The Other Life

Susanne Winnacker

Susanne Winnacker studied law and is currently doing her legal clerkship. She lives with her husband in the Ruhrgebiet, Germany. As an offset to hours brooding over law and its meaning, she spends every free minute in fantastical private worlds, posting on her blog and contributing to many others.

Visit susannewritesfiction.blogspot.com to find out more.

Press & Blog Reviews

The plot was so amazing memorable and gory. And with shocking twist at the end that had my jaw hanging open as well as praying I had the sequel in my hands, The Other Life is a Spine Chilling, gory entrancing dystopian novel that I didn't want to end. Bring on the sequel The Life Beyond. Don't close your eyes. Watch out for the Weepers!
The Dark Readers

A wonderful YA dystopian novel that hopefully will stand out from the rapidly growing market in this genre.
Pukka Pad

The Other Life is absolutely gripping. Susanne Winnacker certainly has a knack of capturing atmosphere.
Our Book Reviews

One of the best teen books I've read!
Leanne Ryan, Waterstone’s children’s bookseller

The Other Life portrays the struggles of one ordinary girl...in the face of horror and devastation of the world around her.
Aldershot News & Mail

One of my favourite things about this book was how the authors maintained the fear factor and also mixed in romance. Susanne really knows how to write and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this dark and completely absorbing series.
Best Books blog

The Other Life was a good and easy read, one that kept you turning the pages and looking forward to finding out more. A major highlight for me was how the author used the numbers in the book; it definitely bought on the realisation of how intense Sherry’s life was living in the bunker...a good start to a promising series.
Book Passion for Life blog

With its gritty story line, believable characters, and heart-stopping twists, this YA debut is certainly one to watch... without a doubt, a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction.
Realm of Fiction blog

The Other Life is the first book to come from Susanne Winnacker, and another book added to Usborne's growing YA list... The book is brilliantly written and I don't really want to say much more about what happens because it really would spoil it. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you going... Susanne has created something beautiful here that really stands out [from] the current flood of dystopian fiction.
Empire of Books

An engaging dystopian story that’s already got me excited for the sequel, The Life Beyond. Definitely recommended to fans of the genre!
Daisy Chain Book Reviews

To begin, the novel is forebodingly claustrophobic - the continuous counting of days, hours, minutes combined with the fact that Sherry and her family don’t actually know what is out there is hugely effective – this is Winnacker at her best. The reader becomes intensely intrigued by how they’ll escape their caged like existence.
The Nocturnal Reader blog

Right from the very first page, the story and the characters really grabbed me... There was plenty of danger and edge-of-my-seat action that had me furiously turning the pages!
Fluttering Butterflies blog

This is a fantastic story that for me was like a cross between Resident Evil & Lost... I'm desperate to find out what will happen to everyone in the next part of the story 'The Life Beyond'.
District YA blog

As Sherry learns to navigate this new world, readers will find themselves rooting for this unlikely yet very likeable heroine.
Amazon, Young Adult Pick

Susanne Winnacker’s writing is simplistic and crisp guaranteeing that you will be sucked into this book without realising it.
YA Book Reads blog

From the moment I started The Other Life I was hooked... If you haven't read it yet then you need to get hold of a copy.
Much Loved Books blog

A very convincing, enthralling and emotional debut... if you love dystopian and zombie literature, it’s the right book for you.
Endlessly Bookish blog

The Other Life is an impressive debut novel, a page-turning super-tense dystopian delight that packs a killer punch.
Books for Keeps

Susanne Winnacker delivered a solid debut that I really enjoyed and I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes out for the sequel.
So Many Books, So Little Time blog

What probably sets it apart is the ease with which you can read this book. Wow it’s fast...left me a little breathless.
Cosy Book Reviews blog

This book is a very speedy romp - the pace is so fast that you’re completely swept away with it, desperate to know what twist comes next... the perfect read if you are new to post-apocalyptic zombie fare - this is the kind of book that works as a perfect gateway to the genre.
The Reluctant Hypersomniac blog

Susanne Winnacker’s perfectly pitched young adult novel takes two age-old themes – romance and horror – and turns them into a dazzling dystopian blockbuster...a gripping and gritty page-turner with an achingly beautiful teen romance at its fast-beating heart.
Lancashire Evening Post

Had me gripped from the moment I picked it up... it was easy to imagine these events actually occurring and that is what makes it even more scary to read... a great debut from Susanne Winnacker.
Feeling Fictional blog

I loved the ‘rhythm’ of this story... It’s speeding up and then slowing down for just a page, enough for you to catch your breath and then keep running through the book, not wanting to get to the ending, but unable to put it down.
Reading After Midnight blog

Especially memorable...The best parts [are] reminiscent of Emma Donoghue’s adult novel Room, which show up the tensions of a family stuck in a bunker for 1,141 days and on the brink of starvation.
The Daily Telegraph

A fantasy just waiting to be made into a zombie film. The monsters of this tale - The Weepers - are depicted with great skill, inspiring genuine terror in the reader... Winnacker raises a whole range of issues central to contemporary societies... Is The Other Life the kind of allegorical warning we desperately need?
Books for Keeps

The perfect example of a fast paced, action packed and cleverly written dystopian novel – Winnacker presents us such a devastating picture of a future Los Angeles, something so different from the world we’re living in now, that you simply cannot help but listen to every word she says... Gut-wrenching, utterly riveting and still a little bit optimistic, The Other Life is definitely one of those books you need to pick up as soon as you can... Without a doubt it’s been one of my favourite books this year.
Books, Biscuits and Tea blog

Pacy and full of suspense, adventure and action as well as romance.
School Librarian Journal

Reader Reviews

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Extras

• Follow Susanne Winnacker on Twitter
  Follow @SusanneWrites on Twitter for all the latest news from the author.
• Guest interview with Susanne Winnacker
  When Sherry's family run out of food in The Other Life Sherry and her Dad are forced out of their bunker to the world above. Author Susanne Winnacker talked to foodie blog Pots and Pens about the dishes she just couldn't live with out.
• Joshua's diaries
  In The Other Life, Sherry joins forces with Joshua, an Avenger who is determined to destroy the Weepers. Joshua's diary entries were written by author Susanne Winnacker for her blog tour.
• Read a Q&A with Susanne Winnacker
  Find out more about the writing of The Other Life in Susanne's interview with MigMag.
• Read an interview with Susanne Winnacker
  How does Susanne think she would cope in Sherry's situation? Read her interview with Books for Keeps to find out!
• Read Susanne Winnacker's Top 10 Survival books
• Watch the trailer