Among Monsters: A Red Hill Novella

This is the companion novella to the novel, Red Hill. I highly recommend that you read Red Hill before Among Monsters. Among Monsters follows Scarlet's, from Red Hill, daughters as they make their journey to Red Hill. It is told through Jenna's point of view. Jenna is a 13 year old middle schooler, who starts the first day of the zombie apocalypse as a normal teenager. She goes to school wondering what smart alleck comments will come her way, meeting up with her best friend Chloe, and dreading the upcoming weekend that will be spent with her Dad and his seventh girlfriend. As the morning passes by, everyone is glued to the tv watching the breaking news about the virus that everyone thought was only in Europe. However, it made it's way into the states. Jenna's Dad picks Halle, Jenna's little sister, up from school and then they pick up Jenna. Jenna knows that they need to get to their mom. She knows that their mom will be waiting for them at Red Hill. She just doesn't know how hard their journey is going to be, and how strong she will become. Wow. That's all I could really say after I finished this novella. I always look forward to books from Jamie McGuire, and this was no different. I was just blown out of the water by it. From page one I was in the edge of my seat. Having read Red Hill, I knew how it was going end. However, that made me more anxious as I read and met new characters that I really liked, but knew that they weren't there at the end of Red Hill. It was heartbreaking to watch Jenna and her Dad come to a good spot in their relationship knowing his fate. I loved seeing how Jenna stepped up to protect her little sister Halle, who is so sweet and innocent in this now apocalyptic world. I laughed a few times and I most definitely cried a few times. It was everything that I always know Jamie McGuire's books will be, and so, so much more. Among Monsters has become one of my top favorite reads this year. I'll leave you with one of my favorite lines: “It’s not as loud as I thought it would be. Not a lot of screaming or hysterics. People get quiet when they’re afraid.”

This story is about Jenna, Halle, and Andrew. While the first book was all about Scarlet waiting for her girls to show up at Red Hill this one describes in detail the journey of the girls trying to reach Red Hill.Finding a safe place to stay is priority. Scarlett's kids are smart and focused. Scarlet taught them well. The kids want to understand what's going on and listen to the radio or watch tv, but there father thinks it will scare Halle. Jenna wants to notify her mom that they are with their father, but once again he doesn't want her to worry unnecessarily. There father is an ignorant tool.People are panicking and reacting. Finding protection and making suggestions for protection is confusing since no one ever is really trained properly for a catastrophe of this magnitude?In a catastrophe it's best to think about your children's safety first. Listen to yourself. Only you know what is best for your family.I'm impressed with the knowledge from Jenna. Her survival kit skills are fantastic for a teenager. She's out shining her father. Jenna is smart. She wants to help protect her sister and she wants to use the rifle on the infected, but once again her ignorant father says, "no". Jenna doesn't think very highly of her father. She is more impressed with her mother. It sounds to me that she feels her mom will do a better job of protecting them.This journey has been one set back after another. Too many people need help and not enough room in a vehicle to accommodate them. Plus finding a vehicle that runs and then gas is impossible.Pandemonium is evident in every town. It's ironic this journey explores the same buildings and people that Scarlet did. I guess when the towns are small and your heading to the same location you will encounter the same people and buildings along the way.Jenna is focused and determined to make the journey to Red Hill, but her father is selfish making up one excuse after another.What an emotional and trying journey for those girls.

If reading Red Hill through the eyes of a mother searching for her children during a zombie epidemic was emotional, reading the same epidemic through the eyes of a 13 year old girl was just as, if not more chilling.Among Monsters tells the story of Jenna and Halle as they try to connect with their mom after the world changes. Traveling with their father, their journey is just as harrowing as Scarlet’s journey was, and also carries the weight of knowing these are children.For being a companion novella, it is almost entirely new material. Since the girls were separated from their mother and were traveling with the protection of their father, they had a completely different experience than Scarlet. What this novella really makes clear is just how close Scarlet was from finding her girls nearly the entire time they were separated. The people who appear in both stories, the events described, and the things they see are often the same, but from different perspectives or timeframes those things look vastly different.I enjoyed this companion immensely. I wish I had made time to reread Red Hill as there were times I couldn’t remember how something had happened with Scarlet or if what Jenna was seeing was the same as Scarlet described. But even with the time between readings, I loved how this story fit with the original. It was like watching a TV show with several characters missing for the season, only to have the final episode highlight what those missing characters went through the whole time. It was fast, it was terrifying, it was the perfect Red Hill companion.

I read this is under two hours I couldn't put it down. What a way to write red hill but from.the kids pov I loved the detail I. The story and the way characters from red hill you remember about. Jenna and halle are brilliant and very brave for what they have to go through to get to their mum and survive with their das with all the bad things they had to do along the way and things that can't be unseen.

I must start by saying that Red Hill is one of my favourite books of all time. Ever.My expectations of Among Monsters have been met and far surpassed - Jamie McGuire has such a personal way of writing stories, I felt I was right there with Jenna and Halle the whole time.Please read this novella, but please do read Red Hill first. They will both amaze you!

Oh my word!What a tense and exciting book! Having thoroughly loved Red Hill, this was a perfect addition.By no means boring!! Would definitely recommend!Thank you Jamie for another fabulous read!!!!

I've read this book the same amount of time's as the last book please read it ..it's fantastic also read everybook of Jamie's I pray there will be more x

I loved Red hill and I always wanted to know Jenna and Hallie story and I wasn't disappointed if you have read Red Hill I recommend this one