What do you think?
Rate this book
The After Days
In a world without power, you need the power of friendship and love to survive.
"This is far and away the most compelling read I’ve experienced in a long time. No lie. This is seriously good. It’s fresh, entertaining, and thought-provoking.” –Kathryn Johnson, author and writing teacher
Middle-aged suburbanites Rachel and Zach team with their friends to battle not only the predators and scavengers who lurk around every corner but also empty pantries, boredom, despair … and sometimes each other. How far are they willing to go to survive the Big Blackout?
“I was drawn in immediately and swept away by the story. A real page-turner” –Pamela Gates, literary festival organizer
This gripping dystopian twist on contemporary fiction about a woman who must find within herself the strength and ingenuity to endure a world suddenly without electricity is both terrifyingly real and astonishingly tender.
Perfect for book clubs, The After Days explores the ethical quandaries and logistical problems of ordinary suburbanites – people whose most recent problems were dodgy Wi-Fi and cranky bosses – in their struggle to survive in the increasingly treacherous suburbs of Washington, DC.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 10, 2019
219 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 30, 2025
This book makes me wanna stock pile food
August 3, 2023
I read this book in a day, that is how gripping it was. Great characters. Great story. Easy to read. Very immersive and felt like I was actually in the story.
February 13, 2021
Great story
Ever consider what most people would go through in an extended grid down situation? This book tells you just that. No special forces folks kicking butt and taking names. Just regular people trying to survive in the city. Heartbreaking and scary.
Ever consider what most people would go through in an extended grid down situation? This book tells you just that. No special forces folks kicking butt and taking names. Just regular people trying to survive in the city. Heartbreaking and scary.
February 8, 2021
Frighteningly real
A very well-written book with in depth characters. An apocalyptic story revolving around a middle-class neighborhood. Horrifying to read about regular people, those without prepper skills or a bug out camp. How quickly life and death decisions need to be made as people lose their Humanity in a fight for survival. I hope this debut novel is not this author's last!
A very well-written book with in depth characters. An apocalyptic story revolving around a middle-class neighborhood. Horrifying to read about regular people, those without prepper skills or a bug out camp. How quickly life and death decisions need to be made as people lose their Humanity in a fight for survival. I hope this debut novel is not this author's last!
July 21, 2019
‘In a world without power, you need the power of friendship and love to survive.’
Today’s review is for The After Days, by Amy Ginsberg. Although I wasn’t sure what genre this was, I feel like it sits on the fence between Contemporary Fiction and Dystopian Fantasy.
Can you imagine a life without electricity, running water, or any of the things we have today because of them?
I find it hard to, although I have been wondering what that world would be like.
Since reading The After Days, I’m beginning to get a clearer picture of just how much we’ve come to rely on such things.
This book follows two couples: Rachel and Zach, and Julie and Chris. The four friends soon band together when the power goes out across most of the world. Before long, people are looting, running water into their bathtubs before their supply runs out, and in some cases, even killing people in the name of survival.
~Story~
Set in Stoneybrook, USA, we watch as the entire power grid goes down.
This quote from early on in the novel really hit home with me, so I’d like to share it:
‘No-one knows it is the last moment before everything fractures and transforms until it becomes unrecognizable. Before you become unrecognizable.’
From that moment a month long power outage occurs and people the four main characters have known all their lives change before their very eyes. Gone are the respectable middle class families, turned into savage animals doing anything and everything they can to hang onto life.
Key themes of survival, friendship, love, and sacrifice are wound through the book, making it an emotional read at times. There are plenty of surprise twists, some that made me happy and others that seeded dread within me.
~Writing Style~
The author’s style is crisp, using just the right amount of detail to set the scene. She emphasizes the serious nature of such an event as the power going out worldwide, showing us just how much we take everyday necessities for granted.
She created well rounded characters that held my attention and helped the story to progress at a steady rate. Speaking of which, let’s discuss the four main characters.
~Characters~
The characters were complex in their own ways, with Zach and Rachel (the main couple whose point of view we encounter the most) being both kind and resourceful. While Rachel is highly compassionate, a trait that sometimes caused issues in the post-electricity and running water world, Zach exercised caution around others, in order to help sustain their supplies and as a result, their lives.
Julie and Chris were a much more problematic couple, often getting into fights over the smallest of things. They did not seem compatible at all. While Julie seemed kind and funny, her husband Christopher (who detests being called Chris) was one of the most pompous and arrogant characters I’ve ever encountered in literature. There were many occasions where I just wanted to slap his character on behalf of the others, especially toward the end (if you read the book, you’ll soon see why.)
I’d like to leave you with one quote that I found myself nodding along with:
‘The demise of social media may be the best part of this crisis.’
I can’t recall if it’s Rachel or Julie that says this but I wholeheartedly agree that if social media went down, it would lead to people bonding more in person again. I feel like information is spun in a certain light (like in tabloid newspapers) to divide us based on our differences.
Imagine a world where we don’t feel compelled to answer that notification, where we go back to thriving as a community that cares for one-another.
I admit social media has brought some people together and it can be useful for businesses to gain a wider reach but since using it less this past few weeks, I’m feeling much happier in myself. Who knows what the future will bring.
After reading this, I can only hope that we will all be safe and able to learn the survival techniques that may be necessary were the power grid to go down inevitably.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. I rate it 5 stars.
A contemporary read that will really make you think about the world we live in today and how it could change at any moment.
Today’s review is for The After Days, by Amy Ginsberg. Although I wasn’t sure what genre this was, I feel like it sits on the fence between Contemporary Fiction and Dystopian Fantasy.
Can you imagine a life without electricity, running water, or any of the things we have today because of them?
I find it hard to, although I have been wondering what that world would be like.
Since reading The After Days, I’m beginning to get a clearer picture of just how much we’ve come to rely on such things.
This book follows two couples: Rachel and Zach, and Julie and Chris. The four friends soon band together when the power goes out across most of the world. Before long, people are looting, running water into their bathtubs before their supply runs out, and in some cases, even killing people in the name of survival.
~Story~
Set in Stoneybrook, USA, we watch as the entire power grid goes down.
This quote from early on in the novel really hit home with me, so I’d like to share it:
‘No-one knows it is the last moment before everything fractures and transforms until it becomes unrecognizable. Before you become unrecognizable.’
From that moment a month long power outage occurs and people the four main characters have known all their lives change before their very eyes. Gone are the respectable middle class families, turned into savage animals doing anything and everything they can to hang onto life.
Key themes of survival, friendship, love, and sacrifice are wound through the book, making it an emotional read at times. There are plenty of surprise twists, some that made me happy and others that seeded dread within me.
~Writing Style~
The author’s style is crisp, using just the right amount of detail to set the scene. She emphasizes the serious nature of such an event as the power going out worldwide, showing us just how much we take everyday necessities for granted.
She created well rounded characters that held my attention and helped the story to progress at a steady rate. Speaking of which, let’s discuss the four main characters.
~Characters~
The characters were complex in their own ways, with Zach and Rachel (the main couple whose point of view we encounter the most) being both kind and resourceful. While Rachel is highly compassionate, a trait that sometimes caused issues in the post-electricity and running water world, Zach exercised caution around others, in order to help sustain their supplies and as a result, their lives.
Julie and Chris were a much more problematic couple, often getting into fights over the smallest of things. They did not seem compatible at all. While Julie seemed kind and funny, her husband Christopher (who detests being called Chris) was one of the most pompous and arrogant characters I’ve ever encountered in literature. There were many occasions where I just wanted to slap his character on behalf of the others, especially toward the end (if you read the book, you’ll soon see why.)
I’d like to leave you with one quote that I found myself nodding along with:
‘The demise of social media may be the best part of this crisis.’
I can’t recall if it’s Rachel or Julie that says this but I wholeheartedly agree that if social media went down, it would lead to people bonding more in person again. I feel like information is spun in a certain light (like in tabloid newspapers) to divide us based on our differences.
Imagine a world where we don’t feel compelled to answer that notification, where we go back to thriving as a community that cares for one-another.
I admit social media has brought some people together and it can be useful for businesses to gain a wider reach but since using it less this past few weeks, I’m feeling much happier in myself. Who knows what the future will bring.
After reading this, I can only hope that we will all be safe and able to learn the survival techniques that may be necessary were the power grid to go down inevitably.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. I rate it 5 stars.
A contemporary read that will really make you think about the world we live in today and how it could change at any moment.
July 10, 2019
I typically don't read dystopian fiction as real world events are enough, but I received a copy of the book from the author (disclosure statement) and found myself sucked in! The book is well written, characters well developed and the story definitely makes you think. It would make for a good discussion at a bookclub. Because of this book, I am more open to reading others in the genre, but first I want to see a sequel to this one to see what happens to the characters - that's have invested in them you feel!
July 5, 2024
disappointing.
incredibly disappointing. I like that the characters are middle-aged, but they’re underdeveloped, simplistic, and idiots. no real realisation or change occurs, and the problems they face are not only predictable, but due almost entirely to their own entitledness. Worst of all, (spoiler alert ) two perfectly capable women decide at the end that, having lost their husbands (one of which was a completely irredeemable ASSHAT), they have NO FURTHER REASON TO LIVE? What the actual heck. Well written, but conceptually offensive and yech.
incredibly disappointing. I like that the characters are middle-aged, but they’re underdeveloped, simplistic, and idiots. no real realisation or change occurs, and the problems they face are not only predictable, but due almost entirely to their own entitledness. Worst of all, (spoiler alert ) two perfectly capable women decide at the end that, having lost their husbands (one of which was a completely irredeemable ASSHAT), they have NO FURTHER REASON TO LIVE? What the actual heck. Well written, but conceptually offensive and yech.
July 15, 2019
It was so cool to read a book that takes place so close to where I live and work. I loved all the local references. Aside from that, it was quite a page-turner. I was invested in the characters early on. It really makes me think about what I would do in such a terrible situation.
April 21, 2024
I enjoy a dystopian novel and miss this one when it was first published Amazon however had other ideas and advertised it to me this weekend at a reduced price . It was just I wanted to read so I purchased it.
This is the story of an American couple and what happens to them when there is a worldwide power outage following a terrorist cyber attack. The episode seems entirely possible and the story is realistic. Having lived through the pandemic since this book was published I was intrigued to see how similar the initial days of this , episode was on the lives of city dwellers initially communities getting together and combining resources in a holiday like fashion
The book is such in Washington during the winter and the significance of having no heating and being extremely cold inside buildings added extra element to the story. The way that civilisation deteriorates is perhaps rather quicker than I would expect it would happen in real life but as the family , run out of food and start to starve things become more extreme
This is a primarily journey based novel characterisations Ants very strong and I found a little bit difficult to identify with any of the characters. The other has a clear easily read prose style I read the book in one sitting it was very enjoyable
I would recommend this novel for that anyone who likes realistic dystopian novel
This will appear on Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarah.WordPress.com Anne And Amazon UK
This is the story of an American couple and what happens to them when there is a worldwide power outage following a terrorist cyber attack. The episode seems entirely possible and the story is realistic. Having lived through the pandemic since this book was published I was intrigued to see how similar the initial days of this , episode was on the lives of city dwellers initially communities getting together and combining resources in a holiday like fashion
The book is such in Washington during the winter and the significance of having no heating and being extremely cold inside buildings added extra element to the story. The way that civilisation deteriorates is perhaps rather quicker than I would expect it would happen in real life but as the family , run out of food and start to starve things become more extreme
This is a primarily journey based novel characterisations Ants very strong and I found a little bit difficult to identify with any of the characters. The other has a clear easily read prose style I read the book in one sitting it was very enjoyable
I would recommend this novel for that anyone who likes realistic dystopian novel
This will appear on Goodreads and my book blog bionicsarah.WordPress.com Anne And Amazon UK
March 4, 2024
I love a good near-future dystopia or a book like this where the world as we know it takes a good kick in the goolies and everything we take for granted is reset.
In The After Days, hackers whose identity is not entirely clear but is hinted at, take down the electricity supply to most of the world.
The book follows a couple in the USA, living in an upmarket suburban setting, coming to terms with what's supposed to just be a few days 'outage'.
We can all imagine what a few days without electricity might be like - but having a situation where you don't know if it will ever come back is much more serious.
Bad stuff happens. Good people turn nasty. People do things their pre-blackout selves would have sworn would be impossible. You get the picture.
So why only three-stars? I felt this was a bit simplistic in places.
In The After Days, hackers whose identity is not entirely clear but is hinted at, take down the electricity supply to most of the world.
The book follows a couple in the USA, living in an upmarket suburban setting, coming to terms with what's supposed to just be a few days 'outage'.
We can all imagine what a few days without electricity might be like - but having a situation where you don't know if it will ever come back is much more serious.
Bad stuff happens. Good people turn nasty. People do things their pre-blackout selves would have sworn would be impossible. You get the picture.
So why only three-stars? I felt this was a bit simplistic in places.
April 11, 2020
WOW! WOW! WOW! Definitely a five star book - and how perverse of me to read it just as our world is dealing with a viral pandemic! Makes it just a little too real.
I started this book yesterday at 6 pm and had trouble tearing myself away from it. I was so immersed in the story that I read it in less than 24 hours.
Be very glad we have electricity, friends - because if the grid ever gets hacked and shut down, life and civilization will devolve, and not slowly, either.
This story moves along at a lightning pace, leaving no time for the reader to become bored as middle-aged couples Rachel, Zach and Julie, Christopher, learn to make tough decisions to stay alive while society crumbles around them. This isn’t a cheerful read, kiddies, but it sure is a darned good one!
I started this book yesterday at 6 pm and had trouble tearing myself away from it. I was so immersed in the story that I read it in less than 24 hours.
Be very glad we have electricity, friends - because if the grid ever gets hacked and shut down, life and civilization will devolve, and not slowly, either.
This story moves along at a lightning pace, leaving no time for the reader to become bored as middle-aged couples Rachel, Zach and Julie, Christopher, learn to make tough decisions to stay alive while society crumbles around them. This isn’t a cheerful read, kiddies, but it sure is a darned good one!
June 25, 2024
Well thought out, realistic and readable
I read a lot of apocalyptic fiction. This book was horrifyingly realistic. I enjoyed it. It's refreshing to read something in the genre written by a woman and without the usual gung ho 'hero' narrative. Just an ordinary woman struggling to overcome her fear and try to make the best decisions. If you want to imagine what you might do in such a crisis this book will help you do that. It really goes into the details of every element of the struggle to survive, which I also liked. I also thought the characters and the relationships were done really well in a way that made them likeable and relatable. Would read more by this author.
I read a lot of apocalyptic fiction. This book was horrifyingly realistic. I enjoyed it. It's refreshing to read something in the genre written by a woman and without the usual gung ho 'hero' narrative. Just an ordinary woman struggling to overcome her fear and try to make the best decisions. If you want to imagine what you might do in such a crisis this book will help you do that. It really goes into the details of every element of the struggle to survive, which I also liked. I also thought the characters and the relationships were done really well in a way that made them likeable and relatable. Would read more by this author.
May 18, 2025
more of a 2.5
the writing was good but the dialogue was juvenile at points and thus quite hard to read
i liked the premise but i found myself chapter after chapter just getting annoyed at the characters, and also feeling a bit bored with all the usual survivalist tropes you would find in a mediocre post apocalypse movie
there was way to much sex in this, way too much
however, as i say the writing was decent and given this is amazon published i was pleasantly surprised by it - but i did want it to be over 50 pages before it actually ended
the writing was good but the dialogue was juvenile at points and thus quite hard to read
i liked the premise but i found myself chapter after chapter just getting annoyed at the characters, and also feeling a bit bored with all the usual survivalist tropes you would find in a mediocre post apocalypse movie
there was way to much sex in this, way too much
however, as i say the writing was decent and given this is amazon published i was pleasantly surprised by it - but i did want it to be over 50 pages before it actually ended
January 21, 2024
This is an interesting take on dystopia - the main characters are middle-aged and middle-class and certainly not the preppers you often get in the post-apocalyptic scenario. It starts almost like the 'covid days' where you couldn't go to work so you might as well enjoy your day, then you realise all the shops have been looted and you might get mugged for a bag of shopping, never mind find the neighbours next door have been murdered for their booze. There's a few flaws in the book and quite a few point where I'm thinking 'really?'. And I've got to say (no spoilers) that the end was a bit convenient (and sort of twee). But it was a 99p Kindle book and deffo worth that price!
December 23, 2024
A different take on the dystopian story
I don’t really know what to say about this book. It is definitely different from the usual post apocalyptic stories I have read. Kind of depressing actually but very likely closer to how dystopian life would be. I’ve given it 5 stars because it had me engaged throughout and I was invested in the characters. Don’t want to say too much to spoil the book. However read it at your own peril. lol.
I don’t really know what to say about this book. It is definitely different from the usual post apocalyptic stories I have read. Kind of depressing actually but very likely closer to how dystopian life would be. I’ve given it 5 stars because it had me engaged throughout and I was invested in the characters. Don’t want to say too much to spoil the book. However read it at your own peril. lol.
April 27, 2023
Interesting read
I liked this novel because it portrayed ordinary, not survivalist types. It really seemed plausible albeit sad that so many people could be so utterly useless in a blackout. it made me extremely happy that I do not share the stupidity or the lack of wherewithall to end up like that.
I liked this novel because it portrayed ordinary, not survivalist types. It really seemed plausible albeit sad that so many people could be so utterly useless in a blackout. it made me extremely happy that I do not share the stupidity or the lack of wherewithall to end up like that.
July 16, 2024
Bit dystopia by numbers. The power goes out and all the things that happen in every other EMP book happen. Although this one isn't quite as much of a love letter to prepping as most of them. Bit like a suburban Alas, Babylon
I did care about the characters though, so if you like character driven dystopia and you have already read Station 11, then might be worth a look.
I did care about the characters though, so if you like character driven dystopia and you have already read Station 11, then might be worth a look.
May 11, 2020
Hard to put down
This book was hard to put down. I was one I could have sat w with and read for hours until it was finished. Especially now, during this time of COVID, the story seemed eerily possible. Probable? It certainly gave me pause to think.
This book was hard to put down. I was one I could have sat w with and read for hours until it was finished. Especially now, during this time of COVID, the story seemed eerily possible. Probable? It certainly gave me pause to think.
July 11, 2020
What a book to read while living in a pandemic
Rachel's narrative of living through the big blackout brings out a full spectrum of emotions. I started pondering the "what if's" from the very beginning.
Rachel's narrative of living through the big blackout brings out a full spectrum of emotions. I started pondering the "what if's" from the very beginning.
January 17, 2021
A too real look at a probable event
Frightening account of only weeks without power. Makes you want to consider prepping for an event such as this. Survival instincts become reality when threats are in your home. A great first novel!
Frightening account of only weeks without power. Makes you want to consider prepping for an event such as this. Survival instincts become reality when threats are in your home. A great first novel!
January 18, 2021
The After Days:A Dystopian twist on contemporary fiction
I have to say it kept my interest to the end, but I would think that college educated people would have been smarter then these were. I would hope that they would have been able to plan better than they did.
I have to say it kept my interest to the end, but I would think that college educated people would have been smarter then these were. I would hope that they would have been able to plan better than they did.
February 24, 2021
Just Okay
Writing was rather flat. Show me a professional woman in DC who does not have two months of clean clothes. But the female characters rose to the occasion and killed the bad guys. I finished it.
Writing was rather flat. Show me a professional woman in DC who does not have two months of clean clothes. But the female characters rose to the occasion and killed the bad guys. I finished it.
Read
May 12, 2020This book might nit have been the best to read while involved in this pandemic. It certainly made me think of all that could happen and how I would react.
July 9, 2020
Exciting
Very realistic. I could see something like this happening someday. I hope that our future is more pleasant than the characters in this story.
Very realistic. I could see something like this happening someday. I hope that our future is more pleasant than the characters in this story.
February 8, 2021
Peroxide doesn’t hurt.
Peroxide bubbles if there are germs. Peroxide doesn’t hurt. Alcohol stings though. Peroxide does not sting. Stop writing that peroxide hurts.
Peroxide bubbles if there are germs. Peroxide doesn’t hurt. Alcohol stings though. Peroxide does not sting. Stop writing that peroxide hurts.
March 14, 2024
This was a flop
August 1, 2024
A well observed and genuinely horrifying tale of an all too realistic scenario.
August 17, 2024
Brilliant dystopian tale of normal people
Which worked right up to the very end when it didnt. But will beautifully written and an excellent read here
Which worked right up to the very end when it didnt. But will beautifully written and an excellent read here
January 15, 2025
Gripping
A rollercoaster from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. A clever story, plausible characters and makes you think how you would manage if the lights went out!
A rollercoaster from start to finish. I couldn’t put it down. A clever story, plausible characters and makes you think how you would manage if the lights went out!
February 18, 2025
Typical dystopian drama but great momentum in the storytelling. Such an easy read - ploughed through it in no time. End was a tad anti-climactic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews