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Still Surviving #2

All Dark: Still Surviving Book 2

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Westly and Raider are coming to grips with the new world and the tremendous changes since the solar storm caused the nationwide power failures. The problems in the Flagg household seem to focus on a coming confrontation between good people, and those at the Crater of Diamonds.Wes, in the process of warning others of the danger, he realized sometimes in a world gone mad, doing the right thing for the right reasons is not good enough. Sometimes, he has to do the wrong things for the right reasons to fix what’s gone wrong.As Wes and his girlfriend, Jessica finally have their first date, Wes learns that not all of his friends are friendly. There are hidden agendas and ruthless power plays that make it difficult to tell friend from foe. Finding himself in a bind he can’t get out of, Wes needs to ensure he has the will to still survive with the consequences of his decisions, or risk losing his humanity.

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2018

522 people are currently reading
73 people want to read

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Boyd Craven

57 books172 followers

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5 stars
538 (61%)
4 stars
251 (28%)
3 stars
66 (7%)
2 stars
10 (1%)
1 star
11 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
258 reviews2 followers
November 25, 2018
All dark

God l hate cliff hangers,especially when l have to wait for the next one.lol. This is a must read just hope the next one is soon!!!!
53 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2018
Good series

Very good story line would have been a 5 star but I can't stand when a book leaves you with a huge cliff hanger I love a good series but wrap each book up individually.
52 reviews
November 20, 2018
Good

Ends with a cliff hanger. Boo. Dogs and death. Indentured? Grandma and Grandpa? Prepper stuff not so revealed. Jess, come on. Tempted to leave a four-star, but I hate cliffhangers.
175 reviews
April 18, 2023
Jerk author

I had hoped his second in this series would be more professional but no such luck. Another abrupt un satisfying end, high school drop outs should stick to grocery bagging.
Profile Image for David Clevinger.
20 reviews
March 5, 2020
Good read

I enjoyed this book very much especially because of the dogs and the people involved in it it’s true to life
Profile Image for Brian's Book Blog.
805 reviews62 followers
May 7, 2019
A Good Story… But that Ending!

I don’t legitimately get upset about an ending of a book, but… Boyd, come on!! Are you serious? (On a fully serious note, the book had, for the most part, a full-arc to it). The ending that you went with caused me to feel so many things. And the worst part is I can’t even talk about them in my review since I stay spoiler free. Just know that if you’re reading this – you made me frustrated for a few minutes when I finished All Dark.

Back to the full review, I had honestly forgotten about the first book, so thankfully Craven took the time to give me a little backstory at the very front and it was really quick and easy to dive back into this post-apocalyptic version of the world. The characters were right back in memory once I spent a few moments with them again.

We have the moonshine-makin’ family who is trying to eke out a living in this new world order. There’s Raider, the best dog in the apocalypse. And you have the crazy psychos who want to take from everyone and answer to no one. In All Dark, there’s an obvious good vs. evil going on but Craven was able to dig a little bit deeper. We’re treated to a little bit of “good” in the world (along with some happiness/love). It’s rare to find a love story in a Post-Apocalyptic story that doesn’t feel forced, but this one was built up in a way that really has you rooting for them. Obviously, the best relationship in this book is between Raider and Westly.

Overall, I thought that All Dark was an enjoyable book from beginning to about the last 30 seconds (just giving Craven a hard time now). But, in all seriousness – it was a good book that I enjoyed, especially with the voice of the apocalypse, Kevin Pierce narrating it.
Profile Image for Chessy The Cat.
340 reviews28 followers
March 15, 2019
Westley Flagg continues to tell us his story of survival with his grandparents on their farm after a CME has caused what is believed to be a nationwide or possibly worldwide blackout. Things haven’t really changed all that much on the farm. It’s the world around them that is devolving rather quickly.

Craven’s second novel in the Still Surviving series, All Dark expands upon Wes’ relationship with Jess while following the unspeakable actions of the horde living at the Crater of Diamonds. When he finds out that Jess’ group will do nothing more than watch as atrocities are committed he knows that he must do something on his own. And, that may put his life at risk.

While the story is intriguing Craven has so many typos and contextual errors it is distracting. All his books seem to be this way. I truly don’t understand why he doesn’t use an editor or at least a beta reading group to help him out.

3 out of 5 stars.
Profile Image for Henri Moreaux.
1,001 reviews33 followers
July 7, 2019
All Dark continues the story from Blackout with Wes taking it upon himself to attempt to free the hostages held by Lance/Spider's group at the diamond crater. We see more of Wes & his Grandpa's creativity and thriftiness here and it's a pretty good tale of a small group of people surviving in a changed landscape.

Once again however the author has done the forward selling cliffhanger abruptly ending the book in the middle of a scene to force you to buy the next book in the series in order to find out what happens.
I don't particularly like this methodology as it effectively renders the story incomplete when the final act is unresolved.

If you're going to read them all, then it's a good book, but if you were only intending to read one, I wouldn't as you'll find it unsatisfying.
Profile Image for Julianne Adams.
71 reviews6 followers
February 13, 2019
Is it crazy to literally scream at the end of a book?

Yes, it is possible to scream at the end of a book, and I was yelling "Nooo..." right along with the main character, Wes! Book 3 better be coming real soon because this ending cliffhanger is excruciating. Boyd Craven III is absolutely one of my very favorite authors and this series proves why. Lovable characters, amazing dogs who are actually characters themselves, plenty of action and descriptions that make you feel like you are right there in the thick of things, good and bad. I love this series and I very highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Brandon.
556 reviews35 followers
May 31, 2020
Things get interesting as Wes goes off half-cocked and tries to take care of business by himself. On one hand, its nice to see him and Jessica getting together; on the other, the way things end for book 2 is pretty crazy. All I know is that if who I think got shot, or killed, really did, then I'm gonna have a rough morning commute Monday as I listen to the beginning of book 3. I was heated just listening to that last scene here and couldn't imagine myself handling a situation like that very well. Hopefully, Craven is just building suspense and Raider is OK (saw him on cover for book 3, so here's hoping).
1,477 reviews25 followers
July 15, 2021
All Dark: Still Surviving. Boyd Craven

Wesley has now starting to realize the state of chaos that exists will become the new normal for a long time. Lawlessness has now become the new norm. An outlaw gang from Arkansas has joined forces with a local group and their numbers are swelling, dramatically. Even the group of preppers his girlfriend and family belong too has a power hungry tyrant as a leader. Things are beginning to implode internally. Another excellent read in this series!! Enjoyed immensely!!
36 reviews1 follower
November 19, 2018
Once again Boys had me on the edge of my seat the entire book!

Boys has a wonderful knack of getting and holding my attention for an entire book without ever causing me to put it down because I've gotten a little bored. He keeps the action tight yet riveting at all times but keeps his characters human and interesting. Be warned you won't be able to put it down, now if he could just write fast enough so I could read a new book every day I'd be a happy bitch!
Profile Image for Cherye Elliott.
3,397 reviews24 followers
November 20, 2018
Raider

Nooooooo

You can't end this book like that!

I am not one to ask when the next book comes out...but I am. When?..

Fellow readers, if you are reading my review you can tell I am enjoying this book/series. It is so good I don't want it to end. Wes is such a good guy wanting to be the knight in shining armor saving everyone. Boyd Craven slowly draws you into his tales. I have enjoyed his books for years.

Enjoy this book as much as I...if that is possible.
263 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2021
Interesting

As much as I generally love this author's books I am having a problem with this one. This character, in a bid to be a hero he put his grandparents and his dog at risk. That isn't herioc. And because of his stupidity he got his faithful dog killed. So no, I certainly can not a admire a character that cares more about other people than he does about his family and his dog.
6 reviews
December 1, 2018
This is a very well written story that captures and holds your interest, with plenty of humor, action, and the desire to know what happens next. The only problem is the story ends abruptly and leaves you hanging. Mr. Craven needs to get busy and write the next column and let us know what happens next.
Profile Image for Angela.
6 reviews
January 2, 2019
Feeling cheated

Amazon says this is a two book series, but it's not. It's a serial that stops on a cliffhanger that apparently isn't yet written. The story is okay, but the book needs an editor. I wish there were some way to filter out the dime novels that require a new download every two hundred pages.
Profile Image for Karen Simmons.
36 reviews3 followers
March 31, 2019
Daylight is near!

This book is fast paced enough to grab you and interesting enough to make you not put it down until you're done. The story is engrossing and the writer paints pictures with words so you can imagine being in the storyline with the characters. So find you a comfortable place and enjoy!
Profile Image for Dave.
129 reviews1 follower
June 15, 2021
Better than the 1st episode, either I was engrossed in it or it is very short, still can't decide which.
Some good actin and a good ending (as long as you intend to read book 3! which I have just started).
I am guessing the author just isn't into characterisation so I have to let my imagination wander a bit far from the story at times. Still, an improvement on Book 1 of the series.
27 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2018
Warning

This book, will make laugh, cry and at the end make you throw it. Yes, there is a cliffhanger ending. Please join me in asking the author repeatedly for the next installment!
121 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2018
Awesome

Awesome. Boyd Craven can write a good book! Wow. He makes the characters come alive and seem like real ordinary people. He carried his characters really well from one book to another. The ending so unexpected. Makes you want to re-read both books. Awesome truly awesome
Profile Image for Tom Kuchen.
79 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2019
Finally got this read.

Been sitting on it since it came out but finally got to it. Now I wished I would have read it sooner. Great story. Edge of your seat action. Great characters. Just an all around great read.
92 reviews1 follower
January 14, 2019
Good story telling at its best

Boyd Craven is continuing the story of life after TEOTWAWKI. Wes is trying to find his way in this new world. I would like to read more stories by this author.
183 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2019
Continuing

Mr Craven is a master at manipulating the readers imagination. This book is a good example of his ability. I really enjoyed the first book and was delighted by this one. Eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Profile Image for Mrs LB.
321 reviews15 followers
February 5, 2019
Following

There's just something about a good ol' country boy that I like. Wes and his grandparents are a hoot and exemplify a loving family. I like the addition of Jess, but wonder where Emily and Mary will fit in.
19 reviews
February 13, 2019
Good Read!

Really enjoyed books one and two. They are a bit different from most EMP books. Very good story line. I don't care for the sudden ending of this book as there is no suggestion of when book 3 will be out. This is my first time reading Boyd Craven III.
402 reviews5 followers
May 28, 2019
Jeez, what a cliffhanger!!!

A very exciting book! Boyd, you almost gave me a heart attack listening to this dynamite story. Thank God that book three is ready! Onward and forward!!!
824 reviews7 followers
May 28, 2019
WOW

I really like the way this guy writes with down home style. Plenty action with surprises and comic release. He has quickly become one of my favorite writers.

The story moves smoothly.
6 reviews
June 8, 2019
Didn't like ending of this chapter

Raider is one of the best parts of the whole story. If he dies it will never be as good as when he was alive. Kill the bad guys not the animals. Especially not at the end of the book!
92 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2019
Country Boy Good

The second book was even better than the first. The author has created a story line that is much more realistic than most novels of this type. And added further depth to his characters.
Profile Image for Chrystal Roe.
1,289 reviews12 followers
June 12, 2021
Wow

Boy things are getting really intense in this part of the story. Bad things are happening in the area and bad men are getting quite numerous. I've gotta get reading the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews

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