Review: An Excellent Thriller That Is a Cut Above
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 26, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book as a part of a beta read exchange. I expect that many of my minor quibbles have been amended since then.Surviving Abe chronicles several characters as they experience and attempt to survive amid a massive storm system that threatens wide swathes of the United States. As the story progresses, things go from bad to worse as key elements of infrastructure break down or become inaccessible. The characters must find their own way forward on how to survive what is happening.Firstly, it has two key elements to what a reader wants: it has a compelling story and it is well-written from a both technical and narrative point of view.The story, particularly in light of the Polar Vortexes that have swooped down from the Arctic this year, feels relevant, and it forgoes the usual "EMP destroys everything" concept that is popular now. While there is nothing wrong with the EMP idea, it is nice to see something refreshing. In a lot of ways it's a "hard" survival tale (much in the way that there is hard sci-fi). You're not going to find the main characters charging into dangerous situations at every turn and doing battle with one-dimensional villains. The problems are more on the real side so if you're looking for a pleasant change of pace in that respect this is it.Furthermore, the story is written in such a way that the interwoven storylines are easily kept straight for the reader, which is not always the case in novels. More so, the writing is not only clear, but it's entertaining. The action sequences are taut and the scenes are, by and large, kept to digestible chunks and leave things fresh.Secondly, the characters are, with few exceptions, believable in action and dialogue. Unlike a lot of stories, there were no points that come to mind where I felt that the characters were acting illogically. They're rational without being infallible, and their reactions to events are plausible.My only complaint of any real weight, and this is completely a matter of personal preference, is that some readers might find the book a little slow to get going. One could easily argue that the tension built by this kind of slow burn makes the payoff worth it even more. Again, this is a matter of personal preference.For many people this book will likely be a five-star read. As someone who reads a lot, my expectations are pretty high. This is no smudge on Mr. O'Brien's writing, anyone reviewing my browsing history will see that my 4-star reviews for fiction novels are almost non-existent (a few novellas have made the cut, and a short story collection)For a first time writer and the first book in a series, I was both pleasantly surprised and (as a reader, more importantly) interested to see where the story will go from here. Definitely worth a look.