This book had a lot of problems, and I suspect the low number of ratings is responsible for its 4.4-star overall rating. Let’s break it down:
The Good
=========
The overall story of a man and his son going on a journey to save loved ones—is a tried-and-true plot that offers plenty of room for development, exciting characters, and a diverse narrative.
The story itself was okay, though somewhat simplistic and naive.
The Bad
=========
The writing felt pedantic, frequently detailing non-critical tasks without adding flavor or depth. These tangents distracted from the story rather than enhancing it. I kept waiting for a reason behind these side notes, but none came.
The main character (MC) was portrayed as the only “real man” left in the country, with others coming close only if they were military brothers. His level of contempt for everyone was staggering. If this character were real and sent for evaluation, I suspect megalomania would be the diagnosis.
The characters were very two-dimensional:
-The MC is a manly man who has it all together.
-Weak, scared people who are good.
-Weak people who are bad.
-Those clinging to a manly man for safety and security.
-The only other character who wasn’t weak and stupid or weak and evil was the general he met in the small town.
The author seems naïve or was writing with an agenda in mind. At one point, the MC claims the EMP that crippled the U.S. will “level the playing field” between rich and poor. Seriously? His premise is that disasters historically help the have-nots? If the author didn’t want to do historical research, they could have at least looked at other apocalyptic stories like Resident Evil, The Hunger Games, or Soylent Green. A poor premise makes for a poor story.
Despite being the only manly man with a good heart, the MC is a whiny drama queen. He’s traveling across the country in a working vehicle with food, guns, and supplies, yet complains he “can never catch a break” and wonders why things aren’t going his way.
It took halfway through the book before the author showed an example of good people working together, while bad guys consistently collaborated to improve their situation. Premise #2 is that bad guys work well together while good people are sheep that hide in their houses?
Other than being a whiny, narcissistic drama queen who holds contempt for everyone else, the MC is great. Honestly, he would have made a better antagonist than protagonist.
I can’t recommend this book. While parts of the story were decent, the flaws were so overwhelming that I just wanted to finish and move on to something better. The main entertainment was trying to remember all the story flubs so I could do a comprehensive review.
The narrator was okay. I’m not sure if the poor material limited his ability to shine or if he’s simply average. He didn’t elevate the dull, pedantic portions with voices or passionate reading, so my 3-star rating feels generous—but it might not reflect his ability with better material.
Sorry for all the snark in the review, but “oh my,” how did this get published?