Review: Amazing Read - Couldn't Put It Down!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 23, 2014
This is a great read and a gem of a book. From the first few chapters on, it had hints of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” This is apocalyptic fiction at its best.Many parts of “Nine Meals” gave me shivers because the descriptions of life in which society as we know it has fallen apart and the fallout is horrifying. It goes to show how much we take for granted all the safety nets our current society has to offer (basic shelter, enough food to eat, security, etc). I really considered becoming a “prepper” after reading this because if something like The Ejection were to happen in real life, it’d be every man for himself.I also thought the author did a great job developing the main character, Billy “Shep” Shepard. He’s obviously a man who has been run down by life, even though he became a millionaire after winning the lottery. While he has a good heart (helping a poor, desperate girl by buying her food, for example), he still has his demons. Mental illness is an ongoing theme in this book, which adds a lot of more complexity to his character. It also turns him into an underdog, and I found myself sympathizing with him more because of it.The young woman Antigone (who is referred to as Tig), adds a good counterbalance to Shep’s erratic behavior and brings out a different side of him. She’s had a tough life and has been abused by people who should have cared about her. But after teaming up with Shep, I felt like her motherly instincts came out and she proved to be a stronger woman than I would have guessed when she first showed up at Shep’s house early on.For his first novel, Mike Kilroy blows this one out of the water. I’m looking forward to his future novels. If you’re considering buying this book, don’t hesitate, because once you start reading, you won’t put it down until the last page.