Book Loving Mommy: Blog Tour & Giveaway: Pods by Michelle K. Pickett

**I received this book from Spencer Hill Press for an honest review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

My Thoughts: This book scared me to death! Seriously, it did. The first reason is because I could totally see this happening. I mean, whether the government releases it or it's some virus that we have never seen, it could totally happen. The second reason is because I have kids. Unlike Eva's parents, I have more than one child...I have three. Now, if you haven't read the book, you won't know why this scared me so I'll tell you. There are only so many spaces in the Pods for the uninfected to live in. Therefore, there was a "raffle" and if your social security number was picked, you got to live! I spent the first few chapters thinking "what if this happened and if it did, what if only ONE of my kids got chosen?" As a parent, how would you deal with that? Luckily for Eva and her parents, she was an only child.

Eva comes home from school one day to find her parents watching the news. They immediately turn it off and don't let her see anything because they don't want to worry her. However, they forgot how rapidly news, especially "end of the world" news travels. She finds out during school the next day that a virus is very quickly spreading through the world and killing everyone who comes in contact with it. The government has no cure for it. They don't even know how it is spreading. The government decides that they are going to take the "important" people and then some lucky "regular" people underground to live in Pods until the virus is gone. A raffle is planned for one evening and happens behind closed doors. Eva is one of the lucky "winners" but her parents are not.

Going into the Pods reminds me a little of the T.V. shows Big Brother or The Real World. Ten strangers are put into each sub-pod and must learn to live together for the next year. No one comes in and no one goes out. Eva is put into a Pod and gets to know her new roommates quickly. Of course, when you are young (and they were all young) and stuck in a small area together for a long period of time, you are bound to have some romances. Eva meets David and even though they fought it for awhile (how awkward would a break up be in the Pods??), they end up getting together.

Everything is going along somewhat smoothly until they are told they are being released. No one knows yet what is up above but they are told they will be going into "villages" which end up being more like compounds. David and Eva are separated. After some time, Eva finds out that there were survivors of the virus. Some of the survivors are okay but others have a mutated form of the virus that has basically made them into zombies. Everyone is safe as long as they are in the compounds but of course, that doesn't happen.

Now outside the compound, but with David again, Eva must fight for her life. David and Eva are part of a group of "outsiders" that are trying to make it to California. They are fighting the "zombies" the whole way and lose some friends. When they find the entrance to the now abandoned Pods, Eva and David show their group and everything goes smoothly until the infected find them again. Now they must decide whether they stay in the Pods or try to make it to California.

I liked Eva and David. They were great characters and very strong but very stubborn. I liked how Eva chose to fight with the men instead of cower in the circle but I really thought there should have been more of Eva teaching the other girls how to fight not just yelling at them to fight. There were A LOT of romantic scenes in this book. Enough that even I wanted to yell at Eva and David to get a room already. Let me tell you, that must have been some love too because at one point, Eva mentions she hasn't showered in over two weeks, hasn't brushed her teeth in just as long and yet her and David are making out hot and heavy. All I could think of was morning breath and slimy teeth...yuck!

I really enjoyed the other characters like Tiffany, George, Jessica and Devlin. I am hoping to get to hear more about them in the next book. You know where George is and you know how Tiffany is doing at the end of this book but this book leaves you wondering what happened to the other Pod members and Jessica and Devlin.

This book will definitely keep you on your toes. It is filled with action and excitement and you never really know what is going to happen. There were times when I held my breath right along with Eva while I read through the intense moments. Make sure you have time to read because once you start this one you will NOT want to put it down until you have finished it!