Iron Mike: One boy and his dog at the end of the world.

Iron Mike is a great character , loved the way the author have lots of perspectives but the best was Hershey , hopefully Mike gets his wish at the end.

I was given a copy of this in exchange for an honest and constructive review. I was totally unprepared for what I read.I don’t often get book hangovers, but right now I’m suffering from the worst one ever. For those of you who don’t know what a book hangover is, it’s when you’ve just finished a book that drew you in so much that the outside world just disappeared.Iron Mike is such a book. I lost control of my will after the first few pages. I couldn’t stop reading, as this end of the world epic grabbed me by the heart strings, and dragged me through a tale that had me laughing one minute, and crying the next. And there were plenty of both, believe me.The main character is a young man called Mike, who survives the initial alien attack along with his kid sister, Jenny. How Mike becomes ‘Iron’ Mike is a story in itself, and brilliantly executed. It’s up to him to get his sister to safety, but along the way he picks up a few stragglers, desperate survivors who you will grow to care for deeply.Patricia’s character development is wonderful, and she carries out ‘show, not tell’ effortlessly. I can’t believe this is her first book.The story is fast paced and exquisitely imaginative. You will live this book through the eyes of some of the most loveable side characters I’ve ever met, and yes, it felt like I knew them all, so much so I broke down in tears quite a few times.Along the way there are strokes of genius where Earth history is subtly brought into play, and some of the humour had me laughing out loud. I did actually snort coffee down my nose at one point.The enemy is brilliant portrayed. The main monsters are quite horrific, but the alien master race will surprise you. I won’t spoil it for you.A love story comes in about halfway through though it’s obvious it would happen from the start. It’s a wonderful relationship, a light part among the dark of the post apocalyptic world.Oh, then there’s Hershey, the most loveable and funny character I have ever met. Again, I won’t spoil it for you, but be prepared to smile a lot as you read his parts. I defy you not to.Now for my rating, and you’ll probably know I’m giving it a five. If I could give it more I wouldn’t hesitate. This has been an absolute joy to read, and I feel privileged to have been asked to read it in exchange for this completely honest and heartfelt review.One of the best books I have EVER read!

This book has been getting some high praise across social media, and although not a genre I would normally read, I decided to give it a try. I don't normally read post apocalyptic fiction as so much of it seems tired and stereotyped. Not Iron Mike! This story has been created with one hell of an imagination.You're drawn into the story immediately when Earth is attacked with devastating consequences. The impact is felt worldwide, but the story focuses on Mike, Kari and a small group of survivors. Mike has to grow up fast, look out for his younger sister, Jenn, and get a group of young children to a place of safety (and that's just the beginning.)The pace of the story is maintained through the use of the POV of the main characters. Each takes turns to have their say. I found this way of presenting the story easy to follow and thought it helped character development. My favourite POV was Hershey the dog. He helps provide some lighter moments, and it made me smile that the author seems to know the inner workings of a dogs brain so well!This book made me feel so many emotions. Laughter (because of Hershey,) anger (at how badly people can treat each other in times of crisis,) and sadness. It really takes a lot to make me upset as I read. Some of the things Mike experiences and has to do, no one should, especially someone so young. The way his thoughts and feelings were portrayed was excellently done.I'll be recommending this book to everyone, and after such an intriguing ending, I hope there's going to be a sequel.

It’s not very often that a book impresses me enough for me to give it five stars, but this novel achieved that feat.Iron Mike is an awesome story that starts with a widespread technological attack that takes out over 99% of the population. Left to look after his little sister, natural survivor Mike Sanderlin takes the reigns of chaos and struggles, with great difficultly, to tame the wild new world that threatens what little he has left. Teaming up with a host of other survivors, he learns that everything has changed, including himself.Every character in this book is detailed and original. There are moments of bone-cracking action, sizzling emotion, and cinematic tension. It’s a typical end-of-the-world story but it’s been executed with a writing style so fresh and an imagination so sharp that it rises far above more mediocre stories in its genre.I often end my book reviews with a critical point, suggesting something that I think could have been improved. Not this time. Quite simply, this is the best sci-fi novel I’ve read in a while. I was blown away. If a sequel appears – and I’m sure it will – I’ll be one of the first to buy it.

I'm tempted to simply say brilliant - but I guess I should say something more.The genre is YA/ Sci-fi/ Dystopian but I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story. My fav genre is crime/thriller and I loved this book.Highly imaginative, well constructed, thought provoking and inteligent I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I was initially intrigued by the opening chapters and I loved the way the story was concluded. If I was to be very picky I'd say there was a slight lull in the pace at about the third way point but overall this is a fast paced page turner.The characters were well drawn and believable and the unusual way the author handled the aliens was quite inspired and an additional way this book stands head & shoulders above other books of this genre. Great as the human characters were Hershey the dog was a real scene stealer.A great read, thoroughly deserving of the attention it is receiving.