I’ve read/listened to other post-apocalyptic fiction, some I’ve enjoyed more than others. I’d put this one in the middle.
I got to know the characters but didn’t particular bond with any of them. There were spots in the story where I saw opportunities to introduce tension, which didn’t materialize into anything of substance (e.g. a sense of cult-like menace or foreshadowing regarding the motives/interests of the folks running Oasis). My strongest overall impression after finishing the book is that ‘survival’ is mostly a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time, that the ones who thrive are the ones who started prepping (with significant financial investment) years before the apocalyptic event, and that everyone is probably going to die anyway.
Having said this, I don’t regret listening to the story, for the following reasons. First, I really like the idea that you can’t depend on the military to come charging in like white knights to the rescue. They may be decimated, disorganized, or prioritizing and people surviving in small clusters will be lower on their priority list. Second, I enjoyed the debate about being charitable/altruistic versus being self-interested. I can understand that this would be a significant inner struggle for some people, but no struggle at all for others — that’s fascinating to me. I’ve done thousands and thousands of hours of volunteering over my lifetime (so far!) and I wonder how easily I’d be able to switch into an ‘every man for himself’ mentality and possibly risk my own well-being to help a vulnerable family. Third, I’m curious to see where the author takes us in future books with the same cast of characters in different perilous situations. One of the things I enjoyed most about watching ‘American Horror Story’ on television was that we got to see the same actors/actresses reincarnated into different roles and storylines. I’m curious to see how Tom Abrahams reincarnates the characters we got to know in Ash. Finally, the narration was very well done – I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to Kevin Pierce in the future.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review