Review: Truly Inspiring PA Read: Well Crafted and Unputdownable
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 12, 2011
From my other reviews it is pretty obvious that I'm a huge fan of the Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian genre. It's true, I am. I've read hundreds and not many of them strike me as truly new or inventive. This is one that certainly does strike all the right chords and is new and bright. Despite it's Indy publishing, it is as well crafted...perhaps even better crafted...as anything out of a big publishing house. But it's the writing and story itself that grabbed me.Our story really revolves around an everyman named Alan. In our post-apocalyptic world he is alone and fairly happy as such. He has few connections and few aspirations other than survival. It is a dangerous world he is in. Too soon after the events that crashed the world (and we're really never sure what those all were) for a new equilibrium to have been established yet not long enough after to see the scarcity of human life a few more years would have given. In short, it is the worst possible time to be out of the roads in territory you aren't familiar with.But Alan is surviving with a vague notion to try to find his far flung family members, or at least confirm their deaths. Enter the Journal. Found while scavenging a house the journals were written by a now deceased Claire. The tone of voice in the Journals is so clearly different from Alan and the words so incredibly inspiring, they remind me of how religions get started. In fact, it is so clearly all to the good that I wondered throughout the book if we might not see a sequel where this begins. The point of view of one of the other characters in the book (forgive my vagueness but I really don't want to spoil it for you) lends a bit of support to the "catching" nature of Claire's words.After finding the journals, Alan begins to change and this change continues throughout the entire story. Not in a sappy and contrived way but in a very real way given the times and circumstances. The people he meets, the foes he encounters and his response to the growing "badness" of the world around him are utterly believable and entirely sympathetic for the reader.While my review may seem a bit light on details, it is for the good. There's no way to get into the meat of the book without spoiling it irrevocably for future readers. That would be a real shame to do so I'll refrain.What I will say is that this book has excellent closure while leaving a great deal of room for a sequel should it be desired. The reader will want one, for sure. It is elegantly written with amazing detail and depth in all the right places. The characters are as varied as the human race and each is utterly distinct and fully fleshed out.I highly recommend this one to fellow Dystopia and PA fans, or even those who have a yen to read about the good that can exist even in times of trial. Excellent book! Mr. Buckhout, you have my thanks and congratulations for a very well done piece of writing.