8 Days

by Barri L. Bumgarner

8 Days is the riveting story of the not-so-distant future when four brilliant young scientists begin the process of cleansing humanity by systematically releasing the chemical X-86 on cities around the world. Their mission? To destroy everything over the course of eight days, leaving a chosen few to survive and rule the planet. What they don’t count on is demented, power-hungry, 60-year-old CEO Tony Andrews who has his own plan – and weapons – to dominate the world. Neither they nor Tony can stop the chemical’s survivors from coming together to face their uncertain future. The survivors who have been drawn to Joplin, Missouri, have the desire and instinct, along with the visions of eight-year-old Jessie, to guide them and begin to rebuild with what little is left.

Genres: Fiction

412 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Missouri native, Barri L. Bumgarner, is an award-winning author and speaker. In addition to publishing more than 50 articles and 30 poems, her fourth novel, Playing the Line is set to release in 2009. Playing the Line is the much-anticipated prequel to her first novel, 8 Days. Jim Bohannon, nationwide radio host for Westwood One Radio, regarding her novel Slipping, said, “This serial killer drama makes for a taut read from a rising star of the thriller. Remember the name: Barri Bumgarner.” Police officer consultant Jessie Pitman wrote, “Bumgarner has captured the essence of what it’s like being a female cop. I can’t vouch for the killer, but she sure made me believe!”

Barri’s first young adult novel, Dregs, took second place for the 2008 Walter Williams Major Work Award. Dregs tackles the tough issues of bullies, steroids, and what it takes to push a teenager to bring a gun to school. The book has already received attention from other notable award committees, including the American Library Association and the Gateway Readers Award.

Barri's essay, "Preconceptions" is featured in the recently released anthology My First Year in the Classroom. In this collection, fifty teachers share the trials, tribulations, and triumphs they’ve experienced during their first year on the job.

Barri’s current project is her first true crime work, Shades of Gray: The Steven Rios Story, the headline-grabbing tale of a police officer convicted of killing his lover. Barri has obtained exclusive interviews with officer Rios and hopes to finish the work in 2009, assuming there isn’t another retrial.

Visit Barri online at her website, MySpace, RedRoom, Facebook or CrimeSpace.

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many good futuristic (or dystopian, as is popularly named) thrillers out there, and this one doesn't miss a beat. Apocalyptic reads are not exactly few and far between nowadays, I almost miss the days when that seemed so. I was of course drawn to this initially for it's Missouri settings, being a native myself of the St. Louis and Joplin regions, but ALSO to the survival theme--the dependence on inner strength, resourcefulness, perseverance, and faith. Man vs. Man becomes Man vs. Himself. This is one reason why dystopian books can be so popular; they reflect our times and what we hope to see in ourselves if faced with the threat of the loss of civilization and humanity. In our present day, when there are questions abound as to who our friends and enemies really are, with the potential of chemical warfare, greed, and domestic terrorism, these reads are flying off the bookshelves, and rightly so. We gaze into the looking-glass and seek to recognize its reflection.

I was lucky enough to have purchased the book from the author herself, one of the perks of being a Science Fiction convention merchant. My signed copy is much cherished. Her book, "Dregs" is also one one my To Read list, as it discusses touches on something close to my heart, bullying. She has been very busy of late, finishing up her PhD, but I look for her to be writing soon again. A friend in "read", is a friend indeed! Goodreads, that is...Barri is a Goodreads author! You can find her here as well:

http://www.barrilbumgarner.com/

[Lianna]

curious why this book came up as a favorite for Wendall Berry fans?