I like the characters, but the author is one those writers who constantly tortures their characters, repeatedly having them barely escape from violent encounters while killing off most of the folks who help them. The teenage heroine escapes from captivity at the hands of demented brothers at least four times only to keep getting caught.
Also, many of us wannabe preppers look to this genre for survival tips. This book has none of that, only providing negative examples, like pointing a gun as a threat without wanting to hurt someone, or advice like the old saw that racking the slide on a shotgun is as effective as using it.