A good premise, but didn’t like the characters or ending.

The premise of the book, a possible cyber attack against the US aimed at the electrical grid, is pertinent and believable. I was mainly glad to see something that wasn’t another zombie apocalypse. Also, since it was written by a woman, I was looking forward to a “prepper” book that wouldn’t have all the men almost prescient in their preparations while also being military- or militia-trained sharpshooting he-men, while all the women were ill, stupid, or useless wilting violets.

Instead, I got a book which spent too much time in the characters’ heads while they agonized over their guilt. The one somewhat serious prepper in the story didn’t seem able to carry through with his plans once the SHTF. He also seemed annoyingly slow on the uptake as regards another character who so far is only discussed and doesn’t actually appear in the book. Nevertheless, I was frustrated and distracted by his inability to figure it out. Most of the characters seemed either unable to think on their feet or prone to panic. That may be a more realistic description of real people’s reactions in such an emergency, but it is maybe swinging a little too far the opposite way from my pet peeves as presented in the first paragraph above. Then, the ending is very abrupt.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS BOOK IS SERIAL, AND DOES NOT CONTAIN A WHOLE STORY. Unlike a traditional book series, in which each volume is a story in itself with introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, then resolution, this book ends during the rising action. It is written more like a TV miniseries; you are very much left hanging at the end.

Kevin Pierce’s performance is good, with enough vocal variation to distinguish between characters and to dramatize the more exciting sequences without distracting from the flow of the narrative.