Publishers Weekly
06/04/2018
In this dramatic apocalyptic thriller, a family is torn apart by the collapse of civilization after a massive solar flare disrupts technology around the world and sparks all manner of natural disasters. While ex-military medic Cameron finds refuge in a cabin community in the Pacific Northwest, her husband, Alex, and diabetic 12-year-old daughter, Piper, are left stranded in New York City. They must trek across an increasingly dangerous country to reunite with Cameron. Cameron reluctantly assumes leadership of her group of residents and refugees and has to deal with personality clashes and resource management. Meanwhile, Alex and Piper must evade marauders and weather gone wild, as well as the ever-present threat of Piper running out of insulin. This is a strong tale of survival against all odds, and Hunt’s portrayal of a devastated society is chilling, but the story feels overly ambitious, with a new hazard around every corner—Alex and Piper encounter two flash floods in a short period of time, for instance. The book is optimistic in tone, with an emphasis on humanity’s resilience, and lands squarely in the middle of the disaster genre without venturing to innovate. (BookLife)
From the Publisher
"This tale's sharp focus on imperfect but appealing characters sets it apart from standard genre fare." -- Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
2018-01-30
In Hunt's debut thriller, a forest ranger races across the United States with his daughter to reunite with his wife after a solar flare wreaks havoc worldwide.Alex Robinson is a disaster "prepper" who's often worried about riots, food shortages, or mad cow disease, so news reports of an unusually large solar flare have him on edge. After his preteen daughter Piper's out-of-state swim meet in New York City, he wants to forgo sightseeing and quickly get home to his wife (and Piper's mother), Cameron, in Seattle. But before he and his daughter can leave, there's a statewide power outage, and it turns out that other parts of the country are facing the same problem. Alex opts to hit the road with Piper, which proves to be an arduous undertaking involving shoddy cellphone service, raging storms, and even falling planes. In the meantime, former Army medic and current emergency room nurse Cameron takes refuge at the family's cabin in the mountains of Washington state. The relatively small cabin community, however, isn't immune to unrest, and she and her friend Wade, who also served in the Army, try to maintain order. Meanwhile, she hopes that her family members make it home or, at least, find a way to communicate with her. Hunt's narrative is epic in scope, but he aptly zeroes in on his main characters to tell the story. Readers don't know any more about the ongoing catastrophes than the Robinsons do, although one scientific explanation is offered—as a minor character's conjecture. Hunt further elevates the suspense by adding personal obstacles (diabetic Piper needs insulin, for example) and character flaws (Alex must overcome his trust issues). It's familiar terrain; as in other disaster or apocalyptic novels, people—including car thieves and trigger-happy survivors—are invariably worse than the calamity they face. But the author delivers it all in easygoing, steadily paced prose, resulting in an ending that thoroughly wraps things up—although a sequel would be feasible.This tale's sharp focus on imperfect but appealing characters sets it apart from standard genre fare.
