Book Review: Andromeda (ANDROMEDA Series Vol 1) by Amy Bartelloni

My wife found Andromeda through a bookbub ad sent directly to her email.  The blurb described a post-apocalyptic story set in a world ravaged by disease, and since my first novel (Exchange Day) is set in a post-apocalyptic world, we thought it would be a good idea to get it for our Kindles.  Following are a few thoughts on the novel:

• The writing is clear and fast-paced.  The first chapter jumps right into the story, and doesn't stop until the book is finished.  I found it easy to read and completed it within a few short days.
• I knew going in that this was the first volume in a series (3 books total), and so understood that there would be more story when I finished.  Andromeda's story is relatively straightforward and could stand on its own with a clear end to the main conflict.  So, don't be turned off because this is book 1 in a series.  If you like the world and the characters within, you can move on to book 2.  If not, you won't feel let down or frustrated by a cliff-hanger at the end.
• I like stories set in a post-apocalyptic world.  Since this is a genre explored by many writers, I like to see new takes on the desolation and anarchy following a traumatic, world-wide tragedy.  Andromeda takes place only 10 years later, so it is long enough for things to be REALLY messed up, but not so long that people have forgotten what life was like before.  But they are on the verge of forgetting.  The conflicts centers around the disease and the power struggle that exists afterward.  The main players are searching for a cure, so there is this feeling that things could return to life pre-tragedy.
• Character development is achieved through action.  This novel is action packed, so it's only natural that the characters are defined by what they do.  
• There's one central conflict told primarily from two perspectives that drives the story.  The two perspectives give us added insight into the world, and ultimately give depth to the story. Bartelloni organizes the novel well around the central conflict and does a good job progressing the story to a climactic moment in the final act.  Like I said earlier, this story stands on its own and wraps up nicely.  And if you like it, you will be able to continue on in this world with her second book in the series called Orion's Curse.