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The Flood
When the Flood hit, America’s East Coast was evacuated by every means possible. Now, a luxury cruise ship overloaded with refugees lies dead in the no power, no communications, no sign of rescue… and a dwindling buffet.
For those that escaped the Flood, the real nightmare is just beginning.
Travis Cooke was desperate to reunite his family. But not like this.
Trapped on the disabled ship, Travis and the unforgettable cast aboard find themselves alone in a big ocean. As the panic rises like the water, Travis finds behind each door an unexpected new side to the ship, but no way out. How far will a good man go to save the people he loves and has lost once before?
A gripping thriller, family drama, and mythic tragedy from a master storyteller. You’ve never read a story like The Flood.
Welcome aboard.
BONUS SHORT STORY INCLUDED IN Locked in the Trunk of a Car, a sharp suspense thriller in a small package.
BOOK If your group is reading The Flood, I would love to hear your thoughts. I'd be honoured to join your group for any discussion, in person, by Skype, or teleconference.
For those that escaped the Flood, the real nightmare is just beginning.
Travis Cooke was desperate to reunite his family. But not like this.
Trapped on the disabled ship, Travis and the unforgettable cast aboard find themselves alone in a big ocean. As the panic rises like the water, Travis finds behind each door an unexpected new side to the ship, but no way out. How far will a good man go to save the people he loves and has lost once before?
A gripping thriller, family drama, and mythic tragedy from a master storyteller. You’ve never read a story like The Flood.
Welcome aboard.
BONUS SHORT STORY INCLUDED IN Locked in the Trunk of a Car, a sharp suspense thriller in a small package.
BOOK If your group is reading The Flood, I would love to hear your thoughts. I'd be honoured to join your group for any discussion, in person, by Skype, or teleconference.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
251 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
David Sachs
6 books7 followersAward-winning author DAVID SACHS lives in Chelsea, Quebec (Canada), in the woods of Parc du la Gatineau. He is a long time feature writer for magazines and major metro newspapers, writing on politics, culture, society and the outdoors, covering everything from anti-globalization riots to Amazonian shamanism, and from homelessness to hitchhiking. His feature film, The Last Party, is in development with Bunk 11 Pictures.
He is a father, an avid outdoorsman and rugby old boy, and a former physicist and Canadian Forces reserves officer. David is heavily involved in political and social causes, and a deadly boogie woogie piano player.
www.davidsachs.com/theflood
david@davidsachs.com
He is a father, an avid outdoorsman and rugby old boy, and a former physicist and Canadian Forces reserves officer. David is heavily involved in political and social causes, and a deadly boogie woogie piano player.
www.davidsachs.com/theflood
david@davidsachs.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
January 9, 2019
2/97.
Listened to this on Audible and wasn’t that impressed - I found the narrator’s accent less than thrilling and rather distracting unfortunately!
Listened to this on Audible and wasn’t that impressed - I found the narrator’s accent less than thrilling and rather distracting unfortunately!
November 10, 2015
Liked the overall premise and story but found it uneven at times and in need of a good edit (the transitions between characters and scenes in some chapters were abrupt and I found myself having to go back and make sure I didn't somehow skip over a paragraph or two). Still, it was a page turner, and I was invested in some of the characters and the outcome and plowed through the second half of the book in one sitting. Although it had its dark moments (how could it not with thousands of people stranded in the middle of the ocean with limited food, water, medicine, and hygiene), I didn't find it as disturbing as some of the other reviewers although I'm wondering what that says about me now :-).
April 22, 2015
I give this book five stars because it is very well written, well plotted, fast moving, with complex characters. I was totally engrossed in the story from the start and found it hard to put down, in spite of the dark subject matter. I personally prefer stories that are less dark, more hopeful. I found myself seriously depressed for days while reading this. Coming to the end of the book was a relief, like emerging into the light after a long journey in a dank tunnel. But that was because I lived the disaster right along with the characters. If you enjoy end-of-the world cataclysm tales, this is a good one. It would make a great movie.
October 23, 2015
David Sachs makes you think about a partial end of the world.
I like so many parts of this book and how the story thickens. I also have so many questions about things left unsaid, which would have added to the story. I'm sure that I'm not the only person with these questions.
This catastrophe occurred while they were not very far from the "living" world, yet nothing was ever heard from that world again until the very end, and that doesn't make sense to me at all. Which is the choice of the author.
If you like books about "The End" which really isn't, read it.
I like so many parts of this book and how the story thickens. I also have so many questions about things left unsaid, which would have added to the story. I'm sure that I'm not the only person with these questions.
This catastrophe occurred while they were not very far from the "living" world, yet nothing was ever heard from that world again until the very end, and that doesn't make sense to me at all. Which is the choice of the author.
If you like books about "The End" which really isn't, read it.
May 2, 2016
Don't judge this book by the first few chapters
I made a mistake when I started this book, I judged it by the first few chapters and wondered how the author was going to keep the story going for the rest of the book. Well I was very much surprised and impressed by the twists and turns this book took, especially the last one.
I made a mistake when I started this book, I judged it by the first few chapters and wondered how the author was going to keep the story going for the rest of the book. Well I was very much surprised and impressed by the twists and turns this book took, especially the last one.
April 8, 2015
What a good read! Pleasantly surprised for a bargain book!
April 2, 2015
With echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD and Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES mixed with just a hint of a Michael Bay blockbuster thrown in to keep the story moving, THE FLOOD by Davis Sachs is a gripping disaster story that leaves a profound impact on the reader.
THE FLOOD marries an intelligent literary sensibility with taut storytelling. It introduces a variety of unique characters, all well-drawn and interesting, and places them on a derelict cruise ship, cut off from whatever is left of society after a tsunami of biblical proportions wipes out the entire east coast of the United States. Parallels to the flood mythology shared by all ancient cultures are not lost on Sachs who wisely places a professor aboard the Festival of the Winds cruise ship, giving him an able lens through which to place his narrative in a wider philosophical and historical context. A welcome and necessary grounding in what might otherwise be nothing more than a story about carnage.
Rather, this is a book about ideas dressed up as a thriller. Yes, the story grimly embraces the darkest parts of the human experience. Murder, mayhem, savagery and barbarism—all are present here, along with some visceral thrills and brilliant set pieces. However, these are all tableaus; Sachs deploys them with great skill, but the heart of this story is an exploration of the darkest parts of the human experience in a way that manages to transcend almost everything else in the genre, excepting the aforementioned McCarthy. Sachs paints with stark lines and a monochrome pallet of human suffering, but his strokes are deft and true. There’s a heart in this disaster story. Love as well. Not the sloppy Hollywood variety, but the real, meaningful, moving sort.
I read once that authors don’t often write of the intensity of parental love because it scares them. Also because it scares their readers. THE ROAD and THE FLOOD are two novels that tread these dangerous waters and manage to keep their heads afloat. Parts of THE FLOOD are painful to read; doubly so if one happens to be a parent of a young child. However, the narrative thread that prevents THE FLOOD from becoming merely another grim tale of death and dying is that of the extreme, imperfect, and achingly beautiful love of a single man for a single boy. It’s gripping stuff, if you can handle it. THE FLOOD isn’t a book to be taken lightly. It is, however, eminently readable. The prose sings. The dialog has the natural move and flow of real conversion.
Don’t come to THE FLOOD to have your regard for the human race restored. Do come with the expectation that you will be asked to look at yourself and society at large with a critical eye. To ask yourself just how far are you really from straying off the civilized path. How close are you to the great precipice, internal or external? In a society overwhelmed with zombie story clones that address these same questions with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, Sachs has managed to provide a deft, meaningful exploration worthy of a careful reading.
A hearty 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of THE FLOOD in exchange for this review. I received no other form of compensation.
THE FLOOD marries an intelligent literary sensibility with taut storytelling. It introduces a variety of unique characters, all well-drawn and interesting, and places them on a derelict cruise ship, cut off from whatever is left of society after a tsunami of biblical proportions wipes out the entire east coast of the United States. Parallels to the flood mythology shared by all ancient cultures are not lost on Sachs who wisely places a professor aboard the Festival of the Winds cruise ship, giving him an able lens through which to place his narrative in a wider philosophical and historical context. A welcome and necessary grounding in what might otherwise be nothing more than a story about carnage.
Rather, this is a book about ideas dressed up as a thriller. Yes, the story grimly embraces the darkest parts of the human experience. Murder, mayhem, savagery and barbarism—all are present here, along with some visceral thrills and brilliant set pieces. However, these are all tableaus; Sachs deploys them with great skill, but the heart of this story is an exploration of the darkest parts of the human experience in a way that manages to transcend almost everything else in the genre, excepting the aforementioned McCarthy. Sachs paints with stark lines and a monochrome pallet of human suffering, but his strokes are deft and true. There’s a heart in this disaster story. Love as well. Not the sloppy Hollywood variety, but the real, meaningful, moving sort.
I read once that authors don’t often write of the intensity of parental love because it scares them. Also because it scares their readers. THE ROAD and THE FLOOD are two novels that tread these dangerous waters and manage to keep their heads afloat. Parts of THE FLOOD are painful to read; doubly so if one happens to be a parent of a young child. However, the narrative thread that prevents THE FLOOD from becoming merely another grim tale of death and dying is that of the extreme, imperfect, and achingly beautiful love of a single man for a single boy. It’s gripping stuff, if you can handle it. THE FLOOD isn’t a book to be taken lightly. It is, however, eminently readable. The prose sings. The dialog has the natural move and flow of real conversion.
Don’t come to THE FLOOD to have your regard for the human race restored. Do come with the expectation that you will be asked to look at yourself and society at large with a critical eye. To ask yourself just how far are you really from straying off the civilized path. How close are you to the great precipice, internal or external? In a society overwhelmed with zombie story clones that address these same questions with all the subtlety of a chainsaw, Sachs has managed to provide a deft, meaningful exploration worthy of a careful reading.
A hearty 5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of THE FLOOD in exchange for this review. I received no other form of compensation.
May 11, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, you know, just to be upfront about that sort of thing.
The Flood by David Sachs is difficult to describe. At it's most obvious, it's a disaster tale, quickly followed by a post-apocalyptic story of people surviving against incredible odds, you know, like Survivor, if there were no cameras, no support system, and if people were actually afraid for their lives. Okay, well, yeah, so not really at all like Survivor.
At the start of the book, one could easily be forgiven for expecting this story to read out like a novelization of any generic disaster film, where we see the entire world on the brink of extinction. But this story is not about the destruction of the world. In fact, it's about humanity, about survival, and ultimately about how the world itself works, although on a much smaller scale. If you can call a cruise ship small.
Speaking of the cruise ship. Something about the setting Sachs has chosen for this novel, specifically, a cruise ship (if you didn't figure it out), seems so incredibly perfect for the story he's telling. Not only do we get a sense of space, while also getting a complete sense of claustrophobia, but you also get the brilliant juxtaposition of ideas, between the cruise ship, which should be about relaxation and freedom from stress, and the reality of an outside world that may no longer exist, which causes everything opposite to occur within the bows of the ship.
But honestly, even if you don't go for clever idea concepts and the absolute antithesis to tropes (meaning that Sachs does everything completely opposite of what the cliches of such stories would have you do), you're still going to get a heckuva thrill ride that will leave you clamoring for more.
Definitely check this one out!
The Flood by David Sachs is difficult to describe. At it's most obvious, it's a disaster tale, quickly followed by a post-apocalyptic story of people surviving against incredible odds, you know, like Survivor, if there were no cameras, no support system, and if people were actually afraid for their lives. Okay, well, yeah, so not really at all like Survivor.
At the start of the book, one could easily be forgiven for expecting this story to read out like a novelization of any generic disaster film, where we see the entire world on the brink of extinction. But this story is not about the destruction of the world. In fact, it's about humanity, about survival, and ultimately about how the world itself works, although on a much smaller scale. If you can call a cruise ship small.
Speaking of the cruise ship. Something about the setting Sachs has chosen for this novel, specifically, a cruise ship (if you didn't figure it out), seems so incredibly perfect for the story he's telling. Not only do we get a sense of space, while also getting a complete sense of claustrophobia, but you also get the brilliant juxtaposition of ideas, between the cruise ship, which should be about relaxation and freedom from stress, and the reality of an outside world that may no longer exist, which causes everything opposite to occur within the bows of the ship.
But honestly, even if you don't go for clever idea concepts and the absolute antithesis to tropes (meaning that Sachs does everything completely opposite of what the cliches of such stories would have you do), you're still going to get a heckuva thrill ride that will leave you clamoring for more.
Definitely check this one out!
May 6, 2015
The Flood by David Sachs – This indie publication is a first class thriller with a large cast of very interesting characters that endure thrilling hardship and pain. When geologic activity beneath the oceans produces huge destructive tsunami that engulfs the East Coast of the US the populations of coastal cities must be evacuated. Travis, his former wife (Corrina), their young son (Darren), and Corrina’s current husband (Gerry) find themselves with thousands of other refugees on a huge ocean liner in the Atlantic Ocean to ride out the incoming wave. They quickly discover that the wave is not much of a threat to them on the ship. However, people turn out to me the real threat, including criminals that board the ship and kill most of the ships’ crew. They destroy essential equipment on the ship, including communications equipment, and also steal much of the ships’ supplies, including food and valuables from the refugees and passengers. Travis’ family endures mistreatment by the pirates, but the ship suffers devastating damages and a serious shortage food. A small group of the passengers and refugees provide leadership to try to cope with the situation. However, lack of power, water, and especially food brings intolerable conditions and ruthless violence erupts on the ship. Travis and his family desperately fight to try to survive. I was captivated by this nightmarish thriller and I look forward to Sachs’ future novels.
April 3, 2015
This Is A Tough One...
I gave this book 5* because it so got to me. In one way, I couldn't put it down, there were times I was mad things didn't go the way I thought they would but I'm not the author and I was hooked. The ending was-unexpected. I don't like dad endings but this wouldn't really qualify as a sad ending, not in some ways. Would I recommend this book? Hmmm. Yes I will. Even though this book is written a little different the story did engage me, I felt involved often and couldn't quit until I read the ending. There was no unneeded offensive language, no descriptive sex and even the violence was not colorful-it was a side product off the story but didn't describe the wounds etc. Yes, I recommend this book. It will make you stop and think. :)
RECOMMEND. :)
I gave this book 5* because it so got to me. In one way, I couldn't put it down, there were times I was mad things didn't go the way I thought they would but I'm not the author and I was hooked. The ending was-unexpected. I don't like dad endings but this wouldn't really qualify as a sad ending, not in some ways. Would I recommend this book? Hmmm. Yes I will. Even though this book is written a little different the story did engage me, I felt involved often and couldn't quit until I read the ending. There was no unneeded offensive language, no descriptive sex and even the violence was not colorful-it was a side product off the story but didn't describe the wounds etc. Yes, I recommend this book. It will make you stop and think. :)
RECOMMEND. :)
December 23, 2016
This is an apocalyptic book written by a Canadian so people are unfailingly polite. A man awakens to sirens and panic. A massive underwater earthquake / Antarctic landslide has triggered a tsunami and NYC is in the bulls eye. he rushes to reunite with his exwife and son and her new husband and they rush to be evacuated on a cruise ship.
Once they survive the Tsunami they have only begun to face the troubles, pirates will attack the passengers will split into factions and death and disease will sweep the ship repeatedly.
Possibly a cautionary tale but the 'survivors' and guests are much too well behaved and the leadership incompetent.
Once they survive the Tsunami they have only begun to face the troubles, pirates will attack the passengers will split into factions and death and disease will sweep the ship repeatedly.
Possibly a cautionary tale but the 'survivors' and guests are much too well behaved and the leadership incompetent.
January 6, 2016
So suspenseful, thought provoking, and possible. Great character development and descriptions. Demonstrates the fact that you never know the limits people will be driven to in a crisis of epic proportions.. After all of the action, was sorry to see the story end and was a little disappointed in the ending.
February 15, 2016
Really good story, lots of interesting things to keep one reading. A few errors in the text (not many!). But the ending.....ok it's personal, but I wasn't entirely happy with the ending. Other people will like it just fine.
May 28, 2015
Loved the book. Hated the ending
October 31, 2015
A thoroughly depressing read. I was ready to throw myself overboard just to get away from this story.
April 4, 2021
A devastating tsunami leaves a family trapped on a cruise ship.
The calving of an Antarctic ice shelf combined with an earthquake causes a massive tsunami that devastates the world's coastlines, including the eastern USA. One family (Travis, his son, and his ex-wife and her new husband) are able to board a diverted cruise ship to escape the destruction but soon become trapped on the ocean when the ship is attacked.
I think that the author made a cracking attempt here. Unfortunately, he's peopled his disaster with cardboard characters and a wobbly grasp of style. Is this a character-driven study of what lengths people can go to when pushed and the nature of God, or is it a rollicking action story, or is it a gritty realistic drama? The author doesn't seem to know, and as a result it seems to be trying to be all three and succeeding at none. There are also multiple POVs per scene, and I also got the feeling that the author was trying to employ the "don't frontload all your character info when we first meet a character" advice, so instead he would introduce new characters, have them involved in a scene or two, and then… info dump all their character info at once. The story proceeds at a fast pace, skipping over important details and rushing through some scenes, yet somehow also feels bogged down.
An interesting idea, just not written very well.
The calving of an Antarctic ice shelf combined with an earthquake causes a massive tsunami that devastates the world's coastlines, including the eastern USA. One family (Travis, his son, and his ex-wife and her new husband) are able to board a diverted cruise ship to escape the destruction but soon become trapped on the ocean when the ship is attacked.
I think that the author made a cracking attempt here. Unfortunately, he's peopled his disaster with cardboard characters and a wobbly grasp of style. Is this a character-driven study of what lengths people can go to when pushed and the nature of God, or is it a rollicking action story, or is it a gritty realistic drama? The author doesn't seem to know, and as a result it seems to be trying to be all three and succeeding at none. There are also multiple POVs per scene, and I also got the feeling that the author was trying to employ the "don't frontload all your character info when we first meet a character" advice, so instead he would introduce new characters, have them involved in a scene or two, and then… info dump all their character info at once. The story proceeds at a fast pace, skipping over important details and rushing through some scenes, yet somehow also feels bogged down.
An interesting idea, just not written very well.
January 6, 2019
Travis wakes up one morning and hears the devastating news that a tsunami is coming that will flood the entire east coast. He must either move inland or get to the shore where boats are taking people to safety to ride out the tsunami at sea. He first thinks of his ex wife and son. They and Corrina's new husband get on board a cruise ship to ride out the storm.
This is a great study of human nature. Some people are leaders, some just like power and others just follow. This is a good story of what could happen in an apocalypse.
This is a great study of human nature. Some people are leaders, some just like power and others just follow. This is a good story of what could happen in an apocalypse.
November 23, 2021
Super good book!
This book was quite a ride! I could not stop reading; I had to find out what was next. It wasn't always what I had hoped it was, but I guess that's what made it a good book. Wish the ending had been different. You know, 'they lived happily ever after' type of thing? I think there should be a sequel, so the reader can find out about their lives after they are rescued.
This book was quite a ride! I could not stop reading; I had to find out what was next. It wasn't always what I had hoped it was, but I guess that's what made it a good book. Wish the ending had been different. You know, 'they lived happily ever after' type of thing? I think there should be a sequel, so the reader can find out about their lives after they are rescued.
May 2, 2024
This is a new author and narrator to me and overall I enjoyed it. There were elements that I thought dragged a little but overall good listen. The premise was interesting, one that I hadn't listened to before and it worked well - great explorations of themes and how people cope etc. I did get confused at the beginning with all the characters but it all worked in the end
Another great find on the audible plus catalogue.
Another great find on the audible plus catalogue.
August 19, 2020
Find for an afternoon beach read
Story overall was good, but parts of it felt forced together without any lead in. The ending could've been great but wasn't developed, you just turned the page and it author was over. A good enough read that could have been great but just wasnt.
Story overall was good, but parts of it felt forced together without any lead in. The ending could've been great but wasn't developed, you just turned the page and it author was over. A good enough read that could have been great but just wasnt.
February 3, 2019
Such a good premise and great post-apocalyptic greed. The characters were really good - like-able good guys and horrific bad guys.
The ending was a complete let-down. The open ending gave no closure and was such a let-down.
The ending was a complete let-down. The open ending gave no closure and was such a let-down.
November 19, 2020
Different
A very interesting read, different from my usual taste of cryptic horror, sharks and dinosaurs. i really enjoyed it. It was very intense and it did show how human nature is always our doom and our salvation.
A very interesting read, different from my usual taste of cryptic horror, sharks and dinosaurs. i really enjoyed it. It was very intense and it did show how human nature is always our doom and our salvation.
May 31, 2021
Book was Flooded with Boredom
Too drawn out and very unrealistic. Couldn't finish this book. Maybe, if there wasn't as much time spent on casualties I could have continued reading. Not for me.
Too drawn out and very unrealistic. Couldn't finish this book. Maybe, if there wasn't as much time spent on casualties I could have continued reading. Not for me.
January 14, 2023
Awesome read!
I was consumed with this story! Imagine a natural disaster beyond the norm. Tragedy after tragedy. Who and how will any survive in the end? Who is the evil that lies within your very midst? It's 4:30 a.m. and I'll be a mess tomorrow but it was definitely worth it!
I was consumed with this story! Imagine a natural disaster beyond the norm. Tragedy after tragedy. Who and how will any survive in the end? Who is the evil that lies within your very midst? It's 4:30 a.m. and I'll be a mess tomorrow but it was definitely worth it!
January 9, 2024
I enjoyed this book until chapter 43. The lazy use of violence against women as plot development is frustrating enough. It served no purpose in this book except to add more shock value for the reader.
February 26, 2019
Wow. Terrible ending.
September 15, 2020
Ok, a little too much biblical references( well the flood, duh) and some plot holes you could sail a cruise ship through.
December 20, 2020
Couldn't put it down
Lots of action, different from other books of this genre. Brought to life everything those poor people went through. I would recommend this book.
Lots of action, different from other books of this genre. Brought to life everything those poor people went through. I would recommend this book.
February 1, 2021
Not about a flood. About a bad ride on a cruise ship.
January 1, 2024
A riveting story, dark at times yet a likely depiction of human behavior. Good read!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews