s population. Slowly, people are succumbing to their sicknesses as hospitals overflow and medication ceases to function. In Evasion, two friends must try to beat the odds and save their families from the adverse effects of the virus. Sam and Eliana gradually find friends, gain allies, and start to build a sustainable life where their children will be safe from the unfamiliar world they are now immersed in.

Through frequent supply runs, and with new and unusual threats, the people we meet in this book by Erica L. Hernandez are constantly in danger. I am a big fan of ‘end of the world’ stories, so when I read this premise, I was obviously excited. My excitement was unfortunately short-lived. For all of the build-up and potential, nothing really happened in this book.

There are a few main things that do occur. Firstly, there is a colossal amount of storyline dedicated to discussing food. What to eat, how to cater, how to can, foraging options, and storage space are all discussed in unnecessary detail. Next, the occupants of the main group go out on scavenging runs. They gather into smaller groups, climb into cars, and drive to various places looking for supplies. The final portion of events is dedicated to fixing wounds and tending to the sick. There really isn’t much else that happens, and this cements the story’s banality.

Hernandez is also someone that tells rather than shows. The majority of the story is dialogue, and not much is said about the setting that they find themselves in. This made me struggle to truly picture what was going on.

There were a few instances in the book which made it somewhat unrealistic. The ease with which everyone took to carrying weapons and guns was questionable. It might just be me, but I don’t like the idea of carrying a knife in case I might have to actually use it. That is a terrifying thought. Also, the fact that everyone in both Sam and Eliana’s family (bar one) didn’t get infected with the virus when 90% of the world’s population did. It just makes it slightly far-fetched.

The editing was okay. There were quite a few errors that could easily be picked up with a good proofread. With all of this considered, I can’t come to a higher rating than 1 out of 4 stars. The story needs tightening and there is a lot of noise that can be reduced. With a clearer direction in where the storyline should be headed, I believe the author can make Evasion quite enjoyable. As it is, this is a reasonable first draft. I would love to recommend this to fellow dystopia fans, so I hope the author dives back in to make some changes. I think it will be well worth it!

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Evasion
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I would love to read a book with this premise if it were executed properly! Sounds like the author could benefit from learning to outline plots. Wonderful review!

[Bianka Walter]

The beginning of your review reminded me of “Birdbox”. It’s unfortunate that the book couldn’t live up to this genre! Thank you for being honest!

Thank you for stopping by!

[Bianka Walter]

I do hope the author takes your suggestions into consideration and polishes a promising story-line I guess this one was really hard to follow considering all the issues. Thank you for a great review!

I hope she does, too! This really does have some potential - so would be great

[Bianka Walter]

I think I am much like you in that I wanted to be able to enjoy this book, but because of your review, I will give it a skip until the writer and editor have gone over it again.

I appreciate all the effort and thought you put into analyzing this story and it was quickly obvious that it was with a begrudging attitude you felt compelled to remove stars from it's a rating. Yet you still continued in a positive way by pointing out it's several redeeming qualities. I'm with you in hoping this book will be ready in the not-too-distant future for another review and you will be the one doing it.

Thank you for sharing with us a review that must have been somewhat uncomfortable for you.

Sincerely, Laura-Lee

Thank you, Laura-Lee for such a wonderful comment! I really appreciate it

[Bianka Walter]

Thanks for your review! You're right: the premise of the book sounds very interesting. Too bad it didn't live up to its potential. Just out of curiosity, were the sections that covered gathering food and wound care actually helpful and informative? Could you tell if the author had done any research into actual practical survival skills?

The author has some experience in food prep and techniques for keeping food for a while, but nothing was really portrayed well enough to take notes for survival. It was just mentioned, for example, that they were canning the food. No mention of the methods. So no survivalist tips here

[Bianka Walter]

I would love to read a book with this premise if it were executed properly! Sounds like the author could benefit from learning to outline plots. Wonderful review!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate your comments