Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

The Before by Ben Jackson takes readers into a dystopian future in which a virus has wiped out most of humanity. The tragic part is that the virus was originally meant to benefit mankind. But all it did was leave a world in pieces. Small groups of survivors try their best to go on with life. Some wander the countryside, plundering, raping, and killing along the way as they please. Others form communities to work together, and find (relative) safety in numbers. Then there are those who would like to rebuild the world, form a government and bring people back to living in a proper society. Dillon and Matt belong to the second kind of group, but winter is coming and survival depends on their hunting skills and more. When they find a note that tells them about a bigger group that welcomes all others to build a new civilization, they set out to find them - but along the way they find danger. A danger that will threaten their whole community. A race against time begins.

I enjoyed reading The Before by Ben Jackson and finished it in only two days. It was a rather exciting read with some twists and turns that made it impossible to put the book down at certain stages. You simply HAD to keep on reading to find out just what happens. But then the next thing happens, and you tell yourself: just a few more pages. You know the kind of book! While I couldn't build any real connection to any of the characters, I loved the plot. It was well thought through, interesting, and also made you think about what you would do in such a situation. Which kind of survivor would you be? Would you even survive? The action scenes were well described and you could easily imagine what was happening where and to whom. Often, action sequences in certain terrains can become a bit confusing in books, but this author did a good job with leading the reader's eye. There's definitely potential for a sequel, I would say.