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The Survivalist #1
Going Home
If society collapsed, could you survive?
When Morgan Carter’s car breaks down 250 miles from his home, he figures his weekend plans are ruined. But things are about to get much, much the country’s power grid has collapsed. There is no electricity, no running water, no Internet, and no way to know when normalcy will be restored—if it ever will be. An avid survivalist, Morgan takes to the road with his prepper pack on his back.
During the grueling trek from Tallahassee to his home in Lake County, chaos threatens his every step but Morgan is hell-bent on getting home to his wife and daughters—and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
When Morgan Carter’s car breaks down 250 miles from his home, he figures his weekend plans are ruined. But things are about to get much, much the country’s power grid has collapsed. There is no electricity, no running water, no Internet, and no way to know when normalcy will be restored—if it ever will be. An avid survivalist, Morgan takes to the road with his prepper pack on his back.
During the grueling trek from Tallahassee to his home in Lake County, chaos threatens his every step but Morgan is hell-bent on getting home to his wife and daughters—and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2012
930 people are currently reading
4336 people want to read
About the author
A. American
24 books779 followersCHRIS 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 633 reviews
September 24, 2017
I seem to be on a survivalist reading kick lately, enjoying various books about TEOTWAWKI scenarios. One thing that quickly becomes apparent is that survivalist books and those who write them tend to be of a particular political bent. It is stronger in some than in others, but let's just say there are not a lot of Obama voters who write books about how the government is going to collapse and the key to survival is stashing guns and silver.
"A. American" is clearly making a statement with the very choice of his (yes, could be "her" but how likely is that?) pseudonym. Going Home seems intended to be a wake-up call of sorts, but the author doesn't really get up on a soapbox until the end.
Instead, the first part of the book is about Morgan Carter's trip home after an EMP device shuts down his car and the power grid. He is in rural Florida when it happens — setting survivalist novels in Florida or North Carolina seems to be awfully popular. Certainly it's easier to explain someone carrying a gun around, as opposed to a survivalist novel set in New York or Maryland.
Morgan Carter is a prepper, and the chapters with Morgan are narrated from a first-person POV, so he goes into great detail describing the contents of his bug-out bag, the equipment he has, his survival tactics as he begins hiking home. Later he meets up with a naive college girl, another shotgun-toting survivor named Thad (obligatory Big Black Friend), and then some ex-army guys, and the novel becomes a little disjointed as it alternates between their viewpoints as they go their separate ways.
Mostly there is a lot of talk about gear and prepper basics, obviously intended to enlist the audience's interest. There are some deadly encounters with the usual sorts of low-lives whom you'd expect to turn orc when the grid goes down. As a survival story, it's not quite as compelling as One Second After or Alas, Babylon or Dies the Fire because all those books (besides being somewhat better written) are about the survival of communities, whereas Going Home is mostly a collection of individual survival stories. However, it does illustrate some of the issues an individual might have, being caught on one's own in a SHTF scenario, though the author makes it a lot easier for his protagonists by letting them all start out heavily armed.
Now, as I noted, a certain mistrust of the government and antipathy for dependent city-dwellers is at the core of most of these survivalist novels. "A. American" keeps this in check for most of the book, with Morgan making only a few comments now and then about screwed the unprepared are going to be and the observation that people turn "collectivist" awfully fast when they run out of stuff.
The end of the book, however, reveals who the true culprits behind the EMP device were. Well, President Obama is never mentioned by name, but let's just say this is a book that will appeal to those who believe in the NWO's black helicopters and FEMA camps.
"A. American" is clearly making a statement with the very choice of his (yes, could be "her" but how likely is that?) pseudonym. Going Home seems intended to be a wake-up call of sorts, but the author doesn't really get up on a soapbox until the end.
Instead, the first part of the book is about Morgan Carter's trip home after an EMP device shuts down his car and the power grid. He is in rural Florida when it happens — setting survivalist novels in Florida or North Carolina seems to be awfully popular. Certainly it's easier to explain someone carrying a gun around, as opposed to a survivalist novel set in New York or Maryland.
Morgan Carter is a prepper, and the chapters with Morgan are narrated from a first-person POV, so he goes into great detail describing the contents of his bug-out bag, the equipment he has, his survival tactics as he begins hiking home. Later he meets up with a naive college girl, another shotgun-toting survivor named Thad (obligatory Big Black Friend), and then some ex-army guys, and the novel becomes a little disjointed as it alternates between their viewpoints as they go their separate ways.
Mostly there is a lot of talk about gear and prepper basics, obviously intended to enlist the audience's interest. There are some deadly encounters with the usual sorts of low-lives whom you'd expect to turn orc when the grid goes down. As a survival story, it's not quite as compelling as One Second After or Alas, Babylon or Dies the Fire because all those books (besides being somewhat better written) are about the survival of communities, whereas Going Home is mostly a collection of individual survival stories. However, it does illustrate some of the issues an individual might have, being caught on one's own in a SHTF scenario, though the author makes it a lot easier for his protagonists by letting them all start out heavily armed.
Now, as I noted, a certain mistrust of the government and antipathy for dependent city-dwellers is at the core of most of these survivalist novels. "A. American" keeps this in check for most of the book, with Morgan making only a few comments now and then about screwed the unprepared are going to be and the observation that people turn "collectivist" awfully fast when they run out of stuff.
The end of the book, however, reveals who the true culprits behind the EMP device were. Well, President Obama is never mentioned by name, but let's just say this is a book that will appeal to those who believe in the NWO's black helicopters and FEMA camps.
April 21, 2013
As a reader of a few post-apocalyptic novels, I'd have to say this is one of the best and worst I've read. I couldn't put it down and couldn't stand reading it all at the same time.
I really liked the storyline: people, in varying degrees of post-disaster preparedness, running the gauntlet to get home after an electromagnetic event wipes out the power grid. There is a lot of action and violence but not to the point of being gratuitous. The characters, both good and bad, are well drawn and they easily allowed me to take a rooting interest in their success or failure.
Now for the bad stuff. As other reviewers have noted, the writing style is horrible. I found the constant changing of tense unnerving. The frequent grammatical and typographical errors took away from the overall flow of the story.
I think a third of the book could have been edited out without detracting from the story at all. At times, the author goes into super hyper minute details that just bogs the story down. And then there's the 'product placements'. It was like reading a commercial! It's one thing to name the brand/model of weaponry, but boots, packs, stoves, radios, tools, shirts . . . When the main character finally makes it home, he 'went into our bedroom and lay down on the bed in my clothes. It felt so good, that Tempur-Pedic mattress'. I had to laugh. Really? C'mon, enough already.
I really liked the storyline: people, in varying degrees of post-disaster preparedness, running the gauntlet to get home after an electromagnetic event wipes out the power grid. There is a lot of action and violence but not to the point of being gratuitous. The characters, both good and bad, are well drawn and they easily allowed me to take a rooting interest in their success or failure.
Now for the bad stuff. As other reviewers have noted, the writing style is horrible. I found the constant changing of tense unnerving. The frequent grammatical and typographical errors took away from the overall flow of the story.
I think a third of the book could have been edited out without detracting from the story at all. At times, the author goes into super hyper minute details that just bogs the story down. And then there's the 'product placements'. It was like reading a commercial! It's one thing to name the brand/model of weaponry, but boots, packs, stoves, radios, tools, shirts . . . When the main character finally makes it home, he 'went into our bedroom and lay down on the bed in my clothes. It felt so good, that Tempur-Pedic mattress'. I had to laugh. Really? C'mon, enough already.
December 5, 2017
I got about 30 pages into this book before I realized I was reading Ted Kaczynski's shopping list for Cabela's.
June 23, 2025
This is the first entry of a series. In this one Morgan is a couple of hundred miles away from home when an EMP strikes America. It knocks out everything electronic. This is his story to get back home.
We have all read a story about the end of the world as we know it. What separates this one from others is that this one is about the journey. In my experience most stories of this kind are about the struggle at home. I really enjoyed this differentiation of story. As of the story I loved it. This deserves five stars. I enjoyed the aspect of the loneliness of the main character and who to trust or who is trouble. I loved how we see different types of groups and how they handle this crisis. The author does a nice job of using these different groups as symbols of idealisms. The characters we meet on the way popped and worked completely. Then why not five stars for a rating? I didn't think this was the most crisp writing. There was a lot of the main character explaining his actions by going "I did this and then this and so on". I know it was to set up atmosphere but some of it was not needed and took away from the momentum of the story. Too much telling about actions that could have been skipped.
I thought this was a terrific beginning of a new series. I was so interested in the main character's plight of something we take for granted. To get home. The author does a wonderful job of incorporating into the story the good of humanity and the evil side of humanity. The only flaw is I don't think the author exactly has a polish to his writing. I am hoping he improves in the subsequent books. I know I will be definitely diving into them because I need more from this series.
We have all read a story about the end of the world as we know it. What separates this one from others is that this one is about the journey. In my experience most stories of this kind are about the struggle at home. I really enjoyed this differentiation of story. As of the story I loved it. This deserves five stars. I enjoyed the aspect of the loneliness of the main character and who to trust or who is trouble. I loved how we see different types of groups and how they handle this crisis. The author does a nice job of using these different groups as symbols of idealisms. The characters we meet on the way popped and worked completely. Then why not five stars for a rating? I didn't think this was the most crisp writing. There was a lot of the main character explaining his actions by going "I did this and then this and so on". I know it was to set up atmosphere but some of it was not needed and took away from the momentum of the story. Too much telling about actions that could have been skipped.
I thought this was a terrific beginning of a new series. I was so interested in the main character's plight of something we take for granted. To get home. The author does a wonderful job of incorporating into the story the good of humanity and the evil side of humanity. The only flaw is I don't think the author exactly has a polish to his writing. I am hoping he improves in the subsequent books. I know I will be definitely diving into them because I need more from this series.
January 3, 2024
Interesting start to a new series but his writing had some drawbacks. An example would be the editing was not up to standard. Several misspelled words and awkward phrasing were present. There was too much detail on mundane tasks. A quote from Elaine, a fellow GR reader, “I got about 30 pages into the book before I realized I was reading Ted Kaczynski’s shopping list for Cabala.”reflected my thoughts exactly. I felt I was in a Radio Shack listening to the salesman drone on when we got into the descriptions of the radios in Sarge’s house. It was good to have a glossary to understand most of the abbreviations.
Now, the good parts. This was an action packed novel, causing the reader some late night reading. It has a good story line, unlike any post apocalyptic novel I have read before. One of the lessons the characters learned was there is strength in numbers, especially when trust has been established. The author separated the group into three different pathways in the last third of this read. I can foresee the joining of these pathways in future writing.
This is not a book for the squeamish. As time passes the reader will see how low civilization can stoop. If you, as the reader, are prepared to journey into the degradation of society, then this is the book/series for you.
Now, the good parts. This was an action packed novel, causing the reader some late night reading. It has a good story line, unlike any post apocalyptic novel I have read before. One of the lessons the characters learned was there is strength in numbers, especially when trust has been established. The author separated the group into three different pathways in the last third of this read. I can foresee the joining of these pathways in future writing.
This is not a book for the squeamish. As time passes the reader will see how low civilization can stoop. If you, as the reader, are prepared to journey into the degradation of society, then this is the book/series for you.
September 27, 2014
Going Home is a book about Morgan Carter, who is left stranded when technology suddenly stops. No cars, no phones, no electricity. As society collapses around him he must journey to his home 250+ miles away, where his wife and children wait for him.
This book had some pretty fundamental problems.
1. The first half of the book is written in first person. I'm not sure exactly why the author chose to do that, as half way through he starts switching between first and third person. Why even use first person in the first place? To determine the main character? Its pretty damn obvious.
2. The women are all either nags or naive. They seem to trust the wrong people and not trust the right people. But its a good thing when they have a MAN around to tell them who is good and who is bad!! And of course when shit hits the fan they lose their shit. I would have liked to see more out of the females in this book.
3. Oh my GOD brand placement. Is this book being used to sell me something?
I opened my pack and pulled out the SweetWater filter.
"Oh I always wanted one of those, but I never had the money. I was looking at the Katadyn."
"Yeah it's pretty good. Keeps the nastiness out of the water."
"Is it safe to drink?" She looked a little skeptical.
"Oh yeah, between the filter and the attachments here it'll get rid of anything in the water."
Did Walmart also pay to have appearances in this book?
4. Every single action the characters do is detailed in this book. In the first 16 pages the author describes the two shits the character takes and a piss. I don't need to know EVERYTHING the character does. It started to feel like this book could have been whittled down a 100 pages by not including so many filler details. I found myself starting to scan pages where the characters were cooking or pooping or picking their nose in play-by-play detail.
That being said once you got past the first half, the pacing was good and the characters were likeable. I did really like Thad and would have liked to learn more about him.
All in all not really my kind of book. Although I have a strange urge to visit my local Walmart and buy a water filter.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
This book had some pretty fundamental problems.
1. The first half of the book is written in first person. I'm not sure exactly why the author chose to do that, as half way through he starts switching between first and third person. Why even use first person in the first place? To determine the main character? Its pretty damn obvious.
2. The women are all either nags or naive. They seem to trust the wrong people and not trust the right people. But its a good thing when they have a MAN around to tell them who is good and who is bad!! And of course when shit hits the fan they lose their shit. I would have liked to see more out of the females in this book.
3. Oh my GOD brand placement. Is this book being used to sell me something?
I opened my pack and pulled out the SweetWater filter.
"Oh I always wanted one of those, but I never had the money. I was looking at the Katadyn."
"Yeah it's pretty good. Keeps the nastiness out of the water."
"Is it safe to drink?" She looked a little skeptical.
"Oh yeah, between the filter and the attachments here it'll get rid of anything in the water."
Did Walmart also pay to have appearances in this book?
4. Every single action the characters do is detailed in this book. In the first 16 pages the author describes the two shits the character takes and a piss. I don't need to know EVERYTHING the character does. It started to feel like this book could have been whittled down a 100 pages by not including so many filler details. I found myself starting to scan pages where the characters were cooking or pooping or picking their nose in play-by-play detail.
That being said once you got past the first half, the pacing was good and the characters were likeable. I did really like Thad and would have liked to learn more about him.
All in all not really my kind of book. Although I have a strange urge to visit my local Walmart and buy a water filter.
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
May 27, 2013
First, let me state that there are grammatical errors, sometimes to the point of distraction. However, I loved the book. The story is gripping and, at times, hard to put down. There is a lot of detail about the gear carried and used by the protagonist. From that I learned a few things. I gave the book five stars because I am very much looking forward to reading the sequel. I think the author has talent and the potential to develop into a very well known writer.
January 3, 2013
I read this book in about a day. It is quite alarming and certainly a wake up call to those of us who think an electrical catastrophic event could never happen. Going Home gives us a time line of events that could take place should our electrical grid system ever fail. I really do believe the social structure would be impacted exactly how "a American" portrays it in this book. I'm pretty sure I need a bug out bag in my truck after this read.
December 7, 2013
For all of you doomsday preppers and survivalists that are currently stockpiling all your gear in the event of a nuclear attack or government shutdown, the latest series from A. American is definitely one you will want to check out. The back cover does an exceptional job at warning the reader that this book is definitely for mature audience and I definitely applaud that. This novel reminded me of the television show Jericho, which showcased what happened when the United States fell victim from a nuclear attack on various major cities. The town of Jericho is a small piece of the puzzle and Going Home, the first novel in the Survivalist series, takes this scenario a step further. Think of it like Jericho on steroids!!! For you adrenaline junkies, you will definitely want to hang on tight.
The novel opens when Morgan Carter's car seems to breakdown 250 miles from home on a deserted stretch of road in Tallahassee, Florida. Believing it to be just car trouble, he immediately picks up his cell phone only to see the screen is black and even the charger is no longer functional. This means one of two things has occurred, either an EMP blast or CME, a Coronal Mass Ejection or Solar Flare has now rendered all electronics useless. Thankfully since he always packs for emergencies, he has all he needs to begin a long walk home to his wife and three daughters. But the long journey home will be far from easy as things begin to slowly unwind after people realize that they have to take care of themselves or risk becoming a victim.
Morgan Carter is resourceful and finds that all his training up this point has definitely prepared him for survival he will need to make it home. Along the way he hooks up with Jessica, a twenty-two-year old girl who fell victim to the event at a rest area. Fearing the worst for her particular situation, she begs Morgan to let her come along and she will take care of her own needs. She is able to convince him of just that knowing that two can survive in this situation better than going it alone. It seems that having her along as well provides an asset to their survival he didn't seem coming and for once is thankful for the suggestion to let her come along. They add Thad, a large black man with some military training, to their alliance and soon find out that things are only going to get worse the longer they all journey back to their respective homes and families.
I received Going Home from A. American compliments of Penguin Publishers and TLC Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is such a great novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Knowing that I would be encountering strong subject matter, once you understand the characters involved, it makes sense that profanity and violence in this situation would be expected. This is simply a survival story of Morgan Carter who will do ANYTHING he has to in order to make it home to his wife and daughters. Let me tell you that the journey will be anything but an easy one and walking 250 miles home will offer up dangers no one expected they would ever have to face. I easily give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion and can't wait for Surviving Home which we get a sneak peek at in the end of this novel.
The novel opens when Morgan Carter's car seems to breakdown 250 miles from home on a deserted stretch of road in Tallahassee, Florida. Believing it to be just car trouble, he immediately picks up his cell phone only to see the screen is black and even the charger is no longer functional. This means one of two things has occurred, either an EMP blast or CME, a Coronal Mass Ejection or Solar Flare has now rendered all electronics useless. Thankfully since he always packs for emergencies, he has all he needs to begin a long walk home to his wife and three daughters. But the long journey home will be far from easy as things begin to slowly unwind after people realize that they have to take care of themselves or risk becoming a victim.
Morgan Carter is resourceful and finds that all his training up this point has definitely prepared him for survival he will need to make it home. Along the way he hooks up with Jessica, a twenty-two-year old girl who fell victim to the event at a rest area. Fearing the worst for her particular situation, she begs Morgan to let her come along and she will take care of her own needs. She is able to convince him of just that knowing that two can survive in this situation better than going it alone. It seems that having her along as well provides an asset to their survival he didn't seem coming and for once is thankful for the suggestion to let her come along. They add Thad, a large black man with some military training, to their alliance and soon find out that things are only going to get worse the longer they all journey back to their respective homes and families.
I received Going Home from A. American compliments of Penguin Publishers and TLC Book Tours for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is such a great novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Knowing that I would be encountering strong subject matter, once you understand the characters involved, it makes sense that profanity and violence in this situation would be expected. This is simply a survival story of Morgan Carter who will do ANYTHING he has to in order to make it home to his wife and daughters. Let me tell you that the journey will be anything but an easy one and walking 250 miles home will offer up dangers no one expected they would ever have to face. I easily give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my personal opinion and can't wait for Surviving Home which we get a sneak peek at in the end of this novel.
September 3, 2013
Liked it, hated it. I keep going back and forth as to give this one 2 or 3 stars. I ended up with 2 stars because the negatives are going to be what I take away from the book and remember when I think back on it.
This is the story of a man, named Morgan, stranded 200 miles from home when either a CME or a EMP knocks out all the power and electronics in the USA. Morgan figures out what is going on within minutes of the event and grabs his gear and sets out walking home. He has a signifigant quantity of supplies with him because he has been prepping for something like this for years. The novel covers all the issues that he confronts on his way home as society crumbles without its reality TV and fast food.
The negatives have been covered pretty thoroughly by other reviews. The writing is amateurish. The author switches tense all the time. He switches from first person to third depending on which character he is writing about. The lists of gear and brand names can get a bit annoying, but this is a book about survival written by a prepper; I can forgive this easy enough.
It's a decent story, just not well written. (although I've seen far worse things published) The author knows how to spin a good tale, just doesn't have the experience to flesh it out properly, or write it out correctly. The transistions between scenes are clunky and disorienting because of the continued use of "he" without establishing that we've changed scenes.
What bothered me more than anything else and detracted from my enjoyment was the naked partisanship of the author. The plot establishes that "of course" the "government" or the "administration" would be willing to do whatever they could to grab power. It isn't established that the government took advantage of the situation, contributed to the situation, or flat out planned it. It is assumed the government grabs whatever power it can and manipulates people into being dependent on it so that they can hold on to that power. Given that scenario the reactions of the characters are reasoned and justified. The premise of the story itself is political and just plain detracted from my enjoyment.
This is the story of a man, named Morgan, stranded 200 miles from home when either a CME or a EMP knocks out all the power and electronics in the USA. Morgan figures out what is going on within minutes of the event and grabs his gear and sets out walking home. He has a signifigant quantity of supplies with him because he has been prepping for something like this for years. The novel covers all the issues that he confronts on his way home as society crumbles without its reality TV and fast food.
The negatives have been covered pretty thoroughly by other reviews. The writing is amateurish. The author switches tense all the time. He switches from first person to third depending on which character he is writing about. The lists of gear and brand names can get a bit annoying, but this is a book about survival written by a prepper; I can forgive this easy enough.
It's a decent story, just not well written. (although I've seen far worse things published) The author knows how to spin a good tale, just doesn't have the experience to flesh it out properly, or write it out correctly. The transistions between scenes are clunky and disorienting because of the continued use of "he" without establishing that we've changed scenes.
What bothered me more than anything else and detracted from my enjoyment was the naked partisanship of the author. The plot establishes that "of course" the "government" or the "administration" would be willing to do whatever they could to grab power. It isn't established that the government took advantage of the situation, contributed to the situation, or flat out planned it. It is assumed the government grabs whatever power it can and manipulates people into being dependent on it so that they can hold on to that power. Given that scenario the reactions of the characters are reasoned and justified. The premise of the story itself is political and just plain detracted from my enjoyment.
February 19, 2015
This had to be one of the worst books I've ever read. I know the author was going for a down south flavor, but the dialogue and grammar were atrocious. Terrible way to write about this subject. Others have done it much better.
December 31, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. I love apocalyptic and post apoc fiction and I'm a bit of a prepper myself (omg liberal leftist scum prepper, Morgan would have a stroke at the cognitive dissonance in his little trumper brain). I'm always interested in finding a good series and, more importantly, a good author so I can binge everything they've ever written. So I was excited by a 10 book series that gets recommended all over Reddit as a 'must read' for prepper/post apoc/disaster survival fiction. Okay then, sold.
Not sold enough to buy all 10 books at 12 bucks a pop (crazy expensive for what it is, most terrible apoc fiction is under 5 bucks a book,, but I'm somehow not surprised the author thinks this mess is super special and worth double that. but I bought the first one sight unseen, didn't even read the blurb or sample like I usually do based purely off the recommendations online. I regret that, but at least I got some good laughs out of it.
Listen, it's not entirely awful on every level. The spelling and grammar is finethough obviously not professional level. The writing in general is middle school level of passable in terms of telling a story, pacing etc. The characters...leave much to be desired. And the plot is just out and out hilarious (I won't spoiler it, but it's straight out of Proud Boy/Trumper fantasyland conspiracy territory).
I have a handful of major gripes, so I'll stick to those in my review.
1. The main character. Morgan is, without mincing words, a giant flaming visible from space Gary Stu. A self insert fantasy LARP for the author. To be fair, the author doesn't even try to hide that, read his bio and it's Morgan's bio, except Florida not NC. But Gary Stu's are so lazy and sooo boring. True to that, Morgan comes out victorious in every single situation. He makes women flirt with him hopefully and men urinate and/or defecate all over themselves when confronted by his terrifying, intimidating Alpha Maleness. No, literally, no less than 5 villains-in-passing loose their bowels they're so scared of this guy. There's no tension whatsoever because the author makes it very clear that under no circumstances will Morgan experience any hardship greater than the papercut of a gunshot graze he gets from one of his inept companions (by which he is saved by an actual Navy Seal who just so happens to have prepped for this exact EMP/CME disaster and not the hundreds of other scenarios he might have chosen instead, lucky Morgan!). He never so much as goes to bed without a fat full belly and sometimes a nice cold beer to wash his grub down with. Pretty boring for a survival 'hero' to never have to do any actual surviving. He also has an annoying habit of using all sorts of military lingo even though he's not a soldier, has never served and comes off as such a poser again, LARPing as a big bad military dude when he's just a fat IT dork with a bag of expensive stuff.
Speaking of his bag of stuff:
2. Morgan's never ending Pack Of Brand-Name Items Only Please. Look, there's being prepared with a get home bag and then there's Morgan's bag o doom. In the first chapter, he lists out a million things he puts in his bag and carries anytime he goes anywhere outside his home. And it's not just stuff like 'a tarp, a multitool, a edc weapon etc'. No no, it's a So and So Brand tarp, a Such and Such brand multitool, it's not a 9mm, it's a Whosawhatsit Brand Name Here super special For Heroes Only 9mm. Every single thing he uses in this entire book is brand name stamped to the point I was actually surprised there weren't Amazon affiliate links IN the book. The sample on the Amazon store page gives you an idea, the entire book is like this. Just name brand toys left and right and nothing is allowed to be generic. It reads like a wishlist for every prepper wannabe or maybe an informercial for some prepper gear website. Morgan's got it all and boy howdy, is he eager to tell you all about his toys. And just when you think you MUST have heard about every item he has in there, no no, here comes another item he has at just the right time that he's never mentioned in the previous dozen chapters up till now, but whatever he needs, he whips out of that darn pack. It genuinely reminded me of Mary Poppins' never ending carpet bag. It must weigh a million pounds, though he swears it's only 60. I half want to look up everything he lists to add up all the weight just to see, but I don't have two years to track down his laundry list of gear. And keep in mind he tells us our Morgan is 6', 260-270ish pounds. Which is clinically obese. So this middle aged, obese IT guy is Navy Sealing it up in the swamps of Florida intimidating and stealth killing every bad guy he crosses paths with and saving all the damsels in distress with this massive over-encumbered pack of everything and the kitchen sink? I'm buying that, sure. I can suspend my reality only so much.
2b. The author must have spent so much time memorizing the details of every gadget and doohickey Morgan has in his pack that there was no time for actual research on anything else. Which must be why Morgan declares the new moon is SO illuminating it's like daylight outside (for those who don't know, the new moon phase of the moon cycle is when there is no visible moon, it's fully dark). Or why he expects us to believe that a 3 inch diameter branch on a dead rotting in swamp water tree can support this obese man's weight comfortably.
3. Where is everyone? Last I checked, the current census says 21.5 MILLION people live in Florida. So...where are they all? Morgan walks the entire length of Florida and never runs into anyone in groups larger than about 6 -12 people. Drives through whole entire neighborhoods/towns and mentions seeing only a handful of folks. Details for us the desolate highways and byways of Florida as though he's describing a Mad Max wasteland after 80% of the humans have been wiped out. But no one died en masse in this apocalypse. It just shut the power down. So why is Florida suddenly devoid of people in this book? Just tiny, isolated pockets of humanity in the first two weeks or so of the end of the world.
3b. At one point in the book it takes him 2 hours to walk 2km. 2km is 1.2 Miles. It takes him 2 weeks to get home with 250 miles to walk. We are meant to believe an obese, out of shape middle aged man walks 17 hours every day (roughly 17 miles needed to reach his goal in 2 weeks at that pace) while wearing a pack I will generously weigh in at 80 pounds minimum. Mr author, sir, you have not just stretched my capability to suspend reality, you have shredded it like a cartoon cable suspending a piano above Wily Coyote's head.
I could go on but it's nearly midnight on New Years Eve Eve and 2020 is over tomorrow and we're all just trying not to die from the new plague, so let me sum up with this: Going Home is a terrible book, with a terrible protagonist written by a terrible writer. It is not, however, the worst thing I've ever read and if, like me, you are desperate due to the dearth of good apocalyptic fiction on the hellsite that is Amazon, then you could spend 12 bucks on worse things. Like drugs. Or a lady of the night. Or a brand name shovel like Morgan's. In fact, if you're a middle aged obese dude who's always wished there was a man version of the Home Shopping Network, you might actually enjoy this book. I, however, will not be buying the rest of the series or anything else by this author.
Good luck and godspeed to those who dare click 'buy now'.
Not sold enough to buy all 10 books at 12 bucks a pop (crazy expensive for what it is, most terrible apoc fiction is under 5 bucks a book,, but I'm somehow not surprised the author thinks this mess is super special and worth double that. but I bought the first one sight unseen, didn't even read the blurb or sample like I usually do based purely off the recommendations online. I regret that, but at least I got some good laughs out of it.
Listen, it's not entirely awful on every level. The spelling and grammar is finethough obviously not professional level. The writing in general is middle school level of passable in terms of telling a story, pacing etc. The characters...leave much to be desired. And the plot is just out and out hilarious (I won't spoiler it, but it's straight out of Proud Boy/Trumper fantasyland conspiracy territory).
I have a handful of major gripes, so I'll stick to those in my review.
1. The main character. Morgan is, without mincing words, a giant flaming visible from space Gary Stu. A self insert fantasy LARP for the author. To be fair, the author doesn't even try to hide that, read his bio and it's Morgan's bio, except Florida not NC. But Gary Stu's are so lazy and sooo boring. True to that, Morgan comes out victorious in every single situation. He makes women flirt with him hopefully and men urinate and/or defecate all over themselves when confronted by his terrifying, intimidating Alpha Maleness. No, literally, no less than 5 villains-in-passing loose their bowels they're so scared of this guy. There's no tension whatsoever because the author makes it very clear that under no circumstances will Morgan experience any hardship greater than the papercut of a gunshot graze he gets from one of his inept companions (by which he is saved by an actual Navy Seal who just so happens to have prepped for this exact EMP/CME disaster and not the hundreds of other scenarios he might have chosen instead, lucky Morgan!). He never so much as goes to bed without a fat full belly and sometimes a nice cold beer to wash his grub down with. Pretty boring for a survival 'hero' to never have to do any actual surviving. He also has an annoying habit of using all sorts of military lingo even though he's not a soldier, has never served and comes off as such a poser again, LARPing as a big bad military dude when he's just a fat IT dork with a bag of expensive stuff.
Speaking of his bag of stuff:
2. Morgan's never ending Pack Of Brand-Name Items Only Please. Look, there's being prepared with a get home bag and then there's Morgan's bag o doom. In the first chapter, he lists out a million things he puts in his bag and carries anytime he goes anywhere outside his home. And it's not just stuff like 'a tarp, a multitool, a edc weapon etc'. No no, it's a So and So Brand tarp, a Such and Such brand multitool, it's not a 9mm, it's a Whosawhatsit Brand Name Here super special For Heroes Only 9mm. Every single thing he uses in this entire book is brand name stamped to the point I was actually surprised there weren't Amazon affiliate links IN the book. The sample on the Amazon store page gives you an idea, the entire book is like this. Just name brand toys left and right and nothing is allowed to be generic. It reads like a wishlist for every prepper wannabe or maybe an informercial for some prepper gear website. Morgan's got it all and boy howdy, is he eager to tell you all about his toys. And just when you think you MUST have heard about every item he has in there, no no, here comes another item he has at just the right time that he's never mentioned in the previous dozen chapters up till now, but whatever he needs, he whips out of that darn pack. It genuinely reminded me of Mary Poppins' never ending carpet bag. It must weigh a million pounds, though he swears it's only 60. I half want to look up everything he lists to add up all the weight just to see, but I don't have two years to track down his laundry list of gear. And keep in mind he tells us our Morgan is 6', 260-270ish pounds. Which is clinically obese. So this middle aged, obese IT guy is Navy Sealing it up in the swamps of Florida intimidating and stealth killing every bad guy he crosses paths with and saving all the damsels in distress with this massive over-encumbered pack of everything and the kitchen sink? I'm buying that, sure. I can suspend my reality only so much.
2b. The author must have spent so much time memorizing the details of every gadget and doohickey Morgan has in his pack that there was no time for actual research on anything else. Which must be why Morgan declares the new moon is SO illuminating it's like daylight outside (for those who don't know, the new moon phase of the moon cycle is when there is no visible moon, it's fully dark). Or why he expects us to believe that a 3 inch diameter branch on a dead rotting in swamp water tree can support this obese man's weight comfortably.
3. Where is everyone? Last I checked, the current census says 21.5 MILLION people live in Florida. So...where are they all? Morgan walks the entire length of Florida and never runs into anyone in groups larger than about 6 -12 people. Drives through whole entire neighborhoods/towns and mentions seeing only a handful of folks. Details for us the desolate highways and byways of Florida as though he's describing a Mad Max wasteland after 80% of the humans have been wiped out. But no one died en masse in this apocalypse. It just shut the power down. So why is Florida suddenly devoid of people in this book? Just tiny, isolated pockets of humanity in the first two weeks or so of the end of the world.
3b. At one point in the book it takes him 2 hours to walk 2km. 2km is 1.2 Miles. It takes him 2 weeks to get home with 250 miles to walk. We are meant to believe an obese, out of shape middle aged man walks 17 hours every day (roughly 17 miles needed to reach his goal in 2 weeks at that pace) while wearing a pack I will generously weigh in at 80 pounds minimum. Mr author, sir, you have not just stretched my capability to suspend reality, you have shredded it like a cartoon cable suspending a piano above Wily Coyote's head.
I could go on but it's nearly midnight on New Years Eve Eve and 2020 is over tomorrow and we're all just trying not to die from the new plague, so let me sum up with this: Going Home is a terrible book, with a terrible protagonist written by a terrible writer. It is not, however, the worst thing I've ever read and if, like me, you are desperate due to the dearth of good apocalyptic fiction on the hellsite that is Amazon, then you could spend 12 bucks on worse things. Like drugs. Or a lady of the night. Or a brand name shovel like Morgan's. In fact, if you're a middle aged obese dude who's always wished there was a man version of the Home Shopping Network, you might actually enjoy this book. I, however, will not be buying the rest of the series or anything else by this author.
Good luck and godspeed to those who dare click 'buy now'.
March 3, 2013
I loved this book. I see where others thought the writing was atrocious but where independent publishing is concerned this was better than a lot I've read. It could use some gentle editing but enough said, move on.
The story was great and I read most of it in one long reading binge because I couldn't put it down. I got a bunch of ideas that I need to add to my own prepping. I can't wait for book 2!
The story was great and I read most of it in one long reading binge because I couldn't put it down. I got a bunch of ideas that I need to add to my own prepping. I can't wait for book 2!
March 31, 2014
Survival porn (with in a hearty dose of racism and sexism) for couch potatoes whose idea of getting prepared consists of acquiring expensive gear and arguing about it on the internet forums with other couch potatoes. First time in forever I'm going to ask Audible for my money back.
August 4, 2013
I wasn't sure what this book was about. Once I started it, I was quickly prepared to dislike it. The politics are not mine, and I am not a prepper. The writing style isn't very good - stock characters, gratuitous swearing, frequent and unnecessary descriptions of bodily functions. Morgan, the main character is egotistical. Thad reminded me of Travis McGee, a big man with an even bigger heart. Jess is the ingenue. Sarge, well Sarge is mysterious. I was tempted to put it down for other books that were calling my name. But, for some reason, I kept going, and I found myself enjoying the story. As the main characters go their separate ways, the plot gets more complex. Exactly what event has caused the grid to go down isn't clear, nor is it clear if the issue expands beyond the U.S.A. While the author skims the surface of deeper questions, I had to stop and think about what would cause me to kill another human being. How could I justify something like that. Morgan gets through this issue very quickly. Thad and Jess struggle. I will probably look at the sequel. I'm hoping that now that a mainstream publisher has picked up the book, better editing will improve the writer's style. And, I want to know more about Thad, Jess, and Sarge. I must admit, Morgan doesn't interest me very much, at least not yet.
April 9, 2019
I'm between 3 and 4 with this one. I had problem with believability of some scenes, apocalypse or not. Also, it's a bit repetitive and lacks depth. But it's addictive enough and there's potential. It's just, this first book is like the author is still trying to find his voice. We'll see.
November 23, 2023
As the crap hits the fan, Morgan is 200 plus Mike's from home.
As the country is plunged into utter chaos, this is a story about the journey home of three people that come together to help each other survive.
Slightly eye-opening how quickly people will turn into criminals when forced to survive.
As the country is plunged into utter chaos, this is a story about the journey home of three people that come together to help each other survive.
Slightly eye-opening how quickly people will turn into criminals when forced to survive.
July 8, 2023
This book is either plain awful or very hilarious, depending on how you look at it.
If you ever wanted to know what was going on in the mind of the overweight neck beards you see at gun shows and whatnot here it is. Oh and all the lone wolf fantasies about shooting their way out of any situation they ever get into.
To begin with the writing is terrible, so terrible. Most of it is a gear-do list of stuff of the guy has with him. Very typical of the civilian type who thinks that buying stuff similar to what the military uses practically makes them Soldiers. Oh an the endless talk about the gear and using it. At one point it takes 8 sentences to describe putting up a clothesline.
This guy so desperately wants to come off as military but very much comes off as the type who would say "I would have joined but if the Drill SGT got in my face he would have smacked him."
All the characters in the book, all of them, boil down to a single defining stereotype. All of the scenarios and situations in the book are more farfetched than your average cartoon about magic.
If you hold the written word in any form of esteem I would not recommend this at all.
If you ever wanted to know what was going on in the mind of the overweight neck beards you see at gun shows and whatnot here it is. Oh and all the lone wolf fantasies about shooting their way out of any situation they ever get into.
To begin with the writing is terrible, so terrible. Most of it is a gear-do list of stuff of the guy has with him. Very typical of the civilian type who thinks that buying stuff similar to what the military uses practically makes them Soldiers. Oh an the endless talk about the gear and using it. At one point it takes 8 sentences to describe putting up a clothesline.
This guy so desperately wants to come off as military but very much comes off as the type who would say "I would have joined but if the Drill SGT got in my face he would have smacked him."
All the characters in the book, all of them, boil down to a single defining stereotype. All of the scenarios and situations in the book are more farfetched than your average cartoon about magic.
If you hold the written word in any form of esteem I would not recommend this at all.
August 23, 2013
It is amazing how quickly civilization deteriorates when people become desperate. This book really played into my fears of government conspiracy theories. When an EMP hits and wipes out everything that is electronic, Morgan is on a business trip and 250 miles from home. Morgan is an over the top prepper that has prepared for just about any kind of scenario. He wonders how long it will take before mankind turns back to the survival of the fittest. He gets his answer almost immediately.
Jess is a young adult, who has been away at college and just wants to get home to her parents. She is ill prepared for her journey home, but is very aware that it not safe for her to travel alone. She convinces Morgan to let her travel with him. Along the way they meet Thad, a trunk driver, which is also trying to get home. They all decide that since at least part of their voyage is in the same direction, there would be safety in numbers.
They make friends with another, Sarge, who has unbelievable set up. It seems like Sarge is ready for anything. He is ex-military and still has friends that know what the government is up too. When he fills his new friends in on what is really happening, they discover it will be much harder to get home.
This book is filled with pits and downfalls that would become very real dangers if the people that keep things running smoothly were on longer here. They have to literally fight for their lives to make it home to their families. Their moral integrity has to change for them to get by in this new reality. This book will keep you on your toes wondering what will befall our heroes next.
The author is very knowledgeable of human nature, guns, gadgets and things it would take to survive if we were suddenly left without the electrical power then dominates everything we do. We normally unmindful that we depend on it to powering out houses, cooking, having a clean water supply to basic communication. The writer of this book really makes you wonder how well you would endure if suddenly you had to figure out new ways or revert to old knowledge for doing almost anything. How many people would just give up? How many would try to forcefully take what belongs to others? How many would honestly try to find new ways to get by? It would be like a permanent, primitive camping trip. Just imagine, your cell phone, computer, air conditioning, television, radio, and kindle doesn’t work and these are things you can live without. How long could you survive on the food you current have in your possession?
I loved this book. I learned about all kinds of things I never know existed. There are all kinds of new survival toys I want after reading Going Home. This book also made me want to be better prepared for any type of emergency. It really made me realize how spoiled we as Americans are. I already had a big fear of how much of our lives the government has control over and this book really shows how easily they could gain total command. Really looking forward to starting Surviving Home, the sequel.
Jess is a young adult, who has been away at college and just wants to get home to her parents. She is ill prepared for her journey home, but is very aware that it not safe for her to travel alone. She convinces Morgan to let her travel with him. Along the way they meet Thad, a trunk driver, which is also trying to get home. They all decide that since at least part of their voyage is in the same direction, there would be safety in numbers.
They make friends with another, Sarge, who has unbelievable set up. It seems like Sarge is ready for anything. He is ex-military and still has friends that know what the government is up too. When he fills his new friends in on what is really happening, they discover it will be much harder to get home.
This book is filled with pits and downfalls that would become very real dangers if the people that keep things running smoothly were on longer here. They have to literally fight for their lives to make it home to their families. Their moral integrity has to change for them to get by in this new reality. This book will keep you on your toes wondering what will befall our heroes next.
The author is very knowledgeable of human nature, guns, gadgets and things it would take to survive if we were suddenly left without the electrical power then dominates everything we do. We normally unmindful that we depend on it to powering out houses, cooking, having a clean water supply to basic communication. The writer of this book really makes you wonder how well you would endure if suddenly you had to figure out new ways or revert to old knowledge for doing almost anything. How many people would just give up? How many would try to forcefully take what belongs to others? How many would honestly try to find new ways to get by? It would be like a permanent, primitive camping trip. Just imagine, your cell phone, computer, air conditioning, television, radio, and kindle doesn’t work and these are things you can live without. How long could you survive on the food you current have in your possession?
I loved this book. I learned about all kinds of things I never know existed. There are all kinds of new survival toys I want after reading Going Home. This book also made me want to be better prepared for any type of emergency. It really made me realize how spoiled we as Americans are. I already had a big fear of how much of our lives the government has control over and this book really shows how easily they could gain total command. Really looking forward to starting Surviving Home, the sequel.
February 2, 2017
3-1/2 out of 5 stars.
The beginning of this book had me constantly going online to figure out what type of item he was talking about. As an example, instead of describing it as a knife, he gave the brand name. I'm not kidding, the first 20 pages I had to look up about 10 items. Just FYI to the author, not all of us know the brand names of such items and if I didn't have an internet connection at the time I'm reading it, I would not know what you were talking about. Maybe in future publications, say "my favorite knife, the [brand name]." It would help a lot. The back of the book gives the meanings of some of the abbreviations but because I was reading an ebook I didn't notice this until I was finished reading the book.
Have you ever met someone whose accent would change depending on who they were with? Off the top of my head I'm thinking of Dorit from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The main character Morgan is like that. Morgan talked one way with the older couple in the beginning - using a lot of "southern" slang and corny jokes from 75 years ago, then he talked another way with Thad, the mail truck driver, and then when he's with Sarge, he talks as if he had been in the military. Be yourself Morgan! It would be easier to figure out what kind of character you are.
And Sarge - the author wants you to think of him as a crusty lovable curmudgeon but he's pretty much an asshole. He pours hot coffee on people's hands with a smile, he uses some kind of gas to wake them up while he wearing protection, he constantly is talking in an extremely degrading manner to the men with him. I get it that he's tough but I don't understand how the guys even like him (which they mention that they do throughout those sections). The Sarge could be respectfully tough, like other books I've read with older military characters in them. Anyway, I'm surprised the guys aren't hitting him when he pulls this stuff.
The book itself was pretty good, however, there was way too much discussion of what MRE contained, how it was cooked, then the washing that happened. Maybe in the beginning mention the procedure, but then say "I had an MRE of mac & cheese" not a play-by-play of each meal.
Another thing that really bothered me is that I have no idea why Morgan didn't mention the girls he found at the lake near his house. That should have been talked about the first day but for sure by the second especially when he was talking to the deputy sheriff. He has a wife and daughters for crying out loud!
Even with all of my complaining, I enjoyed the book and I'm planning on reading more of this series.
The beginning of this book had me constantly going online to figure out what type of item he was talking about. As an example, instead of describing it as a knife, he gave the brand name. I'm not kidding, the first 20 pages I had to look up about 10 items. Just FYI to the author, not all of us know the brand names of such items and if I didn't have an internet connection at the time I'm reading it, I would not know what you were talking about. Maybe in future publications, say "my favorite knife, the [brand name]." It would help a lot. The back of the book gives the meanings of some of the abbreviations but because I was reading an ebook I didn't notice this until I was finished reading the book.
Have you ever met someone whose accent would change depending on who they were with? Off the top of my head I'm thinking of Dorit from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The main character Morgan is like that. Morgan talked one way with the older couple in the beginning - using a lot of "southern" slang and corny jokes from 75 years ago, then he talked another way with Thad, the mail truck driver, and then when he's with Sarge, he talks as if he had been in the military. Be yourself Morgan! It would be easier to figure out what kind of character you are.
And Sarge - the author wants you to think of him as a crusty lovable curmudgeon but he's pretty much an asshole. He pours hot coffee on people's hands with a smile, he uses some kind of gas to wake them up while he wearing protection, he constantly is talking in an extremely degrading manner to the men with him. I get it that he's tough but I don't understand how the guys even like him (which they mention that they do throughout those sections). The Sarge could be respectfully tough, like other books I've read with older military characters in them. Anyway, I'm surprised the guys aren't hitting him when he pulls this stuff.
The book itself was pretty good, however, there was way too much discussion of what MRE contained, how it was cooked, then the washing that happened. Maybe in the beginning mention the procedure, but then say "I had an MRE of mac & cheese" not a play-by-play of each meal.
Another thing that really bothered me is that I have no idea why Morgan didn't mention the girls he found at the lake near his house. That should have been talked about the first day but for sure by the second especially when he was talking to the deputy sheriff. He has a wife and daughters for crying out loud!
Even with all of my complaining, I enjoyed the book and I'm planning on reading more of this series.
December 22, 2020
I picked up this book because I love doomsday/mass disaster reads. And while the story was interesting enough for me to slog through the entire book, I have to give this one star. Like others have mentioned, the writing is absolutely terrible. Even ignoring the grammatical errors and first-person/third-person shifts, the writing is really tough to get through. It reads the way my grandmother tells stories. Telling me "then this happened, then this happened, then this..." is not an interesting way to tell a story.
The author "A. American" (really?) is a big time prepper in real life, and clearly has some strong political opinions which he doesn't even try to make nuanced in this book. Either that, or he is unapologetically pandering to the types of folks who think the government is entirely made up of boogeymen who are out to get us and that the only thing to do about it is stockpile guns, ammo, and MREs. If you need the author to make it clear to you that a character is bad by making them long-haired weed smoking hippies, then this book is for you. Or if you're looking for some tacti-cool gear ideas to add to your wish list, this book might be helpful as well.
I think it's important for people to be prepared for whatever challenges may come their way. And I think it's good to be independent and self-sufficient. But "A. American" (real name Chris Weatherman) does a disservice to the idea of prepping. But hey, apparently he can make himself wealthy off of writing trash prepper fantasies.
The author "A. American" (really?) is a big time prepper in real life, and clearly has some strong political opinions which he doesn't even try to make nuanced in this book. Either that, or he is unapologetically pandering to the types of folks who think the government is entirely made up of boogeymen who are out to get us and that the only thing to do about it is stockpile guns, ammo, and MREs. If you need the author to make it clear to you that a character is bad by making them long-haired weed smoking hippies, then this book is for you. Or if you're looking for some tacti-cool gear ideas to add to your wish list, this book might be helpful as well.
I think it's important for people to be prepared for whatever challenges may come their way. And I think it's good to be independent and self-sufficient. But "A. American" (real name Chris Weatherman) does a disservice to the idea of prepping. But hey, apparently he can make himself wealthy off of writing trash prepper fantasies.
April 21, 2019
Dear Lord, why!? So I listened to the audiobook version of this and I swear, I want my 14 hours back.
I have to admit- the premise of this book is not (that) hard to imagine, but the likelihood of all of these characters coming together is. The absolute shit show that went down at one of the camps they encountered, the sheer number of days when they walked and didn’t encounter people, in the state of Florida. It is also not hard to read the heavily right wing craziness in between the lines, and it is exhausting. The back and forth about people waiting to be cared for by the government, the government lying in wait to take our resources and guns- this is like a Saturday night on a certain cable “news” station in book form.
On top of that, it would have been better if the author started a new chapter when changing character groups. One minute you are talking about Morgan, the next line could be about Thad or Sarge or some other confusing craziness. Not to mention the change in tense and the RIDICULOUS way we had to read about the very specific items in these people’s packs. Sweet mercy. I would listen to the long descriptions and forget the point - and so did the author.
I can honestly say that I will not continue this series.
I have to admit- the premise of this book is not (that) hard to imagine, but the likelihood of all of these characters coming together is. The absolute shit show that went down at one of the camps they encountered, the sheer number of days when they walked and didn’t encounter people, in the state of Florida. It is also not hard to read the heavily right wing craziness in between the lines, and it is exhausting. The back and forth about people waiting to be cared for by the government, the government lying in wait to take our resources and guns- this is like a Saturday night on a certain cable “news” station in book form.
On top of that, it would have been better if the author started a new chapter when changing character groups. One minute you are talking about Morgan, the next line could be about Thad or Sarge or some other confusing craziness. Not to mention the change in tense and the RIDICULOUS way we had to read about the very specific items in these people’s packs. Sweet mercy. I would listen to the long descriptions and forget the point - and so did the author.
I can honestly say that I will not continue this series.
June 27, 2013
I found this self published book and figured I'd give it a try. I believe A. American did a great job on his first endeavor. Once you get into the story line it's hard to set it down. Yes, some grammatical errors, so what. Great book, storyline and characters.
August 17, 2013
Amazing book!!!!
February 23, 2019
Possibly the worst book I've ever read. Would give 0 stars if possible.
June 25, 2019
The book reads like a shopping list for racist, end-times fantasists. No thanks
April 30, 2025
"Going Home" by A. American, published in 2013 and narrated by Duke Fontaine, sends listeners into a gripping post-apocalyptic tale that blends survivalist grit with human resilience. The first in "The Survivalist" series, this novel follows Morgan Carter, a prepper whose routine trip is derailed when his car breaks down 250 miles from home. What begins as a minor inconvenience spirals into a harrowing odyssey when a catastrophic power grid failure plunges the nation into chaos. With no electricity, water, or communication, Morgan’s survival skills are tested as he embarks on a treacherous trek from Tallahassee to his family in Lake County, Florida.
A. American, a seasoned outdoorsman, infuses the narrative with authentic survival techniques, from foraging to tactical decision-making, which makes "Going Home" a love letter to the prepper ethos. The story’s strength lies in its grounded realism - Morgan isn’t a superhero but a determined everyman navigating a world unraveling at the seams. The author paints a vivid picture of societal collapse, where desperation breeds both cruelty and unexpected alliances. Encounters with strangers, some hostile and others kindred, add layers of tension and humanity, forcing Morgan to balance caution with compassion. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter introducing new obstacles that keep listeners on edge, from resource scarcity to moral dilemmas.
Duke Fontaine’s narration elevates the experience, his gravelly voice embodying Morgan’s rugged resolve. Fontaine’s ability to differentiate characters through distinct vocal shifts - whether a gruff antagonist or a weary ally - adds depth, making dialogue scenes immersive. His cadence mirrors the story’s urgency, particularly in high-stakes moments, though occasional over-emphasis on minor lines can slightly disrupt the flow. Nonetheless, Fontaine’s performance is a standout, earning praise for its clarity and emotional resonance, perfectly suited to the survivalist genre.
Thematically, Going Home explores preparedness versus chaos, critiquing societal fragility while celebrating individual tenacity. However, the prose occasionally stumbles, with clunky dialogue and repetitive phrasing that may jar listeners accustomed to polished literary works. The narrative can also feel overly didactic, pandering to survivalist readers with a “sheeple” disdain for the unprepared, which risks alienating a broader audience. Despite these flaws, the compelling plot and well-crafted characters - each with distinct backstories - sustain engagement, making it easy to root for Morgan’s mission.
"Going Home" is a pulse-pounding audiobook that delivers a raw, immersive survival tale. A. American’s detailed world-building, paired with Fontaine’s dynamic narration, makes it a standout. Perfect for those who crave realistic “what-if” scenarios, and anyone who enjoys apocalyptic fiction like William R. Forstchen’s "One Second After," despite the uneven writing quality.
A. American, a seasoned outdoorsman, infuses the narrative with authentic survival techniques, from foraging to tactical decision-making, which makes "Going Home" a love letter to the prepper ethos. The story’s strength lies in its grounded realism - Morgan isn’t a superhero but a determined everyman navigating a world unraveling at the seams. The author paints a vivid picture of societal collapse, where desperation breeds both cruelty and unexpected alliances. Encounters with strangers, some hostile and others kindred, add layers of tension and humanity, forcing Morgan to balance caution with compassion. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter introducing new obstacles that keep listeners on edge, from resource scarcity to moral dilemmas.
Duke Fontaine’s narration elevates the experience, his gravelly voice embodying Morgan’s rugged resolve. Fontaine’s ability to differentiate characters through distinct vocal shifts - whether a gruff antagonist or a weary ally - adds depth, making dialogue scenes immersive. His cadence mirrors the story’s urgency, particularly in high-stakes moments, though occasional over-emphasis on minor lines can slightly disrupt the flow. Nonetheless, Fontaine’s performance is a standout, earning praise for its clarity and emotional resonance, perfectly suited to the survivalist genre.
Thematically, Going Home explores preparedness versus chaos, critiquing societal fragility while celebrating individual tenacity. However, the prose occasionally stumbles, with clunky dialogue and repetitive phrasing that may jar listeners accustomed to polished literary works. The narrative can also feel overly didactic, pandering to survivalist readers with a “sheeple” disdain for the unprepared, which risks alienating a broader audience. Despite these flaws, the compelling plot and well-crafted characters - each with distinct backstories - sustain engagement, making it easy to root for Morgan’s mission.
"Going Home" is a pulse-pounding audiobook that delivers a raw, immersive survival tale. A. American’s detailed world-building, paired with Fontaine’s dynamic narration, makes it a standout. Perfect for those who crave realistic “what-if” scenarios, and anyone who enjoys apocalyptic fiction like William R. Forstchen’s "One Second After," despite the uneven writing quality.
March 25, 2022
Honest opinion on the book? It had a good plot line however the way the book was written was weak in certain spots, I saw some errors and found some of the chapters to be run on. I did enjoy some of the characters but all in all the writing reminds me of a rough draft. I did for the most part enjoy the read but I don’t believe I’m going to continue the series.
July 29, 2019
5 awesomely talented audio stars!! Another favorite narrator to add to my list! Woot!
4 action adventure entertaining stars story!!! I will definitely be reading this series through out the months to come.
4 action adventure entertaining stars story!!! I will definitely be reading this series through out the months to come.
May 12, 2018
This was another book I wanted to like. (Okay, I guess I could say that about most books I read because, well, I picked it up and started reading in the first place, didn't I?)
The author really knows his stuff. It's apparent that he's either a Prepper himself, or regularly rubs elbows with people who are. It's just as clear that he's thought long and hard about what he'd do in this kind of emergency, and has pondered multiple scenarios. When our main character Morgan is stranded, I initially wondered how the author was going to stretch a 250-mile trek across Florida into some five hundred pages. Well, he did, and with gritty realism.
Unfortunately, the detractors, well, detracted. First and foremost, his overuse of the passive voice was downright excruciating. (Wait a minute, I can do better than that. Let's try this again.) From the pages of this tome surged a tsunami of the passive voice thick enough to constipate an entire herd of brachiosaurs. (Was that better?) I found his apparent love affair with gear to be distracting as he painstakingly describes every step of every operation in vivid detail, to the point that it often read like a step-by-step how-to manual for surviving on the road. Dude, this is supposed to be a story, not the Boy Scout Handbook. While I'll give him points for throwing "Plot Ninjas" at the characters, most of them felt a little off--and sure, I fully acknowledge that this is one of the more difficult aspects of storytelling--such that it was hard to tell sometimes which conflict moments were related to the EMP, and which were just people being jerks. I found a couple of the characters to be off-putting, and all of them didn't behave consistently--ja, ja, I know real people are like that, but characters aren't real people. And finally, I had trouble swallowing one particular story element that I suppose I'll sit on to avoid spoilers.
I frequently read reviews that say something the effect of, "I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but it never did." I've noticed that errors and problems that show up early in a work will often persist throughout. I read these things partly to see what others think about how they'd deal with various SHtF scenarios, partly because I have a fascination with the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, and because, well, I write this stuff, too. It seems there's a veritable plethora of material out there. Anyway, I didn't notice any typos, but it sure looked to me like he could have used at least one more beta-reader.
The book includes the first chapter of the sequel. I read it to see if the author learned anything from writing this one. And, well, it would appear not. I might read it at some point, but I won't lose any sleep over prioritizing all the other books in my ponderous to-read stack.
The author really knows his stuff. It's apparent that he's either a Prepper himself, or regularly rubs elbows with people who are. It's just as clear that he's thought long and hard about what he'd do in this kind of emergency, and has pondered multiple scenarios. When our main character Morgan is stranded, I initially wondered how the author was going to stretch a 250-mile trek across Florida into some five hundred pages. Well, he did, and with gritty realism.
Unfortunately, the detractors, well, detracted. First and foremost, his overuse of the passive voice was downright excruciating. (Wait a minute, I can do better than that. Let's try this again.) From the pages of this tome surged a tsunami of the passive voice thick enough to constipate an entire herd of brachiosaurs. (Was that better?) I found his apparent love affair with gear to be distracting as he painstakingly describes every step of every operation in vivid detail, to the point that it often read like a step-by-step how-to manual for surviving on the road. Dude, this is supposed to be a story, not the Boy Scout Handbook. While I'll give him points for throwing "Plot Ninjas" at the characters, most of them felt a little off--and sure, I fully acknowledge that this is one of the more difficult aspects of storytelling--such that it was hard to tell sometimes which conflict moments were related to the EMP, and which were just people being jerks. I found a couple of the characters to be off-putting, and all of them didn't behave consistently--ja, ja, I know real people are like that, but characters aren't real people. And finally, I had trouble swallowing one particular story element that I suppose I'll sit on to avoid spoilers.
I frequently read reviews that say something the effect of, "I kept reading, hoping it would get better, but it never did." I've noticed that errors and problems that show up early in a work will often persist throughout. I read these things partly to see what others think about how they'd deal with various SHtF scenarios, partly because I have a fascination with the post-apocalyptic sub-genre, and because, well, I write this stuff, too. It seems there's a veritable plethora of material out there. Anyway, I didn't notice any typos, but it sure looked to me like he could have used at least one more beta-reader.
The book includes the first chapter of the sequel. I read it to see if the author learned anything from writing this one. And, well, it would appear not. I might read it at some point, but I won't lose any sleep over prioritizing all the other books in my ponderous to-read stack.
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