**REVIEW** The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe

First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.
But she can't look back—the life she once had is gone forever.
A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?
Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn’s enduring hope in the face of the sacrifices she must make to stay alive.

Expected Release:  February 12, 2013

Published By:  Disney Hyperion

Review Copy: ARC,  276 pages
*copy provided by publisher

Review

  This installment of this series was completely different than the one before it. With the "Friendly Flu" dominating more than anyone could have ever imagined.  The writing, the world and the characters were once again masterfully done and enjoyable to read.  Though the world has become a seriously darker and more dangerous place.  This book is so much more of a struggle for everyone involved and a test of not only courage but all limits.  

  So in the first one we had a kind of pre-apocalyptic view of the world.  The virus was contained to the island and the people on it were struggling to survive, to get supplies and to stay alive.  Stepping into The Lives We Lost was as easy as breathing and I wasn't sure where everything was going to go seeing the worst of it was already over.  Well you think it is, then you step foot on the main land.  Everything is pure devastation, like in pure apocalypse mode.  I was entranced and appalled by the state and behaviour of the world.  Guess we all go back to the animalistic instinct just to survive and don't care about those around us.  The journey the characters take to try and save everyone, including themselves.

  After reading The Way We Fall I really wasn't sure if I could like Kaelyn any more than I already did.  Though at times I felt she would be whiny I am sure in her place I would of had those moments too.  Overall though she was a strong willed and well spoken character.   In this one though she seemed to step it up a notch.  She was a leader and would stop at nothing to get the possible vaccine into the right hands and hopefully get the world back on its feet somewhat.  There is also the fact that she is realistic, though she cares deeply about Gav she accept that now isn't the time to become  seriously, romantically involved.   

  Though the rest of the characters: Gav, Tessa and Leo, aren't a huge impact in this one their presence is ever necessary to the story.  I have loved Gav since his debut in book one.  Not as a romantic interest but as a bad boy.  He did turn out to be a love interest but he also had so much more to him than met the eye.  This time round he is there to support Kae just as she supported him but this time he didn't  feel useful and kind of seemed out of his element.  Leo kind of made things a little awkward but his knowledge of how the main land is helped and despite old feelings him and Kae seem to make it alright.  The problem for me was Tessa.  I just expected so much more from her and was sorely disappointed when she seemed more concerned with the things that helped her not the group as a whole.

  If you are a fan of apocalyptic reads then you are seriously missing out if you haven't started this series.  They are masterfully written and hard to put down.  This book was as good as the first but in a different way and fans are sure to be pleased and if you're like me completely and utterly hooked.  Once you pick up this series there is no going back, only forward and the next instalment is way too far away for my liking.  I need it like yesterday!

Quotes

Maybe despite the chaos, the most important places had gone untouched.  Maybe Nell and the others were just fine and all we'd  lost were a bunch of already abandoned buildings.

Yes.  If we were all together, we could protect each other.  Safety in numbers.  I would never have asked them to risk it before, but now with the situation on the island becoming even more precarious, it felt right.

I slid my hand around his neck and kissed him.  Gav kissed me back, his gloved fingers cupping my cheek.  and for the space of that moment, at least, I believed what he'd said too.

For the first time the gravity of what Leo had told us about the mainland completely sank in.  The rest of the country hadn't been callously ignoring our island's plight.  They had been so overwhelmed they couldn't even save themselves.

I closed my eyes, but the tears I'd been fighting slipped out, streaking down my cheeks.  I wanted to say of course it'd be okay, he'd be okay, he could beat this.  But I wasn't sure I could say it like I meant it.