Rebirth (Aftertime, #2)
Sophie Littlefield
The end of the world was just the beginning Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy. Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence. Flesh—eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass's lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns. The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity's rebirth—at all costs. Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.
Publication Year: 2011
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(6/10/11) AFTERTIME claimed the distinction of being one of the few dystopian novels that I not just enjoyed but loved. Rather than coasting on that legacy, REBIRTH climbs even higher in my esteem by delving deeper into the relationships and emotional baggage of already enthralling characters. So much of Cass's strength and discipline in AFTERTIME is wrapped up in finding Ruthie, making it fascinating to see her on the other side of that mountain. If AFTERTIME is devoted to Cass's ferocity as a mother, REBIRTH is the story of her triumphs, and wounds, as a woman. Sexual politics is always the elephant in the room in any post-apocalyptic novel, and REBIRTH attacks the subject head on in a visceral and heartbreaking way, revealing more of Cass's painful past as she struggles with her present. REBIRTH will reach right into your heart, as beautiful and painful as sunlight to the eyes. I can't stop thinking about it, weeks after I've read it, and I know I'll return to Cass and this world time and time again.
(9/28/15): Oh God, still my favorite of the series. The acrid, jagged edges of Cass's rage are so relatable, the way she smashes into Dor... unforgettable.
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