Review : Until the Beginning by Amy Plum

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Until the Beginning (After the End #2)
Author : Amy Plum 
Publication Date : May 5th 2014
Publisher : HarperTeen
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When Juneau's clan disappeared, she lost so much more than her friends and family. She soon discovered everything she thought she knew about her life was a lie. Her people's gifts were actually secret abilities that others wanted, desperately enough to kidnap an entire village.

Juneau and her new companion Miles's cross-country journey to find her clan has led them to a game preserve in New Mexico. Now Juneau's people are finally within reach, and she will stop at nothing to save them. But she has a target on her back too, because unbeknownst to her she is the key to unlocking everything. To rescue her people - and herself - Juneau must discover what she, and her abilities, are truly capable of.

Personal Thoughts 

Last year, I read and loved Amy Plum's After the End. It was a book that surprised me in a good way and had a heroine that I loved with every fiber of my being. I wasn't sure that it would be possible for this sequel and final book of the duology to be even better than book 1, but Amy Plum surpassed all my expectations with Until the Beginning and gifted us all with a stunning and satisfying conclusion.

Until the Beginning starts off where the cliffhanger of After the End left us with. It was a brutal ending, but one that was filled with hope. This book in general was filled with hope. As a sequel, Until the Beginning was a lot more action-packed. There was just so much going on. I felt like I was physically in the book alongside Miles and Juneau and boy was I emotionally exhausted at times because I was just so invested in the story. This is the kind of book that had me glued to my seat, flipping non-stop through the pages and even after I put down the book to go get food, my thoughts would immediately rush to this book. It was the kind of book that wholly consumed me and I have no doubt it will render other readers an emotional mess as well. I was never sure what obstacle Amy Plum was going to set in front of our protagonists and I was terrified of what was awaiting them. The great thing about books like Until the Beginning is the non-stop action. If you're an action-in-books junkie, then this is the perfect book for you because Miles and Juneau were constantly running from one dangerous situation to another. It truly was an exhilarating book and you're just left feeling breathless and thinking about what an epic ride it was! The final showdown between Miles, Juneau and the horrible villains in this book was epic in many ways. I hated the villains so much so I was ready for them to receive their dues.

Until the Beginning would not have been a perfect book without the amazing protagonists. Miles and Juneau were amazing in this book. Juneau was a character I admired from the start of After the End. She's a character that I instantly connected with, so I was ready to get back to being inside her head. She continued to impress me in this installment and she continued to awe me with her fierceness, strength and loyalty towards her loved ones. She was one amazing heroine and definitely makes my list of top 10 all time favorite protagonists. Amy Plum captured her flaws and her strengths so beautifully through her voice. The character that surprised me in this book was Miles. I had some issues with him in the previous book, but by the end he had grown on me. In this book, I downright fell in love with this boy. He has grown so much from the previous book, hardened and more mature. He no longer was that naive young boy he was and I love the strong man that he has become. He was so endearing and his devotion to Juneau was nothing short of loveable. Miles and Juneau's relationship in Until the Beginning was another strong element of this sequel. My goodness! These two were so deeply romantic and I loved how Amy Plum explored their intimate relationship so beautifully. It was sweet, romantic and gave me the butterflies. Also, can I just say how absolutely amazing the banter between these two is? Seriously, I was giggling like a little girl because of how adorable they were. What made their relationship so tight was how open they were with each other and how they were a couple that worked together. It's rare to see couples cooperate in YA books, so this book was refreshing.

Until the Beginning and the After the End duology is one that I don't hesitate even a little bit to push on you readers. It's one of those series that deserves to be read and praised by everyone. Do yourself a favor and read this and experience the beauty of these characters.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

**Overall Rating : 4.5/5**

Thank you to Harper Teen ARC of Until the Beginning.