In the End by Tracey Ward Series: Quarantined #2
Published by Self Publish on January 10, 2014
Length: 266 pages
Reviewing eBook from Amazon
Rating:
![](https://momwithareadingproblem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/JDDiBooks-CBS-W-e1531416902596.png")
Jordan and Alissa made it out of Portland, away from ground zero where The Fever still rages on. But they couldn't beat the quarantine. Now barriers are being built and the remaining survivors of the outbreak are trapped.
And the undead just keep coming.
The wave of infected is building as city after city is devoured. As they head east into the mountains they will be forced to fight both the dead and the living as they search for a safe place to weather the storm.
But what they believed would be the death of them might actually save them, and in this hell on Earth they'll uncover something even more shocking than the risen dead. Hope.
She’s like a female version of Hawkeye and I’m a little disturbed about what that says about my feelings regarding Hawkeye. I try not to analyze it too much. -Jordan
In the End by Tracey Ward is the conclusion to Quarantined and picks up a few days after the end of book one. Jordan and Alissa have found her Uncle/Dad Syd and are now heading to the east, into the mountains and hopefully away from the horde of zombies. Told from Jordan’s POV this time, the book is just as suspenseful, full of dark humor, some sexual tension and of course the testosterone-fueled quarrels between Syd and Jordan.
Just like with book one, I love these characters! Getting to see from Jordan’s perspective this time is an added bonus. Jordan is at a bit of a disadvantage this book, having been shot in the shoulder towards the end of book one, his weapon of choice is out of the question. He has to rely on Ali and Syd to protect him, and unfortunately this means he must follow Syd’s advice. Syd wants to find others, something he has argued with Ali about in book one and now despite his promise to never leave her, he thinks he may have no choice if he wants to live. I find Jordan to be a bit of a nutcase when it comes to the whole zombie apocalypse. I think he knows way more than he should, however because we are in his head this book I see that he is just making it up as he goes based on comics and video games!
Alissa is off her meds at the beginning of the book, having run out while on the road with Jordan. Syd thankfully had some for her, but it takes a while to build back up in her system. She is seeing things that aren’t there and that scares Jordan, especially since she thought he was a zombie at the end of book one and nearly killed him. Again, I found Alissa to be a survivor in every sense of the word. She is a strong character, motivated by her sheer will to live and her new feelings for Jordan. She worries what will happen when her meds run out, and this is what motivates her to find more people, going against Jordan and siding with Syd.
Syd is the perfect antagonist to the not-so-happy couple. He is Alissa’s dad and he asserts that authority when he can. He tries to overrule Jordan, and I think it’s just because he wants to aggravate him, but at the same time he has Alissa to think of and she motivates everything he does. I like Syd. He is a typical dad, who is reluctant to rely on some boy’s opinion on what to do in this dire situation.
The plot of this story centers around not the zombies so much as the quarantine that has been set up to keep the zombies from infecting the rest of the population. Unfortunately for Jordan, Alissa, and Syd, they are stuck in the small quarantine zone, supplies are limited, and zombies outnumber them. This makes for a tense relationships and tests the bounds of Alissa’s sanity.
I personally love the relationship between Alissa and Jordan. Jordan has every right to leave now that he has gotten Alissa out of Portland and to Syd, but he made her a promise that he would stick with her no matter what until the end. At 18 and with Alissa’s mental health on the decline, this tests Jordan’s true character. The author does a great job of describing the internal conflict as Jordan decides to leave or stay.
You can’t pick and choose your crazy. You’ve gotta roll with the one you’ve got. -Jordan
I loved this book from start to finish, just as much if not more than book one. I like the characters, the plot, the suspense, and the touch of romance the author put into this story. My only dislike was the ending. I felt it was a bit unconcluded/rushed. The characters’ stories were over I guess, but I would’ve liked a little more, maybe just a page to wrap things up before the epilogue. The epilogue sets the stage for a sequel series called Survival, which I can’t wait to start!! If you enjoy zombie books with a lot of suspense, a little romance, and some surprises you want to read this series. You won’t be disappointed!
About Tracey Ward
"I don't write romances, I write relationships. One is pretty and perfect and all consuming. The other is real."
Tracey Ward was born in Eugene, Oregon and studied English Literature at the University of Oregon (Go Ducks!). She loves writing all kinds of genres from YA Dystopian to New Adult Romance, the common themes between them all being strong character development and a good dose of humor.
Her husband, son and snuggly pitbull are her world.
Leave a Reply