I'm putting this book on pause for a while. Maybe indefinitely.
I guess people have had problems with the book. Specifically, the kids being young and using guns.
Being leaders and the others just accepting them into the group really quickly.
As well as the story following canon.
1. For the kids being young, I don't really know what to say, I mean, Paul was literally tortured his entire childhood and forced to use guns, so it's easy for him. Carl is 12, so it's not really that hard. Judith is like 12? running around with a magnum. I don't know, my bad for giving them guns.
2. As for Paul and Carl, just kind of becoming leaders and doing their own thing, being accepted into the group really fast. I didn't even have time to show it yet. It's only been one day since they met the group, and it was hectic with Sophia being shot. But mainly it was because in this timeline, Shane never slept with Lori, so Rick, Shane, and Lori are really close and are basically the leaders of the group. Paul saving Carl and bringing him back, as well as Carl telling Lori how Paul had saved him, gave Paul huge leeway in their eyes for a while before they started drilling him about his past.
3. The story following canon. I mean it's so early in the story, it's hard to deviate when nothing has really happened yet unless Carl and Paul just never met up with the rest of the group but I didn't want to do that.
Also, Carl explained how Paul had saved him and everything since the highway to everyone in the RV, including Dale. That's why Dale is holding off on drilling them with questions for a couple of days while everyone settles down.