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Melt #1
Melt
A new, frighteningly realistic series from #1 best-selling post-apocalyptic author Mike Kraus
A bold scientific breakthrough? Or an end to modern society as we know it?
It was supposed to be a ground-breaking MELT, a newly created compound, promised to revolutionize waste processing. When things don't go as planned and the city begins to implode, Bill and Alice Everlee are caught on opposite sides of the divide. Stuck at ground zero as the city begins to sink around her, Alice races to discover what is causing the disaster and how to stop it - if she even can. Meanwhile, having received a frightening message from his wife, Bill hurries to pack everyone up at home before racing to a remote cottage in upstate New York to begin preparing for the coming storm...
A new, intensely thrilling series, MELT has received unanimous praise from beta readers and early reviewers alike. Written by Kate Pickford and Mike Kraus, MELT examines a part of our world that we often take for granted. Add in a dash of real science and a glimpse of what the future might hold in store and you're presented with the recipe for a frightenly real post-apocalyptic thriller.
MELT is a novel-length series will be released on a monthly basis.
A bold scientific breakthrough? Or an end to modern society as we know it?
It was supposed to be a ground-breaking MELT, a newly created compound, promised to revolutionize waste processing. When things don't go as planned and the city begins to implode, Bill and Alice Everlee are caught on opposite sides of the divide. Stuck at ground zero as the city begins to sink around her, Alice races to discover what is causing the disaster and how to stop it - if she even can. Meanwhile, having received a frightening message from his wife, Bill hurries to pack everyone up at home before racing to a remote cottage in upstate New York to begin preparing for the coming storm...
A new, intensely thrilling series, MELT has received unanimous praise from beta readers and early reviewers alike. Written by Kate Pickford and Mike Kraus, MELT examines a part of our world that we often take for granted. Add in a dash of real science and a glimpse of what the future might hold in store and you're presented with the recipe for a frightenly real post-apocalyptic thriller.
MELT is a novel-length series will be released on a monthly basis.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2019
939 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 18, 2024
Compelling.
A different type of post-apocalyptic book that left a scary thought in my head. It's fast-paced enough to hold you through the book. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
A different type of post-apocalyptic book that left a scary thought in my head. It's fast-paced enough to hold you through the book. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
March 17, 2019
Holy crap! I love post-apocalyptic and survival fiction, and have read tons of it, but this one scared the bejeezus out of me. I am immediately moving on to book 2. (Book 2 is not out until the end of the month, so I have to wait. Aaaarrrggghhh!)
July 5, 2019
A JJP/MK SYFY Novel (MB - 1) - ATPASS.
JJP/MK have penned a very frightening SYFY novel about a substance designed to eat plastic except in this case it has become a parasite. A very dangerous parasite. A woman executive is determined to find what has happened and what has been added to make a weapon of war or a terrible mistake. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JJP/MK have penned a very frightening SYFY novel about a substance designed to eat plastic except in this case it has become a parasite. A very dangerous parasite. A woman executive is determined to find what has happened and what has been added to make a weapon of war or a terrible mistake. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
March 22, 2019
Absorbing
The book was very absorbing with excellent characters and great plot development. There were spots where it felt like too much telling and not enough showing, particularly in the chapters in the city. I also didn’t like the end.
The book was very absorbing with excellent characters and great plot development. There were spots where it felt like too much telling and not enough showing, particularly in the chapters in the city. I also didn’t like the end.
April 29, 2019
A good read!
This is a different kind of apocalypse. What if a substance was created that could break down and consume anything with plastic in it? What if it caused building collapses and spread quickly!
Read and find out.
This is a different kind of apocalypse. What if a substance was created that could break down and consume anything with plastic in it? What if it caused building collapses and spread quickly!
Read and find out.
July 19, 2021
This is an extremely quick read that has an interesting premise but which is only the first of 10 books with this book ending in a cliffhanger.
There are a few things I found frustrating. Unlike the "average Joe/Jane", Alice is an SVP of a company that makes this enzyme to eliminate plastic and has the money to set up the perfect prepper location. They have it fully stocked, their kids trained, and seem to have lots of surplus cash on hand (even though they live on a single income). As the family discovers that they need additional supplies, there seems to be no problem sending the teenage kids with wadds of cash to go buy them. Sure prepping is easy when you have the means.
part of the reason the book read so fast was that there are a lot of introspection paragraphs in which the character is "thinking" about things. This is not Shakespeare, but a disaster novel. You find out quickly that you can skim over these sections without really jeopardizing the plotline.
Alice, the main character, seems obsessed with trying to save New York city from making the situation worse by intervening in their remediation plans. Not bad for an SVP of sales. She takes it upon herself to investigate the cause to the point of going under the building via subway - to see if the enzyme made it that far. In heels and skirt no less. Really?
We are led to believe that this family is a true prepper family and ready to leave Dodge on a moment's notice - but not so much - and when they finally make it to the cabin weaknesses in their setup expose them to bears and they lose a good amount of their stored food.
The whole book is focused on the events of a single building in New York City and the few people directly injured. At this pace, no wonder there are 10 books in the series. I think I will take a pass on reading the rest of the series.
There are a few things I found frustrating. Unlike the "average Joe/Jane", Alice is an SVP of a company that makes this enzyme to eliminate plastic and has the money to set up the perfect prepper location. They have it fully stocked, their kids trained, and seem to have lots of surplus cash on hand (even though they live on a single income). As the family discovers that they need additional supplies, there seems to be no problem sending the teenage kids with wadds of cash to go buy them. Sure prepping is easy when you have the means.
part of the reason the book read so fast was that there are a lot of introspection paragraphs in which the character is "thinking" about things. This is not Shakespeare, but a disaster novel. You find out quickly that you can skim over these sections without really jeopardizing the plotline.
Alice, the main character, seems obsessed with trying to save New York city from making the situation worse by intervening in their remediation plans. Not bad for an SVP of sales. She takes it upon herself to investigate the cause to the point of going under the building via subway - to see if the enzyme made it that far. In heels and skirt no less. Really?
We are led to believe that this family is a true prepper family and ready to leave Dodge on a moment's notice - but not so much - and when they finally make it to the cabin weaknesses in their setup expose them to bears and they lose a good amount of their stored food.
The whole book is focused on the events of a single building in New York City and the few people directly injured. At this pace, no wonder there are 10 books in the series. I think I will take a pass on reading the rest of the series.
March 30, 2019
Holy Cow, did this story suck me right in. I don’t often dip into Post-apoc and in the past have only read standalones in the genre like The Road and Station Eleven, but I’m 100% hooked into this series thanks to the terrifyingly plausible premise, the fantastic characters, and the sparkling voice that manages to be heartfelt, poignant, and humorous at equal turns.
August 5, 2019
A Different Kind of Apocalypse
I really enjoyed the story, which was well written with very few grammar errors (how refreshing). There were just a couple of unanswered questions, but since this is a multi-volume work, perhaps those answers will come along in a future installment. The only advice I have for improvement is for the author to
just. use plain language. He used words that are virtually unknown in common language, and they just don’t fit well in a work of fiction. Words like “gainsaid”, “plinth”, “lucre” and “privations” could have been replaced by their more common synonyms, such as “contradict”, “pedestal”, “filthy money”, and “essentials”. I’m looking forward to book 2.
I really enjoyed the story, which was well written with very few grammar errors (how refreshing). There were just a couple of unanswered questions, but since this is a multi-volume work, perhaps those answers will come along in a future installment. The only advice I have for improvement is for the author to
just. use plain language. He used words that are virtually unknown in common language, and they just don’t fit well in a work of fiction. Words like “gainsaid”, “plinth”, “lucre” and “privations” could have been replaced by their more common synonyms, such as “contradict”, “pedestal”, “filthy money”, and “essentials”. I’m looking forward to book 2.
August 19, 2019
Feel like I read a long chapter rather than a book.
Unfortunately, I can’t read one chapter and not read the next, I need to see if it gets better. I couldn’t stop reading as it had my interest but it was slow going, the characters slowly developed their personalities but didn’t get to wow us.
The fact that the content matter of the story is so relevant to the present time and our global worries, makes me determined to press on (and I do love post apocalyptic stories). The epilogue depressed me but I was pleased it was included as I need to see the evidence of research involved. I suppose I feel I might be more ‘prepared’ if I continue on with the next books. I also think there is massive potential to make something mind blowing as the series goes on.
Unfortunately, I can’t read one chapter and not read the next, I need to see if it gets better. I couldn’t stop reading as it had my interest but it was slow going, the characters slowly developed their personalities but didn’t get to wow us.
The fact that the content matter of the story is so relevant to the present time and our global worries, makes me determined to press on (and I do love post apocalyptic stories). The epilogue depressed me but I was pleased it was included as I need to see the evidence of research involved. I suppose I feel I might be more ‘prepared’ if I continue on with the next books. I also think there is massive potential to make something mind blowing as the series goes on.
June 24, 2019
A unique take on an apocalypse, for sure, but it needs tightened up a bit. On the whole it felt scattered. family dynamics are good, and each kid has their own personality, though the oldest daughter Petra was kind of annoying. She does show a lot of growth much further on in the series.
The parents, Bill and Alice have 4 children. The oldest 2 are 19 yr old Paul and Petra, who share a kind of twin-telepathy. Agatha, Aggie, is 15 and seems to hold more common sense than the rest of her family, including her parents, combined. Let me say that the author must hate her to give her an old lady name. Margaret, Midge, is 7 yrs old.
Bill is a stay at home dad, while his wife is out earning the big bucks. We don't find out why until book 3 though. Let's just say the reason is very compelling.
I don't typically add spoilers but I really feel that the authors blurb, for ALL books in this series needs to be fleshed out as he gives very little description.
SPOILER:
The book starts with the emergency call home, activating Bill to get his kids out of the city and to their cabin in the moutains. Alice's environmental company creates an enzyme that will melt plastics, to help get rid of all the plastic waste. Unfortunately, someone within her company is dabbling in corporate espionage and NYC is, literally, being blown to hell as MELT interacts with just about everything it touches.
The characters are all over the place, location wise, as Bill realizes just how bad things really are. He leaves Petra, Midge, and Aggie at the cabin, and in the company of a few neighbors, and runs into the city to find his wife, taking Paul with him. They try to convince Bill's mom to come back with them, as she too lives in the city, but she refuses. Bill and Paul get separated while searching for Alice.
Meanwhile Alice has been running around the city basically chasing her tail as she endeavors to find a way to stop MELT. Her role seems a bit useless actually. All she served to do was place the rest of her family in danger.
This book ends on a cliffhanger.
The parents, Bill and Alice have 4 children. The oldest 2 are 19 yr old Paul and Petra, who share a kind of twin-telepathy. Agatha, Aggie, is 15 and seems to hold more common sense than the rest of her family, including her parents, combined. Let me say that the author must hate her to give her an old lady name. Margaret, Midge, is 7 yrs old.
Bill is a stay at home dad, while his wife is out earning the big bucks. We don't find out why until book 3 though. Let's just say the reason is very compelling.
I don't typically add spoilers but I really feel that the authors blurb, for ALL books in this series needs to be fleshed out as he gives very little description.
SPOILER:
The book starts with the emergency call home, activating Bill to get his kids out of the city and to their cabin in the moutains. Alice's environmental company creates an enzyme that will melt plastics, to help get rid of all the plastic waste. Unfortunately, someone within her company is dabbling in corporate espionage and NYC is, literally, being blown to hell as MELT interacts with just about everything it touches.
The characters are all over the place, location wise, as Bill realizes just how bad things really are. He leaves Petra, Midge, and Aggie at the cabin, and in the company of a few neighbors, and runs into the city to find his wife, taking Paul with him. They try to convince Bill's mom to come back with them, as she too lives in the city, but she refuses. Bill and Paul get separated while searching for Alice.
Meanwhile Alice has been running around the city basically chasing her tail as she endeavors to find a way to stop MELT. Her role seems a bit useless actually. All she served to do was place the rest of her family in danger.
This book ends on a cliffhanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2019
This had some good things going for it. The current crisis of plastic overwhelming the world, makes this tale of a breakthrough method of an enzyme that could make that all go away both pertinent and interesting. The writing style itself was pleasing with a good flow to it. There were problems in addition to editing ones. First, an enzyme is a chemical catalyst and has no dna and is not able to replicate itself. Second, Alice is introduced to us as a marketing type of SVP whose initial main interest is that the subject of a photo shoot promoting the new MELT product gets fresh flowers and not plastic ones. She goes from this marketing focus to a person able to inject pain meds to a suffering patient and then personally assist with getting that patient to a new facility, strong arm a fire chief to handle the disaster her way and then run through a devastated underground to get to a place that just collapsed? She and her family had a bug-out location that they had stocked for years and practiced getting to, yet when the time came and her husband gets the message to go, he seemed quite disorganized. No solid plan for taking everything they needed including some of their farm animals that might have been good? Their bug out location is set in a forested area with a lot of wildlife, yet they didn't do well with securing their food from animal intrusion. Bill was also very foolish to leave most of his children to go into a disaster area after Alice and then when he thinks she might be dead, he folds rather than try to secure the safety of the child with him.
With all that, I did enjoy this book and am interested in the hint of a plot that may have sabotaged MELT and caused this disaster, so I will likely continue to the next book where hopefully the characters and science improves.
With all that, I did enjoy this book and am interested in the hint of a plot that may have sabotaged MELT and caused this disaster, so I will likely continue to the next book where hopefully the characters and science improves.
May 26, 2019
Plastic is everywhere
I really enjoyed this book and could easily see how such a catastrophe could occur. The characters were engaging even if they weren't everyday people and you could understand their motives. Enough detail was included without the book becoming boring or difficult to understand
I really enjoyed this book and could easily see how such a catastrophe could occur. The characters were engaging even if they weren't everyday people and you could understand their motives. Enough detail was included without the book becoming boring or difficult to understand
March 31, 2019
Unusual plot
This is a very different boo but seems plausible. Sadly it seems true. So much of our lives have plastic used in them. Undoubtedly scientists will try to find a way to.did he of it. Oh the good old days when will was glass!
This is a very different boo but seems plausible. Sadly it seems true. So much of our lives have plastic used in them. Undoubtedly scientists will try to find a way to.did he of it. Oh the good old days when will was glass!
March 20, 2019
Melt review
Melt is the first post apocalyptic book in this survival series written by authors J. J. Pike and Mike Kraus.
Melt is the first post apocalyptic book in this survival series written by authors J. J. Pike and Mike Kraus.
March 26, 2019
Great book
What a great and interesting book to read and so enjoyed the characters. These authors never write a bad story
What a great and interesting book to read and so enjoyed the characters. These authors never write a bad story
May 6, 2019
Wow
This book was unexpected. I was mesmerized from the first page. What an awesome storyline. Looking forward to reading Book two right now!
This book was unexpected. I was mesmerized from the first page. What an awesome storyline. Looking forward to reading Book two right now!
November 27, 2019
Well, the idea and premise were interesting.
The execution lacked big time.
The story is too slow for that genre. The characters actions contradict their descriptions.
It is a soap opera and we are stuck in their heads.
First of all, the writing.
God it was frustrating. So many unnecessary and annoying thoughts. The book is stuck over 50% in the characters heads. At first it was ok, sometimes even funny. But the more the book progressed the more it got unbearable. It stopped contributing to the story and got simply annoying. The story didn’t move forward because of all the unnecessary info dumps.
I just stopped and only read the dialogues at times, it was that bad. The story went on a snails pace, because of all the head drama the characters had going on. It went on and on and on with no end in sight. I just wished the story would progress instead of being stuck in their never ending psychedelic trip.
Secondly, all these conspiracy theories back and forth were frustrating. And the actions of the characters, didn’t fit the descriptions. It felt all flat. The preppers who aren’t real preppers. The animal drama, the repacking drama, the bear drama, the plastic removal drama, the denial drama, it was just one drama after the other.
The head of marketing, that knows nothing but feels and acts very important. Has the power to delegate almost a whole city but doesn’t know what’s going on in her “own” company. And she single handedly will unravel the bad sabotage. Instead of taking care of her loved ones, running around in a city like a marathon participant, and that all in one bloody day!!
It was all too much, it was all too unrealistic.
Thirdly, The idea of MELT was unconventional and at first interesting albeit scientific ridiculous, but I went along with it.
Until some people died and some didn’t without any good reason given or distinction why some did and some didn’t.
It was just a mess.
I expected some common sense of the characters. There was no balance between struggle, doubts and good decisions and getting things done in comparison.
There was no balance between inner monologues and the actual story.
The execution lacked big time.
The story is too slow for that genre. The characters actions contradict their descriptions.
It is a soap opera and we are stuck in their heads.
First of all, the writing.
God it was frustrating. So many unnecessary and annoying thoughts. The book is stuck over 50% in the characters heads. At first it was ok, sometimes even funny. But the more the book progressed the more it got unbearable. It stopped contributing to the story and got simply annoying. The story didn’t move forward because of all the unnecessary info dumps.
I just stopped and only read the dialogues at times, it was that bad. The story went on a snails pace, because of all the head drama the characters had going on. It went on and on and on with no end in sight. I just wished the story would progress instead of being stuck in their never ending psychedelic trip.
Secondly, all these conspiracy theories back and forth were frustrating. And the actions of the characters, didn’t fit the descriptions. It felt all flat. The preppers who aren’t real preppers. The animal drama, the repacking drama, the bear drama, the plastic removal drama, the denial drama, it was just one drama after the other.
The head of marketing, that knows nothing but feels and acts very important. Has the power to delegate almost a whole city but doesn’t know what’s going on in her “own” company. And she single handedly will unravel the bad sabotage. Instead of taking care of her loved ones, running around in a city like a marathon participant, and that all in one bloody day!!
It was all too much, it was all too unrealistic.
Thirdly, The idea of MELT was unconventional and at first interesting albeit scientific ridiculous, but I went along with it.
Until some people died and some didn’t without any good reason given or distinction why some did and some didn’t.
It was just a mess.
I expected some common sense of the characters. There was no balance between struggle, doubts and good decisions and getting things done in comparison.
There was no balance between inner monologues and the actual story.
March 20, 2021
SAVE YOURSELF BEFORE ITS TOO LATE?
This is a long review but trust me, if you have read more than 3 books in this series you will understand, So read this review before you read this series!
I download the series about a year ago through Kindle unlimited when I was going on a trip so I had something to read at night.
At first it was pretty good and It does draw you in to the story and characters for the first three books or so.
I did find it annoying that each new book they would write a very long synopsis to go over all the details that happened in the previous books and as you continue to read the series it gets even worse because they go through each book every time telling you the details of what happened in the previous book, and the book before that and the book before that and the book before that. So essentially your re-reading the same story OVER AND OVER which means a 500 page book is actually 200 pages of the new story.
After that it became a repetitive nightmare that never seemed to end but i did want to see how it ended, so i kept reading and reading and reading the same dribble, same exchanges and details and stories over and over and over and over again.
After reading the last book in the series I found out that there is yet ANOTHER book that will be released later this year (2021).
I don’t know when this nightmare of a series will end but hopefully the author will read this review and change the way they write and wrap this story up in the next book!
I think the author is a really good writer but the story line just sucks because it’s so repetitive and never seems to end!
Author, please go back to your other stories and add more to them, or create something new. Because if you keep Writing the same thing over and over again you’re killing your audience!
This is a long review but trust me, if you have read more than 3 books in this series you will understand, So read this review before you read this series!
I download the series about a year ago through Kindle unlimited when I was going on a trip so I had something to read at night.
At first it was pretty good and It does draw you in to the story and characters for the first three books or so.
I did find it annoying that each new book they would write a very long synopsis to go over all the details that happened in the previous books and as you continue to read the series it gets even worse because they go through each book every time telling you the details of what happened in the previous book, and the book before that and the book before that and the book before that. So essentially your re-reading the same story OVER AND OVER which means a 500 page book is actually 200 pages of the new story.
After that it became a repetitive nightmare that never seemed to end but i did want to see how it ended, so i kept reading and reading and reading the same dribble, same exchanges and details and stories over and over and over and over again.
After reading the last book in the series I found out that there is yet ANOTHER book that will be released later this year (2021).
I don’t know when this nightmare of a series will end but hopefully the author will read this review and change the way they write and wrap this story up in the next book!
I think the author is a really good writer but the story line just sucks because it’s so repetitive and never seems to end!
Author, please go back to your other stories and add more to them, or create something new. Because if you keep Writing the same thing over and over again you’re killing your audience!
March 10, 2019
"Speak softly and carry a big stick."
Just when you begin to think that every type of apocalyptic scenario has been written about, along comes another. And one that has that feeling of being so plausible. After all, how often is something produced and unveiled only to have totally unexpected results beyond those anticipated. And especially when the added impetus of small (large?) fortunes to be made is added to the equasion, well, watch out world.
For a disaster book, this is remarkably enjoyable, with comic secret codes ( like 'mutant pineapple - try slipping that one unobtrusively into a conversation) and a delicious family scene of attempting to bug out quickly whilst rounding up rebellious chickens and recalcitrant children. With different writing styles, the authors combine to make a quite fascinating story - though the section with the constant word repetition for emphasis (' loved it, loved it loved it', 'hot, hot, hot for baseball', and 'win, win, win', amongst others) could probably benefited from a touch of editing. Overall, a mix of disaster growing into possib!e Armageddon, combined with sketchy characterisation, a touch of remembered horror, and fun sequences, make this a mixed bag of story telling. But one that was enjoyable, easy to read and, yes, I will be getting book two to find out what happens next.
Just when you begin to think that every type of apocalyptic scenario has been written about, along comes another. And one that has that feeling of being so plausible. After all, how often is something produced and unveiled only to have totally unexpected results beyond those anticipated. And especially when the added impetus of small (large?) fortunes to be made is added to the equasion, well, watch out world.
For a disaster book, this is remarkably enjoyable, with comic secret codes ( like 'mutant pineapple - try slipping that one unobtrusively into a conversation) and a delicious family scene of attempting to bug out quickly whilst rounding up rebellious chickens and recalcitrant children. With different writing styles, the authors combine to make a quite fascinating story - though the section with the constant word repetition for emphasis (' loved it, loved it loved it', 'hot, hot, hot for baseball', and 'win, win, win', amongst others) could probably benefited from a touch of editing. Overall, a mix of disaster growing into possib!e Armageddon, combined with sketchy characterisation, a touch of remembered horror, and fun sequences, make this a mixed bag of story telling. But one that was enjoyable, easy to read and, yes, I will be getting book two to find out what happens next.
March 23, 2019
I don't hand out 5* often but this book is well worth it. Great characters, spine tingling suspense and unfortunately a real world problem. The science behind the premise for Melt is real - several microbes and bacteria that eat plastics and petroleum itself have been discovered, they just don't do it at the speed described in the story. How mush "tinkering" would it really take to improve them though? I'm sure there are several sufficiently motivated scientists out there doing just that. The problem with a Melt like substance would be how it reacts with micro-plastics which are everywhere. If it got into the oceans it would heat up the ocean water (exothermic reaction) causing die offs, burns and basically sterilizing the entire sea bed. They would be free of plastic but so acidized by the CO2 given off nothing could live in the environment. There are also micro-plastics in fresh water, which we drink everyday. It is the bane of the water/wastewater industry, there is currently no way to filter out such small particles. What will happen when a little Melt gets near us? The end of the human race? Will our rush to cure a problem be then of the human race or can a solution be found in time?! Can't wait to read book 2!
May 6, 2019
Truly bad science. An "enzyme with DNA" which is able to grow / replicate / spread with remarkable speed. OK, stop right there - enzymes are catalysts; chemicals which speed up biological reactions but they do not contain DNA and are not self-replicating.
Add to this a New York corporate executive able to sequester hospital wards, doctors and helicopters at will. Such power! She must be very important. Oh, wait - she's head of the marketing department. That would explain it.
A scientific team who have been working on a secret project for years but don't seem to know even the basics of biology.
Husband and four kids are told to run for the hills which they do without any explanation, stuffing their chickens, goats and horses into the car (yes, car!) as they go, but leaving the alpaca behind - presumably it wouldn't fit on the parcel shelf. If a horse trailer was involved it wasn't mentioned. Everyone does lots of incredibly stupid and illogical things. No-one seems to know how old the kids are because their ages keep changing. The end.
Giving it 3 stars because there is a nugget of an original story in there, but the authors really should have done a bit of fact checking.
Add to this a New York corporate executive able to sequester hospital wards, doctors and helicopters at will. Such power! She must be very important. Oh, wait - she's head of the marketing department. That would explain it.
A scientific team who have been working on a secret project for years but don't seem to know even the basics of biology.
Husband and four kids are told to run for the hills which they do without any explanation, stuffing their chickens, goats and horses into the car (yes, car!) as they go, but leaving the alpaca behind - presumably it wouldn't fit on the parcel shelf. If a horse trailer was involved it wasn't mentioned. Everyone does lots of incredibly stupid and illogical things. No-one seems to know how old the kids are because their ages keep changing. The end.
Giving it 3 stars because there is a nugget of an original story in there, but the authors really should have done a bit of fact checking.
November 28, 2019
I loved the idea...
But, I didn’t like the main characters, Bill & Alice, I wasn’t invested in their safety. She was valiant in her efforts, which brings me to the timeline. With Alice 24 hrs had taken place, just a bit more at the end of this book. Meanwhile back at the cabin the family gets rid of what they could, then sent to spread out and with large amounts of cash to buy alternative food storage containers. Bill rips up their hydroponic garden and buys an old car and speeds off to rescue Alice without knowing a single thing about where she is! That whole scenario put me off I’m sorry to say.
I have read many books like this, I love the survival, what people can do to survive or get ready for the STHTF but it needs to be believable, a realistic timeline is generally it with me. The other factor is being to repetitive, I get why the story get dragged out but its too tedious to read over something you already read. I’d like to be 2 books put together in the series.
Will I read the next one, Yes. I’ve read many of the authors books, theme of his books are excellent, IIMHO, its the drawn out part of the action and repetition that gets just a 3 star rating.
But, I didn’t like the main characters, Bill & Alice, I wasn’t invested in their safety. She was valiant in her efforts, which brings me to the timeline. With Alice 24 hrs had taken place, just a bit more at the end of this book. Meanwhile back at the cabin the family gets rid of what they could, then sent to spread out and with large amounts of cash to buy alternative food storage containers. Bill rips up their hydroponic garden and buys an old car and speeds off to rescue Alice without knowing a single thing about where she is! That whole scenario put me off I’m sorry to say.
I have read many books like this, I love the survival, what people can do to survive or get ready for the STHTF but it needs to be believable, a realistic timeline is generally it with me. The other factor is being to repetitive, I get why the story get dragged out but its too tedious to read over something you already read. I’d like to be 2 books put together in the series.
Will I read the next one, Yes. I’ve read many of the authors books, theme of his books are excellent, IIMHO, its the drawn out part of the action and repetition that gets just a 3 star rating.
May 13, 2019
This is a different type of apocalypse book and that itself is a good thing. Instead of nuclear war, an EMP or an act of terrorism this one deals with a totally domestic event.
A company has invented something which, theoretically, will be able to get rid of waste plastic. It seems to be a microbe that can do that. What the company doesn't count on is either sabotage within the company or not enough testing.
Alice works at the company while her family is elsewhere and once things go wrong she texts her husband. From that point we have two stories. Alice's story of trying to find out just what wrong, trying to find out just how bad the damage is and trying to stay alive.
Her family relocates to a cabin they had prepared and that part deals with the preparations they had made and the fact that things can go very wrong very quickly.
I really like the different approach to what sets things wrong and the characters, Alice to me being the strongest. I'm definitely going to continue reading the series.
A company has invented something which, theoretically, will be able to get rid of waste plastic. It seems to be a microbe that can do that. What the company doesn't count on is either sabotage within the company or not enough testing.
Alice works at the company while her family is elsewhere and once things go wrong she texts her husband. From that point we have two stories. Alice's story of trying to find out just what wrong, trying to find out just how bad the damage is and trying to stay alive.
Her family relocates to a cabin they had prepared and that part deals with the preparations they had made and the fact that things can go very wrong very quickly.
I really like the different approach to what sets things wrong and the characters, Alice to me being the strongest. I'm definitely going to continue reading the series.
March 19, 2019
Another very interesting book by these two Authors.
Who would of thought Plastic was so much apart of our every day life. You could probably cover a whole country with the waste. There really does need to be better ways of recycling and to get rid of the waste.
You just think about your pet plastic drink bottles, shopping bags,even the recyclable ones,when you think of plastic. But Plastics are everywhere, food containers and wraps, tooth brushes, disposable cutlery and plates, the list goes on, but it is in nearly all the things we use.
This story tells us of a company that can make plastic waste a thing of the past, it melts it all down into nothingness
Somethings are just too good to be true.
A very compelling story of Businesses and the push to meet dead lines and the ever hungry shareholders.
I really enjoyed reading this book,(a bit scary, well a lot actually, when you think about it).
And would recommend it to all post apocalyptic fans, and anyone who likes a good read.
Who would of thought Plastic was so much apart of our every day life. You could probably cover a whole country with the waste. There really does need to be better ways of recycling and to get rid of the waste.
You just think about your pet plastic drink bottles, shopping bags,even the recyclable ones,when you think of plastic. But Plastics are everywhere, food containers and wraps, tooth brushes, disposable cutlery and plates, the list goes on, but it is in nearly all the things we use.
This story tells us of a company that can make plastic waste a thing of the past, it melts it all down into nothingness
Somethings are just too good to be true.
A very compelling story of Businesses and the push to meet dead lines and the ever hungry shareholders.
I really enjoyed reading this book,(a bit scary, well a lot actually, when you think about it).
And would recommend it to all post apocalyptic fans, and anyone who likes a good read.
March 20, 2019
This book was very scary, not because of aliens or monsters or zombies, but because of something that could actually happen. Alice works for a (greedy) corporation that developed a solution to the problem of plastic lasting in the environment virtually forever. Except, something goes wrong and Alice races non-stop to try to stop the problem before it is too late.
Parallel to the main story is the story of Alice's family. They are preppers and she warns them to head to their bug-out location immediately. We also learn about Alice's childhood when terrible events made her the person she is today.
People don't take Alice's concerns seriously, primarily men in positions of power who think they are all-knowing. Alice is a very strong female lead, which is refreshing to see and the men should be listening to her.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, and I thought about this book a long time after I finished it. I bet you will, too.
Highly recommended.
Parallel to the main story is the story of Alice's family. They are preppers and she warns them to head to their bug-out location immediately. We also learn about Alice's childhood when terrible events made her the person she is today.
People don't take Alice's concerns seriously, primarily men in positions of power who think they are all-knowing. Alice is a very strong female lead, which is refreshing to see and the men should be listening to her.
I'm looking forward to the sequel, and I thought about this book a long time after I finished it. I bet you will, too.
Highly recommended.
June 12, 2019
Dreadfully Poor
The story is just plain badly written.
So Angelina was moved to another hospital to be treated, but they couldn’t treat her either? So, all the medical staff at the second hospital left her, but Alice (being good at everything) rescues her with a helicopter and gets her sent back to the first hospital to be treated again? OMG what? I don’t even know what to say to that.
Jake fell to his death and it was written in a nonchalant way. Basically, “Alice was trying to give a young man career advice when she noticed that Jake fell to his death.” Awesome.
Walls of text where the author wrote nothing interesting in 20 sentence paragraphs.
The Epilogue was more interesting than the “story”.
Bland characters. Alice’s character is all over the place.
This is bad writing, bad story, bad action sequence descriptions, and bad character development.
The story is just plain badly written.
So Angelina was moved to another hospital to be treated, but they couldn’t treat her either? So, all the medical staff at the second hospital left her, but Alice (being good at everything) rescues her with a helicopter and gets her sent back to the first hospital to be treated again? OMG what? I don’t even know what to say to that.
Jake fell to his death and it was written in a nonchalant way. Basically, “Alice was trying to give a young man career advice when she noticed that Jake fell to his death.” Awesome.
Walls of text where the author wrote nothing interesting in 20 sentence paragraphs.
The Epilogue was more interesting than the “story”.
Bland characters. Alice’s character is all over the place.
This is bad writing, bad story, bad action sequence descriptions, and bad character development.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
Ugh
I like the idea and premise. The characters were bad. Alice is supposedly a huge prepper, but their bug out location was severely lacking. Her choices were stupid, reckless, and selfish, which went against everything the author continuously claimed about her. She is supposed to be the main character, but if she were taken out of the story, it wouldn't have much impact.
Bill is even worse. He is an idiot that is supposedly a prepper, yet consistently makes decisions that endangers his children. After prepping for years, he struggles with getting things gathered and packed for bugging out, and has no plan for taking all his livestock.
The children are generic and have no personality. Sean, the oldest daughter's boyfriend, tags along to the bugout location. Not once is he concerned about his family.
I like the idea and premise. The characters were bad. Alice is supposedly a huge prepper, but their bug out location was severely lacking. Her choices were stupid, reckless, and selfish, which went against everything the author continuously claimed about her. She is supposed to be the main character, but if she were taken out of the story, it wouldn't have much impact.
Bill is even worse. He is an idiot that is supposedly a prepper, yet consistently makes decisions that endangers his children. After prepping for years, he struggles with getting things gathered and packed for bugging out, and has no plan for taking all his livestock.
The children are generic and have no personality. Sean, the oldest daughter's boyfriend, tags along to the bugout location. Not once is he concerned about his family.
June 5, 2019
Two completely disparate stories...
I don't understand the authors method here. One half of the book deals with the damaged yet oddly heroic wife who seems to know what MELT is capable of, yet she doesn't have the brains to run for the hills. She's supposed to be the survivalist in family, but she makes no attempt to get out of the city so she and her family can...survive. The other half is the story of her family that did run away to their cabin on Waltons mountain. I just couldn't find any interest there. I going to go out on a limb and try book 2 in the hopes that the story hits its stride. We'll see. I'll hold off on my customary recommendation until I get further on.
I don't understand the authors method here. One half of the book deals with the damaged yet oddly heroic wife who seems to know what MELT is capable of, yet she doesn't have the brains to run for the hills. She's supposed to be the survivalist in family, but she makes no attempt to get out of the city so she and her family can...survive. The other half is the story of her family that did run away to their cabin on Waltons mountain. I just couldn't find any interest there. I going to go out on a limb and try book 2 in the hopes that the story hits its stride. We'll see. I'll hold off on my customary recommendation until I get further on.
September 7, 2020
Ok read but not for me
This was an ok read. It was fast paced and based on current technology, it's not beyond impossible to imagine. My problem was everything was so fast or switched between one problem and the next, I didn't have time to care about the characters. Also, the prepper chapters seemed boring in comparison to what was going on in the city. I found myself skimming parts of those chapters to get back to the real action. I'm not sure if this was intended or not, but I found myself laughing at certain situations. Whether it was the blunt writing or just the volume of disaster, but some things seemed comical, like a woman with a fake baby blasting her way through 11 locked doors on a train for the promise of $400 a door. Don't think this one was my cup of tea.
This was an ok read. It was fast paced and based on current technology, it's not beyond impossible to imagine. My problem was everything was so fast or switched between one problem and the next, I didn't have time to care about the characters. Also, the prepper chapters seemed boring in comparison to what was going on in the city. I found myself skimming parts of those chapters to get back to the real action. I'm not sure if this was intended or not, but I found myself laughing at certain situations. Whether it was the blunt writing or just the volume of disaster, but some things seemed comical, like a woman with a fake baby blasting her way through 11 locked doors on a train for the promise of $400 a door. Don't think this one was my cup of tea.
November 25, 2019
Holy what the what????
Anything Kraus writes is phenomenal. That said- I couldn't out this book down. I was up all night reading it and neglected every chore I needed to accomplish. I didn't know where the next turn would be, as I am able to decipher from some books about apocalyptic type scenarios. This is a good start and I'm looking forward to the rest. Read it, you won't be disappointed!
Anything Kraus writes is phenomenal. That said- I couldn't out this book down. I was up all night reading it and neglected every chore I needed to accomplish. I didn't know where the next turn would be, as I am able to decipher from some books about apocalyptic type scenarios. This is a good start and I'm looking forward to the rest. Read it, you won't be disappointed!
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