Product Description: When a plague wipes out most of humanity, fifteen-year-old Eric sets out to find his father. Sixty years later, Eric starts another long journey in an America that has long since quit resembling our own, but there are shadows everywhere. Shadows of what the world once was, and shadows from Eric's past. Blood bandits, wolves, fire, feral children, and an insane militia are only a few of the problems Eric faces. Set in Denver, Colorado and the western foothills, Van Pelt's first novel is both a coming-of-age tale, and a story of an old man's search for hope in the midst of disaster. Eric's two adventures lead him through a slice of modern America and into the depths of one man's heart.
Almost perfect for fans of apocalypse stories I'm sure many of the folks who read books like this are fans of post-apocalyptic survival, and no doubt we've read a few good ones and a lot of stinkers. James Van Pelt's "Summer of the Apocalypse" is just what I was looking for, and it didn't disappoint.
First let me start with a negative -- a very small one. There are a few typos or improper uses of words as if the editing wasn't done well. It was something I noticed, and as I found these entries, my involvement in the story temporarily slowed because of what I considered bad grammar. There weren't a lot of these items, but enough to make me comment on them obviously (as I recall, one was a case of "you're" instead of "your"). With that said, this book is fantastic.
I don't normally like books with multiple timelines, because I don't particularly enjoy having to order events. Mr. Van Pelt's dual-timeline book, however, is very easy to follow and makes perfect sense. In fact, it is precisely because of this aspect of the book that we are able to get inside the mind of the main character in both periods of his life. How many books do we read where we care nothing about the characters? I can think of lots of them, but this time I really want to know this fellow. I want to learn about what brought him to this point. He has faced extraordinary hardships, and I want to see how he responds, what kind of drive and determination he has to overcome the obstacles a terrible event has thrown his way. The author keeps me wondering what's next - and not in a Mad-Max-who-gets-killed-next way - but in a what's-around-the-bend way. It's as much about contemplation as survival and adventure.
I had never read anything by Mr. Van Pelt, and I have to say I'm a huge fan based on one book. I can't wait to read more of his work, and I hope he continues with this genre. Great job! I couldn't recommend this more, especially if you're a fan of post-apocalyptic stories. Definitely one of the best books in this category!
Fantastic Post-apoc book This is one of the better post-apoc books I have read in some time mostly due to its unique style in connecting two separate stories together. The perspectives of the time between 15 years of age and 75 years of age keeps you interested as soon as you wonder how Eric got to the place he is, the perspective switches to show the past and how he came to be. Overall the story is perhaps a bit out there in the "plague wiped out 99%" but given the recent trends in super viruses its maybe not too far off. Also to me at least the book ends on a bit of a down note in that from the last revelation, the group is probably doomed due to environmental issues and their refusal to try and progress back to a level of technology that might keep them alive. As for the writing style, its easy and fast to read so please don't expect to take long with this book but also you wont feel cheated either. The author keeps the style very accessible and sensible in that you thankfully wont have to keep re-reading sentences to figure out what the author was trying to say, and in a field of really bad post-apoc books this is very refreshing.
It was alright I got into the two stories pretty quickly, but after a while the switching between both stories, after every short chapter, started to get tedious. I enjoyed both stories for most of the book, but eventually one of them just didn't do it for me. I thought it was forced and ridiculous. If you like end times fiction and can get over these two short comings it is an entertaining read.
excellent eotwawki book If you like a well written, well thought out storyline that is post apocalyptic, then you should like this story. I like that the author doesn't feel the need to leave you with warm fuzzies at the end, and it really makes me roll my eyes at the people who complain about the ending. It's the end of the friggin world people, it's not supposed to be happy. I particularly enjoyed the circular details, it was a great touch.
Iinteresting approach - fast airplane read If you are a voracious apocalyptic fiction muncher, here's another for your collection. Doesn't pack the emotional punch, the strong drama, the challenging mental images, the isolation and the bleak despair of Coleman McCarthy's "The Road," but that's OK. This book offers characters with personalities and a glimpse of hope. Light reading that leaves you wanting a little more of something...
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