Surviving Home

The Survivalist #2

by A. American

No electricity. No running water. No food. No end in sight. If life as you knew it changed in an instant, would you be prepared?

In A. American’s first novel, Going Home, readers were introduced to Morgan Carter, the resourceful, tough-as-nails survivalist who embarks on a treacherous 250-mile journey across Florida following the collapse of the nation’s power grid. Now reunited with his loving wife and daughters, Morgan knows that their happiness is fleeting, as the worst is yet to come. Though for years Morgan has been diligently preparing for emergency situations, many of his neighbors are completely unready for life in this strange new world—and they’re starting to get restless.

With the help of his closest companions, Morgan fights to keeps his home secure—only to discover shocking information about the state of the nation in the process.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Survival, Audiobook, Dystopia, Apocalyptic, Thriller

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2013

About the author

CHRIS WEATHERMAN, also known as ANGERY AMERICAN, is the author of twenty-two published works, including USA Today Best Sellers Forsaking Home and Resurrecting Home. His books include the Survivalist Series, a sensational hit that began with the first book in the series, Going Home, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide. Chris’ latest release, Engineering Home, was #1 on Amazon New Releases Charts in Dystopian Fiction and Dystopian Science Fiction at its debut. It was also #2 on the Amazon Best Seller Chart only behind George Orwell’s 1984 upon Engineering Home’s release.


Chris appeared in season one of History Channel’s Alone series. He has been involved in prepping for over thirty years and practices primitive skills as well as modern survival that focuses on being prepared with the proper equipment. He travels the country appearing at expos and prepper-focused events to meet with readers, sign books and occasionally speak. In addition to these events, his travels also allow him to meet and train with instructors and students all over the country on preparedness and homestead design covering everything from food production to security.


As a trade Chris worked in the power industry for nearly twenty years building power plants and performing line work for power companies. He worked his way up to be the commissioning and start-up supervisor for many of these projects and has a solid understanding of power generation and distribution.


Chris currently lives in Florida on the edge of the Ocala National Forest with his wife of twenty-six years and his thirteen year old daughter Little Bit.

Reviews

[John (JC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally, three of the four travelers from the first book in this series are together, a small victory but at this point a small light in the darkness. Post EMP America, or was it a sun flare eruption? Who knows the truth. People are starting to suffer from not being prepared for the lights to go out. Loss of mobility, no electricity, gas and food dangerously low. There seems to be a part of the old government with different priorities that are not necessarily good for the welfare of the people. In fact, this new government seems very similar to the regime under Hitler. Morgan finds himself stretched to the limits. He has a fairly good grasp of what is going on but there are just too many fires to put out, especially while keeping his family intact. After reading these first two books I feel completely unprepared for a major disastrous event. This writing does not lack in action. The reader’s emotions will be stretched to the limit at times. This read has earned a solid 4/5.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a five if any of the women characters were strapping on guns to defend their own too and not asking stupid questions like "is it really that bad?" really dumb bot? I had to kill people to get home to you and I was shot!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Book 2 was better than Book 1 and I’m looking forward to reading more. The story’s getting good! Anyone who expects these books to be more realistic is silly... certain elements would be far less entertaining if these books were totally realistic. Either way they give a chilling sense of what very easily could happen... and hopefully inspire people to be better prepared.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're looking for a novel of possible scenarios immediately following an apocalyptic event (an EMP/solar flare in this case), this is a good choice. It's full of action. However, that's got to be your only qualification. Characterization is severely lacking. All the jocular male dialog comes off unrealistic and the women are cardboard, only there to prop up the action of the men. (His wife cooked, complained, and had sex with him. That was all.) The sometimes-narrator's daughters seem to have been assigned ages at random because their behavior veered wildly from their purported ages, and in theory he had nearly grown children he wasn't teaching anything for their protection. There were also a lot of military ops kind of situations where the reader is expected to have an understanding of some tactics. (Also, an interest. That may have been my bigger problem.) I'm going to let this review be done now, because my original assessment stands: if you're looking for a conspiracy-laden SHTF, you're golden. If you're looking for well-written or full of insight, look elsewhere. 2.5

[Joanne Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really realistic view of what I feel the world would look like should society collapse.
I have no trouble believing that people and the government will largely act as described.
That being said I did have one major issue with this book/
The characterisation of women in this book is appalling. All they seem to be good for is cooking and cleaning . That is totally not realistic in my opinion the women I know are much more capable than that.
I will be taking a break from this series now.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going Home: A Novel of Survival and Surviving Home by A. American (Angery American in copyright) are two end-of-the-world survivalist/conspiracy theory novels.

In Going Home we find out that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or a coronal mass ejection (CME) has hit the USA and fried the electrical grid. Morgan Carter is 250 miles away from home and he must walk back through a land where society is collapsing. He begins traveling with Jess, a college student trying to get home) and Thad (another survivor trying to get home). They in turn meet, along the way, Thad's friend, Sarge, retired military, who suspects that what happened may not be an accident. The way home is fraught with danger as the unprepared people want to take what others (Morgan, etc) own.

Morgan is well prepared for the disaster. He always travels with ALL the gear he would need to survive and a backpack to carry his supplies. The beginning of the novel is like a list of survival supplies one should always have in their possession just in case and a step by step outline of what Morgan did, which is all written in first person: I did this, I packed, I ate, I had... And the way Morgan and crew just happen to come across or manage to acquire things they need in Going Home seems a bit too far-fetched.

Surviving Home follows Morgan and his family and neighbors, Thad and his family, and Sarge and his men as they make their way in the rapidly deteriorating society. It appears that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) could be behind the event - or at least took advantage of it to perpetuate nefarious deeds on unsuspecting Americans. Those in the know are fighting back while at the same time they have to fight off their neighbors (sheeple) who didn't prepare for an emergency and are now jealous of what Morgan and the others have. Morgan is most assuredly very well prepared for this disaster.

Let me just say right from the start that I get being prepared for emergencies, something that I carried over from my childhood on the plains. I keep enough food around so that no one will starve if we're snowed in for a The Long Winter amount of time. I buy stuff on sale and store it. That's just common sense. There's water just in case something should happen. But, my car is not filled up with a personal survival kit. If an EMP or CME hit during a normal day, I'd be within an easy couple of mile walk from my home. Right now my car contains 3 umbrellas (don't ask) a gum wrapper, a plastic grocery bag and there might be a water bottle under the seat.

Yes, being hit with an EMP or MCE (as of this writing we just missed one a couple weeks ago) is a frightening prospect, but the idea of always carrying survival equipment and weapons just in case is... scarier. Of course you need an emergency kit if you are traveling distances, but I have a feeling that most people's idea of an emergency kit is closer to my idea rather than a full out pack of survival gear, MRE's (military meals ready to eat) and weapons.

While both novels have an interesting premise, the actual quality of the writing is bad enough that it detracts from the credibility of the storyline. The author also assumes that everyone reading will know what all the acronyms and abbreviations stand for, which was not the case. Certainly some of them are easy to figure out (DHS, MRE) but I had to sit and think about what was happening when Morgan pulled out his binos. Wouldn't it have been just as easy to write binoculars? Do people actually call them binos? I have a pair of good binos, but I've always said binoculars.

The story in both novels is good, if a little paranoid, but the actual technical quality of writing leaves a lot to be desired. If you want to read Going Home: A Novel of Survival and Surviving Home and know that you can easily overlook the problems with the writing, the story is interesting. If you know you will be annoyed by problems with the writing, you better skip these novels.
Note that the second novel, Surviving Home, is actually better written than the first, Going Home. There should also be a third coming out sometime based on how the second novel ended. Recommended for the story, not the execution.


Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of the Penguin Group via Netgalley for review purposes.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

More horrible writing, with juvenile character development. Unfortunately, whenever I start a book series I feel like I have to finish it, so I've to keep going. If you're like me, do yourself a favor and don't start it.

[Richard Muro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read…. Can’t wait to read book # 3

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

I enjoyed this book. Take a look at the narrator. That's the only picture I could find and the description is what is on his Facebook page. :)

The book itself was good. I wish the narrator would have taken a longer breath or something so I would know that he's narrating another character. The distance between changes in character was nonexistent.

As bad as the world is portrayed by the author, I'm more surprised that the starving neighbors didn't kill Morgan for his food. I don't know how Morgan would not notice his neighbors starving. It was like he would do a double-take and say, "Oh shit, you're starving to death. Let me give you a ham." Yes they're appreciative but I sincerely doubt that they wouldn't try to steal his stuff in the middle of the night. And then killing two deer and not giving the carcass to the community I just didn't understand. Yes, he shared with a couple of people. But he could have taken a leg, given out a couple of legs and then given the rest to the sheriff so he could make that community kitchen Morgan was all for. And speaking of deer, why didn't the neighbors ask to borrow one of his flashlights? It seems like he would have let them after a lengthy lecture of how it belongs to Morgan and Morgan wants it back in the same condition. I don't think he would have said no.

Other than that, I liked the story. I'm planning on listening to the rest of the series.

[Jeff Siegmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan and team continue to hold things together as the world around them is falling apart.

Humans' pursuit of survival reveals just how nasty people can be.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you had to survive merely on what you currently have in your home right now? There is no electricity, no running water, no food, no end in sight and no more help from the government at this time. How well do you really know your neighbors? How would you manage until things stabilized again and food began to be delivered. How far would you go to protect what is yours? How far would you go to protect your family?

That is just the premise behind the second book in the Survivalist series, Surviving Home by author A. American. We read about what happened in the first book Going Home where Morgan Carter found himself on a lonely stretch of highway, 250 miles from home. With no electricity and only the survival supplies he always keep with him in the car, he knows he will have to do whatever it takes to get home to his wife and three daughters. Now that Morgan has arrived home, things in the neighborhood are going from bad to worse.

His neighbors believe that Morgan is hoarding more food than they need and if necessary will go to any lengths to make sure they get some, even if it means killing them. It seems that all the preparation that Morgan has been doing was just the key to survival for him and his family. He knows his supplies won't last for long and with threats made to both him and his family, he realizes that things have changed dramatically for the community. Now it's protect your own first, take care of your family and do what you can to survive.

It seems like luck falls in Morgan's lap when the forest land that his property faces provides him with deer just when he needs it the most, while the community can't seem to find any. Not only that but Marshall Law has been established by the Department of Homeland Security defining that a census is being conducted to determine what skill sets each person possesses to be allocated and relocated where it will best suit the needs to get the country back on track. Even more unsettling is that each family is only allowed to have three days worth of supplies in the home and everything else must be turned over to the community leaders for equal distribution. Morgan's not about to comply with anything the government or community wants and when he neighbors decide to take matters into their own hands, things get nasty.

I received Surviving Home by A. American compliments of TLC Book Tours and Penguin Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. The one thing I commend this author for doing is providing a disclosure warning for mature audience on the rear cover of the book. It is one of the first I have seen to do this provided the material inside contains profanity and graphic violence as one would except in a post apocalyptic novel.

I LOVED the first novel in this series and as a Christian Book Reviewer, I see this being the type of scenario that would befall the world at the rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation period. Once again the characters that Morgan teamed up with in the first novel, Thad and Sarge are back as their stories toggle back and forth between what is happening on Morgan's end. I can't wait to see how it ends in the third book in the series and often wonder just how I would survive if faced with similar circumstances. A definite MUST READ for Doomsday Preppers and Survivalists. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and while you can read this novel as a stand alone thanks to the authors prologue at the beginning, to fully understand the characters of Thad and Sarge, you will need to read the first novel to see how they all came to meet and how they plays out in this series.

[Bon Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's still lot of those moments that made me go "um, no, it probably wouldn't happen that way", but these preper books have that strange, centripetal quality that make me stay even if there's some centrifugality to it as well. It's good as long as the two forces are in balance, meaning, the story is well... rounded... Anyway, I enjoyed it, and appreciated authors efforts.

[Russell Bartholomew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story, but a little too right-wing political for my taste.

[Adam Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read for those times when I want to just veg-out. I liked it & will go on to the next book.

[Joe M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sequel to the first.

[Heidi Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surviving Home — where do you fit in?

I really enjoyed this second book in the series even more than the first one! I encourage everyone to read this series and consider stocking your shelves and keeping emergency supplies at hand! Even if you don’t believe in SHTF scenarios hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, nuclear power plant failures, power outages, and yes... even wars occur. If you’re old enough to read this, 9/10 of those have happened in your lifetime. This series is one of the most realistic portrayals of the different groups of people and how they react in emergencies. Those who step up and take responsibility for themselves, their families, and communities, those who bury their heads, those who wait for others to tell them what to do, those who wait for others to provide for them, those who betray their friends and neighbors — and yes, even those who just close down or give up.

Can you survive an emergency or will you just roll over and die without your cell phone? Will your brain even let you consider emergency scenarios, or are you already burying your head in the sand?

Which group are you?

How will you react?

Think about it.

[Robert Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once you start it’s hard to stop. I want to know what happens to Morgan, Thad and Sarge. I didn’t know if I would even like this genre when I started but now I’m hooked. This is my favorite series and plan to listen to it all. I’ve also learned so much about basic survival skills, knowledge and technique that I’ve started keeping certain goods in stock in my home for anything from low inventory to sudden power outages that can last a day at home. Sounds kind of silly but I’ve opened my mind to what ifs and just in case. The book is well written and Duke Fontaine does a great job narrating. There have been books I stopped after a bit just because I didn’t like the persons voice or their pronunciation of words. I love audio books. It frees my hands and eyes to do things while listening to stories. Best investment I’ve made in a while.

[Diogenes Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up from the chaotic events that ensued in previous entry “Coming Home” We see a lot of progression within the characters way of thinking and trying to survive. A book series like this opens your eyes, minds and hearts changing your perspective on what the future might hold and on how prepared we should actually be. This is more than just a survivalist novel. These things could actually happen or can already be happening. This is a fantastic read and I look forward to the rest of them along for whats in store for Morgan and the gang.

[Scott Breslove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much the same as the first. Won’t ever be confused for a classic, definitely not a well written book. But interesting and keeps my interest...so on we go.

[Eric Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of this series that apparently now spans a dozen books -- and yes, I'll probably keep reading them, in between other stuff that I'm reading.

In book one, protagonist Morgan Carter is stranded 250 miles from home when a solar flare or EMP knocks out all electronics. That volume tells the story of how he gets home to his wife and daughters, helped by his survivalist/prepper attitude and forethought.

As this book opens, he has just arrived home to a neighborhood that, apparently like much of the rest of the country, has fallen into chaos. Those with a store of food and water are doing better than those who have none, and Morgan and his family are pretty well off since he has set up his house to use solar energy. That means that some of his neighbors have a little bit of a jealous eye, as they see that the Carters have food that could possibly be redistributed to those who have needs instead of food. It's not quite Mad Max, but it's getting there.

Add to that the fact that the government is stepping in, possibly taking advantage of the situation as they implement martial law and begin a brand-new transformation of American society (and possibly they even had a role in making things hit the fan). FEMA and DHS, in particular, seem quite heavy-handed in their approach, and the USPS is along for the ride as well. The military is split, with some going along with the program and others seeing the program as a betrayal of the American people, the Constitution, and their oaths of duty.

Once again, Morgan's story is presented in the first person and other characters we met in volume 1 and that return for this book, such as Thad, Sarge, Mike, Doc, etc., are relegated to the third person point of view. Readers might notice that Jess, the college-aged girl who played a major role in book 1, is noticeably absent from most of this book.

[Soda Boy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A community trying to survive in the face of a government conspiracy, defended by a determined group of preppers and exmilitary... A serial killer living among them... These books could be so good, but they are terrible.
Endless descriptions of every dish they eat, lists upon lists of gear, and the occasional exciting incident, followed by redundant dialogue recapping said incident for pages. What story there is is mostly predictable and rushed.
Some of it has potential, like the serial killer subplot. Three young girls have been murdered by someone in the community. The author doesn't properly develop any suspense around this fact, but it is there. A little while later, after the Mary Sue main character shoots a mother, father, and son for being ungrateful rednecks, one of the murdered girl's IDs is discovered among the son's belongings, retroactively justifying this triple homicide. What could have been a cool storyline is used merely as the ethical equivalent of a deus ex machina intended to reassure the reader of Mary Sue's moral superiority despite everything.
The characters have no distinct personalities. They are either good or cartoonishly evil. I noticed a positive correlation between how good a character is supposed to be and how frequently they engage in cringe dad humor. I have never seen so many people "doubled over in laughter" in a novel.
I could go on. These could be decent, but they are bad.

[Shawn Fahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished "Surviving Home" by A. American, the second book in the "Going Home" series. I bought a used copy off of Amazon for pretty cheap; I've read this series before and I know I'll read it again so I don't need or want a pristine copy since it's going to get beat up anyway. In this installment, the situation gets even worse and the stresses of this start changing many of the characters, some of whom start showing a glimpse of a very dark part of their soul; this book probably has the most memorable revenge killing scene I've ever read, on that note.


The author shows many people just sitting around and starving rather than working to survive. When they're given the opportunity to "go into the camps" they jump at it. This results in disdain being heaped on them by both ordinary people who are actually working to survive as well as forces that are actively taking whatever they want by force.


Like every book in this series, this one's a real page turner. Now I need to order book 3!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so hooked on this series. Can't want for #3 to get to the library for me. A continuation of the trials and tribulations of smart people trying to survive. Messes with my mind completely. I'm a 65+, woman, retired teacher who reads Nicolas Sparks type books. What am I doing with survivalist stuff. I wouldn't know the trigger end of a gun. Doing without does NOT extend to returning to an outhouse. I trust strangers and strike up a conversation with anyone. BUT, this whole mindset makes me wonder what else I'm doing wrong. Mormons certainly have the right idea when they advocate keeping a year's supply of food on hand at all times. That would just be a start, and would easily be taken when the country is overcome by vigilantes and crooked government control. Geeze Laweeze. Wish this book had the glossary of terms like the first one did as I don't know what all the weapon stuff is.

[William M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not the world's best wordsmith, author Chris Weatherman, aka Angry American, is a solid storyteller and improves his craft with this second book in the ongoing series. Finally merging the different stories proved very effective and really pulls the reader in their world. The characters go through some harrowing ordeals in this entry and include some truly gruesome and tragic events. I was glad Weatherman never pulled any punches and although not politically correct, he stuck to his guns and wrote what many of us feel. I admit I am hooked on this series and really getting into the prepping culture. For me, this book was even better than GOING HOME, and I look forward to the third entry. For realistic apocalyptic action, look no further. A hearty recommendation, but newcomers should read the books in order.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the premise, I love the characters, I just get so annoyed with the writing. The author uses a lot of very specific abbreviations and acronyms with no explanation and that throws me off. It also feels like it leaves the story at times and sounds like a survivalist manifesto. I enjoy survivalist/prepper stories but not when it is thrown in my face.

What redeems this book is the characters that you want to see make it. That and the contrast between those who are prepared and those that could never imagine the modern world falling apart.

The last thing I’ll mention is that there is a scene in this book that I wasn’t prepared for. It hit me in the gut and made me put the book down for the night. I won’t do any spoilers, but be prepared for one horrific scene that is more emotionally charged than I was expecting.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is a work of fiction, it foretells the brutal reality that is our (US of A) future. It is spot on as to where this country is headed.

This is book two of the series. It is just as good as the first book. I had a hard time putting it down each night. The story follows the main character (Morgan) after his long journey home on foot after the country went to s***. It was no better after he got home.

There was little lull in activity throughout the book. It was one event after another. I was glad to see the author mixed things up again, as he did in his first book. I liked that he had several different stories going. It kept from getting boring with one continuous story. It was nice to have Thad and Sarge back in the picture. Oh, and someone else shows up at the end. To Be Continued...........

[Joseph Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

This survivalist series was a bit annoying as it based most of conspiratorial plot on the government getting people dependant on the state. After people needed welfare, food stamps, assistance in any form they were somehow not as worthy to freedom and would blindly comply with the government. This political philosophy is wrong in my eyes, but there are some that believe this. This is just a story. The book has spelling errors and is not a mainstream published book. I like that about it and the story is good. The is good for me because it follows a few people and their adventures while imparting some prepping knowledge. This book does not have a lot of surprises but it is an easy and good read.

Mr Joe

[Steve · Rating 1 out of 5]

No improvement in writing or character development. Using same tropes as every other so-so post-apocalyptic series. I really wish someone would develop a plot that had a different political vent, as in not the Federal Govt. as the big bad, but someone such as extremist militias or a similar, realistic villain to build the story around. Actually lost interest in what was happening about a quarter way into book, and could easily predict what was going to occur next. How the author has managed to drag this out over 11 books I can’t imagine. Chris Weatherman “aka” AA has a specific political view point that he incorporates into his fiction, and that along with the mediocre writing is why I end spending my dollars and time on this series. Chris, the wolves will always win.

[Tommy Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was not quite as good as the first in the series-but then again, seldom are. The story continues on with the main character(and a side character) from the first book and tells their stories from after they arrived back home. After the first book was moving and carrying the story forward while the character literally moved, this story is a bit more stuck. The story is that of the survival of the home area and so there isnt much too it. There is of course some internal struggles, still some ways to learn in the survival world, but mostly it is a good story. It is still fun to follow these characters I've already invested in, but was expecting a bit more.

[Craig Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always ready for a series about the end of times, how that end of times comes to be, and how people react to that end of times. While I did not have an opportunity to read the first in the series, what has intrigued me about the several books that I have read in this series is the setting. The area around Lake County, Florida. Since I live half an hour away from Lake County it is not that hard for me to imagine life as the Crackers in old Florida used to live it. What has set me off thus far about Morgan Carter is his propensity to use violence to solve his problems. Perhaps he has a difference view on life that I do as I sit in my air conditioned home.