Review: Survivalist by Circumstance - Volume One
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 30, 2012
This is a nice start to a new series, involving a family who has been caught in the economic downturn and has decided to sell their house in San Francisco and move to the countryside outside of Santa Fe.Darrell, a former stockbroker, is now unemployed, and worn down from the daily rejection from potential employers and tired and embarassed that he is collecting unemployment.  The neighbor, who is doing well in his job, offers to buy their house because "it has a better view" so Darrell approaches his wife with the idea of leaving the city and moving to Santa Fe to a ranch.  Darrell actually grew up on a small ranch, complete with chickens and pigs, and thinks it would be good for his teenage children to be raised away from the city and in a slower, less materialistic environment.Mallory, his wife and a nurse who can find employment anywhere, thinks this is a great idea and they start house-hunting immediately.  Unfortunately, not all the family members are quite as enthused - the kids think they are being exiled to Siberia and Rick, their crazy survivalist neighbor (and Darrell's best friend), is heartbroken over the thought of them leaving.  Add in Mallory's Mom who lives just down the street and would never be separated from Neiman Marcus, and you only have Darrell and Mallory actually looking forward to a change.This installment covers their hunt for a house, a new job for Mallory, and new friends to be made in Santa Fe.It is well written and realistic.  The family is likable and, as a mother of kids the same age as Preston and Gemma, the author has them down pat, complete with the eye rolling and the hiding of their exciting - what?  actually like anything about the new house?  Of course not - must make the parents suffer for uprooting them from San Francisco at least for a while!What I LOVED:  I read fast - too fast.  I don't like paying .99 cents for 40 pages - I am a cheapskate and I do the math - a full size book would be around $10.  This always turns me off of installment type books that are written when the installments are chapter length.  I was already planning in my review to make mention of this.  I was HIGHLY impressed that the author addresses this at the end of this segment.  To quote:  After six to ten episodes, depending on how the story turns out, I will collect them together and offer them as a full-length book.  This should save you a little cash, if you can wait that long for it to come out.That makes me respect Ms Cholley, not only for her talent, but also for understanding that money plays into the books that we are able to afford as well for our entertainment.  Unfortunately, I also went out and bought the second one too - dang you Ms Cholley for getting me hooked!  I believe in instant gratification and I won't be able to wait until she combines them - what the heck - it is only money - the kids don't need a new pair of shoes that fit their growing feet.. Just kidding but I for one will not mind paying the additional cost - not only because I enjoy the story but because I respect the author as well for addressing this issue.Can't wait for segment three and I suggest that you if you are strapped for cash, you wait for the combination into one longer book (Sorry Ms Cholley!) or, if you can afford it, start forking over that .99 cents for each segment - you won't regret it!