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Flare
FEAR THE DAYLIGHT
Without warning or explanation, an extended solar flare bombards the earth and doesn't stop, making each day a battle for survival.
The sunlight blinds and burns instantly, and then kills within minutes. The radiation has also destroyed all of the earth's circuitry, leaving the nights dark and dangerous.
TWO FIND HOPE AMIDST THE CHAOS
Two survivors, a thousand miles apart, each hear a rumor of a distant safe haven that can withstand the sun. Zeke is a silent wanderer, Ash is a brilliant young man hiding a painful past, and neither know just what this place really is.
To get there they must each travel through ravaged towns and over hundreds of miles of charred earth, and must do so under a sky waiting to kill them with every sunrise.
But with the world's population dying off and humanity getting more and more violent as the days pass, their paths are destined to collide, because this unknown and unseen place might be the only hope remaining.
Without warning or explanation, an extended solar flare bombards the earth and doesn't stop, making each day a battle for survival.
The sunlight blinds and burns instantly, and then kills within minutes. The radiation has also destroyed all of the earth's circuitry, leaving the nights dark and dangerous.
TWO FIND HOPE AMIDST THE CHAOS
Two survivors, a thousand miles apart, each hear a rumor of a distant safe haven that can withstand the sun. Zeke is a silent wanderer, Ash is a brilliant young man hiding a painful past, and neither know just what this place really is.
To get there they must each travel through ravaged towns and over hundreds of miles of charred earth, and must do so under a sky waiting to kill them with every sunrise.
But with the world's population dying off and humanity getting more and more violent as the days pass, their paths are destined to collide, because this unknown and unseen place might be the only hope remaining.
506 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2014
613 people are currently reading
3726 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maas
31 books368 followersJon Maas was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Biology and History, he's earned a living as a Musician, Peace Corps Volunteer, Standup Comedian, TV Producer and Web Designer.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
February 6, 2017
"Flare" is a post apocalyptic novel written by Jonathan Maas, a new author to me and probably not a book I would have picked up normally, but when my son won this in the Goodreads giveaways I really fancied giving it a try......and I wasn't disappointed! It's nice to see an original idea written well and with none of the usual zombies in sight. There wasn't a huge cast to the story which I prefer as too many characters leaves you often confused and the characters that are in it you find a connection with and what they must be experiencing and their fear. The basis of the story is that "without warning or explanation, an extended solar flare bombards the earth and doesn't stop, making each day a battle for survival. The sunlight blinds and burns instantly, and then kills within minutes" Its a brilliant story that could theoretically happen and you find yourself feeling the same emotions Ash and Heather do on finding dead or dying people. There are religious undertones throughout the chapters which really suit the story - I feel that Jonathan has produced very good writing here and deserves to do well with "FLARE". I was gently warned about the adult content but in no way did this offend it was very appropriate to the storyline. I'd be more than happy to read by more this author he has obvious talent and wish him every success for the future.
November 14, 2015
Great
My only real complaint was I wanted more. What happened to Ash? Did he find Courtney? What of Salvation? Tell me of 20 years in the future. I just want more!
My only real complaint was I wanted more. What happened to Ash? Did he find Courtney? What of Salvation? Tell me of 20 years in the future. I just want more!
February 6, 2017
Buddy read with Netanella
++SPOILERS++
3 meh stars
Not spending a whole lot of time on this review so forgive me.
The most important thing about this book is that I never felt connected to any of the characters. The best character was Ash IMHO. He was the most developed. It's his character that we actually get any background information on, which made him a more 3 dimensional guy. The second best character was Legion, but we don't get much of him. In fact alot of potentially good characters only make a short appearance and then get dropped off never to be heard from again.
The action doesn't really get moving until Part III but up until then it was difficult not to skim at times. The last 10% of the book was like wtf? It was borderline cliffhanger since we never find out anything more about Ash and we never get to see if he ever meets back up again with Courtney or Zeke.
I think if there was less preachy-ness and more action, it would have been a lot better. I also think that more information regarding what actually would happen after a solar flare was lacking. The details are not consistant and there was a serious lack of logic that I could not overlook.
I referenced "some romance" in my tag but really it was pitful. (Ash & Courtney). Nothing much came of it even though it appeared they fell for each other.
Overall: Not terrible not great. I'd pass on this one.
Safety: Violence, blood, gore, animal cruelty, explicit sex(not between Ash & Courtney for they never do the deed), torture, abuse
++SPOILERS++
3 meh stars
Not spending a whole lot of time on this review so forgive me.
The most important thing about this book is that I never felt connected to any of the characters. The best character was Ash IMHO. He was the most developed. It's his character that we actually get any background information on, which made him a more 3 dimensional guy. The second best character was Legion, but we don't get much of him. In fact alot of potentially good characters only make a short appearance and then get dropped off never to be heard from again.
The action doesn't really get moving until Part III but up until then it was difficult not to skim at times. The last 10% of the book was like wtf? It was borderline cliffhanger since we never find out anything more about Ash and we never get to see if he ever meets back up again with Courtney or Zeke.
I think if there was less preachy-ness and more action, it would have been a lot better. I also think that more information regarding what actually would happen after a solar flare was lacking. The details are not consistant and there was a serious lack of logic that I could not overlook.
I referenced "some romance" in my tag but really it was pitful. (Ash & Courtney). Nothing much came of it even though it appeared they fell for each other.
Overall: Not terrible not great. I'd pass on this one.
Safety: Violence, blood, gore, animal cruelty, explicit sex(not between Ash & Courtney for they never do the deed), torture, abuse
April 7, 2015
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Jonathan Maas' Flare was a nice surprise for me, because it was entertaining post-apocalyptic science fiction for adults.
I personally liked Flare, but a word of warning may be in order, because there are probably readers out there who are not used to this kind of bleak science fiction. If you're unfamiliar with post-apocalyptic fiction and do not normally read this kind of fiction, you may find Flare pretty bleak and grim, so you may want to think twice before reading it. However, if you're used to this kind of fiction, Flare is definitely worth reading, because it contains all the necessary elements needed to intrigue a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction.
Flare is almost like a combination of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, the sci-fi horror film Pitch Black, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead and Stephen King's The Stand, but it is totally different from them. This novel is a surprisingly interesting combination of different well-known speculative fiction elements associated with post-apocalyptic fiction, because it feels instantly familiar, but is a refreshingly different kind of a post-apocalyptic story.
In this novel the apocalypse was caused by the sun. The extended solar flare has killed people and only a few people have survived it. As experienced readers know, this isn't anything new in science fiction, but the way Jonathan Maas writes about it feels refreshingly different and entertaining. He has his own vision of a major apocalypse.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- The world has changed a lot because of the solar flare that burns people to death. Getting caught in the sun is extremely dangerous and deadly.
- Zeke is a wanderer who wanders from one place to another. He saves an old man who gives him a gift, a tent, so that he can camp and live outdoors. Zeke meets a man called Colm who tells him of a safe place called the Salvation. Colm found the name of this safe place when he solved a riddle found in paper sheets...
- Ash wakes up in his twin sister's house and finds out that he has survived the flare. His sister, Heather, tells him how he survived the flare. Together they go outside the house and see terrifying things. They meet Raj and talk with him. Raj shows them papers that have equations on them. They think that somebody who knew about the flare made the papers. They begin to gather the paper sheets that are found outdoors, because the sheets have different set of words, numbers and symbols on them. Ash and Heather begin to solve the puzzles and realize that they have probably found a safe place, the Salvation. They decide to travel there...
This is the beginning of a thrilling story during which Zeke and Ash meet different people and have to deal with many challenges and surprises.
I enjoyed reading about the characters and their lives, because each of them was different from the others. In my opinion the character interaction in this novel is good and works well, because the conversations between the characters reveal things about them and their surroundings.
The author writes well about Ash's childhood memories, because they're vivid and realistic memories. It was interesting to read about his experiences, because he was intelligent and different from other children. He didn't have an easy childhood (because he had scars, his life was difficult - the scars caused him lots of suffering when growing up).
Jonathan Maas writes fluently about the relationships between people. In my opinion he handled the relationship between Ash and Heather in a good way, because he emphasized the right issues. He also wrote well about Heather's lover, Dr. Shaw, who had been burnt badly by the flare and Heather's feelings towards him.
The author has created an interesting post-apocalyptic world in Flare. The sun is the enemy in this novel, because sunlight blinds and burns immediately and then comes death. Being out in the sun burns the skin so fast that recovery is nearly impossible unless the damages are only local.
Here's information about how the world has changed during the solar flare:
The world has become a dangerous place and you have to know how to stay alive (survival skills are now more important than ever before). Certain people - including prisoners, sociopaths and desperate people - have learned to survive in the new world and have occupied their own areas. Some of these people are capable of doing almost anything to survive. Survival has become so difficult that violence has increased and you have to be careful around other people. Because the desperate situation drives people to do evil things that they wouldn't normally do, interacting with people can cause problems.
It was interesting for me to read that certain creatures - for example, cats - had survived and had adapted to living in the new world. They could sense the sunrise and crawled for safety when the sun approached.
It's great that Jonathan Maas pays attention to the details involved in how the characters survive in the harsh new world. He tells about their struggle to stay alive in vivid details and doesn't sugarcoat the happenings. It was genuinely interesting for me to read about how the characters found shelter for the day, looked for food and tried to avoid dangers, because their lives weren't easy and each day brought new threats.
The atmosphere is satisfyingly bleak and grim in this novel, because the survivors live in a world filled with grief, despair, loneliness and difficult decisions. Hope is scarce, because many people have died and more people will die each day, and burnt bodies can be found everywhere. The author's descriptions of the burnt bodies and dying people are realistic and they add atmospheric bleakness and grittiness to the story.
Although the atmosphere is bleak, there's a bit of hope in the world, because the protagonists know of a safe place where they might find safety from the burning sun.
Because Flare is a novel for adults, there's violence and sex in it. In my opinion the author wrote well about these scenes, because they were part of the story and highlighted certain things.
It was interesting that such plants as cacti had somehow managed to survive the solar flare and could be used as food (various species of cacti are edible plants, but some of them can be poisonous and contain toxic substances). People also eat mushrooms to stay alive, although eating them is a bit risky, because you have to know which ones are edible. If you happen to eat the wrong kind of a mushroom, you may experience bad hallucinations or you may die.
There's quite a lot of emotional depth in this novel, which is nice, because it's an essential part of well written post-apocalyptic fiction. It was interesting to read about the characters' thoughts, losses and feelings towards others.
One of the most intriguing things about Flare is that the survivors have to make difficult decisions. It was especially interesting to read about the people at the Salvation and their decisions concerning humanity and its future, because they had their own views about the world and who is worthy of surviving the apocalypse.
It was great that the characters had to solve the puzzles to find out where the safe place was. This kind of a mystery element is seldom used in this kind of fiction, so it was refreshing to read about how the characters solved the puzzles and found out about the safe place. I'm not going to reveal why people had to be able to solve the puzzles, but I'll mention that everything will be explained to the readers.
It was surprising for me to find out how well the author wrote about social dynamics. He seemed to understand well how humans react to different situations and what motivates them. He writes fluently about men and women and differences between them, because both sexes have different kind of dynamics between individuals of the same sex.
I was amazed at how well the author writes about religion and religious elements. He handles these elements in a surprisingly bold way and writes about them from different perspectives, which is nice, because it adds depth to the story.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because it was an intriguing novel. I have nothing bad to say about this novel, because I enjoyed reading about the characters and their adventures. It would've been nice to read a bit more about the world and the different places, but I think that the author made a right decision by concentrating mostly on the characters and their fates, because it added depth to the story.
If you enjoy reading post-apocalyptic science fiction, Jonathan Maas' Flare is worth taking a look, because it offers an intriguing vision of a dangerous and detailed post-apocalyptic world to its readers. It also offers food for thoughts, because the characters have to think about their situation and decice what to do in order to survive in the harsh new world.
My final words are:
This novel is good and interesting science fiction for adults!
Jonathan Maas' Flare was a nice surprise for me, because it was entertaining post-apocalyptic science fiction for adults.
I personally liked Flare, but a word of warning may be in order, because there are probably readers out there who are not used to this kind of bleak science fiction. If you're unfamiliar with post-apocalyptic fiction and do not normally read this kind of fiction, you may find Flare pretty bleak and grim, so you may want to think twice before reading it. However, if you're used to this kind of fiction, Flare is definitely worth reading, because it contains all the necessary elements needed to intrigue a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction.
Flare is almost like a combination of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, the sci-fi horror film Pitch Black, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead and Stephen King's The Stand, but it is totally different from them. This novel is a surprisingly interesting combination of different well-known speculative fiction elements associated with post-apocalyptic fiction, because it feels instantly familiar, but is a refreshingly different kind of a post-apocalyptic story.
In this novel the apocalypse was caused by the sun. The extended solar flare has killed people and only a few people have survived it. As experienced readers know, this isn't anything new in science fiction, but the way Jonathan Maas writes about it feels refreshingly different and entertaining. He has his own vision of a major apocalypse.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- The world has changed a lot because of the solar flare that burns people to death. Getting caught in the sun is extremely dangerous and deadly.
- Zeke is a wanderer who wanders from one place to another. He saves an old man who gives him a gift, a tent, so that he can camp and live outdoors. Zeke meets a man called Colm who tells him of a safe place called the Salvation. Colm found the name of this safe place when he solved a riddle found in paper sheets...
- Ash wakes up in his twin sister's house and finds out that he has survived the flare. His sister, Heather, tells him how he survived the flare. Together they go outside the house and see terrifying things. They meet Raj and talk with him. Raj shows them papers that have equations on them. They think that somebody who knew about the flare made the papers. They begin to gather the paper sheets that are found outdoors, because the sheets have different set of words, numbers and symbols on them. Ash and Heather begin to solve the puzzles and realize that they have probably found a safe place, the Salvation. They decide to travel there...
This is the beginning of a thrilling story during which Zeke and Ash meet different people and have to deal with many challenges and surprises.
I enjoyed reading about the characters and their lives, because each of them was different from the others. In my opinion the character interaction in this novel is good and works well, because the conversations between the characters reveal things about them and their surroundings.
The author writes well about Ash's childhood memories, because they're vivid and realistic memories. It was interesting to read about his experiences, because he was intelligent and different from other children. He didn't have an easy childhood (because he had scars, his life was difficult - the scars caused him lots of suffering when growing up).
Jonathan Maas writes fluently about the relationships between people. In my opinion he handled the relationship between Ash and Heather in a good way, because he emphasized the right issues. He also wrote well about Heather's lover, Dr. Shaw, who had been burnt badly by the flare and Heather's feelings towards him.
The author has created an interesting post-apocalyptic world in Flare. The sun is the enemy in this novel, because sunlight blinds and burns immediately and then comes death. Being out in the sun burns the skin so fast that recovery is nearly impossible unless the damages are only local.
Here's information about how the world has changed during the solar flare:
The world has become a dangerous place and you have to know how to stay alive (survival skills are now more important than ever before). Certain people - including prisoners, sociopaths and desperate people - have learned to survive in the new world and have occupied their own areas. Some of these people are capable of doing almost anything to survive. Survival has become so difficult that violence has increased and you have to be careful around other people. Because the desperate situation drives people to do evil things that they wouldn't normally do, interacting with people can cause problems.
It was interesting for me to read that certain creatures - for example, cats - had survived and had adapted to living in the new world. They could sense the sunrise and crawled for safety when the sun approached.
It's great that Jonathan Maas pays attention to the details involved in how the characters survive in the harsh new world. He tells about their struggle to stay alive in vivid details and doesn't sugarcoat the happenings. It was genuinely interesting for me to read about how the characters found shelter for the day, looked for food and tried to avoid dangers, because their lives weren't easy and each day brought new threats.
The atmosphere is satisfyingly bleak and grim in this novel, because the survivors live in a world filled with grief, despair, loneliness and difficult decisions. Hope is scarce, because many people have died and more people will die each day, and burnt bodies can be found everywhere. The author's descriptions of the burnt bodies and dying people are realistic and they add atmospheric bleakness and grittiness to the story.
Although the atmosphere is bleak, there's a bit of hope in the world, because the protagonists know of a safe place where they might find safety from the burning sun.
Because Flare is a novel for adults, there's violence and sex in it. In my opinion the author wrote well about these scenes, because they were part of the story and highlighted certain things.
It was interesting that such plants as cacti had somehow managed to survive the solar flare and could be used as food (various species of cacti are edible plants, but some of them can be poisonous and contain toxic substances). People also eat mushrooms to stay alive, although eating them is a bit risky, because you have to know which ones are edible. If you happen to eat the wrong kind of a mushroom, you may experience bad hallucinations or you may die.
There's quite a lot of emotional depth in this novel, which is nice, because it's an essential part of well written post-apocalyptic fiction. It was interesting to read about the characters' thoughts, losses and feelings towards others.
One of the most intriguing things about Flare is that the survivors have to make difficult decisions. It was especially interesting to read about the people at the Salvation and their decisions concerning humanity and its future, because they had their own views about the world and who is worthy of surviving the apocalypse.
It was great that the characters had to solve the puzzles to find out where the safe place was. This kind of a mystery element is seldom used in this kind of fiction, so it was refreshing to read about how the characters solved the puzzles and found out about the safe place. I'm not going to reveal why people had to be able to solve the puzzles, but I'll mention that everything will be explained to the readers.
It was surprising for me to find out how well the author wrote about social dynamics. He seemed to understand well how humans react to different situations and what motivates them. He writes fluently about men and women and differences between them, because both sexes have different kind of dynamics between individuals of the same sex.
I was amazed at how well the author writes about religion and religious elements. He handles these elements in a surprisingly bold way and writes about them from different perspectives, which is nice, because it adds depth to the story.
I give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars, because it was an intriguing novel. I have nothing bad to say about this novel, because I enjoyed reading about the characters and their adventures. It would've been nice to read a bit more about the world and the different places, but I think that the author made a right decision by concentrating mostly on the characters and their fates, because it added depth to the story.
If you enjoy reading post-apocalyptic science fiction, Jonathan Maas' Flare is worth taking a look, because it offers an intriguing vision of a dangerous and detailed post-apocalyptic world to its readers. It also offers food for thoughts, because the characters have to think about their situation and decice what to do in order to survive in the harsh new world.
My final words are:
This novel is good and interesting science fiction for adults!
June 16, 2015
Flare by Jonathan Maas
A story of post apocalyptic survival.
This is the second Jonathan Maas book I've had the pleasure of reading.
This book follows a handful of survivors as they solve several challenges to discover the co-ordinates of The Salvation.
The story weaves its way through every human characteristic from the innocent, brave, strong, intelligent to the wicked and depraved. Which type of human has the skills to survive the Flare?
The Suns intensity is fatal to all life forms. The surviving humans and mammals are forced into the darkest places to survive the daylight and can only move about safely (safe from the radiation of the Sun) during the night. But some of those survivors will steal, murder or torture others for whatever provisions they may have. Some resort to cannibalism.
The Dockyards are controlled by Legion, a drug dealer before the Flare, now dealing in death, controlling his 'army' with a new drug and fear.
Though I am not like any of the main characters I still connected with their journey, and found myself speculating on what strategy I would employ should I ever be faced with an obliteration event. I found there to be enough detail to bring the story alive and keep me turning those pages, without being too heavy and laborious.
No spoilers but I'm itching to see if Jonathan has written a follow up to this book as I would like to know if the main characters meet up again.
4.5* from me
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Keep em coming Jonathan
A story of post apocalyptic survival.
This is the second Jonathan Maas book I've had the pleasure of reading.
This book follows a handful of survivors as they solve several challenges to discover the co-ordinates of The Salvation.
The story weaves its way through every human characteristic from the innocent, brave, strong, intelligent to the wicked and depraved. Which type of human has the skills to survive the Flare?
The Suns intensity is fatal to all life forms. The surviving humans and mammals are forced into the darkest places to survive the daylight and can only move about safely (safe from the radiation of the Sun) during the night. But some of those survivors will steal, murder or torture others for whatever provisions they may have. Some resort to cannibalism.
The Dockyards are controlled by Legion, a drug dealer before the Flare, now dealing in death, controlling his 'army' with a new drug and fear.
Though I am not like any of the main characters I still connected with their journey, and found myself speculating on what strategy I would employ should I ever be faced with an obliteration event. I found there to be enough detail to bring the story alive and keep me turning those pages, without being too heavy and laborious.
No spoilers but I'm itching to see if Jonathan has written a follow up to this book as I would like to know if the main characters meet up again.
4.5* from me
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Keep em coming Jonathan
July 2, 2018
"The salvation, whatever it was, was a mystery that transcended survival. Perhaps it held both protection from the sun and answers, answers to what the flare was, why it was here, and what they should all do next" (p 168)
This book is an absolute page-turner! From the beginning, I just couldn't put it down and in the end, I just wanted more! Flare tells the story of survivors of a devasting solar flare that has rendered the earth uninhabitable during the day. This book does an excellent job of showing the good, the bad and the ugly sides of humanity as they struggle to live in a post-apocalyptic world, and will leave you wanting more!
This book is an absolute page-turner! From the beginning, I just couldn't put it down and in the end, I just wanted more! Flare tells the story of survivors of a devasting solar flare that has rendered the earth uninhabitable during the day. This book does an excellent job of showing the good, the bad and the ugly sides of humanity as they struggle to live in a post-apocalyptic world, and will leave you wanting more!
September 23, 2018
Rose
Jonathan Maas describes the world as one of devestation and corruption with man showing the worst of himself. Here there are those who are not corrupted by this harsh world. Finding out who is who in this end of the world as we know it has been an exciting experience while reading this story.
Jonathan Maas describes the world as one of devestation and corruption with man showing the worst of himself. Here there are those who are not corrupted by this harsh world. Finding out who is who in this end of the world as we know it has been an exciting experience while reading this story.
February 20, 2025
Fantastic
This is a different storyline than I've read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This author has never let me down but in my opinion, this is by far his best yet
This is a different storyline than I've read before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This author has never let me down but in my opinion, this is by far his best yet
October 5, 2022
There is a new order.
The sun kills. In order to survive people must get out of it. During the day they hide in dark places, until the sun sets.
Several groups have become lawless, but there are others who will see that humanity is kept on the right path.
Ash and his sister find leaflets with riddles on that lead to one such place. But they need to get past others who would kill them first.
Others people find this place also, but only certain people can enter. So what happens to those refused admission? This book tells the story of all of them.
A must read for all lovers of apocalyptic worlds.
The sun kills. In order to survive people must get out of it. During the day they hide in dark places, until the sun sets.
Several groups have become lawless, but there are others who will see that humanity is kept on the right path.
Ash and his sister find leaflets with riddles on that lead to one such place. But they need to get past others who would kill them first.
Others people find this place also, but only certain people can enter. So what happens to those refused admission? This book tells the story of all of them.
A must read for all lovers of apocalyptic worlds.
March 31, 2017
An epic and captivating tale
This was one of my favorite reads in a long time. At times it felt like a horror movie, a fable, an epic, and a post-apocalyptic novel. The characters were fantastic and I feel like I was a part of this world the whole time. Wonderful writing.
This was one of my favorite reads in a long time. At times it felt like a horror movie, a fable, an epic, and a post-apocalyptic novel. The characters were fantastic and I feel like I was a part of this world the whole time. Wonderful writing.
July 9, 2017
3.75 stars.
Mr. Maas has written a work about a solar flare that extinguishes nearly all of mankind, turning the remaining humans into to distinct groups: those who wish to reestablish the human race without hate, murder, sin and depravity and those who by any means necessary want the complete opposite. The plot reminds me of Stephen King's "The Stand," but with more detail to the protagonists and antiprotagonists. To put it plainly, Mr. Maas writes the good guys (and women) to possess a truly higher calling, a set of morals that are good and a sense that they have an unknown but distinct purpose to complete and the nasty humans to have no morals, values or sense of what is cruel and what is not.
The earth is mainly a scorched, barren landscape. No living life forms, either animal or plant. What humans remain after the Flare, which returns with every sunrise of every day, belong to one of the afore mentioned groups. Over the course of many months, the groups come together to resolve how to survive the Flare with vastly opposing conclusions. Along the way, the two main protagonists meet and along with two women discover a safehaven called the Salvation, a complex and advanced underground, self-contained city.
The other group resides in an abondonded dock yard, with the "ruler" living on an oil tanker in the middle of a river, where sexual depravity, torture, and a man-made drug called EverRed that changes a normal human into a mindless, cruel and corrupt soul.
As the final pages bring the book to a conclusion, one group survives and one does not. Which group lives? Read and discover the answer.
Overall, a well written novel that started out a bit confusing and hard to grasp the plot at the start, but quickly turned into a fast-paced read that made this reader eagerly anticipate the outcome of all of the charter's fates.
Mr. Maas has written a work about a solar flare that extinguishes nearly all of mankind, turning the remaining humans into to distinct groups: those who wish to reestablish the human race without hate, murder, sin and depravity and those who by any means necessary want the complete opposite. The plot reminds me of Stephen King's "The Stand," but with more detail to the protagonists and antiprotagonists. To put it plainly, Mr. Maas writes the good guys (and women) to possess a truly higher calling, a set of morals that are good and a sense that they have an unknown but distinct purpose to complete and the nasty humans to have no morals, values or sense of what is cruel and what is not.
The earth is mainly a scorched, barren landscape. No living life forms, either animal or plant. What humans remain after the Flare, which returns with every sunrise of every day, belong to one of the afore mentioned groups. Over the course of many months, the groups come together to resolve how to survive the Flare with vastly opposing conclusions. Along the way, the two main protagonists meet and along with two women discover a safehaven called the Salvation, a complex and advanced underground, self-contained city.
The other group resides in an abondonded dock yard, with the "ruler" living on an oil tanker in the middle of a river, where sexual depravity, torture, and a man-made drug called EverRed that changes a normal human into a mindless, cruel and corrupt soul.
As the final pages bring the book to a conclusion, one group survives and one does not. Which group lives? Read and discover the answer.
Overall, a well written novel that started out a bit confusing and hard to grasp the plot at the start, but quickly turned into a fast-paced read that made this reader eagerly anticipate the outcome of all of the charter's fates.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2016
Originally reviewed @ Blood,Sweat and Books
Flare by Jonathan Maas was a book I picked up on a whim one day. It was cheap, I needed something to read and it took place after a cataclysmic solar flare decimates earth. Consider me sold! What I didn't expect while reading this story was how much I truly would fall in love with these characters.
While the cast in this book isn't overly huge it does follow two separate groups and their experiences surviving in the charred remains of the former USA. Zeke, Heather, Ash, Courtney. All were strong, well written individuals with completely different personalities and they each brought their own uniqueness and skill sets to the table. Sometimes in a story such as this you can get lost in a sea of voices but I never once had a problem figuring out who we were following at any given moment.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the story was the danger level. Not only did these characters have to deal with their lawless surroundings and the corrupted morals and ideals of certain individuals but also they had to exist in a completely backwards world since the sun would literally fry them to a crisp if they stepped outside into it. The way the characters adapted to the darkness was surprising but also brings home a really solid point to the phrase "Where there's a will there's a way."
All in all was Flare a good story? Yes. I enjoyed the characters and the story premise was unique. I just wish that the ending had a more definitive resolution for all characters involved and that some of the loose ends were tied up to my satisfaction. I really hope this story is given a sequel someday because their is plenty left unexplored. At least, in this readers opinion.
With that being said, I'll be rating Flare by Jonathan Maas ★★★★.
Flare by Jonathan Maas was a book I picked up on a whim one day. It was cheap, I needed something to read and it took place after a cataclysmic solar flare decimates earth. Consider me sold! What I didn't expect while reading this story was how much I truly would fall in love with these characters.
While the cast in this book isn't overly huge it does follow two separate groups and their experiences surviving in the charred remains of the former USA. Zeke, Heather, Ash, Courtney. All were strong, well written individuals with completely different personalities and they each brought their own uniqueness and skill sets to the table. Sometimes in a story such as this you can get lost in a sea of voices but I never once had a problem figuring out who we were following at any given moment.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the story was the danger level. Not only did these characters have to deal with their lawless surroundings and the corrupted morals and ideals of certain individuals but also they had to exist in a completely backwards world since the sun would literally fry them to a crisp if they stepped outside into it. The way the characters adapted to the darkness was surprising but also brings home a really solid point to the phrase "Where there's a will there's a way."
All in all was Flare a good story? Yes. I enjoyed the characters and the story premise was unique. I just wish that the ending had a more definitive resolution for all characters involved and that some of the loose ends were tied up to my satisfaction. I really hope this story is given a sequel someday because their is plenty left unexplored. At least, in this readers opinion.
With that being said, I'll be rating Flare by Jonathan Maas ★★★★.
July 19, 2018
DNF at around page 130-something. It's hard to be a lover of any kind of genre fiction but it is especially hard to be a lover of post-apocalypse/distopia genre fiction. I always go into a novel hoping for Alas, Babylon or On the Beach. I should probably start lowering my expectations because for some reason the genre is short on great writers. From the start, this book suffered from the writing. It was very tedious and repetitive, and the author has a complete inability to "show" instead of "tell."
In addition to the bad writing, the dialogue was clunky and flat. The characters were one-dimensional, and the plot just limped along without ever really going anywhere. The concept of this book could have been extremely cool but the author took some weird turns, and the world-building was honestly so shoddy I was unable to even conjure one simple image. As with any DNF, I skimmed the remainder of the book and spoiled the ending for myself. I won't spoil it for you, in case you are interested in finishing the book, but I eyerolled as hard as I do when I make it through a supernatural thriller only to discover at the end that it was aliens. Or on discovering, after staying around for 2 agonizing hours of film, that it was the fucking trees the whole time (in case you don't know, I'm talking about the Happening - if you were planning on ever watching that movie I just saved you the trouble - you're welcome, trust me).
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
In addition to the bad writing, the dialogue was clunky and flat. The characters were one-dimensional, and the plot just limped along without ever really going anywhere. The concept of this book could have been extremely cool but the author took some weird turns, and the world-building was honestly so shoddy I was unable to even conjure one simple image. As with any DNF, I skimmed the remainder of the book and spoiled the ending for myself. I won't spoil it for you, in case you are interested in finishing the book, but I eyerolled as hard as I do when I make it through a supernatural thriller only to discover at the end that it was aliens. Or on discovering, after staying around for 2 agonizing hours of film, that it was the fucking trees the whole time (in case you don't know, I'm talking about the Happening - if you were planning on ever watching that movie I just saved you the trouble - you're welcome, trust me).
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2015
This book was kindly given to me by the author - thank you again for that!
A sun flare hits the earth and wipes out most of the population. The survivors have to find a way to not only survive in a very hostile environment, but also have to deal with those fellow survivors who forgot their humanity.
I loved this book. The scenario reminded me of Stephen King's "The Stand": there, a flu virus wipes out the population, here, it seems to be a natural catastrophe - several possible causes for the flare were mentioned, but none decided on.
The main characters were well developed, both good and "evil" ones, and the author manages to show very clearly how very differently people will act when there is no order and only chaos left, or, as I would put it, some would become torturers and some saviours. The sanctuary will not take everyone in - so are they really good? The bad, depraved ones have lost all hope and just try to survive - are they really bad or can they be redeemed?
I loved the way this story was told, very fluid, never boring and building up the tension so I found it hard to put this book down. There are some minor spelling and contents errors, but not to an extent which would put me off reading. Maybe the kindle version could use another editing session.
On the whole - definitely a recommendation from me. I hope the ending of this book was a cliffhanger, so I can look forward to a sequel!
A sun flare hits the earth and wipes out most of the population. The survivors have to find a way to not only survive in a very hostile environment, but also have to deal with those fellow survivors who forgot their humanity.
I loved this book. The scenario reminded me of Stephen King's "The Stand": there, a flu virus wipes out the population, here, it seems to be a natural catastrophe - several possible causes for the flare were mentioned, but none decided on.
The main characters were well developed, both good and "evil" ones, and the author manages to show very clearly how very differently people will act when there is no order and only chaos left, or, as I would put it, some would become torturers and some saviours. The sanctuary will not take everyone in - so are they really good? The bad, depraved ones have lost all hope and just try to survive - are they really bad or can they be redeemed?
I loved the way this story was told, very fluid, never boring and building up the tension so I found it hard to put this book down. There are some minor spelling and contents errors, but not to an extent which would put me off reading. Maybe the kindle version could use another editing session.
On the whole - definitely a recommendation from me. I hope the ending of this book was a cliffhanger, so I can look forward to a sequel!
April 24, 2015
Blinded by the light..
Strange days indeed..
This is a very unusual EOTW novel about life when a solar event scorched the earth, and to go outside when the sun is up is to be burnt and blinded.
There are survivors, but they are few, and most people have become jaded and degraded. Cruel and dangerous.
This has a sort of mystic, metaphysical feel to it. It's a lot deeper than most dystopian novels.
Zeke, one of the main characters, doesn't speak, but can communicate almost by touch.
Ash, the other main character, is a flawed genius.
There are a lot of characters, and a lot going on in the story. It's a bit bleak and almost despairing at times. I actually had to stop reading it for a few days.
It drags a bit at times, and I personally don't care for a lot of mysticism, but it's one of those books that you will think about for a while.
Results: strangely compelling, but dark.
Strange days indeed..
This is a very unusual EOTW novel about life when a solar event scorched the earth, and to go outside when the sun is up is to be burnt and blinded.
There are survivors, but they are few, and most people have become jaded and degraded. Cruel and dangerous.
This has a sort of mystic, metaphysical feel to it. It's a lot deeper than most dystopian novels.
Zeke, one of the main characters, doesn't speak, but can communicate almost by touch.
Ash, the other main character, is a flawed genius.
There are a lot of characters, and a lot going on in the story. It's a bit bleak and almost despairing at times. I actually had to stop reading it for a few days.
It drags a bit at times, and I personally don't care for a lot of mysticism, but it's one of those books that you will think about for a while.
Results: strangely compelling, but dark.
January 5, 2016
About 100 pages in, I accepted that Flare was going to leave me with more questions than answers - so, I quit asking questions and enjoyed the ride.
And it is a fun ride. Author Maas shows us a world ravaged by a brighter, hotter sun. Our protagonists are likable, relatable survivors. They encounter challenges, piece together a mystery, and always move forward.
The book does the same - Maas's writing never drags, keeping the reader engaged. The cross-country (which country? Doesn't really matter, everything's cooked) trek is never a slog; we get enough details to know what our protagonists are seeing and doing without being bogged down in minute-by-minute minutiae.
Gamer value: Pretty good. The world of Flare is a different kind of apocalypse, a world ending by fire. The Salvation has value as a friendly or hostile organization, depending on your spin and the needs of your campaign.
And it is a fun ride. Author Maas shows us a world ravaged by a brighter, hotter sun. Our protagonists are likable, relatable survivors. They encounter challenges, piece together a mystery, and always move forward.
The book does the same - Maas's writing never drags, keeping the reader engaged. The cross-country (which country? Doesn't really matter, everything's cooked) trek is never a slog; we get enough details to know what our protagonists are seeing and doing without being bogged down in minute-by-minute minutiae.
Gamer value: Pretty good. The world of Flare is a different kind of apocalypse, a world ending by fire. The Salvation has value as a friendly or hostile organization, depending on your spin and the needs of your campaign.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway (thanks so much!!). I enjoyed this book. I thought that the idea behind the story was very clever. It certainly gave me a Stephen King/Michael Crichton vibe because it was scientific and thrilling. However, the writing style made me only feel I could give it three stars.
Firstly, because I felt the dialogue needed some work. I found myself thinking that many of the conversations felt forced and a bit lame.
And second, I knew I would be kicking myself later for not marking down examples...but in quite a few situations, I found the text to be repetitive to the point where I was like, wait, didn't I just read that line a couple paragraphs back?
***Spoilers below***
Overall, I would suggest this book to others because I really enjoyed the story. If there is a book two, I would check it out because...HELLO?! WHAT HAPPENED TO ASH?! :)
Firstly, because I felt the dialogue needed some work. I found myself thinking that many of the conversations felt forced and a bit lame.
And second, I knew I would be kicking myself later for not marking down examples...but in quite a few situations, I found the text to be repetitive to the point where I was like, wait, didn't I just read that line a couple paragraphs back?
***Spoilers below***
Overall, I would suggest this book to others because I really enjoyed the story. If there is a book two, I would check it out because...HELLO?! WHAT HAPPENED TO ASH?! :)
April 4, 2015
Excellent. From my own perceptions I noticed elements of different stories in here. Don't know if it was Jonathan's plan to make it that way, or if I'm just seeing something that's not there. I saw a little of HG Wells Time Machine, but this time the "morlocks" were above ground, with the peaceful, but strict, "eloi" below. Mother Nature always finds a way to repair what we've destroyed. Loved the theological parts of the storyline too. I strongly recommend everyone go check out the three books that are out by Jonathan Maas. We need to support new authors like him so they will keep putting out new things for us to enjoy.
November 10, 2015
I won a copy of this book in the goodreads giveaway, and just received it in the mail. Cant wait to start reading it.
I would consider Flare one of my favorite books and would like to see a sequel.
During the entirety of the book I felt like I was with Ash, Heather, Courtney, and Zeke following them through their daunting journey for salvation. I usually found myself thinking on how my family and I would survive an apocalypse like this; Also, on how Ash was able to come up with a solution for everything.
All in all this was a wonderful book and would give it 10 stars provided the opportunity to do so. I would highly recommend it.
I would consider Flare one of my favorite books and would like to see a sequel.
During the entirety of the book I felt like I was with Ash, Heather, Courtney, and Zeke following them through their daunting journey for salvation. I usually found myself thinking on how my family and I would survive an apocalypse like this; Also, on how Ash was able to come up with a solution for everything.
All in all this was a wonderful book and would give it 10 stars provided the opportunity to do so. I would highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2016
I receiv d a copy of Flare by Jonathan Maas in exchange for my honest review.
As everyone else before me has stated, the book is post-apocalyptic and not for everyone. Because of the genre, I decided to give it a go. Was I ever caught off guard.
There's nothing I can add that hasn't already been written but I will chime in on the darkness of certain areas of Flare; It gets a little disturbing. Vegans might want to consider something else to read.
Me? Despite a little disturbing, I loved the hell out of it!
As everyone else before me has stated, the book is post-apocalyptic and not for everyone. Because of the genre, I decided to give it a go. Was I ever caught off guard.
There's nothing I can add that hasn't already been written but I will chime in on the darkness of certain areas of Flare; It gets a little disturbing. Vegans might want to consider something else to read.
Me? Despite a little disturbing, I loved the hell out of it!
June 20, 2015
A compelling read, with a love/hate feeling for the situation - but I could not put it down. As suspenseful and compelling as The Day of the Triffids.
Like his previous 2 books this one feels like book 2 is calling out for an audience.
But having read all 3 of his books, and finding them each compelling and different, I can not wait to see what traffic brings us next.
Like his previous 2 books this one feels like book 2 is calling out for an audience.
But having read all 3 of his books, and finding them each compelling and different, I can not wait to see what traffic brings us next.
February 10, 2016
What a great read, I really enjoyed this book. I was totally invested in all the characters & the premise of the flare itself scares the sh*t out of me!!! I really hope there will be a part 2 I was left very much wanting to know what was next for the survivors.
March 14, 2025
Definitely different
Just imagine at the age of 74 finding a a story to follow because it makes you feel young again. This small saga managed to do just that. After the first few chapters I was ready to hit the delete button as I was loosing interest and my attentions was starting to flag. The storyline had me a bit baffled for a while, but finally the fog cleared and the plot started to make sense. A really good write that once into the stream of the story, it had me turning pages well into the next couple of days. I'm just glad my wife hasn't clicked into the fact that my back starts playing up when I find a good read. Wondering when the next episode of this saga will appear. The plot has been left wide open.
Just imagine at the age of 74 finding a a story to follow because it makes you feel young again. This small saga managed to do just that. After the first few chapters I was ready to hit the delete button as I was loosing interest and my attentions was starting to flag. The storyline had me a bit baffled for a while, but finally the fog cleared and the plot started to make sense. A really good write that once into the stream of the story, it had me turning pages well into the next couple of days. I'm just glad my wife hasn't clicked into the fact that my back starts playing up when I find a good read. Wondering when the next episode of this saga will appear. The plot has been left wide open.
November 15, 2015
I`m grateful to have received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Honestly, this book is maybe the first i have read about the apocalypse and i wasn`t quite sure what to expect, so i was a bit curious. And i must say i really enjoyed it.
The story is captivating. I`ve never imagined a world without sun, but here the sun is too much. It`s killing people, animals, plants, all in all, every lifeform possible. And it`s like everything is reversed - people wander through the night and sleep in the day. And this book shows so well what people are capable of in this kind of situations. Everyone starts thinking only for themselves and there is no such thing as cities or communities. Everything is about surviving day after day, whatever the way. And you can rob someone of his food and just say:"Save yourself however you can, i have to make it out somehow too.". People kill people and it`s not just about survival, but out of cruelty too. And it`s sad, because deep inside, we are just like that. And the part the scared me the most was the dockyards. This was quite hard to read and all the violence and drugs just just shocked me at first, but then made me realize how true this is. There were a few paragraphs are still in my head and made see that.One is the moment Zeke is told that people would still become like this even without the drugs. And i remembered all these moments in the past how people behaved and thought that`s not far from the truth. Human beings are prone to violence and there are very few exceptions. The second and maybe the most insightful moment for me was the comparison between humans and animals. Yes, it`s true for both of us the struggle for food, shelter, territory and even females. But there is one HUGE difference - people can murder out of pure cruelty and sadism. But you`ll never see an animal killing one of its kind because it feels pleasure in doing that. And that`s the moment we realize the we the humans are the worst predator. And that`s really sad.
But let me talk about something more positive. The Salvation. At first it was just a name and a place that looked almost impossible to get to. But then we have Ash there and was kind of cool with all these test rooms at the beginning. But then i wasn`t so sure if i liked anymore. I mean, the place is 24/7 under surveillance except the train. It`s kind of creepy and sometimes people need a little time alone and here you know that always someone is watching you. The other thing that made me feel bad, was that there was a discrimination. Only people with special knowledge and most importantly, people who`d let other people out there to die, are let in. It`s not fair, but at the same time i understand Metatron and his people. They want a society that can survive and help others to survive. People that wouldn`t get sick never again and everything is controlled, and there isn`t even a possibility for something to go wrong. And it all sound so perfect and it really is. These people are ready to live and progress doing their best and ready for the future whatever it is.
And from here i go to the characters. And i think i`ll just start with Ash. A very hurt young man, but full of hope and most importantly, a genius. I liked his relationship with Heather - the connection between twins is just amazing. I felt bad about his past, how he never had a normal childhood, but in the end all this knowledge was useful. Especially while he was doing the tests i was wandering:"Is it possible someone to know this much?". I really like that he decided to leave The Salvation, because like that he can help others outside, who need more his help than The Salvation. The thing that bugs me is what happened with Ash at the end. I felt like his storyline was unfinished. I mean, did he meet Courtney and Zeke or met some other survived society? So, at the end it was very questionable. Zeke was a character, which is an example for all of us. Even though he is mute, i like how he communicates with others and how his kindness is spreading. He hates violence and that deserves respect in this cruel world. He is born to lead people and gather them. He is wise and calm, and just too kind for this world. Heather was a character i personally liked, especially her protectiveness over her brother all these years. I really liked her strong personality, especially when Dr. Shaw died. She would do everything to keep her closest people safe and you can always count on her doing the right thing. I think that maybe she is maybe the more realistic to me and maybe that`s why i kind of connected with her character. Courtney was an interesting character to read and she was another female character to admire. Her relationship with Ash was kind of sweet, but they didn`t have much time together. I liked how she and Zeke started to lead the children and their cooperation. The caves with luminescent the found was a good end for the book and a promising beginning for the new generation.
In the end both places, and The Salvation, and Zeke and Courtney`s give hope for a better future and that it`s possible a life with the flare continuing.
All in all, the book was good. At first is started a little slow for me, but then after a while it grabbed my attention. The were some unanswered questions at the end, but maybe that can be used as a start of a sequel. And that`s all from me.
Honestly, this book is maybe the first i have read about the apocalypse and i wasn`t quite sure what to expect, so i was a bit curious. And i must say i really enjoyed it.
The story is captivating. I`ve never imagined a world without sun, but here the sun is too much. It`s killing people, animals, plants, all in all, every lifeform possible. And it`s like everything is reversed - people wander through the night and sleep in the day. And this book shows so well what people are capable of in this kind of situations. Everyone starts thinking only for themselves and there is no such thing as cities or communities. Everything is about surviving day after day, whatever the way. And you can rob someone of his food and just say:"Save yourself however you can, i have to make it out somehow too.". People kill people and it`s not just about survival, but out of cruelty too. And it`s sad, because deep inside, we are just like that. And the part the scared me the most was the dockyards. This was quite hard to read and all the violence and drugs just just shocked me at first, but then made me realize how true this is. There were a few paragraphs are still in my head and made see that.One is the moment Zeke is told that people would still become like this even without the drugs. And i remembered all these moments in the past how people behaved and thought that`s not far from the truth. Human beings are prone to violence and there are very few exceptions. The second and maybe the most insightful moment for me was the comparison between humans and animals. Yes, it`s true for both of us the struggle for food, shelter, territory and even females. But there is one HUGE difference - people can murder out of pure cruelty and sadism. But you`ll never see an animal killing one of its kind because it feels pleasure in doing that. And that`s the moment we realize the we the humans are the worst predator. And that`s really sad.
But let me talk about something more positive. The Salvation. At first it was just a name and a place that looked almost impossible to get to. But then we have Ash there and was kind of cool with all these test rooms at the beginning. But then i wasn`t so sure if i liked anymore. I mean, the place is 24/7 under surveillance except the train. It`s kind of creepy and sometimes people need a little time alone and here you know that always someone is watching you. The other thing that made me feel bad, was that there was a discrimination. Only people with special knowledge and most importantly, people who`d let other people out there to die, are let in. It`s not fair, but at the same time i understand Metatron and his people. They want a society that can survive and help others to survive. People that wouldn`t get sick never again and everything is controlled, and there isn`t even a possibility for something to go wrong. And it all sound so perfect and it really is. These people are ready to live and progress doing their best and ready for the future whatever it is.
And from here i go to the characters. And i think i`ll just start with Ash. A very hurt young man, but full of hope and most importantly, a genius. I liked his relationship with Heather - the connection between twins is just amazing. I felt bad about his past, how he never had a normal childhood, but in the end all this knowledge was useful. Especially while he was doing the tests i was wandering:"Is it possible someone to know this much?". I really like that he decided to leave The Salvation, because like that he can help others outside, who need more his help than The Salvation. The thing that bugs me is what happened with Ash at the end. I felt like his storyline was unfinished. I mean, did he meet Courtney and Zeke or met some other survived society? So, at the end it was very questionable. Zeke was a character, which is an example for all of us. Even though he is mute, i like how he communicates with others and how his kindness is spreading. He hates violence and that deserves respect in this cruel world. He is born to lead people and gather them. He is wise and calm, and just too kind for this world. Heather was a character i personally liked, especially her protectiveness over her brother all these years. I really liked her strong personality, especially when Dr. Shaw died. She would do everything to keep her closest people safe and you can always count on her doing the right thing. I think that maybe she is maybe the more realistic to me and maybe that`s why i kind of connected with her character. Courtney was an interesting character to read and she was another female character to admire. Her relationship with Ash was kind of sweet, but they didn`t have much time together. I liked how she and Zeke started to lead the children and their cooperation. The caves with luminescent the found was a good end for the book and a promising beginning for the new generation.
In the end both places, and The Salvation, and Zeke and Courtney`s give hope for a better future and that it`s possible a life with the flare continuing.
All in all, the book was good. At first is started a little slow for me, but then after a while it grabbed my attention. The were some unanswered questions at the end, but maybe that can be used as a start of a sequel. And that`s all from me.
May 24, 2025
Outstanding. Left me wanting more
I enjoyed the interlinked and separate stories. A unique perspective on a theme often told... The end of life as we know it. Lots of potential for a sequel which I truly hope will come. I need to know Jonathan.... So much I still need to know lol.
No spoilers but highly recommend
I enjoyed the interlinked and separate stories. A unique perspective on a theme often told... The end of life as we know it. Lots of potential for a sequel which I truly hope will come. I need to know Jonathan.... So much I still need to know lol.
No spoilers but highly recommend
November 5, 2018
Well written and descriptions that are well thought out
After I started the book I couldn't put it down. I wanted to follow this journey to the end. The were placed I didn't want to see but they were needed. Well worth the read and time spent.
After I started the book I couldn't put it down. I wanted to follow this journey to the end. The were placed I didn't want to see but they were needed. Well worth the read and time spent.
July 29, 2018
A great book!
A very good read, well written and great characters in it. Thought provoking insights into the best and worst sides of humanity in the face of a worldwide natural disaster.
A very good read, well written and great characters in it. Thought provoking insights into the best and worst sides of humanity in the face of a worldwide natural disaster.
December 16, 2018
Could envision reality in a cataclysmic scenario ss such!!
Kept my interest throughout. Anticipated a reunion towards the end and was left a bit disappointed. Was also expecting a sequal to follow, but it didn't happen.
Kept my interest throughout. Anticipated a reunion towards the end and was left a bit disappointed. Was also expecting a sequal to follow, but it didn't happen.
March 16, 2025
great concept
It was a good book, it made you think. Violence and worse of human behavior but also hopeful and positive
It was a good book, it made you think. Violence and worse of human behavior but also hopeful and positive
April 11, 2025
Imaginative Apocalyptic Tale
This easy reading novel explores an imaginative catastrophe and how humanity deals with it. Good character development and holds your interest.
This easy reading novel explores an imaginative catastrophe and how humanity deals with it. Good character development and holds your interest.
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