Ashes

Ashes by Ilsa Bick. Published by Egmont, 2011.

Alex is trying to deal with her medical problems and decides to go for a hiking and camping trip. Shortly after encountering an older man and his granddaughter, they all double over in pain and lose consciousness. When they wake up, the man is dead, cell phones aren’t working and Alex finds herself in charge of the little girl and her dog. They meet another hiker, Tom, who has some theories about what might have happened and the magnitude of the disaster. They know they must get help. Dead bodies and and seeing some kids eating people brings a whole new level of horror to their situation. Alex gets separated from Tom and Ellie and knows she can't survive on her own. Admission to the town of Rule seems to be Alex’s salvation, but something about the town scares Alex.

If this sounds like a zombie book, it kind of is- but it is so much more. It is also about the end of society as we know it, survival, and friendship.