Plague Land: Reborn by Alex Scarrow

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book from Netgalley.com

This is the second book in this series. The virus swept thru the population of the Earth in the first book. The virus was not done. It has come back with a vengeance. The virus is able to create imitations of life. Freya and Leon are living together and trying to survive. They have been staying above a grocery store. It has been two years since the initial outbreak. Supplies are getting low. They set out to find a new place to survive. While traveling, they spot a light and go to see if there are other survivors. They find an abandoned BBC broadcast station, with a looped broadcast about rescue efforts coming to England. They decide to go for it. Along the way they get ambushed by "snarks", they luckily get rescued by a group of soldiers. They are taken back to a castle. They learn more about the virus and how it works. The soldiers go out on a mission to get more supplies, while out they find Grace alone in a warehouse. She is badly scarred and malnourished. Freya and Leon are completely shocked, they believed Grace had been burned to death. Eventually it is found that Grace is infected and working for the virus. She is a complete replica of her old self. She infects the doctor so she is not found out. They work together to get to the rescue mission by new America.

This book was a ride. It was very good. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. I could have easily read it one sitting. The characters grew to much more in the book, especially the virus and Grace. Grace and the virus have merged. Grace believes that the virus is just on Earth helping out. This is very different from the little girl we knew previously. She is still a very social butterfly. Freya seems to be a very strong young woman. She is holding her and Leon together for the first part of this book. She is not letting her sickness keep her down. Leon despite seeing his family die before him is staying strong. He wants to keep going and doesn't give up. I do find him talking to the "ghost" of his dad very believable. It is part of what is keeping him going.

One thing I am always cautious with books is when they time jump. I feel it is very hard to get these just right. Scarrow did an excellent job of it. I loved seeing how the other person was in the past and catching up to the present with them. It was great seeing the growth of this character as well.

I felt very on edge as the group kept getting smaller. I am cheering for Freya and Leon to stay human and make it to safety.  I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.