Review: Sit down. Let Kilroy tell you a story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2014
Do you love an intelligent tale about loss, survival, and the human spirit?Nine Meals has got IT. A rich plot. Deeply developed characters you want to both hug and hide from (the apocalyptic setting is a character unto itself, no doubt). Dialogue to die for and narrative so evocative you don't dare skip a word. I gush every once in a while and I can't help it here. See if you can hang with me while I let it all out.The only thing I don't love is the cover---this would be a best seller with something more creative. Please don't let the package fool you about what's inside!Shep is a broken, 40something former journalist who, in the aftermath of the Ejection, wrestles daily with old demons in his new hell of an existence. He meets an unlikely companion who inspires him to contemplate stepping out of the ring, if only he could. Tig is a spunky teenage girl who lost her parents and is now on her own. She's on a journey to a mythical paradise hundreds of miles away to reunite with the brother she thinks is there waiting for her. Bray is a former detective with a grudge and the only thing he's living for is revenge. There are over a dozen minor characters in big roles along the way and each are as equally developed as the main players.About 25% in there's a great twist which catapults our characters forward and from that moment on I found it impossible to put down. The story is told in present time but there are several chapters throughout where it jumps back to a relevant moment of the past. I thought this was a priceless move on the author's part because it wove back story so seamlessly into the storyline, it didn't cause so much as a hiccup in pacing. Genius.I wish Amazon gave out turbo tokens to boost the stars, I'd use one here. Anyone who loves smart apocalyptic fiction will be in their glory with Nine Meals. Well done!