 |
In this dystopian tale, the West finds itself crippled when North Korea and Iran join forces to attack with "three nuclear explosions strategically positioned over the United States, designed to create a super electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and cripple the U.S." This attack effectively stops all electronically powered equipment from working. There are no computers, cars, phones, or communications, "and 3200 jet airliners began to fall from the sky over America, Canada, and Mexico." Those alive after the initial event must now find a way to survive its effects. As people begin to starve because of the inability to produce and store food, they turn to a ready food source—humans. Cannibalism runs rampant, with gangs attacking homes to procure food. But not all people wish to survive through the eating of human flesh. Is it possible to carve out a life among those who would readily kill another human for food?
O'Donnell carves out a futuristic horror story as he sets up this devastating scenario of a crippling blow to the West. It isn't hard to imagine a world where the United States is attacked and left without power or resources, but a world that so easily turns to cannibalism is truly frightening. There is much internal struggle and dramatic tension as two sets of neighbors try to navigate the landscape of this strange new world, relying only on themselves with no coordinated emergency government assistance. The author does a fantastic job of setting up the conflict and building tension as his characters try to find a way to survive. This well-written, though disturbing, story gives readers much to contemplate.