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The Wind Cave #1
The Cave
When a nuclear war devastates the U.S., a four-day excursion quickly turns into a fight for survival in The Cave. Six Stanford students journey into one of the deepest and longest caves in North America. A day into their journey, a nuclear war begins from within the U.S. Unable to return to the surface, and unsure what they will find when they do, the Cave will test the strength and survival of each person differently - transforming six individuals into a team, and ultimately...a family.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 6, 2016
I actually really really enjoyed this! For some reason I thought this would be a horror, but it's not. It's a story of how Kate, along with her mentor (and crush) Percy and her best friend, Ano, decide to spend some time caving. Kate things it's the perfect time to tell Percy what she feels, but things don't go to plan. Firstly, Percy brings along 3 other people, one of whom is his new girlfriend, and then a nuclear bomb gets dropped on the surface while all 6 of them are in the cave. The only way for them to survive is to go down deeper and hope they will have enough rations to last at least until the time the radiation lessens enough for them to surface.
Who would of thought that a book taking place mostly in a cave would be so tense! The 6 students enter the cave in high spirits but a few days into their excursion they feel an earthquake. They decide to go to the entrance to get back out, just in case they get trapped, only to find the elevator doesn't work and there's no signal. Percy takes some readings and realises that there is intense radiation readings so quickly takes the group down lower so they can stratigise. What follows is a race to survive on little rations and water. It's a tense and gripping story line and quite believable too!
It's a unique post apocalyptic book, in that, you don't get to see what really happened on the surface. The gang get some indication through news reports, which come sporadically when they find a signal, but have no idea the level of devastation. It's still a story of survival, just not one we have seen before.
There is a little romance, though it's not the main focus. I didn't really like the love triangle going and thought it unnecessary, saying that though, I always find love triangles unnecessary!!!
In all, this is a really good read. It's a tense and suspenseful read and I can not wait to read the next one! I need to follow these character story and see what happens each of them. The book may have ended but it's just the start of the story! Highly recommend.
Who would of thought that a book taking place mostly in a cave would be so tense! The 6 students enter the cave in high spirits but a few days into their excursion they feel an earthquake. They decide to go to the entrance to get back out, just in case they get trapped, only to find the elevator doesn't work and there's no signal. Percy takes some readings and realises that there is intense radiation readings so quickly takes the group down lower so they can stratigise. What follows is a race to survive on little rations and water. It's a tense and gripping story line and quite believable too!
It's a unique post apocalyptic book, in that, you don't get to see what really happened on the surface. The gang get some indication through news reports, which come sporadically when they find a signal, but have no idea the level of devastation. It's still a story of survival, just not one we have seen before.
There is a little romance, though it's not the main focus. I didn't really like the love triangle going and thought it unnecessary, saying that though, I always find love triangles unnecessary!!!
In all, this is a really good read. It's a tense and suspenseful read and I can not wait to read the next one! I need to follow these character story and see what happens each of them. The book may have ended but it's just the start of the story! Highly recommend.
January 13, 2016
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This book had the potential to be an excellent read. Six Stanford students go on a cave exploration trip that is to be only four days long and while they are down there the U.S.A comes under nuclear attack dreadfully trapping them all below for thirty days until the radiation subsides. In my opinion, instead of being a survival story the plot mostly consists of who is hooking up together, who likes who the most, a lot of petty high school drama. Also, there is not much depth to the characters except for the exemption of Kate who narrates the story. Yes, they do have struggles, grim occurrences do occur yet that felt overridden by the amount of lustfulness in the book. Why would Percy have a Geiger monitor for a four-day long cave exploration? That was weird.
The book does have positive points. Such as, the description of inside the different areas of the cave is exquisite. The author did a good job instilling humor into the dialogue. Therefore, like this hilarious quote from Kate:
“Honestly, I said, “If I had a patient that was as big a jackass as you, I’d go all out Kevorkian”
I do not think this is a bad book. I think it is more of a young adult book which confuses the reader who is expecting a more mature read.
This book had the potential to be an excellent read. Six Stanford students go on a cave exploration trip that is to be only four days long and while they are down there the U.S.A comes under nuclear attack dreadfully trapping them all below for thirty days until the radiation subsides. In my opinion, instead of being a survival story the plot mostly consists of who is hooking up together, who likes who the most, a lot of petty high school drama. Also, there is not much depth to the characters except for the exemption of Kate who narrates the story. Yes, they do have struggles, grim occurrences do occur yet that felt overridden by the amount of lustfulness in the book. Why would Percy have a Geiger monitor for a four-day long cave exploration? That was weird.
The book does have positive points. Such as, the description of inside the different areas of the cave is exquisite. The author did a good job instilling humor into the dialogue. Therefore, like this hilarious quote from Kate:
“Honestly, I said, “If I had a patient that was as big a jackass as you, I’d go all out Kevorkian”
I do not think this is a bad book. I think it is more of a young adult book which confuses the reader who is expecting a more mature read.
June 27, 2018
I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The most distinguishing aspect about The Cave is a world set to ruins within hours of six college students venturing into one of the longest caves in the world (at least, one of the longest in this particular story): Wind Cave. What was supposed to turn out as a fun trip (and a few romantic endeavors) ended up as a survival story.
And to make it even more interesting? All of these college kids (and from Stanford to boot) have a skill or aspect to help each other survive because they all have the backgrounds to do so – medicine, science, law, etc. They just need to figure out how to take the knowledge and apply it to real life under unforeseen circumstances. The author slips in a few facts or two from some of the majors that I never actually knew about until I read The Cave. (Of course, higher education people will probably know Ammonium Carbonite is smelling salt, doesn’t smell pleasant, and basically revives someone who passes out… but I'm still in high school)
However, I’m not a huge fan of the characters. All six of them have to learn how to get along together, but there were a few quirks that didn’t hit too well. For instance, Kate is extremely jealous when it comes to Percy and Carlie’s interactions – it’s not too overwhelming at first, but it does get really annoying later, especially where Matt is concerned.
Throughout The Cave, both Matt and Percy (eventually) are going for Kate – Kate goes one way, but she feels differently (that probably sounds really confusing without spoiling something). The tension between the two boys is extremely thick – they don't see eye to eye on 99% of the things discussed in the book, especially when it comes down to Kate. They also offer good alternatives for her when the group gets to the surface, but Montgomery doesn't reveal this in the book.
And here I thought the love triangle would be over and the rest of the series would focus on what's going on up at the surface after the nuclear devastation. I'm a little disappointed.
One thing I would have really liked more of was the other side – basically, the people who are behind the destruction at the surface. Montgomery gives us snippets of what the other side is thinking and planning, but it's all teases designed to annoy the curiosities of the mind.
Don't expect to have much world building happening in this first book – as the title suggests, the story is set in a cave and well... not too much to describe about a cave (unless pink caves exists).
Overall, however, it was fun to read about kids who have the backgrounds and knowledge to survive trying to apply it to reality. I'm not too thrilled that Kate hasn't made her decision, but I want to read about this now-devastated surface trying to recover.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
February 4, 2016
3.5 stars
Kate's plan was perfect: spend four days hiking through Wind Cave with her best friend Ano and her mentor, Percy. Having just finished her degree at Standford, this trip through one of the world's longest caves would be the perfect time to tell Percy how she feels about him him, as well as do some in-the-field scientific research.
Of course, nothing ever really goes as planned. Instead of a party of three, they end up heading into the cave with a party of six. Naive and with no family of her own anymore, negotiating large groups is not Kate's greatest strength and when something like an earthquake rocks the cave, she is just ready to be done and get out. But, there is no getting out. Because what seemed like an earthquake was actually a devastating attack on the United States and the only way to get back out is through the cave - hoping there is something to come back to on the other end.
I am a sucker for apocalyptic stories so when I got a review request for this one, I decided to give it a try. The writing itself isn't stunning - not poetic or lyrical, but I found myself drawn into the plot anyway. It's a unique type of survival story with twists that kept it moving right along. I like the best friend character and the love triangle was predictable but not lame. Kate drove me crazy sometimes - she was super wishy washy with the boys and indecisive enough I sort of wanted to shake her. And yet, I got it. When boys liking you is new, even if you've in your 20s, it's still hard to figure out what you want.
Point is, I liked it enough that I do really want to know what happens next - even if I didn't love it.
Note for sensitive readers: two vaguely explicit scenes that you might want to skip over.
Kate's plan was perfect: spend four days hiking through Wind Cave with her best friend Ano and her mentor, Percy. Having just finished her degree at Standford, this trip through one of the world's longest caves would be the perfect time to tell Percy how she feels about him him, as well as do some in-the-field scientific research.
Of course, nothing ever really goes as planned. Instead of a party of three, they end up heading into the cave with a party of six. Naive and with no family of her own anymore, negotiating large groups is not Kate's greatest strength and when something like an earthquake rocks the cave, she is just ready to be done and get out. But, there is no getting out. Because what seemed like an earthquake was actually a devastating attack on the United States and the only way to get back out is through the cave - hoping there is something to come back to on the other end.
I am a sucker for apocalyptic stories so when I got a review request for this one, I decided to give it a try. The writing itself isn't stunning - not poetic or lyrical, but I found myself drawn into the plot anyway. It's a unique type of survival story with twists that kept it moving right along. I like the best friend character and the love triangle was predictable but not lame. Kate drove me crazy sometimes - she was super wishy washy with the boys and indecisive enough I sort of wanted to shake her. And yet, I got it. When boys liking you is new, even if you've in your 20s, it's still hard to figure out what you want.
Point is, I liked it enough that I do really want to know what happens next - even if I didn't love it.
Note for sensitive readers: two vaguely explicit scenes that you might want to skip over.
April 29, 2015
Excellent.. story was fantastic; writing was tight and the whole story just flowed. I am floored that this is a first for the author. I was hooked all the way and what a cliffhanger.. lordy --can't wait for book 2. Thanks to the author for a fantastic book!!
May 19, 2015
YAYYY! Another editing project is now a published book!
February 5, 2016
I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.
Six college students all make plans to spend four days exploring Wind Cave during summer vacation. The idea was originally Kate’s. She wanted to spend her summer vacation with her lab partner of three years with Percy and her best friend and roommate Ano whom she met on her first day at Stanford. Kate wanted to this time alone with Percy to tell him how she felt about him. She had finally made up her mind to tell him and thought that spending four days in a cave with him would be her best opportunity.
But what she didn’t know was that Percy had a little surprise for her that she was not expecting. He was bringing three more people with them and one of them was a girl that he has been dating. Now my question is; why is he planning a vacation with two girls and he doesn’t tell them he has a girlfriend and that she is going caving with them. The two guys I can understand well maybe, I don’t know but a girl, come on. I actually I think he should have told them about the other three when he found out. If he didn’t have time to call them he sure had plenty of time on ride over to pick them up.
So now Kate is in a pickled and doesn’t know what she is going to do. Not to mention that her heart is probably broken. Kate has always been a loner. She grew without any friends and she never had a boyfriend before so yes she is very naive about a lot of things. But it doesn’t make her a DA. You can’t have knowledge of something if no one has ever told you about it or if you have not experienced it for yourself which Kate has not in this instance.
The great thing is that Carlie is very mature about it when she figures out that Kate likes Percy. She handles it very well. She doesn’t get mad at Kate and treats her as if they are best friends. She sees that Kate is a good person someone who needs a little guidance in her life and tries to help her make a choice concerning her future. Carlie like Kate and Ano too of course are all always trying to do the right thing. They all seem to have big hearts and care about other people’s feelings. Kate had Ano to lean on and a shoulder to cry on when she needed it. Ano knew Kate almost as well or better than Kate new herself and was a big help to her.
One of the other guys in their group liked Kate and had liked her for a long time. While Kate knew who he was she had never really met him. Everyone at Stanford knew who Matt was. His family was like some kind of big wheels at the school. Matt was always paying attention and watching Kate whenever he saw her on campus but Kate never paid him any attention. She never thought that someone like Matt would ever be interested in someone like her so she never thought anything about him. I mean she did see him; there was no way she could miss seeing him considering who he was and of course he was always surrounded by girls all competing for his attention. After spending time with Matt inside the cave she found out that he was not the kind of person she thought him to be and she came to care for him more than she thought she could or would. At times Kate was confused about her feelings for both guys.
While they were supposed to only spend four days in the cave they ended up doing more exploring than they planned. While in the cave there was an earthquake and everyone was afraid to stay in the cave then so they decided to end their little four day vacation a little early. They started heading to the top to the nearest exit. They are almost always little earthquakes after the first one. We all have our little quirks or things that we like or into and our cavers are no different. Percy of all things brought along a seismograph and it helped him to come to the conclusion that it wasn’t an earthquake because they were no little quakes. He also brought along this thing that measured radiation in the atmosphere. He then knew that more was going on than any of them knew.
They had a little radio too that if they held it up to as close as they could to the exit they could hear the news or part of it. The signal was very weak so the radio announcer kept breaking up. But they did manage to hear enough to piece all the information together to find out that the United States was under attack and that they could not leave the cave yet. They would have to go deeper into the cave and wait it out until it was safe to leave. Hopefully they would have enough food and water to last the extra time they would have to spend in the cave.
They had no clue as to the extent of the damage they would find when they would finally be able to exit the cave. And of course they were all worried about their families if they were still alive or if they would be safe if they left the cave or if anything was still alive or left on the topside. Would they be the only people left alive? Will they be able to survive if they left the cave? What choice did they have?
I have had an obsession on reading dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and apocalyptic and end of the world type of books lately. I want to read every book I see in these genres. So when I say that I really enjoyed reading The Cave I am not kidding. I really did love it and can’t wait for book two. I can’t wait to find out what they will find if and when they leave the cave. What happened while they were in the cave? Were they any survivors? Can they live in what may be left in the world? Will they all end up staying together or will they go their separate ways? Who will Kate end up with? Will it be Percy or Matt? Or will she have a different road to travel?
Six college students all make plans to spend four days exploring Wind Cave during summer vacation. The idea was originally Kate’s. She wanted to spend her summer vacation with her lab partner of three years with Percy and her best friend and roommate Ano whom she met on her first day at Stanford. Kate wanted to this time alone with Percy to tell him how she felt about him. She had finally made up her mind to tell him and thought that spending four days in a cave with him would be her best opportunity.
But what she didn’t know was that Percy had a little surprise for her that she was not expecting. He was bringing three more people with them and one of them was a girl that he has been dating. Now my question is; why is he planning a vacation with two girls and he doesn’t tell them he has a girlfriend and that she is going caving with them. The two guys I can understand well maybe, I don’t know but a girl, come on. I actually I think he should have told them about the other three when he found out. If he didn’t have time to call them he sure had plenty of time on ride over to pick them up.
So now Kate is in a pickled and doesn’t know what she is going to do. Not to mention that her heart is probably broken. Kate has always been a loner. She grew without any friends and she never had a boyfriend before so yes she is very naive about a lot of things. But it doesn’t make her a DA. You can’t have knowledge of something if no one has ever told you about it or if you have not experienced it for yourself which Kate has not in this instance.
The great thing is that Carlie is very mature about it when she figures out that Kate likes Percy. She handles it very well. She doesn’t get mad at Kate and treats her as if they are best friends. She sees that Kate is a good person someone who needs a little guidance in her life and tries to help her make a choice concerning her future. Carlie like Kate and Ano too of course are all always trying to do the right thing. They all seem to have big hearts and care about other people’s feelings. Kate had Ano to lean on and a shoulder to cry on when she needed it. Ano knew Kate almost as well or better than Kate new herself and was a big help to her.
One of the other guys in their group liked Kate and had liked her for a long time. While Kate knew who he was she had never really met him. Everyone at Stanford knew who Matt was. His family was like some kind of big wheels at the school. Matt was always paying attention and watching Kate whenever he saw her on campus but Kate never paid him any attention. She never thought that someone like Matt would ever be interested in someone like her so she never thought anything about him. I mean she did see him; there was no way she could miss seeing him considering who he was and of course he was always surrounded by girls all competing for his attention. After spending time with Matt inside the cave she found out that he was not the kind of person she thought him to be and she came to care for him more than she thought she could or would. At times Kate was confused about her feelings for both guys.
While they were supposed to only spend four days in the cave they ended up doing more exploring than they planned. While in the cave there was an earthquake and everyone was afraid to stay in the cave then so they decided to end their little four day vacation a little early. They started heading to the top to the nearest exit. They are almost always little earthquakes after the first one. We all have our little quirks or things that we like or into and our cavers are no different. Percy of all things brought along a seismograph and it helped him to come to the conclusion that it wasn’t an earthquake because they were no little quakes. He also brought along this thing that measured radiation in the atmosphere. He then knew that more was going on than any of them knew.
They had a little radio too that if they held it up to as close as they could to the exit they could hear the news or part of it. The signal was very weak so the radio announcer kept breaking up. But they did manage to hear enough to piece all the information together to find out that the United States was under attack and that they could not leave the cave yet. They would have to go deeper into the cave and wait it out until it was safe to leave. Hopefully they would have enough food and water to last the extra time they would have to spend in the cave.
They had no clue as to the extent of the damage they would find when they would finally be able to exit the cave. And of course they were all worried about their families if they were still alive or if they would be safe if they left the cave or if anything was still alive or left on the topside. Would they be the only people left alive? Will they be able to survive if they left the cave? What choice did they have?
I have had an obsession on reading dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and apocalyptic and end of the world type of books lately. I want to read every book I see in these genres. So when I say that I really enjoyed reading The Cave I am not kidding. I really did love it and can’t wait for book two. I can’t wait to find out what they will find if and when they leave the cave. What happened while they were in the cave? Were they any survivors? Can they live in what may be left in the world? Will they all end up staying together or will they go their separate ways? Who will Kate end up with? Will it be Percy or Matt? Or will she have a different road to travel?
August 16, 2021
Interesting story line, however it was poorly written with many typos.
January 14, 2016
Katie wanted an opportunity to tell her long time crush how she felt so she jumped on the chance to go on a caving excursion and dragged along her best friend. Little did she know that her crush Percy had invited along 3 other Stanford students, including his new girlfriend. Katie is emotionally devastated but needs to figure out how to come to terms with everything when something strange happens and the group finds themselves stuck in the cave with limited resources and no idea what is going on with the outside world.
I found the idea of this book to be really interesting so I was excited to get my hands on a copy to read. Unfortunately, I think my expectations may have been too grand or maybe skewed is a better choice, because I only found the book to be ok. The story centers on 6 college-ish students who go explore a the biggest/deepest cave and end up staying down a lot longer than the 4 day excursion was suppose to take due to unforeseen circumstances. The book was very realistic, with scientific analysis and references to things such as seismic activity and water purity. All of that is fine, and makes for a detailed account of how the group can survive such terrible odds, it just was not as engaging as I would have liked it to be. And to be honest, I was really expecting to have some sort of supernatural scenario to present itself in the story. A supernatural story this was not. But if you are looking for a realistic scientific account of how these people survive with some drama thrown in, this would be the book for you.
Another issue with the book for me was that I did not really care for Katie, which if I don’t like the main character, I have a struggle reading the story. On one hand I think she is a very strong capable person, and if I was stuck in a cave I would pick her to be stuck with me. But when it comes to her emotional strength, I felt she was lacking. She shied away from touch and any sort of relationship, yet has day dreamed about her older lab partner(?) for 4 years and now wants to act on it. I think if he has not made a move in that amount of time he is either not interested or so dense you would not want him anyway. She was like a delicate little already damaged flower who lacked the social skills needed to be human. It made me a little skeeved out that she made a move for Percy after she heard him having sex with his girlfriend (who happens to be a very likeable and smart character that I liked the best).I really liked all 4 of the side characters more than Katie and Percy and wished I could have had more of them.
There is a love triangle between Katie and her crush Percy (who I did not like even a little bit) and a totally random guy who has liked Katie for a while but she never knew he existed. Matt was a whatever character, half player/half sweet romantic. If I had to choose a mate for Katie, I would pick Matt who was not an emotionless tool. Percy was real tool, an emotionless robot (and a guy who makes a romantic move on another girl while in the same room as his girlfriend is not mate potential, FYI). Also, I found it at times confusing when the book which was predominantly narrated by Katie would switch to one of the guys views, but it was not always clear who the view was. I did like the outside snippets the author provided about the terrorist activities which were the backbone of the story.
I thought the idea was interesting, it just was not the book for me. I am sure someone else will really like the book and the concept behind it. I am not sure if I would read more in what could potentially be a series with the cliffhanger ending this book had.I think the plot of the survival in the caves would have been a great book without the love triangle drama thrown in.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
I found the idea of this book to be really interesting so I was excited to get my hands on a copy to read. Unfortunately, I think my expectations may have been too grand or maybe skewed is a better choice, because I only found the book to be ok. The story centers on 6 college-ish students who go explore a the biggest/deepest cave and end up staying down a lot longer than the 4 day excursion was suppose to take due to unforeseen circumstances. The book was very realistic, with scientific analysis and references to things such as seismic activity and water purity. All of that is fine, and makes for a detailed account of how the group can survive such terrible odds, it just was not as engaging as I would have liked it to be. And to be honest, I was really expecting to have some sort of supernatural scenario to present itself in the story. A supernatural story this was not. But if you are looking for a realistic scientific account of how these people survive with some drama thrown in, this would be the book for you.
Another issue with the book for me was that I did not really care for Katie, which if I don’t like the main character, I have a struggle reading the story. On one hand I think she is a very strong capable person, and if I was stuck in a cave I would pick her to be stuck with me. But when it comes to her emotional strength, I felt she was lacking. She shied away from touch and any sort of relationship, yet has day dreamed about her older lab partner(?) for 4 years and now wants to act on it. I think if he has not made a move in that amount of time he is either not interested or so dense you would not want him anyway. She was like a delicate little already damaged flower who lacked the social skills needed to be human. It made me a little skeeved out that she made a move for Percy after she heard him having sex with his girlfriend (who happens to be a very likeable and smart character that I liked the best).I really liked all 4 of the side characters more than Katie and Percy and wished I could have had more of them.
There is a love triangle between Katie and her crush Percy (who I did not like even a little bit) and a totally random guy who has liked Katie for a while but she never knew he existed. Matt was a whatever character, half player/half sweet romantic. If I had to choose a mate for Katie, I would pick Matt who was not an emotionless tool. Percy was real tool, an emotionless robot (and a guy who makes a romantic move on another girl while in the same room as his girlfriend is not mate potential, FYI). Also, I found it at times confusing when the book which was predominantly narrated by Katie would switch to one of the guys views, but it was not always clear who the view was. I did like the outside snippets the author provided about the terrorist activities which were the backbone of the story.
I thought the idea was interesting, it just was not the book for me. I am sure someone else will really like the book and the concept behind it. I am not sure if I would read more in what could potentially be a series with the cliffhanger ending this book had.I think the plot of the survival in the caves would have been a great book without the love triangle drama thrown in.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 16, 2016
I bought this book in the Sci-Fi section at Barnes and Noble so I assumed it was for adults. How wrong I was. It's written like a 12 year old girl's fantasy of when she grows up. All the characters are in their early to mid-twenties. College graduates, med school, law school, etc. Yet they all more like pre-pubescents in how they talk and act.
The premise sounded interesting...small group of people go caving, something catastrophic happens, and they need to survive and get out. Sounds good right? Not so much. It's not a bad read (up until the last few chapters) but it's completely ridiculous. They just so happen to have a seismograph and geiger counter with them so they're able to figure out what happened pretty quick. Also they just so happened to bring a medical resident with an unlimited supply of medical supplies (though she often says she's running out of supplies, she never seems to).
SPOILERS start here: The main story is really about the main character having a crush on one guy while another guy has a crush on her and the boys act like parrots puffing out their feathers trying to vie for her attention and one up each other. There's a point where two of the girls are having a conversation about sex (both virgins) and one asks the other if she felt the "fireworks down there" having no idea that she had an orgasm or what an orgasm is. I'm sorry but that's when I really lost any interest in the book. I finished it but really? You're telling me that two girls in their 20s have no idea what an orgasm is or that they experienced one. Have they never watched tv or read a book or listened to anyone in college talk?
The book had a lot of promise and even though I was turned off by the well supplied doctor and geiger counter at the beginning it was fairly easy to read and somewhat enjoyable. It would have gotten 3 stars if it hadn't been for the last 10-20% of the book. It just became too ridiculous and felt too juvenile.
The premise sounded interesting...small group of people go caving, something catastrophic happens, and they need to survive and get out. Sounds good right? Not so much. It's not a bad read (up until the last few chapters) but it's completely ridiculous. They just so happen to have a seismograph and geiger counter with them so they're able to figure out what happened pretty quick. Also they just so happened to bring a medical resident with an unlimited supply of medical supplies (though she often says she's running out of supplies, she never seems to).
SPOILERS start here: The main story is really about the main character having a crush on one guy while another guy has a crush on her and the boys act like parrots puffing out their feathers trying to vie for her attention and one up each other. There's a point where two of the girls are having a conversation about sex (both virgins) and one asks the other if she felt the "fireworks down there" having no idea that she had an orgasm or what an orgasm is. I'm sorry but that's when I really lost any interest in the book. I finished it but really? You're telling me that two girls in their 20s have no idea what an orgasm is or that they experienced one. Have they never watched tv or read a book or listened to anyone in college talk?
The book had a lot of promise and even though I was turned off by the well supplied doctor and geiger counter at the beginning it was fairly easy to read and somewhat enjoyable. It would have gotten 3 stars if it hadn't been for the last 10-20% of the book. It just became too ridiculous and felt too juvenile.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2016
The Cave and The Wind Cave series just became one of my new favorite series so far this year. The fight for survival inside the cave is intense as the group has to navigate the underground trails and passageways and ration food in the hopes to survive until it is safe to return to the surface. The relationships that are formed and tested through the story is what makes this novel.
When the group first goes into the Wind Cave, they are not all friends in fact half of them really do not even know each other. As with any group that has to stick together in dire circumstances, they quickly begin to bond as each of them rely on each other. I like the relationships and friendships that form out of the group as they try to hike through the cave to get supplies and stay away from the toxic surface air until it is safe to return. It is not an easy journey and with most of the group having no climbing or caving experience, the simplest of paths can turn deadly if they are not careful.
I will say that I am not a usual fan of the love triangle, as it is overuse in novels today, but I think that the author, Michaela Montgomery, handled it very well. I only hate having to wait until the next book to see how the love triangle plays out or if Kate chooses herself over the boys. I personally would like to see her choose herself and if either of the love interest really cares, I think they will follow her. Now it is just a wait and see game.
There is so much more to the story of this group left to explore and while it is mainly from Kate’s perspective, I hope that the next book gives us more insight into the other characters as the decisions of the future are now in their hands. I think that the battle for survival has really just begun and will continue throughout the series, especially with the next book Aftermath.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**
When the group first goes into the Wind Cave, they are not all friends in fact half of them really do not even know each other. As with any group that has to stick together in dire circumstances, they quickly begin to bond as each of them rely on each other. I like the relationships and friendships that form out of the group as they try to hike through the cave to get supplies and stay away from the toxic surface air until it is safe to return. It is not an easy journey and with most of the group having no climbing or caving experience, the simplest of paths can turn deadly if they are not careful.
I will say that I am not a usual fan of the love triangle, as it is overuse in novels today, but I think that the author, Michaela Montgomery, handled it very well. I only hate having to wait until the next book to see how the love triangle plays out or if Kate chooses herself over the boys. I personally would like to see her choose herself and if either of the love interest really cares, I think they will follow her. Now it is just a wait and see game.
There is so much more to the story of this group left to explore and while it is mainly from Kate’s perspective, I hope that the next book gives us more insight into the other characters as the decisions of the future are now in their hands. I think that the battle for survival has really just begun and will continue throughout the series, especially with the next book Aftermath.
**Unabridged Bookshelf received this book, in exchange for an honest review**
December 16, 2015
Kate is excited about a four-day hike through the Wind Cave in South Dakota. She's finally going to tell her mentor, Percy, how she feels about him. But Kate, Percy and the four others on their expedition have a lot more to think about than romance when a nuclear war breaks out above ground. Their four-day hike turns into a 30-day survival story.
The Cave (The Wind Cave Book 1) by Michela Montgomery is a mix of suspense and romance. At first, the hikers don't realize what has happened on the surface. They think the blast they felt was an explosion or an earthquake. But they soon realize that the most likely scenario is a nuclear bomb. Montgomery lets the reader in on what is actually happening outside the cave through brief visits with a terrorist who is involved in the attack. I thought this was an interesting way to give the reader a bit more information than the main characters, without getting into too much detail about the attack.
The storyline kept me going. There's a nice combination of action and introspection among the six characters who are stuck inside the cave. Their reactions seemed genuine, for the most part, as they contemplated what was happening to their families and friends, and what would be left for them when the finally surfaced. They are all college students and seemed to behave as I would expect them to. I enjoyed the suspense a bit more than the romance, and found that the love triangle overwhelmed the more serious aspect of the storyline a bit too much at times.
I'm curious enough to want to read the next book in this series when it comes out. There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this one and I am anxious to see what Montgomery does next with these characters.
The Cave (The Wind Cave Book 1) by Michela Montgomery is a mix of suspense and romance. At first, the hikers don't realize what has happened on the surface. They think the blast they felt was an explosion or an earthquake. But they soon realize that the most likely scenario is a nuclear bomb. Montgomery lets the reader in on what is actually happening outside the cave through brief visits with a terrorist who is involved in the attack. I thought this was an interesting way to give the reader a bit more information than the main characters, without getting into too much detail about the attack.
The storyline kept me going. There's a nice combination of action and introspection among the six characters who are stuck inside the cave. Their reactions seemed genuine, for the most part, as they contemplated what was happening to their families and friends, and what would be left for them when the finally surfaced. They are all college students and seemed to behave as I would expect them to. I enjoyed the suspense a bit more than the romance, and found that the love triangle overwhelmed the more serious aspect of the storyline a bit too much at times.
I'm curious enough to want to read the next book in this series when it comes out. There's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this one and I am anxious to see what Montgomery does next with these characters.
January 18, 2018
Bon, je ne sais pas par quoi commencer…. l’histoire en elle-même n’est pas mauvaise, loin de là, mais je crois que c’est l’aspect « plat » de l’histoire qui me pose problème.
6 jeunes avec différentes ambitions se retrouvent coincés dans une cave. Ils se connaissaient pour la plupart, et pour d’autre non. Mais pas une cave de maison, non, non, une grotte de ouf. Vous voyez les films où il y a des spéléologues qui restent coincés dans une grotte et un monstre les bouffent les uns après les autres ? Eh bien c’est pareil SAUF qu’il n’y a pas de monstre.
Je ne suis pas déçue à cause de cela, juste que c’est trop plat. Malheureusement, et je sais que je suis contradictoire, on ne s’ennuie pas. En fait, je ne sais pas quoi penser de ce roman. Il n’est pas mauvais mais il n’est top top non plus.
Les personnages sont… plus ou moins attachants. Enfin, c’est vite dit. Chacun à un rôle dans le récit, personne n’est délaissé. D’ailleurs, il y a même une histoire d’amour (Quand je vous dis que la mort ne craint rien, ce n’était pas une blague).
Chaque individu à sa particularité. Au début, ils étaient distant et au fur et à mesure qu’on avance dans l’histoire, un lien se forme entre eux. Chacun prend soin l’un de l’autre. Et ce qui les attend dehors ne fera que resserrer ce lien.
Je crois que j’attendais trop de ce livre qui avait un bon fond. Je m’attendais à un frisson, une angoisse, un stress, mais non… il n’y a pas de Walking Dead…
Bon… tant pis… mais ça ne m’empêchera pas de continuer.
6 jeunes avec différentes ambitions se retrouvent coincés dans une cave. Ils se connaissaient pour la plupart, et pour d’autre non. Mais pas une cave de maison, non, non, une grotte de ouf. Vous voyez les films où il y a des spéléologues qui restent coincés dans une grotte et un monstre les bouffent les uns après les autres ? Eh bien c’est pareil SAUF qu’il n’y a pas de monstre.
Je ne suis pas déçue à cause de cela, juste que c’est trop plat. Malheureusement, et je sais que je suis contradictoire, on ne s’ennuie pas. En fait, je ne sais pas quoi penser de ce roman. Il n’est pas mauvais mais il n’est top top non plus.
Les personnages sont… plus ou moins attachants. Enfin, c’est vite dit. Chacun à un rôle dans le récit, personne n’est délaissé. D’ailleurs, il y a même une histoire d’amour (Quand je vous dis que la mort ne craint rien, ce n’était pas une blague).
Chaque individu à sa particularité. Au début, ils étaient distant et au fur et à mesure qu’on avance dans l’histoire, un lien se forme entre eux. Chacun prend soin l’un de l’autre. Et ce qui les attend dehors ne fera que resserrer ce lien.
Je crois que j’attendais trop de ce livre qui avait un bon fond. Je m’attendais à un frisson, une angoisse, un stress, mais non… il n’y a pas de Walking Dead…
Bon… tant pis… mais ça ne m’empêchera pas de continuer.
January 3, 2016
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
The Cave is about six college age kids on their way to the trip of a lifetime. Some are there to study and the others are there for companionship. A four day camping trip turns into a month adventure when a series of nuclear bombs go off and keep the group in the cave. It is a story of love and survival. What would each person do in order to survive?
I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction and after reading the synopsis I knew this book would be something I was interested in. I feel in love with the characters. They were complex and each complimented the other. I was truly impressed with how much I enjoyed all the characters. I, of course, do have a favorite character and it was Matt. He was cocky, snarky, and caring. He was everything I enjoy in a character. I have got to say my favorite part was the night Kate was choosing whether or not to become a doctor. It was raw emotions and hope for a different life. The ending did leave with a cliff hanger. I was so eager to find out what happens I purchased the whole series on Amazon. I did get in paperback because I'm having cover lust. I would recommend this series to anyone who wants a realistic take on survival.
The Cave is about six college age kids on their way to the trip of a lifetime. Some are there to study and the others are there for companionship. A four day camping trip turns into a month adventure when a series of nuclear bombs go off and keep the group in the cave. It is a story of love and survival. What would each person do in order to survive?
I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of dystopian and post apocalyptic fiction and after reading the synopsis I knew this book would be something I was interested in. I feel in love with the characters. They were complex and each complimented the other. I was truly impressed with how much I enjoyed all the characters. I, of course, do have a favorite character and it was Matt. He was cocky, snarky, and caring. He was everything I enjoy in a character. I have got to say my favorite part was the night Kate was choosing whether or not to become a doctor. It was raw emotions and hope for a different life. The ending did leave with a cliff hanger. I was so eager to find out what happens I purchased the whole series on Amazon. I did get in paperback because I'm having cover lust. I would recommend this series to anyone who wants a realistic take on survival.
January 12, 2016
It was different.
I'm really enjoying reading this genre lately - end of the world /Post Apocalyptic type of books, that is. This one is a different spin, and the beginning of a new series.
Six young adults enter a deep, underground cave, with five of the six having little caving experience, and then a disaster hits which takes out an unknown amount of the United States. Throughout the book, you see very little of the surface world, and you only know what happens to the group of six.
The book is very well written and seems to be well researched - I know nothing about caving, so I can only guess at how accurate everything is portrayed, but like I said, you definitely feel like you are in the cave. There are definitely some heart pounding events that happen, and you hold your breath a few times as you wonder how a character is going to get out of the next situation.
A love triangle ends up developing, and there definitely ends up being more romance then I like, but most of it is in the last third or so of the book. I could have done without most of the romance, and I definitely could have done without the love triangle stuff.
The book ends right as the group ends up on the surface again, leaving you wanting to read the next book.
All in all, I did like the book, but I really didn't love any of the characters, which is why I'm giving this one four stars.
I'm really enjoying reading this genre lately - end of the world /Post Apocalyptic type of books, that is. This one is a different spin, and the beginning of a new series.
Six young adults enter a deep, underground cave, with five of the six having little caving experience, and then a disaster hits which takes out an unknown amount of the United States. Throughout the book, you see very little of the surface world, and you only know what happens to the group of six.
The book is very well written and seems to be well researched - I know nothing about caving, so I can only guess at how accurate everything is portrayed, but like I said, you definitely feel like you are in the cave. There are definitely some heart pounding events that happen, and you hold your breath a few times as you wonder how a character is going to get out of the next situation.
A love triangle ends up developing, and there definitely ends up being more romance then I like, but most of it is in the last third or so of the book. I could have done without most of the romance, and I definitely could have done without the love triangle stuff.
The book ends right as the group ends up on the surface again, leaving you wanting to read the next book.
All in all, I did like the book, but I really didn't love any of the characters, which is why I'm giving this one four stars.
December 29, 2016
Wow, what a great start to what is sure to be a rather thrilling series. The Cave shows us the best (and worst) of a group of college aged kids and how you sometimes only get to know someone best when you are trapped together- literally. I enjoyed this original tale of survival after an apocalyptic event, though we don't really know much about that yet, I'm hoping the author will further explore it in future installments, as the glimpses we got into the mind of the people believed to be responsible were some of the most interesting parts of the book. I did find the romance to seem almost stuck in "just because it needed some," but otherwise this was a solid piece of literature. There were not really any instances where the story dragged, any of the slower times were reserved for Kate's introspection and I thought they were rather important to getting to know the character. Montgomery has given us a strong female coming of age tale, even if it's a bit later than we usually see them. She really comes into her own and takes things into her own hands, something I love to see! I will absolutely be looking forward to the next book! ***arc review***
January 12, 2016
Author Michela Montgomery’s apocalyptic page-turner, The Cave, is the first book in her Wind Cave series. Six students from Stanford University in California (Kate, Ano, Carlie, Jazz, Percy, and Matt) travel to South Dakota on a vacation/research expedition. For Kate, it’s the perfect getaway to tell her lab partner, Percy, how she really feels about him. Kate convinces her best friend and roommate, Ano, to tag along and act as a buffer in case things go horribly awry. What Kate didn’t know is that Percy already has a girlfriend, Carlie, who he invited to come along, and two additional students are coming along for the ride. Despite the emotional angst, things take a turn for the terrifying when a nuclear war begins on U. S. soil, forcing the group to remain in the cave until it’s safe to return to the surface. Cont...
May 22, 2015
The Cave is the start of a trilogy about 6 Stanford Students who go to South Dakota to explore a Cave during summer break. This the first book in the trilogy. It all takes place within the Cave exploration. While in the Cave, nuclear bombs have exploded across the US. Having little information on the outside, the 6 students need to stay in the Cave for 30 days to escape the radiation. The book's premise was what sparked my interest in the story. The suspense of not really knowing what was happening above ground as well as trying to find food/water int he Cave to sustain them made it a good read. There is a romantic angle to it and sometimes it takes away from the overall suspense of the novel. Look forward to see what the author envisions for the second book and what will happen with the students.
January 14, 2016
Originally posted on my blog Live Laugh & Love Books
Did I absolutely love this book? No, but did it keep me engrossed enough to keep going? YES!
It’s a great story line and the characters were decent. Kate can be a bit…indecisive��but I guess I can understand that because emotions can be confusing when you’re feeling them for the first time..but seriously..it got a little annoying! The twists were great and kept the plot moving and even though it isn’t the best, I am looking forward to reading what goes on next.
So hopefully you guys can give this book a chance and see if you’re okay with it too?
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
January 2, 2016
I enjoyed the book. I didn't love it, but it kept me engrossed enough to finish reading. I am interested to see where the group goes from here and will probably read the 2nd book in the series. The storyline appeared to be well-researched and well throughout. It was unique and different from a lot of things I've read recently. Well written and the characters were likable.
May 15, 2015
3.5 stars.
July 4, 2015
3 stars.
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