Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

WOW. Do not read. I love apocalyptic fiction stories which are also known as Social science fiction. In part because of the rich setting(s) that can be created to explore people, their interactions, and how they may react to the setting or apocalyptic event. So I bought this novel since it had been on the New York best seller list and it had over 8,000 reviews on amazon and averaged 4.5 starts. I am amazed that this novel was rated so high. It is absolutely terrible and is a 1.5 star at best. The author is wholly out of touch with reality, society, and people so he weaves a tale with what seems like a 15 year olds understanding of society and people, immature and unbelievable. This is surprising since the author is a professor of history in North Carolina. He should have read history and how people reacted to devastating events. We can only guess that this professor is teaching a false version of history. The author has some noble idea that Americans are not really people and tells a tail that holds Americanism above all else. So the average American would never steal or kill for food when their children that are starving to death. But will band together to share. Only the people who were criminals before the event do anything ‘bad’. The characters are flat and with very little to no development. The only development for the main character is to show that he is not knowledgeable at all. We are lead to believe early on that he knows all about the effects of an EMP event from his past experience with the US Army. Further as soon as the event happens he knows what the problem is and sets out to educate the area officials. But he fails short from providing for his family as he is too bent on saving the society. But then again everyone shares and those that don’t are criminals. The main character goes off on these ridicules speeches, both in his head and to someone or a group of people. The speeches are little more than the ravings of someone not in touch and off in a fantasy land all while waving the flag. Some do not fit the scene since the author rambles on and on. By the middle of the third chapter in the book, the story become completely predictable and expected. With the flat characters or lack of character development, the story is at best boring and at times it is tortures read.