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Straight to You
The sun is dying.
The temperature around the world is rising by the hour with no sign of any respite. At this rate the planet will soon become uninhabitable; all life extinguished. It might be weeks away, it might be days... we may only have hours remaining. Society is crumbling. The burning world is descending into chaos.
Steven Johnson's wife is hundreds of miles away and all that matters is reaching her before the end. He has to act now, no time to stop and think. Every second is precious. Tomorrow is too late.
"An engaging and heart-breaking read - Moody is the go-to-guy for extraordinary stories starring ordinary people" -Wayne Simmons, author of Plastic Jesus and Flu
"He brings to mind old Brit horror writer James Herbert. And that is some recommendation" -London Lite
"David Moody spins paranoia into a deliciously dark new direction" -Jonathan Maberry, author of Patient Zero and Rot and Ruin
The temperature around the world is rising by the hour with no sign of any respite. At this rate the planet will soon become uninhabitable; all life extinguished. It might be weeks away, it might be days... we may only have hours remaining. Society is crumbling. The burning world is descending into chaos.
Steven Johnson's wife is hundreds of miles away and all that matters is reaching her before the end. He has to act now, no time to stop and think. Every second is precious. Tomorrow is too late.
"An engaging and heart-breaking read - Moody is the go-to-guy for extraordinary stories starring ordinary people" -Wayne Simmons, author of Plastic Jesus and Flu
"He brings to mind old Brit horror writer James Herbert. And that is some recommendation" -London Lite
"David Moody spins paranoia into a deliciously dark new direction" -Jonathan Maberry, author of Patient Zero and Rot and Ruin
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
8 people are currently reading
685 people want to read
About the author
David Moody
77 books1,259 followersDavid Moody first released Hater in 2006, and without an agent, succeeded in selling the film rights for the novel to Mark Johnson (producer, Breaking Bad) and Guillermo Del Toro (director, The Shape of Water, Pan's Labyrinth). Moody's seminal zombie novel Autumn was made into a movie starring Dexter Fletcher and David Carradine. He has an unhealthy fascination with the end of the world and likes to write books about ordinary folks going through absolute hell. With the publication of continuing Hater and Autumn stories, Moody has cemented his reputation as a writer of suspense-laced SF/horror, and "farther out" genre books of all description.
Find out more about his work at www.davidmoody.net and www.infectedbooks.co.uk, and join Moody's mailing list to keep up with new releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
October 10, 2014
This was an incredible book! The story of a husband and wife, taking a break from each other when the unthinkable happens, and how the husband does everything in his power to get back to his wife against terrible odds. This was a page-turner that increased in intensity with each page, much like the energy bursts of the sun in the story.
The author really captured the intensity of the end-of-the-world event, captured the human emotions and wildly-different responses to the catastrophe. All of the characters, including the main character and ALL of the supporting cast, were entirely believable, their emotions laid bare from Pollyanna optimism to stoic pessimism and the entire spectrum between.
The author really captured the intensity of the end-of-the-world event, captured the human emotions and wildly-different responses to the catastrophe. All of the characters, including the main character and ALL of the supporting cast, were entirely believable, their emotions laid bare from Pollyanna optimism to stoic pessimism and the entire spectrum between.
September 30, 2015
5 Stars
Straight to You 2014 by David Moody is close to being an apocalyptic masterpiece. Part end of days, part romance, and completely human is the best way to describe this book. I am a huge fan of David Moody and absolutely loved his Autumn series and his Hater series. They are remarkable post apocalyptic horror novels that are exceptional examples of the bloated genre. Moody stands out from the crowd as he writes characters that are truly three dimensional. All of his books shine by giving the reader a real to life cast that is likable, easy to identify, and also easy to understand. This is true even if these people are exactly opposite to what you would wish them to be.
Straight to You has a straight forward, in your face plot, with no holds barred. As a result the ominous feeling of weight and hopelessness grows page after page. So much so that by the stories end the impact of it made it feel like it was tough to breathe. It is a rare achievement for an author to make me feel as much as I did by the end of this one.
I applaud Moody in his reworking of this story that he originally wrote more than 15 years ago. As a much accomplished writer he was able to bring this story up to the present day and packaged it in the format that we come to expect from him today. This is a modern masterpiece.
A few things that make this stand out.
First, like I already mentioned, Moody writes characters that are true to life. Steven is no exception. I liked him, identified with him, and routed for him from pretty much page one. Most importantly Moody has created a lead protagonist that I will not soon forget. Straight to You has several other great characters and side shows. Awesome...
Another amazing aspect to this book is the pacing and depth of story telling. Moody takes things slowly, almost too slow at times. He paints every picture complete sparing no details. This is especially true with regards to the environment and our Earth. This is very reminiscent to The Road as it shines through painstakingly details. This method of story telling results in a huge build up that can only be released one way...
Finally, the horrors detailed within this book feel so very real. This is an apocalyptic story that will make you wonder if it could really happen. As a result, like me you will find yourself questioning what you would do, say, or feel if you were there with Steven.
I cannot emphasize enough of just how much I enjoyed and appreciated this book. David Moody deserves more recognition as he is simply fabulous. This is a horrific, true to life scenario that will leave you breathless by the stories end...
Amazing!
Straight to You 2014 by David Moody is close to being an apocalyptic masterpiece. Part end of days, part romance, and completely human is the best way to describe this book. I am a huge fan of David Moody and absolutely loved his Autumn series and his Hater series. They are remarkable post apocalyptic horror novels that are exceptional examples of the bloated genre. Moody stands out from the crowd as he writes characters that are truly three dimensional. All of his books shine by giving the reader a real to life cast that is likable, easy to identify, and also easy to understand. This is true even if these people are exactly opposite to what you would wish them to be.
Straight to You has a straight forward, in your face plot, with no holds barred. As a result the ominous feeling of weight and hopelessness grows page after page. So much so that by the stories end the impact of it made it feel like it was tough to breathe. It is a rare achievement for an author to make me feel as much as I did by the end of this one.
I applaud Moody in his reworking of this story that he originally wrote more than 15 years ago. As a much accomplished writer he was able to bring this story up to the present day and packaged it in the format that we come to expect from him today. This is a modern masterpiece.
A few things that make this stand out.
First, like I already mentioned, Moody writes characters that are true to life. Steven is no exception. I liked him, identified with him, and routed for him from pretty much page one. Most importantly Moody has created a lead protagonist that I will not soon forget. Straight to You has several other great characters and side shows. Awesome...
Another amazing aspect to this book is the pacing and depth of story telling. Moody takes things slowly, almost too slow at times. He paints every picture complete sparing no details. This is especially true with regards to the environment and our Earth. This is very reminiscent to The Road as it shines through painstakingly details. This method of story telling results in a huge build up that can only be released one way...
Finally, the horrors detailed within this book feel so very real. This is an apocalyptic story that will make you wonder if it could really happen. As a result, like me you will find yourself questioning what you would do, say, or feel if you were there with Steven.
I cannot emphasize enough of just how much I enjoyed and appreciated this book. David Moody deserves more recognition as he is simply fabulous. This is a horrific, true to life scenario that will leave you breathless by the stories end...
Amazing!
July 6, 2015
Two and a half stars
I don't know where everyone gets this is about a man trying to reach his estranged wife before the world ends. That's not the story. Steven and Samantha are not married. They barely know each other, having met only a few days prior to what would be the end of the world and after the events causing the end to come have taken place. I also do not get the biggest blurb for this novel stating that it should stand shoulder to shoulder with King's The Stand and McCammon's Swan Song. While a good, run of the mill end of the world novella (no, it does not qualify as a novel in my opinion), Straight to You doesn't hold a candle to those two classics. If you want to waste a couple of hours seeing the world end through the eyes of an Englishman, this book will do. If you believe the unearned hype or erroneous summaries, well, you were warned.
I don't know where everyone gets this is about a man trying to reach his estranged wife before the world ends. That's not the story. Steven and Samantha are not married. They barely know each other, having met only a few days prior to what would be the end of the world and after the events causing the end to come have taken place. I also do not get the biggest blurb for this novel stating that it should stand shoulder to shoulder with King's The Stand and McCammon's Swan Song. While a good, run of the mill end of the world novella (no, it does not qualify as a novel in my opinion), Straight to You doesn't hold a candle to those two classics. If you want to waste a couple of hours seeing the world end through the eyes of an Englishman, this book will do. If you believe the unearned hype or erroneous summaries, well, you were warned.
December 21, 2014
David Moody's rewrite of Straight to you is a dark and desperate trip through the end of the world. Reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s 'The Road', Moody fills his version of the world's end with a helplessness that was absolutely heartbreaking.
The male lead begins the book frustratingly selfish and stubborn which initially made him difficult to root for, but by the end, the sacrifices he makes to reconnect with his wife redeem him.
I found it well written and desperately sad. The author’s description of the world dying a slow fiery death was excellent and terrifying. Well done Mr. Moody!
The male lead begins the book frustratingly selfish and stubborn which initially made him difficult to root for, but by the end, the sacrifices he makes to reconnect with his wife redeem him.
I found it well written and desperately sad. The author’s description of the world dying a slow fiery death was excellent and terrifying. Well done Mr. Moody!
December 4, 2016
Middling effort from Moody about an annoying couple struggling with marital issues who are faced with potentially apocalyptic consequences of a suddenly blazing sun. The wife goes away to her dad's village for a visit and the hubby tries to find her while the world seems to be ending. The story is pretty slow for the most part but picks up in the last third and ends strong. Solid writing but just not a whole lot here to rave about. Not my favorite Moody, but it's an older, revised story so no worries. 2.5 stars bumped to three for the quality of writing.
November 4, 2024
A flawed end of the world saga which has it's moments but ultimately is just ok. It's also a love story with a burning question as to whether the fated loves will be able to find each other. But the biggest problem is trying to understand how the narrator in the story was able to ultimately tell the tale...
August 13, 2018
This book... What can I say? It scared the crap out of me! Especially with how the world is at the moment. No rain, fires, so hot. Kind of freaked me out.
The characters,you really felt their loss, their struggle. I hated each of them at different times. Then I just wanted them to be happy. This was one emotional roller coaster I will not soon forget.
May 24, 2014
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy through Goodreads' First Reads.
The first 50 pages or so of this book center on the internal lives of Steven and his wife. The state of their marriage matches the state of our earth: ABOUT TO GO UP IN FLAMES.
At least in the beginning of the book, the sci-fi, apocalyptic elements are background noise to the real cataclysm brewing: the breakdown of a once happy marriage. This melodramatic element isn't rushed through to get to the Awesome Armageddon Action (TM) that is to come. Instead the author lingers on the fractured home-life of our main character Steven. Problems with the in-laws. A miscarriage. Impotency. Miscommunication. The slow and steady Chinese Water Torture of a 9-5pm office job. The tediousness and banality of married couple fights that always seem to start like this:
Spouse #1: What did I do wrong?
Spouse #2: You know what you did wrong!
Spouse #1: Just tell me what I did wrong, so I can apologize.
Spouse #2: The fact that I have to tell you what you did wrong is so infuriating!
*Slams Door. Runs away to Wales*
And then of course all hell breaks lose for next 250 pages or so. The reader is fed a slow and steady drip of ominousness and dread as the book progresses. Inexplicable "energy pulses" emanating from the sun are slowly baking the surface of the earth at first with all the mild wattage of an Easy-Bake Oven light bulb and then with all the raging intensity of a kiln. All of this is happening as Steven races to see his wife who may or may not want to see him. Because even with an impending death-by-sun doomsday scenario chomping on one's heels, nothing is scarier than a fight with the missus.
Steven's obsessed one-man journey through seething, scorched earth to get to his equally seething wife in Criccieth, Wales isn't heroic or romantic. He's not a poet. He's not a hero. He's vulnerable and extra squishy. The reader is left rooting for our dogged, sun-burned hero the whole way. The futility of his situation is heartbreaking, but his determination is admirable.
Many an obstacle and hardship is thrown in the way of our protagonist Steven. Moody is masterful here when writing of his journey and the multitude of horrors along the way, which I won't spoil here. There are some chilling scenes where the detached, futile horror of the bystander effect is used in all its unsettling glory. Remember that Steven is not a hero.
All and all, the book is a great find, equal parts extraordinary, disquieting, slow-burning Sci-fi and equal parts character study and relatable romance of the non-maudlin, non-soap opera variety.
Small Quibble: Wow, that cover is misleading! First off, Steven, our delightfully ordinary and schlubby main character, could never pull off Mad-Max style post-apocalyptic chic with artfully tattered cargo pants and a Johnny Depp style men's scarf. They even gave Steven some muscles. Nope, our dear Steven has a beer belly, thankyouverymuch. And is that supposed to be Sam? Wearing skin-tight black pants and a form-fitting black tank. Wearing black. I repeat: wearing all black. I'll say again: wearing all black while the ever-expanding, ever-exploding sun tenderly licks your body with flame and slowly roasts you to death like Thanksgiving turkey. I guess because black goes with everything and is incredibly slimming, a top priority when the temperature is blistering and the world is going to end. C'mon, PR department. Did you even read the book?
The first 50 pages or so of this book center on the internal lives of Steven and his wife. The state of their marriage matches the state of our earth: ABOUT TO GO UP IN FLAMES.
At least in the beginning of the book, the sci-fi, apocalyptic elements are background noise to the real cataclysm brewing: the breakdown of a once happy marriage. This melodramatic element isn't rushed through to get to the Awesome Armageddon Action (TM) that is to come. Instead the author lingers on the fractured home-life of our main character Steven. Problems with the in-laws. A miscarriage. Impotency. Miscommunication. The slow and steady Chinese Water Torture of a 9-5pm office job. The tediousness and banality of married couple fights that always seem to start like this:
Spouse #1: What did I do wrong?
Spouse #2: You know what you did wrong!
Spouse #1: Just tell me what I did wrong, so I can apologize.
Spouse #2: The fact that I have to tell you what you did wrong is so infuriating!
*Slams Door. Runs away to Wales*
And then of course all hell breaks lose for next 250 pages or so. The reader is fed a slow and steady drip of ominousness and dread as the book progresses. Inexplicable "energy pulses" emanating from the sun are slowly baking the surface of the earth at first with all the mild wattage of an Easy-Bake Oven light bulb and then with all the raging intensity of a kiln. All of this is happening as Steven races to see his wife who may or may not want to see him. Because even with an impending death-by-sun doomsday scenario chomping on one's heels, nothing is scarier than a fight with the missus.
Steven's obsessed one-man journey through seething, scorched earth to get to his equally seething wife in Criccieth, Wales isn't heroic or romantic. He's not a poet. He's not a hero. He's vulnerable and extra squishy. The reader is left rooting for our dogged, sun-burned hero the whole way. The futility of his situation is heartbreaking, but his determination is admirable.
Many an obstacle and hardship is thrown in the way of our protagonist Steven. Moody is masterful here when writing of his journey and the multitude of horrors along the way, which I won't spoil here. There are some chilling scenes where the detached, futile horror of the bystander effect is used in all its unsettling glory. Remember that Steven is not a hero.
All and all, the book is a great find, equal parts extraordinary, disquieting, slow-burning Sci-fi and equal parts character study and relatable romance of the non-maudlin, non-soap opera variety.
Small Quibble: Wow, that cover is misleading! First off, Steven, our delightfully ordinary and schlubby main character, could never pull off Mad-Max style post-apocalyptic chic with artfully tattered cargo pants and a Johnny Depp style men's scarf. They even gave Steven some muscles. Nope, our dear Steven has a beer belly, thankyouverymuch. And is that supposed to be Sam? Wearing skin-tight black pants and a form-fitting black tank. Wearing black. I repeat: wearing all black. I'll say again: wearing all black while the ever-expanding, ever-exploding sun tenderly licks your body with flame and slowly roasts you to death like Thanksgiving turkey. I guess because black goes with everything and is incredibly slimming, a top priority when the temperature is blistering and the world is going to end. C'mon, PR department. Did you even read the book?
July 25, 2014
David Moody takes his readers on an emotion and physical ride through his nightmare of world ending destruction.
Steven and Sam experience an extremely personal emotion trauma, which neither of them really knows how to handle.
Steven shuts himself off and drowns himself in work. This affects their marriage badly.
While they’re dealing with their own life and hearts, the sun is on the verge of killing itself and the world.
Things around them keep getting worse, but they don’t pay close attention because they’re more concerned with their marriage and keeping things as normal as possible.
It’s not until Sam leaves to visit her father that Steven realizes his mistakes, but with the world falling apart faster than anyone thought possible, will he make it to her in time to straighten things out before it’s too late?
He races the deadly effects of the sun’s wrath to see the woman he loves one last time…but will he burn to death before he reaches her?
This book hit me a little too close to home for comfort – I was proud of myself for not bawling during the first few chapters. I’ve had personal experience (twice) with the traumatic, emotion struggle the couple deals with. That being said, Mr. Moody nailed it – the shutting off and distancing and the struggle with knowing how to deal with the situation at home and in public.
I thought the apocalyptic sun aspect of the story was fun, because it was different and there was no way anyone could really do anything about it. It’s the classic “the boat is going down and we’re all screwed” scenario that you don’t see too often anymore. Most people want at least that hope of salvation through some miracle. There’s none in this book. Just the hope of love and forgiveness.
I thought Steven’s journey was a bit long, but in reality, all that stuff probably would be in someone’s path to slow them down. In the end, it just showed his determination to make it where he wanted to go despite how much got in his way. Although, toward the end…he was really, really exhausted, but then flipped completely and could do things like walk and run easily that minutes before he couldn’t.
Note: The book has British grammar.
Steven and Sam experience an extremely personal emotion trauma, which neither of them really knows how to handle.
Steven shuts himself off and drowns himself in work. This affects their marriage badly.
While they’re dealing with their own life and hearts, the sun is on the verge of killing itself and the world.
Things around them keep getting worse, but they don’t pay close attention because they’re more concerned with their marriage and keeping things as normal as possible.
It’s not until Sam leaves to visit her father that Steven realizes his mistakes, but with the world falling apart faster than anyone thought possible, will he make it to her in time to straighten things out before it’s too late?
He races the deadly effects of the sun’s wrath to see the woman he loves one last time…but will he burn to death before he reaches her?
This book hit me a little too close to home for comfort – I was proud of myself for not bawling during the first few chapters. I’ve had personal experience (twice) with the traumatic, emotion struggle the couple deals with. That being said, Mr. Moody nailed it – the shutting off and distancing and the struggle with knowing how to deal with the situation at home and in public.
I thought the apocalyptic sun aspect of the story was fun, because it was different and there was no way anyone could really do anything about it. It’s the classic “the boat is going down and we’re all screwed” scenario that you don’t see too often anymore. Most people want at least that hope of salvation through some miracle. There’s none in this book. Just the hope of love and forgiveness.
I thought Steven’s journey was a bit long, but in reality, all that stuff probably would be in someone’s path to slow them down. In the end, it just showed his determination to make it where he wanted to go despite how much got in his way. Although, toward the end…he was really, really exhausted, but then flipped completely and could do things like walk and run easily that minutes before he couldn’t.
Note: The book has British grammar.
August 31, 2017
Hot damn. That was incredible.
I'm such a sucker for end of the world stories that build on human connection and struggle.
This book checks all of those boxes.
* characters separated by space as the worst happens
* a daunting journey of self reflection and discivery
* an encounter with a religious sect
* a totally believable and realistic end of the world scenario that ends up giving you nightmares
* characters you end up rooting for because they need to be together
I'm such a sucker for end of the world stories that build on human connection and struggle.
This book checks all of those boxes.
* characters separated by space as the worst happens
* a daunting journey of self reflection and discivery
* an encounter with a religious sect
* a totally believable and realistic end of the world scenario that ends up giving you nightmares
* characters you end up rooting for because they need to be together
March 19, 2014
One of the best books I have ever read. Exciting, Emotional and a little scary!
Could not put this one down...and thought about it when I wasn't reading it.
Could not put this one down...and thought about it when I wasn't reading it.
April 6, 2015
A very long hot read
Great idea for a book but it was too long and drawn out. I found myself skipping a head at times.
Great idea for a book but it was too long and drawn out. I found myself skipping a head at times.
October 14, 2015
Painfully beautiful, a perfect love story.
June 3, 2020
Listening to the ‘Straight to You’ audiobook during a covid pandemic has been an interesting experience. I went through this book during my afternoon “allotted exercise” walks; taking in the descriptions of a desolate landscape, humanity under threat by something out of their control was eerily close to points of 2020. What brought it more close to home was how the book starts, the first few hours of the audiobook concentrates on the relationship between the two protagonists with descriptions of the ever increasing heat peppered throughout, there is no sudden burst of sun that happens immediately like there would be in a Hollywood disaster movie but starts slow, in the background, some people taking it seriously and others acknowledging it and going about their daily business. Being months into covid all of this rings so very true in what happened, what was obviously a very serious thing was downplayed or ignored when people should have made plans and measures put in place much earlier. The relationship between the two characters, Sam and Steve, rings true, the dialogue between the two isn’t over the top nor overly dramatic and, with the rest of the writing is grounded much in reality.
A highly recommended read (or listen - Matthew Jackson did a good job here).
*I acquired the copy of audiobook via give away at the author’s blog, review is honest and unbiased*
A highly recommended read (or listen - Matthew Jackson did a good job here).
*I acquired the copy of audiobook via give away at the author’s blog, review is honest and unbiased*
March 20, 2021
Another one that I had been putting off and finally read.
Wow, one of the best "apocalypse " stories I've ever read. Completely realistic in its portrayal of human nature and upsetting throughout. The "science" of the story feels a tiny bit off, with the EMP part coming quite late, but conveniently for the story, and the one part where the protagonist acknowledge things like nuclear power plants should have overloaded but haven't. However this does not detract from this story in my opinion.
My one complaint is I don't think its long enough. I fully support novellas and the idea of a story only being as long as it needs to be, but I think this could have been a couple of hundred pages longer easily.
Easily a story that will stay with me for quite a while.
Wow, one of the best "apocalypse " stories I've ever read. Completely realistic in its portrayal of human nature and upsetting throughout. The "science" of the story feels a tiny bit off, with the EMP part coming quite late, but conveniently for the story, and the one part where the protagonist acknowledge things like nuclear power plants should have overloaded but haven't. However this does not detract from this story in my opinion.
My one complaint is I don't think its long enough. I fully support novellas and the idea of a story only being as long as it needs to be, but I think this could have been a couple of hundred pages longer easily.
Easily a story that will stay with me for quite a while.
December 18, 2017
Started reading it yesterday, got back into it straight after work today. Well-paced and entertaining apocalyptic tale. Slightly difficult at the start as the couple involved suffer the miscarriage of a child (something I can relate to) but it is treated well and sets up the reason for their subsequent separation. The sense of the 'end' coming builds consistently as the pulses of the sun become more and more frequent, yet even so you hope the characters survive. It was not to be, but they are together at the end. Also enjoyed the fact that this is set in places I know. As an ex-Midlander and with a Welsh husband, we often travel some of the routes mentioned.
June 13, 2018
This book is one of the most amazing things I’ve read. Ever. Beautiful, sad, wonderful, I feel like I was seeing this stuff happen! The ending couldn’t have been better, it was so absolutely perfect. The characters feel so real it’s like I’m there. David Moody is a master at dialogue. Conversations couldn’t be more realistic in this book. NOT PG OR FOR THE WEAK OF HEART. It’s pretty descriptive.
(It can also be found on Wattpad)
Out of the hundreds of books I’ve read, this is BY FAR the best. I would recommend this book to everybody.
(It can also be found on Wattpad)
Out of the hundreds of books I’ve read, this is BY FAR the best. I would recommend this book to everybody.
December 2, 2017
A tale of love and the lengths Steven will go, too prove to Sam he loves her. A father-in-law who hates him and the imminent end of the world are not the only things stopping him crossing the country to reach her. A race against time before global warming in the severest form destroys the entire planet. Mr Moody wrote this many years ago and this is the new version. An enjoyable, apocalyptic love story.
April 2, 2019
Damned fine novel about the end of the world concentrating on Steven Johnson and his journey to reconnect with his wife who had gone to see her dad. Not an easy journey but it makes for a great read and happy to report we all get a great sun tan. Interesting to read that this is a totally revamped version of his first ever novel which David Moody admits flopped badly when printed in 1996. He has taken the basic premise and made a great job of the rewrite.
Ray Smillie
Ray Smillie
December 20, 2021
I loved this book. The ending was brilliant and it kept me gripped the whole time. One of Moodys better works along with Hater. Such a unique twist on the end of the world narrative and really compelling.
July 2, 2019
David Moody knows how to destroy the planet.
for full review visit http://gilwilson.wordpress.com
for full review visit http://gilwilson.wordpress.com
September 2, 2019
great imaginative take on David Moodys' typical subject matter.
April 22, 2009
David Moody’s debut novel ‘Straight To You’ was first published by the publishers Book Guild back in 1996. With inspiration harvested from the song of the same name by the legendary group Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and of course Moody’s taste for all things apocalyptic, ‘Straight To You’ formed a definite stepping stone from which Moody was to launch his writing career.
With such a massive difference in approach to that of many of his later novels, ‘Straight To You’ is a carefully written love story, that goes to great lengths to capture the raw feelings of the story’s main character Steven Johnson. With the world approaching its final few days, Moody sets down a heart-wrenching tale of uncompromising love. In the face of the end of the world, decisions have to be made of how you will spend your last days. For the novel’s principal character Johnson, this time is spent in a desperate attempt to reach his new love. A girl he has only known for a matter of days, but who he will use the last of his days to reach her.
The storyline is not complicated or indeed bursting from the seams with intricate subplots. Quite the opposite, Moody has set down a passionate tale that has one focus from the outset. With such a singular and direct storyline, there is an underlying feeling to the book that gives off a sense of deep emptiness and solitude in the face of extinction. This encapsulates Johnson’s final journey well, with such a powerful array of raw emotions that run the course of the story.
As the book draws closer and closer to its final and inevitable conclusion, each of the character’s emotions becomes more and more vivid. The sheer desperation of our hero is enough to bring a tear to the eye of the coldest of hearts. His determination, within the final chapters is nothing short of heart-wrenching.
To say that you’ll come away from reading this with a great love for Moody’s character Steven Johnson is possibly the understatement of the century. With 237 pages in which the reader simply follows Johnson literally to the end of the world, you can not help but feel an overwhelming love for the man as the book draws to an end.
‘Straight To You’ shows a quality to Moody’s writing that is only glimpsed from time to time in his later novels, a quality that is never really taken on board as much as it is here. ‘Straight To You’ shows, if nothing else, that Moody can write a novel that deals with almost nothing else except the concept of the lengths a person will go to for love. His ability to capture the characters emotions and the atmosphere of a dying world is second to none. This is a truly beautiful tale that will leave such fond memories with you for many years to come.
With such a massive difference in approach to that of many of his later novels, ‘Straight To You’ is a carefully written love story, that goes to great lengths to capture the raw feelings of the story’s main character Steven Johnson. With the world approaching its final few days, Moody sets down a heart-wrenching tale of uncompromising love. In the face of the end of the world, decisions have to be made of how you will spend your last days. For the novel’s principal character Johnson, this time is spent in a desperate attempt to reach his new love. A girl he has only known for a matter of days, but who he will use the last of his days to reach her.
The storyline is not complicated or indeed bursting from the seams with intricate subplots. Quite the opposite, Moody has set down a passionate tale that has one focus from the outset. With such a singular and direct storyline, there is an underlying feeling to the book that gives off a sense of deep emptiness and solitude in the face of extinction. This encapsulates Johnson’s final journey well, with such a powerful array of raw emotions that run the course of the story.
As the book draws closer and closer to its final and inevitable conclusion, each of the character’s emotions becomes more and more vivid. The sheer desperation of our hero is enough to bring a tear to the eye of the coldest of hearts. His determination, within the final chapters is nothing short of heart-wrenching.
To say that you’ll come away from reading this with a great love for Moody’s character Steven Johnson is possibly the understatement of the century. With 237 pages in which the reader simply follows Johnson literally to the end of the world, you can not help but feel an overwhelming love for the man as the book draws to an end.
‘Straight To You’ shows a quality to Moody’s writing that is only glimpsed from time to time in his later novels, a quality that is never really taken on board as much as it is here. ‘Straight To You’ shows, if nothing else, that Moody can write a novel that deals with almost nothing else except the concept of the lengths a person will go to for love. His ability to capture the characters emotions and the atmosphere of a dying world is second to none. This is a truly beautiful tale that will leave such fond memories with you for many years to come.
March 2, 2014
This is a reimagining of Moody’s first book from 1996, and as you’d expect the writing is a lot tighter this time around.
I got a bit of a John Christopher The Death of (No Blade of) Grass vibe from reading this version. People carrying on as normal while the world dies, then when it’s almost too late a trek across the country while society crumbles around them. Except there’s no motorcycle gangs or people waving guns at each other here, just people who have given up all hope.
It loses a star for the Americanisms that have crept into what could only ever be a British story – Mom, backseat, peddle-bike, and a few others. I can understand the reasoning behind it, with there only being one international edition, but they can be jarring if you’re not expecting them.
But if you go for the ebook version you can easily fix those before you start reading :)
I got a bit of a John Christopher The Death of (No Blade of) Grass vibe from reading this version. People carrying on as normal while the world dies, then when it’s almost too late a trek across the country while society crumbles around them. Except there’s no motorcycle gangs or people waving guns at each other here, just people who have given up all hope.
It loses a star for the Americanisms that have crept into what could only ever be a British story – Mom, backseat, peddle-bike, and a few others. I can understand the reasoning behind it, with there only being one international edition, but they can be jarring if you’re not expecting them.
But if you go for the ebook version you can easily fix those before you start reading :)
March 1, 2014
After just now finishing this book, I have conflicted emotions about it. It had many elements to it that build toward a complex and emotional ending. It is a deeply moving love story with a husband only wanting to find his wife while the world crumbles around him. I could relate to this story. This story stayed with me. I usually read books and go through them like fast food, but this story was different. I thought it was written beautifully. The backdrop of the different scenarios which showed how people were dealing with what was happening gave this story a richness and a depth not often seen in apocalypse stories. This story was unique, and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to read something different.
March 29, 2014
Good read, not bad for someone's first book. It was a bit slow at the beginning, it became quite mired down on the death of a child. The author could have used an easier subject like a miscarriage, unable to conceive or even debating if to have a child. All this is irrelevant, once the book gets going you don't want to put it down! I couldn't read it fast it enough. I was surprised not to see a reference to dwindling oxygen levels in the atmosphere as all the plants were dying globally.
Enjoy but be forewarned there are no rainbows at the end of this story!
Enjoy but be forewarned there are no rainbows at the end of this story!
October 22, 2014
I quite enjoyed this book, despite reading some of the bad reviews. The characters were extremely real and easy to identify with. I almost felt like I was there, overcoming every obstacle and enjoying every victory. I was drawn right into this world which to me is the most important part of any story.
I did see a few minor grammar and spelling mistakes, but that's easy to overlook when your just there for the ride and not trying to find every tiny flaw. Good job David Moody you successfully kept my mind from freezing up on these cold winter nights on a drilling rig.
I did see a few minor grammar and spelling mistakes, but that's easy to overlook when your just there for the ride and not trying to find every tiny flaw. Good job David Moody you successfully kept my mind from freezing up on these cold winter nights on a drilling rig.
November 24, 2015
2.5 stars
Great premise and plot, but not my favorite execution. I expect apocalyptic tales to be bleak, and this definitely delivered. However, I think I would have felt more satisfied if the despondency increased over time. In this case, it seemed extremely bleak very early on and that same level of dread dragged on, making it feel repetitive. As the novel progressed, I felt increasingly detached from the characters. But in the end, the message got through that it's important to make sure those you care about know that you do.
Great premise and plot, but not my favorite execution. I expect apocalyptic tales to be bleak, and this definitely delivered. However, I think I would have felt more satisfied if the despondency increased over time. In this case, it seemed extremely bleak very early on and that same level of dread dragged on, making it feel repetitive. As the novel progressed, I felt increasingly detached from the characters. But in the end, the message got through that it's important to make sure those you care about know that you do.
January 28, 2008
I didn't have great expectations for this little novel of the apocolypse, but it captured me in unexpected ways. This isn't an intellectual read by any means, but is fun and very quick to get through, and surprisingly enough sparks many questions about what you would choose to do if you only had one week left, what you would risk to be with the person you love, and what that time with them is worth.
March 8, 2016
When it got to the point that I couldn't wait for the sun to fry dude I had to stop reading. (I forgot his name and I just put the book down... You know who's name I wont forget... SAMANTHA...) Dude is too dumb to survive for long anyway. He was so dumb I felt like he was making me dumber by reading all his dumb actions. You would be better off staring at the sun until it burns your eyes. That would be much more entertaining.
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