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The Borrowed World #1
The Borrowed World
In a night of devastating terror, ISIS operatives have unleashed a coordinated attack on America’s infrastructure. Life as we know it in America grinds to a halt as the electrical grid collapses, communication networks are damaged, critical bridges and dams are destroyed, and major fuel refineries go up in massive fiery clouds. When the government responds by immediately halting fuel sales to the public, Jim Powell finds himself in a terrifying predicament – trapped five hundred miles from home with a group of coworkers.
With thousands of trapped travelers and scarce law enforcement, the miles between Jim and his family become a brutal gauntlet where the rules of civilized society no longer apply. As Jim puts his years of preparation and planning to the test, he is forced to ask himself if he has what it takes to make it home. Does he have the strength -- the brutality -- required to meet this new world toe-to-toe?
With thousands of trapped travelers and scarce law enforcement, the miles between Jim and his family become a brutal gauntlet where the rules of civilized society no longer apply. As Jim puts his years of preparation and planning to the test, he is forced to ask himself if he has what it takes to make it home. Does he have the strength -- the brutality -- required to meet this new world toe-to-toe?
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2015
2149 people are currently reading
2249 people want to read
About the author
Franklin Horton
83 books373 followersFranklin Horton lives and writes in the mountains of southwestern Virginia. He attended Virginia Intermont College and Virginia Commonwealth University. In his spare time he pursues outdoor adventures with his wife and two children. His interests include camping, kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking, and shooting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
February 11, 2025
“No, I was never in the military. I’m not a soldier. I’m a paranoid hillbilly wanting to get home to my family. Under the right circumstances, a determined father is every bit as dangerous as the most highly-trained soldier.”
ISIS terrorists come to American shores and wreak astounding havoc upon our homeland. Destruction of both the fuel supplies and the power grid.
Jim Powell, late forties, is very smart and very prepared. He always keeps his GHB (Get Home Bag) with him.
At a work conference in Richmond, Virginia: Jim is eager to get home to his wife and children back in southwestern Virginia.
Gary from IT is also very…ready.
Jim’s wife, Ellen, is a teacher; kids: Pete (13) and Ariel (11).
The Red Binder: Jim shows Ellen how to prepare with the children.
Jim is an excellent narrative MC. He’s an asshole, and he’s super intelligent and capable. Inner monologue is functional. Does not go overboard.
Stuck with work colleagues, things deteriorate rapidly.
Glad Lois doesn’t make it long. 💀
A trek of 300+ miles to get back home.
Jim’s preparations are fascinating, innovative, and comprehensive.
Pops and Nana. The house in rural Virginia.
The Appalachian Trail.
Attacks and shootouts. Hostiles, intruders, freeloaders…danger everywhere. Some crazy fight scenes.
Randi from work (a nurse!) is a tough and welcome surprise.
Crawfish. Lloyd.
Jim’s memories and flashbacks of his grandfather are so cool.
Awesome writing style. Super realistic apocalyptic scenarios and events.
Multiple imminent cliffhangers? Bring. It. On. Loving this series already, and it’s only book one!
Things kept getting crazier every day. How long would it take us to get home? How many bodies would we leave behind? Would we all make it or would one of us end up buried on the side of the road, too?
*Thank you, Rain, for a superb selection!!!
ISIS terrorists come to American shores and wreak astounding havoc upon our homeland. Destruction of both the fuel supplies and the power grid.
Jim Powell, late forties, is very smart and very prepared. He always keeps his GHB (Get Home Bag) with him.
At a work conference in Richmond, Virginia: Jim is eager to get home to his wife and children back in southwestern Virginia.
Gary from IT is also very…ready.
Jim’s wife, Ellen, is a teacher; kids: Pete (13) and Ariel (11).
The Red Binder: Jim shows Ellen how to prepare with the children.
Jim is an excellent narrative MC. He’s an asshole, and he’s super intelligent and capable. Inner monologue is functional. Does not go overboard.
Stuck with work colleagues, things deteriorate rapidly.
Glad Lois doesn’t make it long. 💀
A trek of 300+ miles to get back home.
Jim’s preparations are fascinating, innovative, and comprehensive.
Pops and Nana. The house in rural Virginia.
The Appalachian Trail.
Attacks and shootouts. Hostiles, intruders, freeloaders…danger everywhere. Some crazy fight scenes.
Randi from work (a nurse!) is a tough and welcome surprise.
Crawfish. Lloyd.
Jim’s memories and flashbacks of his grandfather are so cool.
Awesome writing style. Super realistic apocalyptic scenarios and events.
Multiple imminent cliffhangers? Bring. It. On. Loving this series already, and it’s only book one!
Things kept getting crazier every day. How long would it take us to get home? How many bodies would we leave behind? Would we all make it or would one of us end up buried on the side of the road, too?
*Thank you, Rain, for a superb selection!!!
September 16, 2016
I’m in full apocalypse mode at the moment and this book provides a new wrinkle: not an epidemic killing everyone off and not an inter-planetary collision causing a hard rain either, instead we have terrorists destroying the power infrastructure of America. I know this doesn’t necessarily sound like an apocalyptic scenario but trust me, it’s quite convincing!
Power stations are blown up, fuel lines are collapsed and dams are destroyed all in one night of attacks by ISIS operatives. It was quick and easy, but the results are devastating. Almost immediately, the petrol pumps are closed down (anything left is withheld for emergency services), power is lost to buildings and any kind of electronic communication is pretty much gone. If you’re very lucky a text message might get through, but that’s about it.
We meet Jim, a man stranded some three hundred miles from home on a business trip with some colleagues. Jim always knew something on this scale would happen some day. He’s been getting prepared for it and has stashed supplies at home and has even prepared a manual for his wife and children should he happen to be away when the ‘event’ occurred. But he has a major problem: how’s he going to get home?
The story follows the plight of Jim and his colleagues and that of his family, in alternating sections. We see that Jim had the foresight to bring along a ‘get home’ bag, full of kit and supplies that would help him; it’s obvious he’ll need this and more if he’s to succeed.
It’s a great caper and I really enjoyed hearing how the country fell apart so quickly as people turned feral pretty much the moment the lights went out. Jim, it transpires, is the most anal, most prepared pre-apocalypse man you’d ever meet. He’s also a trigger-happy cold fish with no visible sense of humour. His colleagues are a mixed bag of mainly middle aged women – some of whom seem to have little time for Jim – but the other male in the party seems to be a mini-Jim. It transpires the two men had talked about this type of scenario on an ongoing basis and as a consequence he’s also brought a goody bag of his own along on the trip.
This book does read a bit like a technical manual of what preparations we all might like to consider ahead of a devastating cataclysm. It’s a bit OTT on that element and perhaps the speed of the deterioration of law and order is over-stated. But then again, maybe not. It is certainly food for thought. Anyway, it’s great fun. Until the moment it all ends on a real cliff-hanger and I realised its actually only half the story (well, a third, in effect, as there are three episodes to this tale).
Unsurprisingly, I immediately launched myself into book two, which picks up precisely where the first one ended. I’m hooked!!
Power stations are blown up, fuel lines are collapsed and dams are destroyed all in one night of attacks by ISIS operatives. It was quick and easy, but the results are devastating. Almost immediately, the petrol pumps are closed down (anything left is withheld for emergency services), power is lost to buildings and any kind of electronic communication is pretty much gone. If you’re very lucky a text message might get through, but that’s about it.
We meet Jim, a man stranded some three hundred miles from home on a business trip with some colleagues. Jim always knew something on this scale would happen some day. He’s been getting prepared for it and has stashed supplies at home and has even prepared a manual for his wife and children should he happen to be away when the ‘event’ occurred. But he has a major problem: how’s he going to get home?
The story follows the plight of Jim and his colleagues and that of his family, in alternating sections. We see that Jim had the foresight to bring along a ‘get home’ bag, full of kit and supplies that would help him; it’s obvious he’ll need this and more if he’s to succeed.
It’s a great caper and I really enjoyed hearing how the country fell apart so quickly as people turned feral pretty much the moment the lights went out. Jim, it transpires, is the most anal, most prepared pre-apocalypse man you’d ever meet. He’s also a trigger-happy cold fish with no visible sense of humour. His colleagues are a mixed bag of mainly middle aged women – some of whom seem to have little time for Jim – but the other male in the party seems to be a mini-Jim. It transpires the two men had talked about this type of scenario on an ongoing basis and as a consequence he’s also brought a goody bag of his own along on the trip.
This book does read a bit like a technical manual of what preparations we all might like to consider ahead of a devastating cataclysm. It’s a bit OTT on that element and perhaps the speed of the deterioration of law and order is over-stated. But then again, maybe not. It is certainly food for thought. Anyway, it’s great fun. Until the moment it all ends on a real cliff-hanger and I realised its actually only half the story (well, a third, in effect, as there are three episodes to this tale).
Unsurprisingly, I immediately launched myself into book two, which picks up precisely where the first one ended. I’m hooked!!
May 2, 2020
I think this is an extreme example of things that could happen. That said, the story itself is interesting and, if you're open to it, informative.
However. There is some very loaded language and a lot of "preaching to the choir" here. I found it hard not to get my defensive hackles up. Look, not everyone interested in planning for a catastrophic event (doesn't have to be a nationwide terrorist attack, could just be an unexpected layoff. Or a global pandemic requiring shelter in place for a while) is what might be considered a "prepper". Not everyone who preps is a conspiracy theorist. Not everyone living in a trailer park would be unprepared and turn to looting and murder. Not all "liberals" are afraid of guns.
The book ends in the middle of the action. I will continue with the next one with hopes that the author eases up on the divisive language (but not counting on it.)
However. There is some very loaded language and a lot of "preaching to the choir" here. I found it hard not to get my defensive hackles up. Look, not everyone interested in planning for a catastrophic event (doesn't have to be a nationwide terrorist attack, could just be an unexpected layoff. Or a global pandemic requiring shelter in place for a while) is what might be considered a "prepper". Not everyone who preps is a conspiracy theorist. Not everyone living in a trailer park would be unprepared and turn to looting and murder. Not all "liberals" are afraid of guns.
The book ends in the middle of the action. I will continue with the next one with hopes that the author eases up on the divisive language (but not counting on it.)
July 7, 2017
4 Stars
If you want a realistic post apocalyptic story, then this is it. Harsh, brutal, never sugarcoating the new reality the US finds itself in, as multiple terrorist attacks destroy what’s important to keep it going - electricity and fuel.
This story follows prepper Jim, and how that very preparedness tries to get him home to his family. What many may call paranoia, his outlook just may save his life and those he loves. Jim truly encounters the depravity and desperation of humanity, testing the limits of his own moral code.
Definitely a wake up call, where one hopes this sort of situation never befalls us. However the plausibility hits hard, urging one to start thinking and possibly preparing for the worst.
If you want a realistic post apocalyptic story, then this is it. Harsh, brutal, never sugarcoating the new reality the US finds itself in, as multiple terrorist attacks destroy what’s important to keep it going - electricity and fuel.
This story follows prepper Jim, and how that very preparedness tries to get him home to his family. What many may call paranoia, his outlook just may save his life and those he loves. Jim truly encounters the depravity and desperation of humanity, testing the limits of his own moral code.
Definitely a wake up call, where one hopes this sort of situation never befalls us. However the plausibility hits hard, urging one to start thinking and possibly preparing for the worst.
August 6, 2015
This tale of post-apocalyptic events is nothing original (it feels a lot like 'One Second After' and several other PA tales I've read). It's not a story that explains the event that causes the devastation as much as it centers on a few people and their reaction to the effects in a very small geographic and rural area. That part I very much enjoyed: the immediate and visceral description of what life would be like at a Richmond hotel, nearby highway travel center, and most strikingingly, a section of the Appalachian trail in rural Virginia as the fear, despair, and anger at the situation takes over the population. Our protagonist, Jim, is a "prepper" who travels with his "bug out bag" of emergency supplies (rations, clothing, med kit, night vision goggles, guns, cord, duct tape, and knives) to a company conference, and is thus better prepared than his compatriots to survive the disaster. Jim is tactless, strong, and misogynistic, and made for a pretty unlikeable hero, even if his preparedness is invaluable to survival in the end times. He is loyal to his friend (a sort of devotee with his own bug out bag) that is also on the trip, and shows grudging admiration for one woman that elects to stay with him on the effort to get back home to his family across the state - but he speaks so deplorably about his other female co-workers as to their pettiness, useless social niceties, and shallow self-centeredness that I almost abandoned the book in the first third because Jim was so grating and so rude. I also had issues with a few points in the book where Jim seemed to know things that he could not have known (inner thoughts of another character, etc.) - as though Jim was an omniscient narrator. I think the book would have been stronger written all in third person from the point of such a narrator, as it would have given us more of the story of all the characters.
The book splits its time between following Jim in his quest to get himself (and maybe his car of coworkers, if they listen to his orders and don't cause too much trouble) back home and Jim's wife and kids back in Richmond following the orders Jim left in a very prepared binder of instructions for them to follow in case of such a situation. Jim's narrative chapters are told in first person and include many scenes of peril, death and violence. Jim's wife's chapters are told in third person and function mostly as a checklist for readers that may want to become preppers themselves with all the supplies, procedures, and lists that Jim left for his wife to follow. She does run into some peril of her own from marauding neighbors from a nearby trailer park, but very strongly defends her home and family with force and Jim's anti-invasion preparations in place.
I didn't know this book was not a stand-alone story. It ends in the middle of the action, and I admit I'd pick up the sequel despite my annoyance with dismissive, abrasive Jim. Jim does redeem himself a little by showing concern for an elderly couple he meets along the way, but mostly he acts as though he is smarter, better, and more capable than anyone else because of his preparedness (and paranoia) that this would happen. My dislike of Jim, the amount of very quickly escalating violence in the story, and the almost total lack of humor or softness (Jim's wife chasing cows out of her garden in her underwear and a few moments with her kids as the only exception) made this book a cold, dry read. While that may be the raw truth of a disaster that humans will quickly turn voilent and show their basest instincts, tragedy and hard lessons are stronger when sprinkled with a little human kindness and resiliency for contrast.
Narrator Kevin Pierce did a fine job with the book, with a voice masculine enough for Jim and yet neutral enough for the chapters about the wife. His able performance could not add warmth to the coldness of the writing.
Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
The book splits its time between following Jim in his quest to get himself (and maybe his car of coworkers, if they listen to his orders and don't cause too much trouble) back home and Jim's wife and kids back in Richmond following the orders Jim left in a very prepared binder of instructions for them to follow in case of such a situation. Jim's narrative chapters are told in first person and include many scenes of peril, death and violence. Jim's wife's chapters are told in third person and function mostly as a checklist for readers that may want to become preppers themselves with all the supplies, procedures, and lists that Jim left for his wife to follow. She does run into some peril of her own from marauding neighbors from a nearby trailer park, but very strongly defends her home and family with force and Jim's anti-invasion preparations in place.
I didn't know this book was not a stand-alone story. It ends in the middle of the action, and I admit I'd pick up the sequel despite my annoyance with dismissive, abrasive Jim. Jim does redeem himself a little by showing concern for an elderly couple he meets along the way, but mostly he acts as though he is smarter, better, and more capable than anyone else because of his preparedness (and paranoia) that this would happen. My dislike of Jim, the amount of very quickly escalating violence in the story, and the almost total lack of humor or softness (Jim's wife chasing cows out of her garden in her underwear and a few moments with her kids as the only exception) made this book a cold, dry read. While that may be the raw truth of a disaster that humans will quickly turn voilent and show their basest instincts, tragedy and hard lessons are stronger when sprinkled with a little human kindness and resiliency for contrast.
Narrator Kevin Pierce did a fine job with the book, with a voice masculine enough for Jim and yet neutral enough for the chapters about the wife. His able performance could not add warmth to the coldness of the writing.
Note: This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.
April 25, 2017
I don't typically give negative book reviews, but this was pretty awful. I read this because I'm a sucker for apocalyptic fiction, but this book turned out to be a preppers fantasy novel. Save your time and read One Second After which does a better job of balancing prepper fantasy with realistic and complex characters and apocalyptic scenarios.
The author uses every opportunity to push his believe that poor people are ravenous criminals that will use any excuse to steal and attack "good country folk". There are also some undertones of racism where every hispanic in the book is blasting music, drunk or using drugs and starting trouble. There are no mention of any decent minorities, but several mentions of race when referring to "bad" people.
The writing is also terrible. The author switches between first person narrative and third person omniscient, but seemingly forgets which narrative voice he's using and in sections of the book that should be first person, the narrator knows things that he he shouldn't know, like the personal history of a random stranger in a gas station. Extremely dry and uninteresting, and every character except the narrator is flat. Hard pass on the rest of this series.
The author uses every opportunity to push his believe that poor people are ravenous criminals that will use any excuse to steal and attack "good country folk". There are also some undertones of racism where every hispanic in the book is blasting music, drunk or using drugs and starting trouble. There are no mention of any decent minorities, but several mentions of race when referring to "bad" people.
The writing is also terrible. The author switches between first person narrative and third person omniscient, but seemingly forgets which narrative voice he's using and in sections of the book that should be first person, the narrator knows things that he he shouldn't know, like the personal history of a random stranger in a gas station. Extremely dry and uninteresting, and every character except the narrator is flat. Hard pass on the rest of this series.
July 25, 2015
I've read many 'end of the world' books. Some supernatural ends, some aliens, some invasion stories, some nuclear... this book treads many of the well worn paths of those stories, but it takes a somewhat different tact to most of what I have read.
Most stories like this fall into the "end of the world only just happened" or "it happened ages ago and we are just surviving" stories. This is the former, yet other than an opening chapter/prologue that goes into a bit of the events leading up to the attacks that cause the end of the world Horton doesn't really describe the action and events. We don't really see anything at all from the POV of our characters, because none were there. There is speculation and some small news reports talking of the damage but nothing clear. Our characters are not involved in the major events, they are the small people that get caught up in the results of it.
In this was it reminds me most of William R. Forstchen's "One Second After", showing a small town and the events that occur because of the attacks.
The book follows two groups - Jim Powell and some co-workers, trying to get home, and Jim's wife and kids on their farm. The wife and kids part reminds me very much of Forstchen's book and covers very similar grounds - buying up suppliers, dealing with lack of power and fuel, protecting the property. it is enjoyable but nothing I haven't read before.
Jim's story is the more interesting one and in fact works as a nice counterpart of Forstchen's book, in that Forstchen's characters must deal with travelers and an influx into their town and this book is from the POV of one of those travelers and what it is like to be the outsider trying to get in (or through).
As always in these books the world goes to shit, some people are good some turn super selfish and our characters have to deal with it.
The book is a bit of a preppers and gun lovers book, as that is what the main character is. despite being on a work trip he has his prep bag in case something goes wrong and thus has stuff he can use (like night vision goggles and ration packs etc). it also allows for a small 2nd amendment "aren't you all lucky we have guns" rant from one of the characters
There is also attitude throughout the book that everyone who is poor must not want to work and just wants handouts from everyone else. It's not characters espousing it, it's part of the narration and (I guess) a part of Horton's outlook. This reduces 'the poor' in the book to a stereotype and, in my opinion, weakens the book.
Beyond the story the actual writing is a bit all over the place. It switches between 1st person for Jim's story and 3rd person for the rest. yet during Jim's story he tells of things that he cannot possibly know. At one point he talks about some guy who lost a kid when the kid was in the army and recently had a wife die, so therefore doesn't care if he dies as well. the problem is Jim has never spoken to this guy (and never does because he gets himself killed 3 seconds later) so there is no way Jim knows what he knows. Horton accidentally slips into 3rd person omniscience halfway through a 1st person chapter.
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Narration by Kevin Pierce is pretty good. He has a husky "manly" voice that really suits Jim's character. the other characters, and parts where we focus on Jim's family don't fit as well. Pierce differentiates characters well enough, without doing actual individual voices. He puts inflection and feeling into the reading as needed.
Certainly easy and enjoyable to listen to.
Most stories like this fall into the "end of the world only just happened" or "it happened ages ago and we are just surviving" stories. This is the former, yet other than an opening chapter/prologue that goes into a bit of the events leading up to the attacks that cause the end of the world Horton doesn't really describe the action and events. We don't really see anything at all from the POV of our characters, because none were there. There is speculation and some small news reports talking of the damage but nothing clear. Our characters are not involved in the major events, they are the small people that get caught up in the results of it.
In this was it reminds me most of William R. Forstchen's "One Second After", showing a small town and the events that occur because of the attacks.
The book follows two groups - Jim Powell and some co-workers, trying to get home, and Jim's wife and kids on their farm. The wife and kids part reminds me very much of Forstchen's book and covers very similar grounds - buying up suppliers, dealing with lack of power and fuel, protecting the property. it is enjoyable but nothing I haven't read before.
Jim's story is the more interesting one and in fact works as a nice counterpart of Forstchen's book, in that Forstchen's characters must deal with travelers and an influx into their town and this book is from the POV of one of those travelers and what it is like to be the outsider trying to get in (or through).
As always in these books the world goes to shit, some people are good some turn super selfish and our characters have to deal with it.
The book is a bit of a preppers and gun lovers book, as that is what the main character is. despite being on a work trip he has his prep bag in case something goes wrong and thus has stuff he can use (like night vision goggles and ration packs etc). it also allows for a small 2nd amendment "aren't you all lucky we have guns" rant from one of the characters
There is also attitude throughout the book that everyone who is poor must not want to work and just wants handouts from everyone else. It's not characters espousing it, it's part of the narration and (I guess) a part of Horton's outlook. This reduces 'the poor' in the book to a stereotype and, in my opinion, weakens the book.
Beyond the story the actual writing is a bit all over the place. It switches between 1st person for Jim's story and 3rd person for the rest. yet during Jim's story he tells of things that he cannot possibly know. At one point he talks about some guy who lost a kid when the kid was in the army and recently had a wife die, so therefore doesn't care if he dies as well. the problem is Jim has never spoken to this guy (and never does because he gets himself killed 3 seconds later) so there is no way Jim knows what he knows. Horton accidentally slips into 3rd person omniscience halfway through a 1st person chapter.
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Narration by Kevin Pierce is pretty good. He has a husky "manly" voice that really suits Jim's character. the other characters, and parts where we focus on Jim's family don't fit as well. Pierce differentiates characters well enough, without doing actual individual voices. He puts inflection and feeling into the reading as needed.
Certainly easy and enjoyable to listen to.
February 20, 2017
It could be that I have misjudged this volume and that it is some kind of satire of a book with stilted, circular writing about a two-dimensional sociopath who leads a gang of blockheads into the woods, where he will eventually kill them. (In volume two.) I doubt it, but to think is it actually a such tediously preachy book about a hothead prepper who kills a lot of people and, in all of his life experience and prepping studies, has never heard of the 10 SPEED BICYCLE(!!!!!!!!), it it too much to bear.
January 11, 2024
This has just solidified that I wouldn’t make it 30 minutes in any sort of apocalypse / crisis. I could’ve gone without some of the long conservative man rants and over-detailed gun descriptions but overall entertaining. It’s also frustrating that the book ends seemingly randomly with no resolution.
May 1, 2018
Jim and Gary are dedicated preppers, away from home at a work meeting when ISIS decide to attack the US, blowing up dams, bridges, oil refineries and electrical supplies, leaving the country suddenly crippled. The men realise that without fuel, they face walking 500 miles home through areas populated by people who will attack them for their supplies. And back home, Jim's wife Ellen turns to Jim's emergency manual, advising her on supply runs, home defence and trying to keep the family safe until he can reach her. It certainly sounded like the kind of book I enjoy so I grabbed a cheap Kindle copy to read, and I'm so glad that I did.
Some reviewers have mentioned that the book is full of steriotype characters. First, the bitchy women at the start that Jim works with. Alice was a 'by the rules' company autotron who frowned at Jim carrying an illegal weapon in a company vehicle. Rebecca was a sneering woman who found fault with everything Jim said or did, finding offense where none existed. Just because you believe preppers are paranoid, it's no reason to keep having a go at the guy who has already saved your ass several times! I don't think the author is really indicating that all women are useless whiners: Randi and Jim's wife being examples of very capable women. I think he is just showing the side of people who think all preppers are nuts and the prejudice that unprepared people sometimes have.
Back home, we also follow his wife Ellen as she tries to follow his prepper manual, gathering a few final supplies to add to their hoarded goods, loading their weapons and preparing emergency generators. She is also well aware, after a visit from a neighbour, that the government supported people in a nearby trailer park are going to be trouble as they seek to take supplies from their better prepared neighbours. A few reviewers indicated that perhaps the author thinks everyone on welfare is a dangerous scrounger. I didn't get that impression myself. I think this version of the bad element of society is there purely to add danger for Ellen and her family, as opposed to a statement of personal belief about all people on welfare. I am on the UK version of welfare because of ill health and I was not offended by the idea that some on welfare are like the people in this book-as it is true. Basically, you could find a lot of steriotype behaviour if you look for it in prepper based books but I was more interested in getting into the story than looking for political messages or trying to guess why certain characters said or did certain things. I do get, however, why some things in the book may have offended people.
In the opening chapters I admit I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book because of Jim's female colleagues. They really were pains in the ass! However, this part of the story doesn't last long and I was able to ignore them as the story gathered pace and interest. We have Jim's view of events as he takes the decision to shun the offer of going to a secure government camp to await help getting home. Instead, he, Gary and Randi take the decision to hike home on a rural trail in the hope of avoiding trouble and detouring to a small town where Jim can find supplies from a friend. Of course, that would be too simple, and Jim finds a mixture of frightened hikers and redneck psychos, all standing between him and home. I admit that I would have felt safer with the two armed men as I have a healthy distrust of these emergency camps-you could be stuck there for months before anyone gets round to helping you get home, with fuel running out. Much as I'm not an exercise fan, I think I might have gone walking!
The tension is high through the book. First we have Jim's group trying to get to safety as the breakdown in society begins, then we switch to Ellen trying to get everything done outside her home so she can lock the family away. Then Jim meets trouble on the trail while Ellen's run in with angry trailer park residents ramps up the tension. You just know that both parties are about to be knee deep in danger and I found myself turning the pages at a fast rate to find out what was going to happen next. As soon as you thought Jim was out of danger, Ellen was knee deep in it and vice versa. It kept up a fast pace and I really enjoyed every bit of it!
This was the first book I've read that was a full scale prepper novel. I was fascinated by the concept of being that ready for upcoming disasters, preparing the bag that you carry everywhere just in case, and all the instructions left for Ellen in the disaster manual. I loved the detail and I was really drawn into the prepper world for the first time. There is a lot of information in this book about home defence, gathering supplies and what you need in case you lose power, and it could easily be used as a guide for beginners starting their prepper journey. Add to that the fact that it is a fast paced disaster book and I was really enjoying everything the book had to offer.
I don't know if the author wanted to use this book to perhaps persuade people of the merits of prepping but he converted me. I now have basic supplies in my house to prepare for simple things like losing power in the house for a few days if we get a storm or power cut. I prefer to think of it as common sense rather than paranoia! I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a paperback copy of it and the next book in the series which I can't wait to read!
Some reviewers have mentioned that the book is full of steriotype characters. First, the bitchy women at the start that Jim works with. Alice was a 'by the rules' company autotron who frowned at Jim carrying an illegal weapon in a company vehicle. Rebecca was a sneering woman who found fault with everything Jim said or did, finding offense where none existed. Just because you believe preppers are paranoid, it's no reason to keep having a go at the guy who has already saved your ass several times! I don't think the author is really indicating that all women are useless whiners: Randi and Jim's wife being examples of very capable women. I think he is just showing the side of people who think all preppers are nuts and the prejudice that unprepared people sometimes have.
Back home, we also follow his wife Ellen as she tries to follow his prepper manual, gathering a few final supplies to add to their hoarded goods, loading their weapons and preparing emergency generators. She is also well aware, after a visit from a neighbour, that the government supported people in a nearby trailer park are going to be trouble as they seek to take supplies from their better prepared neighbours. A few reviewers indicated that perhaps the author thinks everyone on welfare is a dangerous scrounger. I didn't get that impression myself. I think this version of the bad element of society is there purely to add danger for Ellen and her family, as opposed to a statement of personal belief about all people on welfare. I am on the UK version of welfare because of ill health and I was not offended by the idea that some on welfare are like the people in this book-as it is true. Basically, you could find a lot of steriotype behaviour if you look for it in prepper based books but I was more interested in getting into the story than looking for political messages or trying to guess why certain characters said or did certain things. I do get, however, why some things in the book may have offended people.
In the opening chapters I admit I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book because of Jim's female colleagues. They really were pains in the ass! However, this part of the story doesn't last long and I was able to ignore them as the story gathered pace and interest. We have Jim's view of events as he takes the decision to shun the offer of going to a secure government camp to await help getting home. Instead, he, Gary and Randi take the decision to hike home on a rural trail in the hope of avoiding trouble and detouring to a small town where Jim can find supplies from a friend. Of course, that would be too simple, and Jim finds a mixture of frightened hikers and redneck psychos, all standing between him and home. I admit that I would have felt safer with the two armed men as I have a healthy distrust of these emergency camps-you could be stuck there for months before anyone gets round to helping you get home, with fuel running out. Much as I'm not an exercise fan, I think I might have gone walking!
The tension is high through the book. First we have Jim's group trying to get to safety as the breakdown in society begins, then we switch to Ellen trying to get everything done outside her home so she can lock the family away. Then Jim meets trouble on the trail while Ellen's run in with angry trailer park residents ramps up the tension. You just know that both parties are about to be knee deep in danger and I found myself turning the pages at a fast rate to find out what was going to happen next. As soon as you thought Jim was out of danger, Ellen was knee deep in it and vice versa. It kept up a fast pace and I really enjoyed every bit of it!
This was the first book I've read that was a full scale prepper novel. I was fascinated by the concept of being that ready for upcoming disasters, preparing the bag that you carry everywhere just in case, and all the instructions left for Ellen in the disaster manual. I loved the detail and I was really drawn into the prepper world for the first time. There is a lot of information in this book about home defence, gathering supplies and what you need in case you lose power, and it could easily be used as a guide for beginners starting their prepper journey. Add to that the fact that it is a fast paced disaster book and I was really enjoying everything the book had to offer.
I don't know if the author wanted to use this book to perhaps persuade people of the merits of prepping but he converted me. I now have basic supplies in my house to prepare for simple things like losing power in the house for a few days if we get a storm or power cut. I prefer to think of it as common sense rather than paranoia! I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a paperback copy of it and the next book in the series which I can't wait to read!
October 8, 2022
Very realistic apocalyptic prepper story.
July 23, 2015
This is one of those books where it could happen and it makes the story that much creepier and scarier.
When an attack on a lot of the main systems in the USA happens, the country is thrown into chaos. With no heat, no phones, no electricity and a ration on petrol etc, people don't know what to do. Most are just trying to make good of a bad situation, but there is always the bad seeds. This story follows Jim, a prepper of sorts, and his journey home. He is stranded hundreds of miles from there with some of his colleagues and they decide to do what they can to get home safely.
The story also follows Jims' family. He left instructions with them on what to do if a situation like this arose. His wife is on their land with their kids and she knows she needs to secure the homestead and follow Jims instructions in order to survive.
As I said already, this was scary because it's a kind of "what if" book. I found myself thinking while reading, what if that did happen, what if we were left with no power etc, what would we do. It's a possibility that could happen and that made it scarier.
This was a great read and I flew through the book, though I did have a tough time with the repetitive writing. What I mean by repetitive is the author used the same word too many times in a paragraph, eg (NOT in the book but an example of what it was like) when he was on about the road it was like this.... We were afraid to walk the road in case something would happen on the road because people were getting hurt on the road. (That is not a sentence in the book just an example) It annoyed me a lot, which is why this is a 4 and not a 5 star read.
Anyway, the plot was slow to start but once it did, it really took off. I had trouble taking out my earphones because I wanted to see what would happen! The characters are all well written and developed and easily likable. I was rooting for Jims group all the way!! It was an eye opening listen and I can't wait for book 2. It ends on a cliffhanger of sorts so I'm hoping it will be released soon!!
Once again, Kevin Pierce did an amazing job. There is quite a few different characters and at no stage was I confused. He has a pleasant voice that will grab you from the start. He delivered and it made for a great performance.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. ALl thoughts and opinions are my own.*
When an attack on a lot of the main systems in the USA happens, the country is thrown into chaos. With no heat, no phones, no electricity and a ration on petrol etc, people don't know what to do. Most are just trying to make good of a bad situation, but there is always the bad seeds. This story follows Jim, a prepper of sorts, and his journey home. He is stranded hundreds of miles from there with some of his colleagues and they decide to do what they can to get home safely.
The story also follows Jims' family. He left instructions with them on what to do if a situation like this arose. His wife is on their land with their kids and she knows she needs to secure the homestead and follow Jims instructions in order to survive.
As I said already, this was scary because it's a kind of "what if" book. I found myself thinking while reading, what if that did happen, what if we were left with no power etc, what would we do. It's a possibility that could happen and that made it scarier.
This was a great read and I flew through the book, though I did have a tough time with the repetitive writing. What I mean by repetitive is the author used the same word too many times in a paragraph, eg (NOT in the book but an example of what it was like) when he was on about the road it was like this.... We were afraid to walk the road in case something would happen on the road because people were getting hurt on the road. (That is not a sentence in the book just an example) It annoyed me a lot, which is why this is a 4 and not a 5 star read.
Anyway, the plot was slow to start but once it did, it really took off. I had trouble taking out my earphones because I wanted to see what would happen! The characters are all well written and developed and easily likable. I was rooting for Jims group all the way!! It was an eye opening listen and I can't wait for book 2. It ends on a cliffhanger of sorts so I'm hoping it will be released soon!!
Once again, Kevin Pierce did an amazing job. There is quite a few different characters and at no stage was I confused. He has a pleasant voice that will grab you from the start. He delivered and it made for a great performance.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. ALl thoughts and opinions are my own.*
October 18, 2018
Oh my! Bought based on positive reviews and the broad genre, but from the first chapter was thinking WTF! How many times could the word Muslim be used to make it clear who was responsible for terrorist attacks? How many times could the right of "concealed carry" be referenced as being a key to ultimate survival? If you've not prepped for such an event, trained your family for the day, and practiced plenty on the range you're done for! Found the writing style secondary school level too. It's exceptional for me to give up on a book, but I just had to ultimately!
April 2, 2024
Excellent.
A brilliant book that is very fast-paced and a real page-turner. Anarchy reigns within a few pages as we follow the characters, Jim, Randi and Gary as they make their way home and at home Ellen waits with her family for her husband Jim to both sides see the beginning of a post-apocalyptic world that is not for the faint-hearted.
A brilliant book that is very fast-paced and a real page-turner. Anarchy reigns within a few pages as we follow the characters, Jim, Randi and Gary as they make their way home and at home Ellen waits with her family for her husband Jim to both sides see the beginning of a post-apocalyptic world that is not for the faint-hearted.
July 15, 2015
Reads like a prepper's wet dream
This book was bad. You'll love it if you are an end of days prepper or member of some militia, otherwise, move along. There's nothing to see here.
This book was bad. You'll love it if you are an end of days prepper or member of some militia, otherwise, move along. There's nothing to see here.
August 20, 2015
THE BORROWED WORLD
Author: Franklin Horton
Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged
Narrator: Kevin Pierce
Length: 7 hours and 55 minutes
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Release Date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: Franklin Horton
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
ISIS is a terrorist organization that everyone has heard of. A group that only a year ago no regular US or Canadian citizen had ever heard of, is now extremely well known and much discussed.
Jim travels the five hour distance to Richmond, Virginia on a semi-regular basis for work. He hates it, but has no choice.
He is what is known as a Prepper. He is always ready for any emergency scenario and even travels with a "Get Home Bag."
When small groups of terrorists simultaneously hit large numbers of key infrastructure targets all over the United States, they set in motion a devastating effect on the United States. They hit oil refineries and hydro stations - leaving 65% of the USA without power and without the means to create and distribute the fuel that is such an integral part of American life.
Stranded in Richmond, 500 miles from his wife and children, Jim is determined to get home to them.
At home his wife Ellen and Jim's two children face a different set of challenges. Thankfully, Jim has written a manual to help assist and prepare Ellen in case of emergency.
With the power out and food and gas supplies quickly dwindling, it does not take long for the more primitive (and violent) side of human nature to start rearing it's ugly head.
This audiobook is an excellent listening experience. Kevin Pierce, does a spectacular job as the narrator. He emotes very well and his sense of timing and pacing is perfect and keeps the listener enthralled. I especially liked the fact that he did not "overact" during dramatic scenes. Instead, he infuses his voice with just the right amount of urgency and inflection to pull the listener into the story.
I read and listen to a lot of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction because the genre fascinates me. I love the fact that Franklin Horton has added a Prepper twist to his book. It is a nice change from the typical book in which the characters are caught completely unaware and much of the book is spent in disbelief.
In this audiobook, the main character, Jim clues in very quickly to what is happening and the listener does not have to endure chapter upon chapter of disbelief. It is a refreshing change.
Franklin Horton has also done an incredibly believable (and I believe - accurate) description of how people react when faced with a major catastrophe. He takes into account that not everyone will act in the same way when faced with the same circumstances. The scene at the Interstate Rest Stop is particularly well written. He has a great sense of timing and every single event in this book comes across as believable. This is what makes THE BORROWED WORLD such a compelling audiobook. The print version of this book is also available, but I highly recommend listening to the audiobook instead. As I mentioned above, the narration by Kevin Pierce is excellent. In fact, I give the narration 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My biggest complaint about this audiobook is that it ended with a cliffhanger. I did not want to stop listening. I need to know what happens next with Jim and his companions. And, what about Ellen and the kids? I need to listen to the next audiobook in the series asap. I will be eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in this series.
Overall I have to rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved it! Give this audiobook a chance and I think you will love it too.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Author: Franklin Horton
Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged
Narrator: Kevin Pierce
Length: 7 hours and 55 minutes
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Release Date: July 2, 2015
Publisher: Franklin Horton
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
* I received a free copy of this audiobook through Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
ISIS is a terrorist organization that everyone has heard of. A group that only a year ago no regular US or Canadian citizen had ever heard of, is now extremely well known and much discussed.
Jim travels the five hour distance to Richmond, Virginia on a semi-regular basis for work. He hates it, but has no choice.
He is what is known as a Prepper. He is always ready for any emergency scenario and even travels with a "Get Home Bag."
When small groups of terrorists simultaneously hit large numbers of key infrastructure targets all over the United States, they set in motion a devastating effect on the United States. They hit oil refineries and hydro stations - leaving 65% of the USA without power and without the means to create and distribute the fuel that is such an integral part of American life.
Stranded in Richmond, 500 miles from his wife and children, Jim is determined to get home to them.
At home his wife Ellen and Jim's two children face a different set of challenges. Thankfully, Jim has written a manual to help assist and prepare Ellen in case of emergency.
With the power out and food and gas supplies quickly dwindling, it does not take long for the more primitive (and violent) side of human nature to start rearing it's ugly head.
This audiobook is an excellent listening experience. Kevin Pierce, does a spectacular job as the narrator. He emotes very well and his sense of timing and pacing is perfect and keeps the listener enthralled. I especially liked the fact that he did not "overact" during dramatic scenes. Instead, he infuses his voice with just the right amount of urgency and inflection to pull the listener into the story.
I read and listen to a lot of dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction because the genre fascinates me. I love the fact that Franklin Horton has added a Prepper twist to his book. It is a nice change from the typical book in which the characters are caught completely unaware and much of the book is spent in disbelief.
In this audiobook, the main character, Jim clues in very quickly to what is happening and the listener does not have to endure chapter upon chapter of disbelief. It is a refreshing change.
Franklin Horton has also done an incredibly believable (and I believe - accurate) description of how people react when faced with a major catastrophe. He takes into account that not everyone will act in the same way when faced with the same circumstances. The scene at the Interstate Rest Stop is particularly well written. He has a great sense of timing and every single event in this book comes across as believable. This is what makes THE BORROWED WORLD such a compelling audiobook. The print version of this book is also available, but I highly recommend listening to the audiobook instead. As I mentioned above, the narration by Kevin Pierce is excellent. In fact, I give the narration 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My biggest complaint about this audiobook is that it ended with a cliffhanger. I did not want to stop listening. I need to know what happens next with Jim and his companions. And, what about Ellen and the kids? I need to listen to the next audiobook in the series asap. I will be eagerly awaiting the release of the second book in this series.
Overall I have to rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved it! Give this audiobook a chance and I think you will love it too.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
July 30, 2022
So, this was advertised on my kindle, sounded interesting, and it was included with my Kindle Unlimited subscription, so I gave it a shot. Well, the more I read, the more I disliked it.
I've read some of the other 1-star reviews, and several people have said how they don't like the MC Jim, because he's an a**hole, or whatever. Like, yeah, he kind of is, but that's not why I don't like the book. I love a good anti-hero, and I enjoy stories about people surviving the end of the world/apocalyptic events, etc. But this was bad. There was so much potential for making some of the characters deeper, but it never happens. And when we meet new characters, they are clichés and stereotypes, bordering on (if not crossing into) offensive ones. And then there is Jim's family back home that he is trying to get to... has the author even ever met tween/teens IRL? I work with them regularly, and the dialog between the kids and the mom is laughable and cringey. It's more like she's talking to toddlers! And she has hardly any thoughts of her own, someone else described her as "Jim 2" because she is a clone of him and follows his "lecture in a binder" and never thinks for herself(I enjoyed reading the bad reviews more than the book, many were written better too).
The author spends more time listing the specific items they buy at walmart and the exact contents of his "GHB" and the specific guns Jim and other characters have. Like, ugh. There is now showing, only telling. And not even the important things. Tell me more about the things that matter.
I also discovered there are 10 books in the series (so far?) Ugh. That was when I decided, finishing the first book wouldn't be worth my time.
#dnf
I've read some of the other 1-star reviews, and several people have said how they don't like the MC Jim, because he's an a**hole, or whatever. Like, yeah, he kind of is, but that's not why I don't like the book. I love a good anti-hero, and I enjoy stories about people surviving the end of the world/apocalyptic events, etc. But this was bad. There was so much potential for making some of the characters deeper, but it never happens. And when we meet new characters, they are clichés and stereotypes, bordering on (if not crossing into) offensive ones. And then there is Jim's family back home that he is trying to get to... has the author even ever met tween/teens IRL? I work with them regularly, and the dialog between the kids and the mom is laughable and cringey. It's more like she's talking to toddlers! And she has hardly any thoughts of her own, someone else described her as "Jim 2" because she is a clone of him and follows his "lecture in a binder" and never thinks for herself(I enjoyed reading the bad reviews more than the book, many were written better too).
The author spends more time listing the specific items they buy at walmart and the exact contents of his "GHB" and the specific guns Jim and other characters have. Like, ugh. There is now showing, only telling. And not even the important things. Tell me more about the things that matter.
I also discovered there are 10 books in the series (so far?) Ugh. That was when I decided, finishing the first book wouldn't be worth my time.
#dnf
December 13, 2018
I have read several dystopian novels. Some were good and others simply wanted to pose a philosophy towards government and social order. This book falls into the latter category. The main character (also the narrator) is completely misogynistic and considers the government (which he works for by the way) totally incapable of solving any crisis. This story sets the stage for a multiple volume narrative. I won't be reading other parts to this story.
To be fair, we don't really know how folks will act given a complete breakdown of society. I suspect it will be a more complex social order than this story posits.
To be fair, we don't really know how folks will act given a complete breakdown of society. I suspect it will be a more complex social order than this story posits.
September 18, 2022
Was this book sponsored by the NRA? What a gross, almost unreadable diatribe. Never have I disliked a main character as much as I disliked Jim. I love post apocalyptic fiction- but this was pure drivel.
abandoned
July 23, 2015Simply put, this is about the worst attempt at writing a novel I've ever seen in my life. Not even a decent amateur attempt--not even a bad amateur attempt. Just truly awful.
Read
September 3, 2021Solid concept, interesting characters, and good tension.
August 27, 2022
So far every single one of these Franklin Horton books has been really good. This was no exception. The first section of the Epilogue to this really kicked my ass. The final part was clearly setup for the next book which I will be reading shortly. In this instead of a EMP attack as some of the other series have been terrorists take out a lot of really important key infrastructure leaving people with no fuel or electricity for the foreseeable future and our protagonist has to make his way home, over 200 miles away mostly on foot. If you like stories of survival check any of Franklin Hortons books out, I have read two of his series all the way through, this is my first book in this series and they have all been excellent.
#postapocalypse
#postapocalypse
April 1, 2019
"This was not a group of coworkers coming home from a business trip anymore. This was war, and getting home was our mission." This quote pretty much sums up this story that takes place after several terrorist attacks on American soil. Oil refineries, bridges, dams, and power plants have been destroyed. Daily life has morphed from subsistence to survival now. Follow the parallel stories of Jim and his wife and kids as they prepare for the onslaught. And while you're at it, you might want to start putting together your own Go-Bag.
December 2, 2025
not a bad story but I found the some of the generalizations of people and situations to be a little off-putting
January 25, 2019
This is reminding me of The Survivalist series by A. American, and that's a compliment. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series progresses.
January 13, 2016
What to do, what to do
Franklin Horton's 'The Borrowed World' is a tough book to put a rating on. If I give it one or two stars I feel like I'm giving a bad rating to a well-written book. But if I give it three or four I feel like I'm buying in with the author's horrible misogyny and hatred of the poor.
It is well written. A string of terrorist attacks has wrecked the US; the power grid has been destroyed, along with most of the oil reserves and refinery facilities. Jim, the protagonist, is at a company conference. He's also a prepper who has been preparing for this moment nearly all of his life.
The Borrowed World alternates POVs, with one story line following Jim and his co-workers as they prepare for and begin the long hike home. The other is Jim's wife and children back home as they attempt deploy the many preparations Jim has set-up at their house in the country.
The social contract dissolves in a matter of hours, with a shoot-out at a gas station after the government stops the sale of gasoline. Both Jim and his family are beset by people that didn't have Jim's foresight (like nearly every prepper protagonist I've ever read, Jim has not-too-subtle air of superiority, since he is ready for this moment, unlike the unwashed masses) and are desperate for food, shelter, or transportation.
Horton's narrative flows easily and quickly; The Borrowed World is an engaging page-turner. And Horton had the guts to make Jim unlikeable- he's gruff, grating, and rude. And he's no hero- he's out to get back to his family, other people's problems be damned.
Now, I don't know a thing about Franklin Horton. The Borrowed World is the first work of his I've read. I haven't seen his website or his Facebook page and I wouldn't know him if I ran smack into him at the mall. But I will say this - the man loves him some stereotypes.
The only worthwhile characters presented in The Borrowed World are white upper-middle class men. Women in this world have no value, and exist only to natter and make bad decisions, unless a white upper- middle class man tells them what to do. Liberals are worthless do-gooders, destined to horrible death or (even worse) the hell-on-earth called FEMA camps, because they chose not to take the advice of white upper-middle class men who are preppers. Hispanics are gang-bangers who drink all day. And the poor? Holy cow, I had no idea the poor were such threats. The poor are all stupid and demanding hillbillies or ex-convicts with no imagination or self-fortitude. They are fat, tatted up and unclean, and in a national crisis they will show up at the homes of white upper-middle class white men and demand food. Just because. And they get ornery if you refuse them, too. Trailer park denizens are the worst. Nobody in a trailer park works, they are all lazy welfare cheats looking for a hand-out from white upper-middle class white men. And you have to watch out because if you refuse them they'll gang up and attack. I lived a couple of blocks from a trailer park for several years back in the nineties- I had no idea the people there were like that!
So, what do you do with a book like that? Do you reward the writing, in the hopes that the author is aware that there are women out there who can brush their teeth without detailed instructions? That he has met a poor person or two in his life , maybe even was one at some point (as most of us have been) and knows that they aren't all desperate losers? Or do you say 'one star- I'm not going to reward that kind of thinking'.
Writing a book is hard. Damned hard. Writing a book that people read and are moved enough by that reading to take the time to review it? Almost impossibly hard- I haven't been able to do it. Because Mr. Horton did, I'm going to give it three stars and recommend people read The Borrowed World.
But doing so kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Franklin Horton's 'The Borrowed World' is a tough book to put a rating on. If I give it one or two stars I feel like I'm giving a bad rating to a well-written book. But if I give it three or four I feel like I'm buying in with the author's horrible misogyny and hatred of the poor.
It is well written. A string of terrorist attacks has wrecked the US; the power grid has been destroyed, along with most of the oil reserves and refinery facilities. Jim, the protagonist, is at a company conference. He's also a prepper who has been preparing for this moment nearly all of his life.
The Borrowed World alternates POVs, with one story line following Jim and his co-workers as they prepare for and begin the long hike home. The other is Jim's wife and children back home as they attempt deploy the many preparations Jim has set-up at their house in the country.
The social contract dissolves in a matter of hours, with a shoot-out at a gas station after the government stops the sale of gasoline. Both Jim and his family are beset by people that didn't have Jim's foresight (like nearly every prepper protagonist I've ever read, Jim has not-too-subtle air of superiority, since he is ready for this moment, unlike the unwashed masses) and are desperate for food, shelter, or transportation.
Horton's narrative flows easily and quickly; The Borrowed World is an engaging page-turner. And Horton had the guts to make Jim unlikeable- he's gruff, grating, and rude. And he's no hero- he's out to get back to his family, other people's problems be damned.
Now, I don't know a thing about Franklin Horton. The Borrowed World is the first work of his I've read. I haven't seen his website or his Facebook page and I wouldn't know him if I ran smack into him at the mall. But I will say this - the man loves him some stereotypes.
The only worthwhile characters presented in The Borrowed World are white upper-middle class men. Women in this world have no value, and exist only to natter and make bad decisions, unless a white upper- middle class man tells them what to do. Liberals are worthless do-gooders, destined to horrible death or (even worse) the hell-on-earth called FEMA camps, because they chose not to take the advice of white upper-middle class men who are preppers. Hispanics are gang-bangers who drink all day. And the poor? Holy cow, I had no idea the poor were such threats. The poor are all stupid and demanding hillbillies or ex-convicts with no imagination or self-fortitude. They are fat, tatted up and unclean, and in a national crisis they will show up at the homes of white upper-middle class white men and demand food. Just because. And they get ornery if you refuse them, too. Trailer park denizens are the worst. Nobody in a trailer park works, they are all lazy welfare cheats looking for a hand-out from white upper-middle class white men. And you have to watch out because if you refuse them they'll gang up and attack. I lived a couple of blocks from a trailer park for several years back in the nineties- I had no idea the people there were like that!
So, what do you do with a book like that? Do you reward the writing, in the hopes that the author is aware that there are women out there who can brush their teeth without detailed instructions? That he has met a poor person or two in his life , maybe even was one at some point (as most of us have been) and knows that they aren't all desperate losers? Or do you say 'one star- I'm not going to reward that kind of thinking'.
Writing a book is hard. Damned hard. Writing a book that people read and are moved enough by that reading to take the time to review it? Almost impossibly hard- I haven't been able to do it. Because Mr. Horton did, I'm going to give it three stars and recommend people read The Borrowed World.
But doing so kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
November 16, 2023
Absolutely insane stuff, but something to be said for the prevailing philosophy of the cooped up office worker. You will not find another book with quite the level of detail on survivorship - time to start duct taping the freezer.
September 25, 2015
This review was originally posted on One Curvy Blogger
The Borrowed World is an audiobook that called to the post-apocalypse junkie in me. The end-of-the-world scenario in this book is startlingly realistic and one that could happen at any moment and there would be nothing we could do to stop it, except try to survive. It was chilling and adventurous, and ultimately, I enjoyed it.The book starts as ISIS terror cells destroy oil refineries across the globe, damage major bridges, etc. and start a shit storm the likes of which we have never dealt with before. In the course of 24 hours, America is no longer the country we once knew it to be. The Borrowed World follows doomsday prepper Jim Powell as he and his small group of colleges are hundreds of miles away from home, without gas or transportation, trying to survive long enough to get home to their families.
While we are following Jim’s group on a treacherous trek home, we also see what Jim’s wife and children have to deal with at home alone. It’s a different kind of danger, but it’s no less scary for his family. I enjoyed having a peek at the different situations they each have to survive. Sort of reminds me of the beginning on The Walking Dead season one… you know, if the TWD had no zombies.
I had mixed feelings for The Borrowed World. On the one hand, I loved the narrator. Seriously, I want to curl up in his voice and live there for a while. What? Don’t look at me like that, his voice is deep and velvety and yum. I will not apologize for being a weirdo! He has the perfect voice for story-telling. It’s so soothing and warm and at the same time able to give me chills when paired with such a serious thriller. It was a weird but ultimately successful combination of comforting and scary.
I enjoyed the story as well. The Borrowed World was a crazily realistic science fiction and it was clearly well researched. It was intense and serious, but it had moments where Horton strategically lightened the mood a bit with humor and dry wit. I don’t know about you, but I really do enjoy my thriller with a side of comedy. Sometimes, too much intensity can overpower, so I loved that there were moments where Horton took the edge off.
The one thing that sort of killed the story for me (and ultimately made this a 3 star review and not higher) was the ending. I’m not a huge fan of open endings to begin with, but this one felt even less successful. It felt like the author was in a rush to publish and forgot to write an ending. It was just so… frustrating. I kept waiting for the rest of the book, but it never came. *sigh* It makes me feel better that there is a second book after all, but not by much. I do see myself picking up book two just to finally figure out how it’s all going to end, but I’m also apprehensive that book two will end like book one. It’s off-putting, to say the least!
I do recommend this book to other science fiction fans, it was such an adventure! But if you aren’t a fan of open endings I’d skip out on The Borrowed World.
November 13, 2024
Not all that good. It honestly reads like a book from an author who has prepared his whole life for disasters that never came, only to then invent disasters and situations to justify his prepping. Read the book and tell me you disagree. It's a prepper's fantasy -- all the things you dream about that might happen. So we get extended unnecessary details on all the different types of guns, for example. Each choice for prepping is explained in detail.
Maybe this is more a prepping manual in fiction -- allowing you to share the same fantasy and prep like the author or main character did. Certainly enough details are there to prep just like the main character did. Certainly enough details are there to help you imagine all the reasons you'd need to prep.
But, I think the story falls down there. Given it seems to come from that perspective, it feels skewed in how things might really play out. A lot of the ways things breakdown just seem a bit convenient. Lawlessness was immediate, due to law enforcement using their resources to prevent refuge for travellers. That prioritization feels suspect, and it would be. Also, gasoline being restricted in the way it was seemed too convenient -- let's create roving hoards of travellers that now can't make it home and need to be taken care of to avoid a humanitarian crisis by reserving the gasoline for... what? ... government needs that apparently don't include local law enforcement?
Lastly, I remember a time when books in a series would stand on their own and tell their own story to resolution, though with understandable dependencies between them. Not so here. The book leaves the entire purpose of the story -- for the guy to get home -- unresolved. C'mon! I started the next book to seek resolution, but ultimately gave up.
I prefer One Second After and it's subsequent books in the series by William R. Forstchen. Those books paint what feels like a more believable picture of how things might break down -- initially people helping each other, but eventually needing some structure that emerges as the needs emerge. That seems very human to me.
Maybe this is more a prepping manual in fiction -- allowing you to share the same fantasy and prep like the author or main character did. Certainly enough details are there to prep just like the main character did. Certainly enough details are there to help you imagine all the reasons you'd need to prep.
But, I think the story falls down there. Given it seems to come from that perspective, it feels skewed in how things might really play out. A lot of the ways things breakdown just seem a bit convenient. Lawlessness was immediate, due to law enforcement using their resources to prevent refuge for travellers. That prioritization feels suspect, and it would be. Also, gasoline being restricted in the way it was seemed too convenient -- let's create roving hoards of travellers that now can't make it home and need to be taken care of to avoid a humanitarian crisis by reserving the gasoline for... what? ... government needs that apparently don't include local law enforcement?
Lastly, I remember a time when books in a series would stand on their own and tell their own story to resolution, though with understandable dependencies between them. Not so here. The book leaves the entire purpose of the story -- for the guy to get home -- unresolved. C'mon! I started the next book to seek resolution, but ultimately gave up.
I prefer One Second After and it's subsequent books in the series by William R. Forstchen. Those books paint what feels like a more believable picture of how things might break down -- initially people helping each other, but eventually needing some structure that emerges as the needs emerge. That seems very human to me.
April 26, 2020
I had mixed feelings on this book. On one part, I really liked it. It told a believable and scary apocalyptic story. I was reading this during the Covid-19 situation and even though it is not the same, it still was scary enough to make you do an about face. I also liked a lot of the information and tips the book gave you about being prepared. I feel those things can always come in handy. I felt the situation that the characters were in was also believable.
What I didn't care for was the main character, Jim. He was a jerk and even though he admitted to it, it doesn't make him any more readable. He might know a lot about survival but so did his buddy, Gary and yet Gary didn't act like a buffoon. I also didn't like how all the bad guys were so stereotypical. You had your gang mexicans and whites with their tattoos, or the trailer park people that looked like they didn't work a day in their life, or the rednecks with the wife-beater shirt and the sleeveless camo shirt. I mean... really?!? I had to laugh every time a new "bad guy" came into the picture. Sometimes the scariest people are the ones that don't look bad but are. Also, there was pages and pages describing guns, what each gun did, the ammo and how many of each and what each ammo did. That was just way too much info.
I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series. I might do one more book. If I find it still has all the parts that bother me, then there definitely won't be a book 3 for me.
What I didn't care for was the main character, Jim. He was a jerk and even though he admitted to it, it doesn't make him any more readable. He might know a lot about survival but so did his buddy, Gary and yet Gary didn't act like a buffoon. I also didn't like how all the bad guys were so stereotypical. You had your gang mexicans and whites with their tattoos, or the trailer park people that looked like they didn't work a day in their life, or the rednecks with the wife-beater shirt and the sleeveless camo shirt. I mean... really?!? I had to laugh every time a new "bad guy" came into the picture. Sometimes the scariest people are the ones that don't look bad but are. Also, there was pages and pages describing guns, what each gun did, the ammo and how many of each and what each ammo did. That was just way too much info.
I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series. I might do one more book. If I find it still has all the parts that bother me, then there definitely won't be a book 3 for me.
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