Cost of Survival Book Tour and Trailer with Bonnie Paulson

 

Cost of Survival (Worth of Souls Book 1)

By Bonnie Paulson

Publisher: Captiva Publishing

Published: July 6, 2015

ASIN: B00W0W5EV6

Amazon Synopsis:

Everything has a price - but is your soul worth your life? 

Anger isn’t an emotion anymore, it’s more of a survival mode I can’t afford to let go. 

My dad predicted World War III would happen in his life, but he died two years before… with my brother… 

…before Mom and I walked in search of refuge from the bombing. 

Strengthened by her faith, Mom never feels alone. But me? I don’t know what to believe or where to turn. Someone once said keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but I disagree. Friends scare me the most. They know me and my mom. Nothing about them is safe. The ones in charge… Control everything… 

Crud, I’ve started crying because I’m scared I won’t survive World War III. But a bigger part of me is scared I will. 

My mom is bleeding in my arms and she’s making me promise to follow her three rules. 

Pray. 

Don’t trust anyone. 

Stay alive. 

How long do I need to break all three? 

***This YA apocalyptic thriller is the first in a three book series. There are adult themes.*** 

CLIFFHANGER ALERT. This is the first book in a continuing series. Think of it like LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring in that the first book sets up the rest of the series. WARNING: This series is filled with emotional twists and panic-inducing action. Proceed with caution. The series is complete.

Book Links

Amazon  *  Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The day the bombs started to fall, Kelly was at school. Her dad had predicted World War III would happen during his lifetime, but he and his son had died two years ago from the plagues.

Racing home to meet her mom Megan, and collect her go-bag so they could find their place of refuge, Kelly finds her calmly drinking a cup of tea. Before they leave, she reminds her for the umpteenth time to remember the rules: 1. Pray 2. Trust no one 3. Stay Alive. But Kelly doesn’t have the faith her mother does.

Once they reach the camp that Megan had invested time and money into in the event of this war, they find things have changed and this is where all the twists and turns in the story begin. Nothing goes as Megan and Kelly expected. Before long it’s just her with her mother’s rules on the run being hunted by the men from the camp.

This was an amazing novel. I loved it! Bonnie Paulson’s writing simply improves with every book she writes.

Paulson knows how to keep the suspense going in her books with just enough clean romance to balance it so we don’t have to bite all our fingernails off. I liked how she brought Kelly and Bodey together and admitted that they had feelings for each other. I also appreciated how John tried to keep the sleeping arrangements as separate as possible given their crazy situation.

I thought that much of the chaos and mayhem that went on in the book was probably fairly realistic. Already in real life we see evidence of it in a smaller scale in the riots and looting when there is a breakdown in government, so in a world-wide event, I’m sure the chaos would be even more widespread.

I thought the characters in Cost of Survival were realistic. There will always be people like Charlie who want all the power and control and are willing to do anything to get it. There will also, thankfully, be people like John, who care about others, and will help those in need.

I liked reading the book from Kelly’s point of view which was written in first person. We get her thoughts on what is going on, how she feels about the faith that sustained her mother and why she doesn’t embrace it like her mother does. Knowing her thoughts helps us to see who she is and how she changes and grows throughout the book.

Cost of Survival was definitely worth taking the time to read. Dystopian and post-apocalyptic readers alike will enjoy it. I highly recommend this romantic suspense novel. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.

Author Links
Website  *  Twitter