Review of 'Cost of Survival (Worth of Souls #1)' by Bonnie R. Paulson

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Cost of Survival, Book #1

Anger isn’t an emotion anymore, it’s more of a survival mode I can’t afford to let go. My dad predicted World War III would happen in his life, but he died two years before… with my brother… …before Mom and I walked in search of refuge from the bombing. Strengthened by her faith, Mom never feels alone. But me? I don’t know what to believe or where to turn. Someone once said keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but I disagree. Friends scare me the most. They know me and my mom. Nothing about them is safe. The ones in charge… Control everything… Crud, I’ve started crying because I’m scared I won’t survive World War III. But a bigger part of me is scared I will. My mom is bleeding in my arms and she’s making me promise to follow her three rules. Pray. Don’t trust anyone. Stay alive. How long do I need to break all three? **My thoughts** Dystopian books are not necessarily my favorites. I often feel like I am reading the same story again and again. Yet, if Bonnie R. Paulson writes it, I am compelled to read it. There is something about her voice and her style that sucks you in and makes each one of her stories unique. I was relaxing in a hot tub on vacation and read the whole book at once. And now I desperately need to get my hands on Book 2.  Kelly is already having enough difficulty, being 17 years old and having lost her father and her brother. Now with WWIII starting up, she and her mother now have to race for their lives. She is torn between what she thought was real and what her beliefs were and what her mother is telling her she needs to do. She has a very real struggle with faith, whereas her mother is unwavering in hers. I truly love how Kelly comes home from school once the bombings start, already in fight or flight mode, and her mother is just calmly drinking a cup of tea. That one scene toward the beginning says so much about their characters.  Kelly's mom is strong. She has been trying to teach Kelly to be strong. Kelly doesn't think she is really strong, but I think quickly finds out that she has strength she had never imagined. She grows in that respect, plus in her ideas about faith. Some of the questions that she asks herself as she ponders her existence and the state of the world actually made my brain start to spin. Would I have any faith if I were in the same situation? How would I feel if confronted with people wanting to kill me or hurt me, with betrayal, with the evil of this Third World War? I always say it is a good sign if a book keeps you glued to the pages AND makes you think while you are reading it. Even without reading the descriptions of the next two books, I can tell that the next two books are destined to keep those wheels spinning while glued to my Kindle. An emphasis is placed on the importance of women, but not in a good way. Men are fighting to be the ones in charge and to hell with the consequences. How does this society go so far backwards from where we have gotten? What is it that makes one life more valuable than another? Who gets to make those decisions? And can your faith really get you through everything? I will note that while faith is a strong force in this book, it is by no means anything overtly Christian nor preachy in any way. I think readers of any faith are going to relate to the moral questions being raised in this book and will ponder their own beliefs as they pertain to their own practices. Another great read by Paulson. Just love her books and highly recommend them to readers of all ages! Amazon * iBooks * Nook * Kobo Exchange Rate, Book #2 I’m pregnant and I couldn’t be more excited. But the community Bodey, his dad, and I live in has rules. Rules that make Mom’s rules seem like safety nets. Only 200 people are allowed at a time. My baby will make it 201. The leader is making me choose someone from our house to die so there will be room for my child. Either I make the decision or they take… my… Even in the craziness that the world has become, I refuse to believe only 200 can live in it at once. The “community” is safe-ish, comfortable. We have food, warmth, and there isn’t immediate danger of being robbed while we sleep. Doesn’t it make sense we’d have to exchange something for all that? I’ve survived this long. Maybe that’s enough. Maybe I should die so my family can live. Or maybe I can get through the lines and find a people worth sacrificing for. Amazon * iBooks * Nook * Kobo Worth of Souls, Book #3 Running for my life and six months pregnant, I’m terrified but confident in my decisions.With my love and family behind me, captured by the same man who chases me, I have only a small window to find help. The baby needs to come out eventually. Nobody said the end of the world would define people so much. Everywhere I turn I have to prove my worth.Mom was gone before I learned my value lay in my eyes. Not others. But how would that save Bodey? How could my worth change how the world me spins?If I can’t figure it out, everyone I love will die, trapped in a place where even following the rules won’t protect us. Amazon * iBooks * Nook * Kobo About the author: Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane. Follow on: Facebook / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter / Literary Addicts / Amazon Follow the Book Tour