Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan and Claire C. Riley

A true friendship never dies.

Leisel and Evelyn lost everything. Husbands. Families. Friends. Lives that made sense. All they had left was each other, and a friendship that could withstand anything…

Even an apocalypse.

Until one fateful night, the marginal safety they’d come to rely on comes to a vicious and brutal end. With the help of Alex & Jami, both unlikely allies, Leisel and Evelyn are able to escape their shattered sanctuary only to find themselves face-to-face with a much altered, much crueler life where they have to find the way—and the will—to stay alive in a world they no longer recognize.

Traveling across a broken and infection-ridden country; the road-weary group are pitted against endless violence, improbable circumstances, and the ultimate loss.

Everything comes at a price—especially safety, the cost of which could very well strip them of the one thing they’ve tried so hard to cling to: their humanity.

Yet along with all the trials they’re forced to endure, there’s also hope in the form of love. Having loved Leisel from afar, Alex attempts to put the pieces of her fractured heart back together.

But in such a savage world, is there room for love?

In a place of nightmares-made-reality, where the living should be feared far more than the dead, an unbreakable friendship and a love amongst all odds can mean the difference between life and death.

There are friends…

And then there are Leisel and Evelyn.



Thicker Than Blood by Madeline Sheehan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars!


 

Thicker Than Blood is not a feel good story. There is no fluff and it’s not easy to read. It’s a brutal, raw, and heart-wrenching story that made my heart race and captivated me from the start. It's a story of survival, of friendship, and of sacrifice. It was one of those books that kept me awake all hours of the night finishing. It was hard to stomach at times, but I loved it.

Leisel and Evelyn were best friends before the infected took over and the world as they knew it changed. Their husbands were best friends, they had happy marriages, good jobs. They had it all. Now they have each other. Their friendship is the only thing that keeps them going some days. No matter what happens in this crazy new world, they’ll have each other.

 


Lei and Eve are in a place that’s not good for them- a community of sorts that is slowly killing Lei. After something big happens, they find themselves needing to escape. They have two people that help them, Alex and Jami. They thought the place they were was bad (and it was) but things outside that community are just as bad. Some even worse.

You see, in this world where the infected are roaming around, killing anyone in their path, it’s the people you have to worry about. The people are sick. They’re desperate, greedy, violent, uncaring and aggressive. They’re much worse than the infected could ever be. It’s a truly messed up world. Lei and Eve have each other, but they also have Alex helping them. Alex is a character I adored. He’s haunted by some of his past choices. He would do anything to protect Lei and he is essential to their survival.

 


Both Eve and Lei are vital to the story and necessary to each others survival. Evelyn is the tough protector and Leisel is the kind hearted more fragile woman. Leisel seemed like the weakest person. But she’s not. She’s someone who is able to do what needs to be done, someone who is able to still keep humanity and hope in all this mess. As much as I loved Evelyn and even Alex, I think Leisel was my favorite of the book.

Thicker Than Blood is more than an apocalyptic tale, it’s a story about protecting those you love to the death. Surviving. Doing things you'd never imagine just to get by. Trying to live in this world without losing your humanity. Above all its a story of two best friends closer than sisters who would do anything for each other. They have a bond unlike any other. They would sacrifice, fight, kill and maybe even die for one another.

 


There were many gut wrenching scenes in this story. So many parts that were difficult to stomach. I swear I feel like I cried nonstop the last 20% or so. I didn’t expect for a book like this to get to me so much. I didn’t expect for it to move me like this.

The writing was incredible and there was such a great flow. Honestly, I couldn’t tell if one specific author wrote Eve and the other Lei, or how that worked. There was just such a blending of their voices. And I loved how the book was written in dual pov from both women.

This book is one that will stick with me. The ending was satisfying. It’s not your traditional HEA, but for this story, I think it really worked. This is a stand alone, but there is a sneak peak at the end of a new story from characters we met along the way, and I can’t wait to read it! This is one I highly recommend!

*ARC provided to Book Babes Unite in exchange for an honest review*

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Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23573808-thicker-than-blood?from_search=true

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Paperback: Thicker Than Blood

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Nook:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thicker-than-blood-madeline-sheehan/1120893307?ean=2940046453607