Review: Straight-forward and evocative read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 28, 2011
I love this after-the-bomb-drops story! It's first in a series (of six, I think.) The writing is straight-forward and evocative. It describes a world without our electronics and gadgets, our cars and communications. It also describes how we, as Americans, might react to total chaos and loss. (That part's not a pretty picture!) I love its heroes who give me hope that, if the worst ever did happen, America would rebuild stronger than ever--and I'm not just talking about our satellites or infrastructure. These books hone in on the essence of what makes a good society work--its people, honor, trust, hard work and practical thinking. I mention that last b/c it is fascinating to me how far away we've gotten from how that fried chicken got on our plate, and let's face it: you can't tell an apocalyptic story without doing some dirty work that you were protected from before. The other thing I think is interesting (and forward thinking) about this series is that it is presented in serial form, roughly 3 chapters at a time. Each "book" ends as if it were the end of the whole story, but each next book picks the story up and just goes forward--without any tiresome backstory to slow things down. I imagine this is how magazines used to do their serial fiction back in the 1800s when Dickens wrote his serial fiction. I like it. The little books in the series are 99 cents each. I highly recommend the whole Renewal series!