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mnyberg's review
3.0
I thought an interesting take on the nuclear apocalyptic scenario. Decent writing.
mistylyn's review
3.0
Post-apocalyptic fiction is my guilty pleasure. For that reason alone, and without reading reviews, I picked up this novel and dove in. In retrospect, I should have been a tad more cautious and perhaps dipped my feet in the pool by actually perusing those reviews. Had I done so, I may have decided to forgo this one altogether.
First, the overall premise is a nuclear disaster—unusual in this day of authors preferring decimation via EMPs. The story is set in and around LA, which is ground zero for the blast, and not far (relatively speaking) from the college campus where several of the characters are located. In addition to the collegiate contingency, other characters include an immoral former con and an ex-military guy and his dog. Chapters initially rotate perspective between these characters until finally they are brought together through circumstances best described as coincidental.
The characters themselves are fairly well rounded and brought to life, each staying true to their prescribed personalities. My issue is with the “organization” that pulls them to common ground—the Oasis. Without spoilers, suffice it to say that this is where the plot goes off the rails and never really returns to the tracks. It was next to impossible to suspend my disbelief long enough to swallow the premise and made the read difficult at best, often bordering on simply ridiculous.
My recommendation here is to pass and find something else in this genre.
First, the overall premise is a nuclear disaster—unusual in this day of authors preferring decimation via EMPs. The story is set in and around LA, which is ground zero for the blast, and not far (relatively speaking) from the college campus where several of the characters are located. In addition to the collegiate contingency, other characters include an immoral former con and an ex-military guy and his dog. Chapters initially rotate perspective between these characters until finally they are brought together through circumstances best described as coincidental.
The characters themselves are fairly well rounded and brought to life, each staying true to their prescribed personalities. My issue is with the “organization” that pulls them to common ground—the Oasis. Without spoilers, suffice it to say that this is where the plot goes off the rails and never really returns to the tracks. It was next to impossible to suspend my disbelief long enough to swallow the premise and made the read difficult at best, often bordering on simply ridiculous.
My recommendation here is to pass and find something else in this genre.
not_irish_patrick's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Not the most enjoyable book, but still interesting. A lot of the characters were too stupid, for my taste.
mylhibug's review
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
norma_cenva's review
3.0
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars
Great idea, to explore different scenarios with the same bunch of characters!
Great idea, to explore different scenarios with the same bunch of characters!
vailynst's review
3.0
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Narration by Kevin Pierce
4 Stars for Basic Premise
2 Stars for Execution of Plot/Setting/etc
The series came up during my "audio zombie" search on Audible. The premise is cool. The idea is to explore different disaster scenarios with a central group of characters. I thought that would be cool to explore.
I finished the book and I'm left feeling like I listened to a caustic setup for a story. Except there's no more to this particular strand. You get a basic idea of the world, the disaster and the multiple characters but the brush strokes are not detailed enough to make any of them stand out.
4 Stars for Narration by Kevin Pierce
4 Stars for Basic Premise
2 Stars for Execution of Plot/Setting/etc
The series came up during my "audio zombie" search on Audible. The premise is cool. The idea is to explore different disaster scenarios with a central group of characters. I thought that would be cool to explore.
I finished the book and I'm left feeling like I listened to a caustic setup for a story. Except there's no more to this particular strand. You get a basic idea of the world, the disaster and the multiple characters but the brush strokes are not detailed enough to make any of them stand out.
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