In Anticipation: Rebirth by Sophie Littlefield

Near the beginning of this year, I was given the opportunity to read a galley of a book by Sophie Littlefield, author of crime novel A Bad Day for Sorry and YA thriller Banished. The book in question, Aftertime, knocked my freaking socks off, a fate from which I've yet to recover. The post-apocalyptic tale of personal redemption and love was wonderfully written, with a scope both epic and intimate, themes both frightening and comforting, and so much more than I could have hoped for. At the moment, it's my favorite book of the year.

Needless to say, when I found out that the book was in fact the first in a series, I was over the moon. The sequel, Rebirth, is set for release in the middle of this summer...and from the blurb below, it sounds like it'll be a doozy. (Note, if you've not read the first book, decide now whether you care to read the info below!)

     Civilization has fallen, leaving California an unforgiving, decimated place. But Cass Dollar beat terrible odds to get her missing daughter back—she and Ruthie will be happy.


     Yet with the first winter, Cass is reminded that happiness is fleeting in Aftertime. Ruthie retreats into silence. Flesh-eating Beaters still dominate the landscape. And Smoke, Cass’s lover and strength, departs on a quest for vengeance, one that may end him even if he returns.
 

    The survivalist community Cass has planted roots in is breaking apart, too. Its leader, Dor, implores Cass to help him recover his own lost daughter, taken by the totalitarian Rebuilders. And soon Cass finds herself thrust into the dark heart of an organization promising humanity’s rebirth—at all costs.
     Bound to two men blazing divergent paths across a savage land, Cass must overcome the darkness in her wounded heart, or lose those she loves forever.

From the looks of it, Rebirth might have some of the dichotomy of scope that was present in its predecessor. One got glimpses of the great magnitude of the fate that's befallen society, but saw it through the eyes of a flawed individual who had much soul searching to do. That'd be a great thing for this story, because Cass has been a supremely compelling character to follow. It's too bad Smoke might be out and about for some of the time, but it's equally intriguing that there might be new faces to look forward to.

The cover art is great, in my humble opinion (props to the artist!). It's visually in line with the first book of the series, with similar visual cues (the lone figure in the distance, the murky and diffuse atmosphere, the delicate bird perched upon some barbed wire, etc.). But what's noticeably different are the signs of life and civilization hinted at by the pristine wire fence and...(gasp!)...is that electricity in the street lamp? Oh, and the risk of over-analyzing, I'll also point out the choice of green as the main color in the scene fits the title, at the very least. What else to represent rebirth than the hue of our beloved flora?

Rebirth is scheduled to be released in July, 2011 by Harlequin LUNA.

LUNA website: here

Sophie Littlefield website: here