Mistake, The - Book 2 of the Ashes, Ashes series

It’s a “shoot first, ask questions later” world after the apocalypse. After a perilous escape from the nuclear wreckage of their Washington, DC suburb in Ashes, Ashes, the surviving kids reach their destination, a mountain safe house, only to find their troubles have just begun. There are no adults and the kids are still all alone. Fifteen-year-old Nester Bartlett's biggest worries had been growing up black in America... but the nuclear apocalypse has changed all of the rules. Now, instead of getting good grades and struggling against the negative stereotypes against African American men, he's fighting just to stay alive. With no skills for his new life of tending animals, maintaining fires and defending their mountain cabin against intruders, he's unprepared for the threats that bombard him and his friends from the weather, from escaped prisoners from a nearby correctional facility and from their own grief over their losses. Then, as nuclear winter sweeps over their mountain home killing crops and animals, a medical emergency threatens one of their number. Nester must make a desperate choice that shatters their little community and irrevocably alters their chances for survival. Praise for THE MISTAKE A great spin on the usual TEOTWAWKI line. The only issue I had was that I just had to know what happened next & next... [the] characters & their interactions with each other became more & more real to me as the books progressed. Great books. Irresistible. An excellent read! These books really hook you... once you start, you can't stop! The characters are realistic and likable. The depth of human dynamics, dialogue, and interactions are believable and well written. Fantastic! A story of resilience and the will to survive told from the perspective of a bunch of kids--the oldest is 15. Excellent series!