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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wow!
It’s taken me 12 days to read this tome of a book which is no easy feat with a toddler! I feel like I’ve taken my time though- really soaking in the characters and wonderful prose. There is no doubt that this book is superbly written and a novel of epic proportions.
So far, in all the books I’ve read of this genre, this is the chefs kiss of post-apocalyptic books.
Predominately set in the aftermath of a nuclear war that has, by in large, wiped out humanity, the book follows some of the protagonist’s and antagonists of the story through their individual experiences and how those experiences culminate into a coming together good vs evil style.
We are given precious narrative into the lives of our main characters before the world blew up and its the flashbacks provided by them that helped me to really navigate & process their decisions whether they were rooted in goodness or down right awful.
This book is simultaneously filled with utter despair and heart wrenching hope. Robert McCammon really pinpoints the wonders and terror of humanity and their bid for survival. Even through the awful parts (and believe me there are some horrendous descriptions in the book) it is truly about survival and how hope has a large part to play in that.
It may seem ridiculous but reading this book has changed my brain chemistry. It terrified me. Genuinely. But it also helped me to understand some of the world…Some of my own personal world and what I may take for granted but also how hope for better things has helped me survive my whole life- so elements of this book felt personal to me. I’ll come back to this book again. I may even rewrite this review as I process my experience with this book. No matter what I know it will never leave me!!
If you want to read an excellent post apocalyptic novel with brilliant writing, great characters and will keep you thinking about it long after- go for a journey with Sister, Swan & Josh and enjoy the ride.
It’s taken me 12 days to read this tome of a book which is no easy feat with a toddler! I feel like I’ve taken my time though- really soaking in the characters and wonderful prose. There is no doubt that this book is superbly written and a novel of epic proportions.
So far, in all the books I’ve read of this genre, this is the chefs kiss of post-apocalyptic books.
Predominately set in the aftermath of a nuclear war that has, by in large, wiped out humanity, the book follows some of the protagonist’s and antagonists of the story through their individual experiences and how those experiences culminate into a coming together good vs evil style.
We are given precious narrative into the lives of our main characters before the world blew up and its the flashbacks provided by them that helped me to really navigate & process their decisions whether they were rooted in goodness or down right awful.
This book is simultaneously filled with utter despair and heart wrenching hope. Robert McCammon really pinpoints the wonders and terror of humanity and their bid for survival. Even through the awful parts (and believe me there are some horrendous descriptions in the book) it is truly about survival and how hope has a large part to play in that.
It may seem ridiculous but reading this book has changed my brain chemistry. It terrified me. Genuinely. But it also helped me to understand some of the world…Some of my own personal world and what I may take for granted but also how hope for better things has helped me survive my whole life- so elements of this book felt personal to me. I’ll come back to this book again. I may even rewrite this review as I process my experience with this book. No matter what I know it will never leave me!!
If you want to read an excellent post apocalyptic novel with brilliant writing, great characters and will keep you thinking about it long after- go for a journey with Sister, Swan & Josh and enjoy the ride.
Very good character-driven, post-apocalyptic story with supernatural elements that doesn't get bogged down with extraneous details. The book is paced really well and I didn't feel like it ever dragged, despite its 856 pages. It has the feel of a comic book or a graphic novel. The bad guys are just absolutely horrendous, which I wouldn't want any other way. McCammon excels at totally grossing you out in a variety of ways.
My only real gripes were the borderline cartoonish way some of the characters spoke (good old Rusty Weathers, for example), and his painfully bad metaphors, i.e. "the bullets whizzed by like flies at a garbage man's convention."
Those things aside, it was a good book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who's into post-apocalyptic, war, and/or fantasy stuff.
My only real gripes were the borderline cartoonish way some of the characters spoke (good old Rusty Weathers, for example), and his painfully bad metaphors, i.e. "the bullets whizzed by like flies at a garbage man's convention."
Those things aside, it was a good book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who's into post-apocalyptic, war, and/or fantasy stuff.
Wow. This really scratched the post-apocalypse itch for me. Six stars.
Essentially a comic book-esque take on The Stand. Not cool stuff happens to dogs. The end
LOTR if it was 900 pages, rated X, and set in post nuclear war America. This is a horrible but amazing journey that plays all the hits with amazing characters and unforgettable moments of violence and hope.
In some ways, this was post-apocalyptic fiction, but in other ways, it was a tale of good and evil. It felt very much like, once the earth was in turmoil and the population reduced due to nuclear war, there was room for the true magic and the base evil of humanity to come forward. I don't want to spoiler anything, but it was well-written with fairly strong characterizations. It treated the story of nuclear winter with great detail and impact.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I can't help but want to compare this book to King's "The Stand." You have a post-apocalyptic world that has been ravaged by nuclear war. There are many characters throughout the novel and it's easy to get attached to a character, only to have them killed off in the next chapter. The book kept me entertained until the very end.
2024: picked up while delirious late at night after quitting another book. This morning, seeing a bit more about what I picked up and, yes, the length, I’m putting down. Did seem very Stephen King like. Very. Felt like The Stand.