Between the Lines: REVIEW: The Future Without Hope (The World Without End #3) By, Nazarea Andrews

Separated from Finn, captive of the Order, Nurrin has no hope left. But she has survived twenty years of zombies--and she has the unshakable faith that Finn will find her.

But Finn is a long way away. The Order's influence runs deeper than was ever suspected, and politics are shifting--and zombies may not be the most dangerous thing she's facing.

Finn always thought the war stripped him of all he had to lose. But with Nurrin missing and doors closing in his face, he realizes there is always more for the world to take--and he will drag the remains of civilization down with him before he gives up on the only promise that matters.

“What is the only thing that matters?”

I am completely in love with this series. When I picked up the first book in this series I wasn’t aware that my literary life was going to change. It has been a while since I have been addicted to a series and this one has changed that. Nazarea creates a zombie story that is original, heart stopping and addictive. I fell in love with Nurrin and Finn in the first book and my love for them keeps growing.

“Some found peace and the will to carry on in the mundane-raising children and keeping house and making sure everything was right in their small worlds. It was a coping strategy-a way to deal with the constant threat of death hang over their heads. But denial isn’t dealing.”

Nurrin has been betrayed by Kenny and taken by The Order. The Order wants her dead because she is a first and Kenny wants her dead to hurt Finn. Now she is in the back of a truck with her infected brother losing hope that Finn will ever find her. Nurrin is biding her time. Waiting until Finn can get there all the while being drugged into oblivion while The Order does whatever it wants with her and to her.

“She looks savage and beautiful, and like the girl I’ve come to know- not the one I watched and resented in Hellspawn, but the girl I’ve been forced to get to know and trust in the Wide Open.”

With every book that Nazarea creates Nurrin grows. She is turning into a complete badass throughout this whole story. She starts out as a naïve girl in the haven, to a survivor who can hold her own in the Wide Open. In this book specifically she has to deal with more than I thought she every would. She’s alone, losing hope, being abused, and having no idea where they took her infected brother. Living with the knowledge that she is eventually going to lose him. You can see Nurrin’s transformation into someone who more resembles Finn. She is more willing to kill living people and she is set on vengeance. I love her character. While she is becoming more like Finn there is still a side to her that is softer. She still cries over losing her brother and the things that were done to her. She has just learned to cover it with an emotionless mask so that she can survive.

“Before, we were told that it takes a certain kind of soullessness to take a life, not every man could, because not every man was a monster. And to kill, to be willing to end someone so completely-that was a monstrous thing, it is still. And then the monsters came, and they made monsters of us all.”

Finn for a split second thinks about not going after Nurrin but he made a promise and he doesn’t make them lightly. Now he has to get her back and he is ready to do whatever it takes to get her back. Starting with Kenny and The Order. When he can’t get answers he becomes violent to get The Order’s attention. When he finally finds Nurrin he has made an ally he never though would again.

“It’s always been about you, Nurrin,” he says, so quietly I could pretend I didn’t hear it.

Finn has always been one of those character where I couldn’t decide if I loved him or hated him. His chapters really saved him for me. If I didn’t get a look into what he was thinking I would have hated him. Finn is also one of those characters that you would want on your side if the zombie apocalypse ever did happen. The way he views the world is jaded, bitter, and completely angry. He is content to keep his emotions under lock and key but this book changes everything. Finn goes through his own transformation. He has to come to terms with his feelings for Nurrin and he can’t hide them anymore.

“She’s dug her way into my defenses, and I’m not giving her up now-I can’t. And in a rare moment of honesty with myself, I will admit the truth. I don’t want to.”

This novel is completely different that the two previous books. The two before have been about action and surviving. While this book is also about surviving, there just isn’t that much action. The action wasn’t as intense and there really wasn’t that much build-up. After reading the first two books I would question the relationship between Nurrin and Finn because it did seem plausible that there even was one. But this book more than made up for it. This book was all about emotion. Good god. This novel had me on a rollercoaster with every page that I turned. Everything that you felt underneath Nurrin and Finn’s conversations come to the front and neither of them can deny anything anymore. I have definitely been waiting for a solid reason to be Team Finn. I mean one page I love him and the next I hate him. Nazarea gave us multiple reasons, finally, to be on Team Finn.

“I’ve been lying to myself. I found something to live for again, years ago.”

While we have the action and the emotions this book gave us even more. There wasn’t as many infects in this actual book. This side of the story showed us more of the crumbling society, the dysfunctional government, and The Order. We get to see the hesitations and the planning everyone is going through about the hordes and the people in the Havens. The first two books focused on the violence of the infects and finding Collin and this story showed us the human side of things. We also get more of an insight into the War of the East and everything that Finn went through with Kelsey and Omar. I really need to know what happened to Kelsey. We are getting closer but it bothers me that I don’t know yet.

“I think that’s part of why I’ve run so hard from this. Because I knew. The day he came home with Collin, that he was different. That he was dangerous in a way none of the have boys-boys like Dustin-could be. He could break me. And it would be worth it.”

I really really like this series and this book is probably one of my favorites so far. This book really makes you question Hope in a world where there isn’t any. Finn and Nurrin both question the validity of hope and they both realize that hope is what eventual kills you. But you need hope while reading this book. This cliffhanger is a mean one but one that I love. Nazarea really picked a perfect title. Is there any hope for Finn and Nurrin? Is there any hope for the rest of the world? Is there any hope for the east?

“I’m staring at Finn and I see everything-every emotion he’s never allowed me to see, every end and beginning and all of the fucked up in between. The fear and devastation and sickening loss.”

All in all Nazarea really outdid herself with this novel. I really don’t have anything that I can complain about with this book. It was the perfect installment to this series. Nazarea mentioned she has a couple ideas for more books so she isn’t sure when it’s ending and that is fine with me. I know in her hands this series will have an incredible ending whenever it comes. Until then I will continue to enjoy the story as it is.