ARV-3

Actual rating 2.5 stars.

‘ARV-3’ has a great concept for a YA dystopia, with tones of ‘The 100’ and ‘Wayward Pines’ we find a teen female protagonist face a plethora of challenges in a desolate world after emerging from an underground hive to survive an irradiated planet.

I love the concept, the story line, but I feel like the characterization and writing style let this novel down a great deal. It felt immature. Plus there were so many contextual errors cropping up regularly that, even though it’s all a fantasy world, not a lot felt plausible. The spirit of ‘ARV-3’ is there, and you can see the potential, and I feel a great content and developmental editor would have helped this novel shine.

My main reason for picking up this novel was because of Benjaminoftimes singing its praises on his YouTube channel... and I’m finding on average about half of his recommendations fall short for me. I’m beginning to question his palette, or wonder if he’s not partaking of some psychedelic mushrooms at times because there are some novels he’s awarded 5 stars to which are in blatantly obvious need of editorial assistance.

Again ‘ARV-3’ has all the mechanics to make a great read, but the protagonist Abi (Abigail) came off as cocky and immature. Insert YA tropes a dozen too... instalove, bad-ass-gun-toting-chick, ninja warrior, always right, has special talents that mean only she can save the world, uninvolved parents, everyone is incredibly good looking and muscular, no diversity, and well kinda sexist. It was like an 80’s teen film mentality in a dystopian world. It felt disjointed.

With all the issues I had with ‘ARV-3’ I did not hate it. It still managed to draw me into an imaginary world, the action scenes had me sitting up straight and nibbling on my lip. And I still want to know where the story goes in the rest of the series. I like escapist fiction. And ‘ARV-3’ is a quick and easy read. I feel if the narrative was clunky and slow reading, or if it was another 50 pages longer I would have skimmed it and abandoned the series completely. But it shows promise – and I’m hoping that Cameo Renae’s writing improves with each instalment. So we’ll see if she is able to redeem my opinion.

There isn’t anything new in this novel – I feel like I’ve read or seen it all before. I didn’t get any unexpected surprises in the plot either. It does end on a cliff hanger, and while it ends on a note of a natural conclusion, many of the plot points are not resolved. It’s not a novel I’d recommend freely, but maybe the younger end of the teen market would enjoy it. But there are many more intelligent books in this genre out there which would be far more entertaining.

I’ll see if my opinion is altered in the sequel ‘Sanctum.’ Stay tuned for a review coming soon :)

Abi has been through hell, as a young child she is taken to a shelter due to a major disaster. Growing up around friends in the hive, an underground bunker. Once they get word it is safe to emerge they realize the humans that were left were greatly affected by the disaster. This is a quick read that pulls you in from the beginning and does not let you out. The only bad thing about the book is the cliffhanger ending! I can't wait for book 2.

I really wanted to get into this book, but I'm having trouble. I'm a few chapters in and I'm finding it hard to continue. I was really excited to read this because I love the post-apocalyptic genre, however it seems like every other "zombie" novel and way too much like I am Legend. The writing seems very amateur also, like it was written by a child. She also says "topside" Like every other word, and frankly it's very annoying.

When a storyline is so vivid you end up living it out in your dreams as you sleep, you know that you’ve found one hell of a writer and book/series. I knew from the moment that I read the synopsis that I was going to love The After Light Saga, I just wasn’t prepared for how much I would love it. AVR-3 is so well thought out that the lines of your reality and imagination become blurred! This is most definitely a must read and I can’t wait to read Sanctum next. I very very highly recommend purchasing and reading ARV-3 ASAP!!!! Job well done, Cameo Renae!!!!

Meh. I was interested in the backstory about how the apocalypse happened and how the survivors built shelters, but once the dialogue started... I don't want to be mean, but this is not written well and conversations/decisions are not very believable. The dialogue is borderline painful to the point where I put the book down (and I read fan fiction, so I can stomach a lot). I just don't believe or care about the characters. Interesting premise but the writing...

I made it to the group getting to the city and then jumped forward to the telepath and the Arvy in another shelter, then to the last chapter. Meh again, didn't make me want to go back and see how they got there.

It's like reading a second draft of Age of Extinction or Wayward fan fiction (and not good fan fiction).

I will not finish this book or series and I usually have to finish because I want to know what happens. But I don't. Sorry, I just don't care. At all.

Cannot recommend. Skip this.

Filled with action from beginning to end, I love a strong female lead! I would rate it PG-13 for heavy violence with a mild romantic theme.
This quick read left we wanting more! Finished it and turned right around and bought book #2.

I'm completely sucked into this story. I can't wait til the 3rd book in this series comes out in print!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you Cameo Renae for sharing your fabulous talent with us bookworms!!! It was so nice to meet you at the book convention in Nashville. Your loyal fan, Mimi

This book is amazing! It's about the zombie apocalypse, and one bad a** chick with Hellfire as protecrion, who sets out with her family on an adventure to reconnect with civilization, along the way they encounter romance, action, betrayal and more. Read!.

Just Wow! It’s not often i finish a book within 48 hours but this one I just could not put down. I was hooked from the voiceover style prologue (which I have to admit that I read as if it was the opening to a film sequence). This is Abi’s story, a story of a girl growing up in a “Hive” or an underground bunker whilst waiting out the nuclear storm. She is with select others and their way of life has become one of routine and 0 daylight. When the day finally comes for them to leave their hive and seek out other survivors they are met with a challenge no-one had foreseen. The anti radiation medication supplied by the Government to those without bunkers has had a terrible side effect and the resulting mutation has caused chaos within the “survivors.” What starts as a race to find sanctuary finds Abi and her hive wondering what santuary really is.

Without exaggeration this is one of the best books of the genre I have read, it is very much a YA read but it is intelligently written and the story isn’t bogged down by angst. The pace doesn’t let up, even the slower scenes in the hive are full of information to keep the story progressing at the same rate. There are plenty of action scenes which are written well and both exhilarating and terrifying! The created world both inside and outside the Hive are described perfectly and I was easily able to imagine the way things were and see the world as the author meant for it to be seen. Whilst this book neatly wraps up the story of the emergence back into the world there are clearly many plotlines set up for future books in the series and there are also some very intriguing ideas around the sociological impact and memories of the mutations. The finished book is polished, no typos or glaring errors which so often drag me away from the storyline. The rest of this series is certainly about to be added to my TBR!

ARV-3 stayed with me for a while. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read SANCTUM...but I wanted it in paperback, and since that wasn't an option...I almost picked ARV-3 back up to read it again; I enjoyed it that much.

I was introduced to this book at an online Facebook Event. As soon as I saw the trailer, I was hooked. I went online that night to Author Cameo Renae's website and purchased a signed copy. I didn't want to put it down once I picked it up. The characters are memorable and likeable.

This is Abby's story, told from when her family and others fled their homes and the surface of the earth, and took sanctuary in a converted missile silo; the imminent danger of atomic radiation would make topside (the surface) uninhabitable. The government threw an untested lifeline to those who didn't have shelter; the ARV-3 (Anti-Radiation Vaccine - trial 3)was untried, and for those who took it...well, they survived. Those in Abby's hive remained in virtual isolation and safety for 13 years. Abby was 4 years old when they left the surface; she and the other members of her hive were combat and weapons trained so that when the time came to return to the surface, they would be physically able to face any challenges that may come their way. As that time drew near, an obstacle that was unforeseen reared its ugly head...quite literally. When the time came to test the surface for radiation, neither the government nor the citizens of the various hives around the world, could have predicted what lay in wait. There were survivors on the surface, but they weren't quite human anymore. Now Abby and her hive members, including her best friend...and secret love interest, Finn must make it to a larger hive over a thousand miles away, on foot, always with imminent threat of an attack by the sub-human, cannibalistic monsters that they call Arvies.

In ARV-3 there is suspense, action, young love, tragedy, excitement, terror, bravery, and much more.