I’m surprised by the overall high rating of this book. I had to pick this book up many times over several months in order to finish. There’s some great parts, but a decided lack of suspense. I’ll try to hit some of the things that kept my enjoyment of the book being higher.
There is quite a bit that happens in the hundreds of pages of this book, but it all just happens without much adversity. There’s some to like from this book, and quite a bit that left me scratching my head.
Starting with the character of Billy Todd, I’m perplexed. He’s described as odd even in the title, but as the book wears on he doesn’t seem to be very handicapped by any condition. He goes into some thought spirals, has something like a panic attack early on, and then seems overwhelmed by large crowds and noise. However, none of that seems to hamper his ability to take part in combat. In the end he turns out to not be all that odd. Toby and Shelly’s character arcs and changes were more compelling than some sort of unseen handicap that really was never an issue.
There’s a lot of characters in this story. Many are just two dimensional. Many just appear exactly when they’re needed and make things go more smoothly for the crew. The one I’m most disappointed by was Rhonda. She had promise, but in the end just seemed to whine anytime Billy needed to do something. She would have been capable of joining him and doing everything he did, but in the end, she just stayed home.
The main antagonists of the story are the militaristic group on a train. I was waiting and waiting for a showdown that left me feeling flat. I think there were more pages devoted to situation with Debby coming off her meds, or the drama with the kids caregivers. We got a great few chapters on the conflict with the group in Franklin, I hoped for something similar with the main big bad guys that were built up for 95% of the novel.
The farms were interesting, but there was never a lack of anything. They found everything they needed and then some. Everything always seemed to work. Nothing ever broke, nothing went wrong. Then there was the building and the fortifications that ultimately never got used for anything. For all the danger teased through hundreds of pages they never had to defend the farms. No one ever died, and rarely was anyone ever hurt.
I am willing to bet I’m not the only one bothered by language and vernacular. The author did a good job of conveying accent, but it was annoying to read.
Finally, I’m perplexed by the author’s reluctance to speak with any candor about feminine hygiene products. But more confusing was the fact that he never used the word rape, despite it being an ever present danger, and something that was clearly happening and part of the plot. I understand that there is no need need to be gratuitous or crass, but the way it was handled was very awkward.
Some things I did like about the book included the early trips into Franklin. That offered some great insight into larger communities pulling together. The moral dilemma, however short, and then forgotten around dispatching the pedophile entering the community. The chapters where Billy and Pete were liberating Franklin were great. Though I’m bothered that we didn’t get to hear the end of Big John, the only bad guy that was slightly more than two dimensional.
I’m a fan of this genre. This book promised something different with the main character, but it never delivered on that. It also didn’t deliver a compelling climax. Overall, this one wasn’t one of my favorite.