Strike Three

by Joy V. Smith

Strike Three is a post-apocalyptic novel:

Because of the "hot virus," the devastation of WWIII is more horrible than the worse case scenario, and missiles fired in retaliation gave new meaning to "Scorched Earth".

No one ever imagined they would have to start from scratch--and bare dirt.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2014

About the author

Joy V. Smith has been writing stories since she was a kid. Her stories and articles have been published in print magazines, webzines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Taboo Tech, Strike Three; Detour Trail; Sugar Time; The Doorway and Other Stories; and e-books: Velvet of Swords (SF), Well Met by Water (SF), Cold New Planet, Hidebound (SF romance/adventure), Pretty Pink Planet (SF), Hot Yellow Planet (the sequel), and Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure. She lives in Florida with Pemberley, the tortoisehell cat, and Samwise Gamgee, a chihuahua cross.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Strike Three, a coalition of nation states unleash weapons of mass destruction against the world’s major powers. Those major powers, in turn, strike back with nuclear weapons. The result, is a literal scorched Earth. No plants or animals survive on the surface. Those areas that suffered nuclear attack are rendered uninhabitable for many years to come. Most of the United States is relatively lucky. Although the virus unleashed destroyed all plant matter, it died off relatively quickly after it had nothing more to feed on.

Those humans fortunate enough to seek shelter underground with sufficient supplies were able to survive the catastrophe. These folks are now charged with rebuilding a life above ground. They must plant trees, reintroduce animal life, and try to build a new society. In many ways, the novel is more concerned with the process of rebuilding than it is with the horror of destruction. However, the horror looms in the background as bodies are found in some cities and must be dealt with. Not everyone who survived is out to help others. In once case, the survivors must cope with a dangerous, but competent militia group.

One aspect I’ve often found interesting about post-apocalyptic novels is their intrinsic hopefulness. No matter how bad the disaster that befalls humankind, there are always those who fight and find a way to survive. Joy V. Smith’s Strike Three is a quick read that focuses on those positive aspects.

[Heena Rathore Rathore-Pardeshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strike Three is a post-apocalyptic book and I really liked the focus being on the "starting from scratch" after the mass-destruction, "possibly" caused by hot-virus (yea, that's one thing you'll get only after reading the book!). All the people, resources, plant life, animals and infrastructures got swiped off the US (or the entire planet) except for the ones who took shelter underground with enough supplies. I loved the main protagonist, Lea and also her father, Sheridan. For me, they served as the linchpin of the story.
Strike Three is very different from what we usually read in post-apocalyptic books, and that is one thing to look out for while picking up this book. I absolutely loved the flow of the story in the initial 80 pages. It started off pretty well and had me absorbed immediately. One of the positive points, that I realized at the end of the book was, the last two pages were the most important in the book as they cleared most of the things, which otherwise would have left the reader in confusion (but again, except for the motive and extent of the destruction!)

After enjoying the first 80 pages, as I kept reading, the story got less-engaging and more uneventful and repetitious. More than half of the book was about trading, planting, finding new survivors and assigning jobs. It got really monotonous! A lot of things were not explained, which made it a bit difficult for me to connect with the characters.
The second thing that disturbed me was that as the book went in the second phase or to say in the "new government" phase, the leads were nowhere to be seen! I really missed Lea and Sheridan, specially towards the end.

There was no romance, though there was a lot of love! I adored the father-daughter bond of the Zanes and the Jensons. Lea Zane and her father Sheridan shared a very unique father-daughter bond, which served as the foundation of the book. I was really looking forward to seeing Lea (or any other character, for that matter) getting involved in a sweet romantic relation, but unfortunately, there was none.

Conclusion
I would have given Strike Three a four star rating, if it wouldn't have been for the monotonous flow of the 2nd half of the book or for so many unanswered questions. I strongly felt that the book is missing out on 'something' that would have otherwise turned the book into a superb read!
You'll enjoy reading Strike Three if you can ignore and be comfortable with some unexplained elements.

NOTE:I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can also find this review at JC's Book Haven

[Joy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completed on:
07/25/2014
Review Rating:
5 stars!

Reviewed By Michael McManus for Readers’ Favorite

In her novel, Strike Three, Joy V. Smith introduces us to the aftermath of World War III, a short battle that claimed the lives of the majority of the Earth’s population. The survivors of the war that turned the planet brown, those who went underground well prepared, and those who survived in spite of poor planning, returned to find the world outside their caves, fallout shelters, missile silos and communication bunkers completely barren. Nothing had survived a “hot virus” that had been unleashed onto the world by an unknown enemy. Some places were obliterated by nuclear bombs, but the most severe devastation took place in the plant and animal worlds. Even the insects perished. Sheridan and Lea Zane emerged into the new world ready to organize a recovery of the planet, or at least their corner of it. They had plants and wildlife enough for their own survival, but they reached out to other survivors as they returned to the surface and began to reestablish their homes and farms. Soon, the development of a trade route brought hope to the many settlements that formed; hope that the nation and, indeed, the planet could be saved.

This story grabbed me from the start and would not let go. I read it in three sittings. Along with the plot moving at lightning speed, the characters are real and interesting in the way they react to the situation they have inherited. For the science freak, there is enough detail about the devastation and recovery to keep you going. There is also adventure, a bit of action and even politics. I happily recommend this book to a general audience.

[Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Axis of Evil joins together to vertically deploy explosive devices (dirty bombs). It kills plants and animals so the survivors are Noah-like as they aspire to restart society.