REVIEW: RED HILL by JAMIE MCGUIRE

Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: 10/1/13
Format: ARC
Pages: 368
Source: Received from publicist for review
Rating: 5 stars

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

I am not a fan of zombies. At all. The only zombie stories or movies I've enjoyed were the more humorous ones. Believe me, I've tried. But after two seasons of nearly losing my lunch every single time I watched The Walking Dead, I gave up. It's a plan that's good for your waistline, but not very enjoyable for me. 

I do, however, love survival stories. Some of my very favorites movies and books have centered around survival. On the Island, LOST, Castaway, and several others hold a strong place on my favorites list. Red Hill is a survival story. A story of the will to survive, maintain faith.  Of facing the days at a large part of society's end, and putting forth one foot after another in the face of catastrophic odds. 

Red Hill is told in three points-of-view: Scarlet, a single mom separated from her daughters; Nathan, who's love for his daughter compels him to fight for their survival; and Miranda, a young and complacent woman. McGuire did a brilliant job with each point-of-view, making each distinct and powerful. Though I felt for all three of the narrators, Scarlet's was the most powerful, in my opinion. Perhaps it's because I could relate to her struggle so well. Her unwavering faith in being reunited with her children was inspiring, and something most mothers will relate to. She wasn't always an easy character to like, but I always empathized with her. There is nothing more powerful than a mother's instinct to protect her children. McGuire's portrayal of Scarlet was raw and uncompromising. Scarlet didn't force others to help her, but if they volunteered, even at their own peril, she accepted that help.

Red Hill read like a movie. This was something my best friend commented on when she read Red Hill. I hoped I would feel the same. My hopes were answered within a few pages, when I looked at my husband and remarked "Holy [bleep]. This book is brilliant." I could visualize every scene, for better or worse, and if I had been sitting in a theater, it wouldn't have been much more impactful than this book. I barely had enough willpower to put the book down. Days later, I can't stop thinking about it. 

I have to say, I admire McGuire for stepping out of what's likely expected of her and delivering the unexpected. But not only did she deliver, McGuire knocked Red Hill clean out of the ballpark. I was admittedly skeptical going in, but she blew me away. The writing was sharp and straightforward. The story was intense, brutal and beautiful. Once you start Red Hill, you will not put it down.   

Favorite Quote

  Looking back, everyone knew then what was going on, but it had been a running joke for so long that no one wanted to believe it was really happening. With all the television shows, comics, books, and movies about the undead, it shouldn't have been a surprise that somebody was finally both smart and crazy enough to try and make it a reality.
  I know that the world ended on a Friday. It was the last day I saw my children.   ~ARC, pg 5
 

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About the author

Jamie McGuire is the New York Times bestselling author of five other novels: Walking Disaster, Beautiful Disaster, Providence, Requiem, and Eden. She and her husband, Jeff, live with their children just outside Enid, Oklahoma, with three dogs, six horses, and a cat named Rooster.

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