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Lights Out in Lincolnwood
A mordantly funny, all-too-real novel in the vein of Tom Perotta and Emma Straub about a suburban American family who have to figure out how to survive themselves and their neighbors in the wake of a global calamity that upends all of modern life.
It’s Tuesday morning in Lincolnwood, New Jersey, and all four members of the Altman family are busy ignoring each other en route to work and school. Dan, a lawyer turned screenwriter, is preoccupied with satisfying his imperious TV producer boss’s creative demands. Seventeen-year-old daughter Chloe obsesses over her college application essay and the state tennis semifinals. Her vape-addicted little brother, Max, silently plots revenge against a thuggish freshman classmate. And their MBA-educated mom Jen, who gave up a successful business career to raise the kids, is counting the minutes until the others vacate the kitchen and she can pour her first vodka of the day.
Then, as the kids begin their school day and Dan rides a commuter train into Manhattan, the world comes to a sudden, inexplicable stop. Lights, phones, laptops, cars, trains…the entire technological infrastructure of 21st-century society quits working. Normal life, as the Altmans and everyone else knew it, is over.
Or is it?
Over four transformative, chaotic days, this privileged but clueless American family will struggle to hold it together in the face of water shortages, paramilitary neighbors, and the well-mannered looting of the local Whole Foods as they try to figure out just what the hell is going on.
It’s Tuesday morning in Lincolnwood, New Jersey, and all four members of the Altman family are busy ignoring each other en route to work and school. Dan, a lawyer turned screenwriter, is preoccupied with satisfying his imperious TV producer boss’s creative demands. Seventeen-year-old daughter Chloe obsesses over her college application essay and the state tennis semifinals. Her vape-addicted little brother, Max, silently plots revenge against a thuggish freshman classmate. And their MBA-educated mom Jen, who gave up a successful business career to raise the kids, is counting the minutes until the others vacate the kitchen and she can pour her first vodka of the day.
Then, as the kids begin their school day and Dan rides a commuter train into Manhattan, the world comes to a sudden, inexplicable stop. Lights, phones, laptops, cars, trains…the entire technological infrastructure of 21st-century society quits working. Normal life, as the Altmans and everyone else knew it, is over.
Or is it?
Over four transformative, chaotic days, this privileged but clueless American family will struggle to hold it together in the face of water shortages, paramilitary neighbors, and the well-mannered looting of the local Whole Foods as they try to figure out just what the hell is going on.
544 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2021
142 people are currently reading
5888 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Rodkey
29 books305 followersGeoff Rodkey is the New York Times bestselling author of the suburban-apocalypse comedy LIGHTS OUT IN LINCOLNWOOD and eleven books for middle grade kids: Kevin Hart's MARCUS MAKES A MOVIE and MARCUS MAKES IT BIG; the science fiction comedy WE'RE NOT FROM HERE; the illustrated comedy THE TAPPER TWINS GO TO WAR (WITH EACH OTHER) and its three sequels; the critically acclaimed CHRONICLES OF EGG adventure-comedy trilogy; and THE STORY PIRATES PRESENT: STUCK IN THE STONE AGE, a comic novel bundled with a how-to guide for kids who want to create stories of their own.
Geoff is also the Emmy-nominated screenwriter of such hit films as DADDY DAY CARE, RV, and the Disney Channel's GOOD LUCK, CHARLIE, IT'S CHRISTMAS. His early writing credits include the educational video game WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?, the non-educational MTV series BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD, and Comedy Central's POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
Geoff grew up in Freeport, Illinois and began his writing career on his high school newspaper. While in college, he was an editor of both the Harvard Lampoon and the Let's Go travel guide series.
Geoff is also the Emmy-nominated screenwriter of such hit films as DADDY DAY CARE, RV, and the Disney Channel's GOOD LUCK, CHARLIE, IT'S CHRISTMAS. His early writing credits include the educational video game WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?, the non-educational MTV series BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD, and Comedy Central's POLITICALLY INCORRECT.
Geoff grew up in Freeport, Illinois and began his writing career on his high school newspaper. While in college, he was an editor of both the Harvard Lampoon and the Let's Go travel guide series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
September 22, 2021
What if I never hear “Whole Lotta Love” again?
Perhaps the most realistic apocalypse you’ll ever read!
Oh yes, it’s the end of the world as the Altman family knows it. Planes are falling out of the sky. There is no power. Cell phones don’t work. Hell, even cars don’t work. The city’s water filters have shut down and of course their asshole teenage daughter decided to use the stockpiled water in the tub to take a flipping bath! Oh and their other asshole kid? When he’s not trying to find a replacement for his no longer working vape in order to satisfy his nicotine cravings he’s leaving hefty dumps in an unflushable toilet. Mother Jen isn’t faring any better with an alcohol problem that she’s no longer able to hide with everyone and their brother coming in and out of the house. And father Dan? Well, he’s trying to keep his shit together by looting the local Whole Foods, but the poor fella suffers from a wicked case of dad bod and is cramping up something fierce with all the miles he’s logging peddling the ol’ bicycle all over town.
If you thought finding toilet paper was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
I have zero recollection of how this book made it to my TBR. I’m thinking maybe it was a simple case of cover love, but who really knows???? Whatever the cause, boy oh boy am I glad I gave it a whirl. The Altmans were an absolute hoot. And with masks going back on and Covid numbers going back up a fictional apocalypse was strangely exactly what I needed to turn my frown upside down. This book isn’t perfect by any means. At 500+ pages it probably could have been whittled down and I’m sure I could come up with other grips and gripes if I gave it a minute. My ratings, however, are based on my feelings while reading. This one entertained me for the duration so it’s allllllllll the Stars to Geoff Rodkey for this brilliant twist on the end of days.
Perhaps the most realistic apocalypse you’ll ever read!
Oh yes, it’s the end of the world as the Altman family knows it. Planes are falling out of the sky. There is no power. Cell phones don’t work. Hell, even cars don’t work. The city’s water filters have shut down and of course their asshole teenage daughter decided to use the stockpiled water in the tub to take a flipping bath! Oh and their other asshole kid? When he’s not trying to find a replacement for his no longer working vape in order to satisfy his nicotine cravings he’s leaving hefty dumps in an unflushable toilet. Mother Jen isn’t faring any better with an alcohol problem that she’s no longer able to hide with everyone and their brother coming in and out of the house. And father Dan? Well, he’s trying to keep his shit together by looting the local Whole Foods, but the poor fella suffers from a wicked case of dad bod and is cramping up something fierce with all the miles he’s logging peddling the ol’ bicycle all over town.
If you thought finding toilet paper was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
I have zero recollection of how this book made it to my TBR. I’m thinking maybe it was a simple case of cover love, but who really knows???? Whatever the cause, boy oh boy am I glad I gave it a whirl. The Altmans were an absolute hoot. And with masks going back on and Covid numbers going back up a fictional apocalypse was strangely exactly what I needed to turn my frown upside down. This book isn’t perfect by any means. At 500+ pages it probably could have been whittled down and I’m sure I could come up with other grips and gripes if I gave it a minute. My ratings, however, are based on my feelings while reading. This one entertained me for the duration so it’s allllllllll the Stars to Geoff Rodkey for this brilliant twist on the end of days.
June 9, 2025
I started this on the plane headed out for a vacation. It’s a fun easy read for the beach and I enjoyed it. What does a family living in an upper crust suburb of NYC do when the world comes to a hard stop? The Altmans are a family of four: Dan is a writer for a TV crime series. His wife Jen is a closet alcoholic. Daughter Chloe is a high achieving stressed out high school senior and son Max is a high school freshman trying to navigate life with bullys, vaping, and video games. So when the power goes out, and cars stop working and planes fall from the sky how will the Altmans and the rest of their Lincolnwood neighbors come to grips with their new reality? What is going on? Will Dan save his family or will Jen put down the liquor bottle long enough to do battle for her kids and husband? No definitive answers but I enjoyed the ride. And it gives one pause…what would I do in similar circumstances?!
June 7, 2022
Wasn't intruiged by this one. Don't know what exactly didn't work for me, perhaps the writing. But the plot nor characters didn't made me interested to the end. Just not my cup of tea
July 26, 2021
3.5. My family, though less dysfunctional, would probably be as useless in an apocalypse. I found the characters maddeningly self-absorbed in the beginning, but I'm pretty sure I was supposed to feel that way. Once they started coming together as a family, I enjoyed the book more. I just wish that had happened earlier and we could have watched the Altmans be a little more assertive when it came to the own survival. The ending felt a bit rushed.
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(mini spoiler)
If you were afraid to finish because you were worried about dog, he'll be okay.
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.
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(mini spoiler)
If you were afraid to finish because you were worried about dog, he'll be okay.
May 30, 2021
I'm not sure we have quite the appetite for oh-no-is-this-the-apocalypse books, but if you're up for it this mashes up that genre with the domestic drama and has a great balance of light and dark.
We learn very early that something bad is going to happen on this otherwise-normal Tuesday for the Altman family. I will not spoil all the details though I'm guessing they're all in the jacket copy, I enjoyed getting it bit by bit just as the characters did. But even while the Altmans get breakfast that morning, this is not a calm and happy house, the way you usually get it in those apocalypse movies where everyone says loving goodbyes not knowing what awaits them.
Max is on the outs with his friends and plotting revenge. Nothing is going right for Chloe, who is determined to do Early Decision at Dartmouth, and who has Tennis Semifinals and her 3rd attempt at the ACT coming up later in the week. Jen, who left the workforce after 9/11 to stay home with her kids is realizing as her kids are getting ready to leave that she might have a drinking problem. And Dan, who left his fancy career in securities law for a cool job in tv writing is miserable and out of ideas. They are not a very happy family but they're also not a terrible one. Everything gets done, everyone is cared for, but they yell and keep secrets and don't have any sense of togetherness. They're all hanging by a thread, even if they won't admit it, and things are about to get very bad.
As things get more dire, they only cling more tightly to their plans. The stakes continue to rise as one day turns into another, and as it moves from just one bad day to maybe a new bad always. But at the heart of it is the family itself and how it seems more and more likely that they will fall all the way apart. And yet, they find themselves coming back to each other and we see some hope on the horizon.
I really enjoyed the tone here which is at turns hilarious and horrifying. The problems the family has are never trivialized (particularly Jen's alcoholism) but the narrative hops from one person to the next and even for Jen we get to see how she is aware of her problem and how hard she fights against admitting it. These feel like real people. Especially the teenagers who do absolutely teenage things and don't have anywhere near the self-awareness that the adults do, though that is not the highest bar. As often happens in these books, most of their problems would be resolved if they would just TALK to each other, but that's also the thing that is the least likely to happen in real life.
The suburbs-devolving-into-chaos also felt really real in a way that will feel familiar but that also gets into much more detail than it usually does in these kinds of stories. The dynamics of the Altman's culdesac are already precarious (in no small part because of the Altmans themselves) and we get to see the micro and the macro of how this plays out on the street and in the larger town. It's also somewhat different because the Altmans are not your usual protagonists, people who have their shit together and who want to look out for everyone. No, they are barely looking out for themselves and their moral boundaries become quite fuzzy as things go on. They are not all out bad guys (of course we will not loot the Whole Foods) but they don't have enough moral awareness to not find themselves looting the Whole Foods because well it seemed like the thing to do.
There is also, can't lie, some eat the rich schadenfreude here. The Altmans have money. (I often chuckled at how they called their tacky neighbor's house a McMansion when surely theirs is just as bad.) They have a few million in the bank. They didn't even take all that much of a risk when Dan left his job because the kids college funds were already full and their mortgage was paid off on top of their savings. But in this world that money is basically useless to them, and they are utterly unaware of how they should operate in a world where their money will not take care of their problems or at least cover up their problems so they don't have to look them straight on.
This is not a family that will be tearfully embracing at the end of the movie, just happy to be back together. And around halfway through the book I wondered just how Rodkey could end this story when there didn't seem to be anything that would quite work. But he pulled it off. It's a great optimistic-and-also-bleak-as-hell ending that fits the wild tone of the book just right.
This is a quick read, the chapters are quite short (actually sometimes I found them too short) and this is much more beach/airplane read than a highbrow literary novel but that's what I liked about it. It doesn't try to be fancy, it is down in the dirt and pretty unputdownable. Now excuse me while I go make sure I have my solar panel and my food storage all set.
We learn very early that something bad is going to happen on this otherwise-normal Tuesday for the Altman family. I will not spoil all the details though I'm guessing they're all in the jacket copy, I enjoyed getting it bit by bit just as the characters did. But even while the Altmans get breakfast that morning, this is not a calm and happy house, the way you usually get it in those apocalypse movies where everyone says loving goodbyes not knowing what awaits them.
Max is on the outs with his friends and plotting revenge. Nothing is going right for Chloe, who is determined to do Early Decision at Dartmouth, and who has Tennis Semifinals and her 3rd attempt at the ACT coming up later in the week. Jen, who left the workforce after 9/11 to stay home with her kids is realizing as her kids are getting ready to leave that she might have a drinking problem. And Dan, who left his fancy career in securities law for a cool job in tv writing is miserable and out of ideas. They are not a very happy family but they're also not a terrible one. Everything gets done, everyone is cared for, but they yell and keep secrets and don't have any sense of togetherness. They're all hanging by a thread, even if they won't admit it, and things are about to get very bad.
As things get more dire, they only cling more tightly to their plans. The stakes continue to rise as one day turns into another, and as it moves from just one bad day to maybe a new bad always. But at the heart of it is the family itself and how it seems more and more likely that they will fall all the way apart. And yet, they find themselves coming back to each other and we see some hope on the horizon.
I really enjoyed the tone here which is at turns hilarious and horrifying. The problems the family has are never trivialized (particularly Jen's alcoholism) but the narrative hops from one person to the next and even for Jen we get to see how she is aware of her problem and how hard she fights against admitting it. These feel like real people. Especially the teenagers who do absolutely teenage things and don't have anywhere near the self-awareness that the adults do, though that is not the highest bar. As often happens in these books, most of their problems would be resolved if they would just TALK to each other, but that's also the thing that is the least likely to happen in real life.
The suburbs-devolving-into-chaos also felt really real in a way that will feel familiar but that also gets into much more detail than it usually does in these kinds of stories. The dynamics of the Altman's culdesac are already precarious (in no small part because of the Altmans themselves) and we get to see the micro and the macro of how this plays out on the street and in the larger town. It's also somewhat different because the Altmans are not your usual protagonists, people who have their shit together and who want to look out for everyone. No, they are barely looking out for themselves and their moral boundaries become quite fuzzy as things go on. They are not all out bad guys (of course we will not loot the Whole Foods) but they don't have enough moral awareness to not find themselves looting the Whole Foods because well it seemed like the thing to do.
There is also, can't lie, some eat the rich schadenfreude here. The Altmans have money. (I often chuckled at how they called their tacky neighbor's house a McMansion when surely theirs is just as bad.) They have a few million in the bank. They didn't even take all that much of a risk when Dan left his job because the kids college funds were already full and their mortgage was paid off on top of their savings. But in this world that money is basically useless to them, and they are utterly unaware of how they should operate in a world where their money will not take care of their problems or at least cover up their problems so they don't have to look them straight on.
This is not a family that will be tearfully embracing at the end of the movie, just happy to be back together. And around halfway through the book I wondered just how Rodkey could end this story when there didn't seem to be anything that would quite work. But he pulled it off. It's a great optimistic-and-also-bleak-as-hell ending that fits the wild tone of the book just right.
This is a quick read, the chapters are quite short (actually sometimes I found them too short) and this is much more beach/airplane read than a highbrow literary novel but that's what I liked about it. It doesn't try to be fancy, it is down in the dirt and pretty unputdownable. Now excuse me while I go make sure I have my solar panel and my food storage all set.
June 29, 2021
This was quite a unique, funny family drama. The Altman family is an all too real NJ family. dan the father is a lawyer turned screenwriter. I think this is funny because my husband is Dan too and he's also a lawyer! Lol. The daughter Chloe is going onto college, Her brother Max and their mom Jen who is now not working to raise the kids. One morning while Dan is riding the train into Manhattan, the lights, and pretty much everything stop working. Phones, laptops, cars, trains...you name it. The Altman's now must manage this new way of life until things go back to normal. And they do not know how long it will take. Can this family hold it together?? You gotta read and find out.
I loved how the author took such dark topics and actually made me laugh. You will definitely be able to relate to this book. Highly recommend this original story!
I loved how the author took such dark topics and actually made me laugh. You will definitely be able to relate to this book. Highly recommend this original story!
July 17, 2021
This was one of those books where, I would have not finished, had I not been determined to see how it ended. Fast forward: the ending was super disappointing. There will probably be a sequel, in which, I will not read.
April 18, 2021
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
Wow... Lights Out in Lincolnwood was definitely one of the more original stories I read this year, and maybe not even just this year. I’m very glad I chanced upon this book, because not only was it snarky and kind of funny, but it was also serious in the way of, “but what if?”
This is not a zombie apocalypse book, but it is a realistic exploration of the idea of a possibly apocalyptic event, and in that sense, it reminded me of Station Eleven (although that story is set much farther down the road – Lights Out in Lincolnwood only happens like three-four days into the trouble.) The story flings a family of privileged entitled people into some real trouble and asks them, how would they cope? You see them flail, but you start wondering, how would YOU cope, if your entire world come crashing down? Would you believe it's temporary? Or would you enter the new dark tomorrow with a fury?
And I have to say, the Altmans are pretty messed up. They’re a disaster waiting to happen, but because of the distorting lens of daily life and routine problems, nobody has noticed that the family is on the brink of certain desctruction. Every single one of the Altmans is focused solely and entirely on himself or herself, without a single thought of what might be going on in the universe of the person next to them. It’s no wonder that they all fumble about the newly developed situation with completely disastrous circumstances. Watching the Altmans navigate a possible apocalypse is a little bit like watching a bunch of cows trying to stand up on the surface of a frozen lake. It’s sad, but also just that little bit funny, and so you just can’t look away.
I have a lot more to say about this book (which is definitely worth the read, by the way), but if you want to read all my thoughts, please read them in the blog post:
https://avalinahsbooks.space/lights-o...
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
Wow... Lights Out in Lincolnwood was definitely one of the more original stories I read this year, and maybe not even just this year. I’m very glad I chanced upon this book, because not only was it snarky and kind of funny, but it was also serious in the way of, “but what if?”
This is not a zombie apocalypse book, but it is a realistic exploration of the idea of a possibly apocalyptic event, and in that sense, it reminded me of Station Eleven (although that story is set much farther down the road – Lights Out in Lincolnwood only happens like three-four days into the trouble.) The story flings a family of privileged entitled people into some real trouble and asks them, how would they cope? You see them flail, but you start wondering, how would YOU cope, if your entire world come crashing down? Would you believe it's temporary? Or would you enter the new dark tomorrow with a fury?
And I have to say, the Altmans are pretty messed up. They’re a disaster waiting to happen, but because of the distorting lens of daily life and routine problems, nobody has noticed that the family is on the brink of certain desctruction. Every single one of the Altmans is focused solely and entirely on himself or herself, without a single thought of what might be going on in the universe of the person next to them. It’s no wonder that they all fumble about the newly developed situation with completely disastrous circumstances. Watching the Altmans navigate a possible apocalypse is a little bit like watching a bunch of cows trying to stand up on the surface of a frozen lake. It’s sad, but also just that little bit funny, and so you just can’t look away.
I have a lot more to say about this book (which is definitely worth the read, by the way), but if you want to read all my thoughts, please read them in the blog post:
https://avalinahsbooks.space/lights-o...
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
July 20, 2021
Okay, I found Lights Out in Lincolnwood so funny at times. Let's chuck all the modern conveniences we're used to and face the pending apocalypse. The self-indulgent Altman family is about to learn how things really work when you have to make it without and sustain with just your personal survival skills and the basics. I surprised myself with how much I laughed!
~Tanja
*Galley provided by Publisher
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July 6, 2021
Between its super short chapters and the need to find out if the world is really ending, this is a compulsive read. The subject matter is both entertaining and filled with satire but also heavy and genuine. I appreciated how the heaviness - alcoholism, nicotine addiction, terminal illness and some others was handled with realistic dialogue and reflections while also showing the humorous side of how even deep rooted problems can cause idiotic and questionable decisions and behavior.
While the book was compulsive I didn't find the ending to be a great pay off for the build up. I found it quite flat as a person who enjoys an "ah-ha" or "oh, damn" moment by the end. However, if you are one who enjoys riding the roller coaster of emotions no matter the ending, this one will be a fun read for you!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for this gifted book. My opinion and review are my own.
While the book was compulsive I didn't find the ending to be a great pay off for the build up. I found it quite flat as a person who enjoys an "ah-ha" or "oh, damn" moment by the end. However, if you are one who enjoys riding the roller coaster of emotions no matter the ending, this one will be a fun read for you!
Thank you to Harper Perennial for this gifted book. My opinion and review are my own.
September 29, 2022
No zombies or aliens just one day all electricity goes out. Why? Is it all over the world? Is this forever? Nobody knows. The most realistic kind of dystopia one can imagine. Reading it was making me think that the worst part if this happened here would be not knowing absolutely anything about what is going on. To be honest considering that the book goes over three days it is surprising that so many characters already had end of the world theories involving aliens, Matrix and democrats. At this point I would probably still think that this is some major blackout and soon all be back.
I liked the characters. Not as in I would like to be friends with them, I really wouldn't, but they were really well developed. I am especially impressed by the portrayal of alcoholism struggle. Now this was incredibly real. But my main issue with the book was that it is as if nothing is going on. Realistic problems of thinking how to flush your toilet without wasting water, how to go away for a longer distance when there are no cars but as if with all that is going on nothing really is happening and it is too frustrating for 500 pages.
Sadly it didn't feel like a fun satire to me. I wasn't really finding much in it funny besides Dan's boss Marty.
Did I like reading this book? Yes. Was I crazy about it? No. But I have a feeling that if there is a sequel I might still get it.
I liked the characters. Not as in I would like to be friends with them, I really wouldn't, but they were really well developed. I am especially impressed by the portrayal of alcoholism struggle. Now this was incredibly real. But my main issue with the book was that it is as if nothing is going on. Realistic problems of thinking how to flush your toilet without wasting water, how to go away for a longer distance when there are no cars but as if with all that is going on nothing really is happening and it is too frustrating for 500 pages.
Sadly it didn't feel like a fun satire to me. I wasn't really finding much in it funny besides Dan's boss Marty.
Did I like reading this book? Yes. Was I crazy about it? No. But I have a feeling that if there is a sequel I might still get it.
May 28, 2021
Lights Out In Lincolnwood by Geoff Rodkey. Thanks to @harperperenial for my gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Altman family is fairly normal: stressed daughter, angry son, distracted father, and a mother who enjoys her vodka. But nothing is normal in Lincolnwood when the lights go out.. and phones, and cars, and all electronics. Is it temporary? How does the privileged town respond in the coming days?
It is rare that I find a book like this. I will always give a book five stars if it has heavy topics but still makes me laugh my pants so bad I pee (childbirthx2). One of the characters was hilarious to me and I just wish he had been in it from the beginning! This was a much quicker read than I expected. Time flies when you’re having fun. I loved the kids, the parents, the circumstances and how exasperated they each were in their own way. I think I’ll be chuckling about certain parts for a while. The best part is that the humor was about things that wouldn’t necessarily be funny; they’d be terrifying, and in my opinion, that takes talented writing.
“Life on Brantley Circle was starting to feel more and more like a video game, and he’d always sucked at video games.”
Lights Out In Lincolnwood comes out 7/6.
The Altman family is fairly normal: stressed daughter, angry son, distracted father, and a mother who enjoys her vodka. But nothing is normal in Lincolnwood when the lights go out.. and phones, and cars, and all electronics. Is it temporary? How does the privileged town respond in the coming days?
It is rare that I find a book like this. I will always give a book five stars if it has heavy topics but still makes me laugh my pants so bad I pee (childbirthx2). One of the characters was hilarious to me and I just wish he had been in it from the beginning! This was a much quicker read than I expected. Time flies when you’re having fun. I loved the kids, the parents, the circumstances and how exasperated they each were in their own way. I think I’ll be chuckling about certain parts for a while. The best part is that the humor was about things that wouldn’t necessarily be funny; they’d be terrifying, and in my opinion, that takes talented writing.
“Life on Brantley Circle was starting to feel more and more like a video game, and he’d always sucked at video games.”
Lights Out In Lincolnwood comes out 7/6.
January 6, 2025
Exactly how I imagine any post-apocalyptic scenario in the suburbs would go. Epic.
July 7, 2021
The Altman family was a bit of a disaster even before the lights went out. Dan (the dad) works for an insufferable manchild as a writer on a Law & Order knockoff show. Jen (the mom) has let an occasional round of boredom-induced day-drinking blow up into full-on alcoholism. Chloe (the daughter) is wound super tight as she stresses about tennis and college and re-re-retaking the ACT. Max (the son) is an uncoordinated nerd with a secret Juul vape habit. They have plenty of money, but none of them are particularly happy or connected to each other.
Then, when the lights go out (and planes fall from the sky and the water shuts off and the cars and phones and vape pens stop working), the Altmans are forced into a survival situation none of them are even remotely prepared to handle. The story is told in alternating chapters from each of the four family member's perspectives, and it's simultaneously funny and so very messed up.
I loved the combination of suburban family drama and apocalyptic scenarios -- there's a Whole Foods looting, crazy neighbors, AA meetings, unwanted houseguests, and whole lot of denial and terrible planning -- this book was really entertaining.
* thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial & Paperbacks for the eARC— AVAILABLE as of 7/6/21!
Then, when the lights go out (and planes fall from the sky and the water shuts off and the cars and phones and vape pens stop working), the Altmans are forced into a survival situation none of them are even remotely prepared to handle. The story is told in alternating chapters from each of the four family member's perspectives, and it's simultaneously funny and so very messed up.
I loved the combination of suburban family drama and apocalyptic scenarios -- there's a Whole Foods looting, crazy neighbors, AA meetings, unwanted houseguests, and whole lot of denial and terrible planning -- this book was really entertaining.
* thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial & Paperbacks for the eARC— AVAILABLE as of 7/6/21!
October 1, 2021
An interesting look at what happens in a NJ suburb (based on Montclair, Upper Montclair, Glen Ridge) when the power goes out. They eventually discover that it is not a simple power outage but an EMP which renders all cell phones, internet, modern cars with computer chips, etc dead. Nothing can be bought with credit. Cash registers are useless. How do these educated people handle this and the fear that it might just be permanent?
Rodkey's characters are spot on including the snotty priveleged teens. Let's hope we never have to test our survival skills.
Rodkey's characters are spot on including the snotty priveleged teens. Let's hope we never have to test our survival skills.
August 20, 2021
3.5 on this one. This book was like a satirical Leave the World Behind with a strong dose of rich people problems. The story was well written, I just didn’t like the characters (even though I was rooting for them to survive) and I feel like the ending was sort of inevitable but also was hoping there would be more to it.
September 22, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast-paced quick read with a creative plot. Looking forward to the second book since it ended on a cliff hanger
July 6, 2021
Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted copy, all opinions are my own!
Wow, what a book!
I know we are starting to see more pandemic/doomsday books come out in the face of the COVID-19 shutdown, but this book felt special. And very realistic too! One day randomly all technology stops working, from cars to lights to vape pens....and of course this community is torn up in the process. In a way, its like a modern day telling of Lord of the Flies.
I mean, you've even got the "big, strong, disgraced" man that usurps the (female) mayor and takes matters into his own hands. Forms his own militia, armed to the teeth with guns, with the intention to invade a neighboring borough because they have something we do not. Honestly, it got very 0 to 100 in this book!
The story is funny, with each character battling their own issues outside the technological shutdown, and they come closer together through this too. I enjoyed each and every one of the characters and their silly little dalliances, and it was interesting seeing just how differently they all reacted to the situation at hand.
The writing was amazing, it kept me engaged and even had me thinking my phone would be dead too! Despite being a 450ish page (?) book, I read through it quickly because the story just flowed so well. The ending just has me asking for more, because I still have so many questions! So this has the feel of a zombie apocalypse story, but without the zombies and without modern technology either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, even if I am not a huge fan of how the ending played out. It felt like a very realistic problem, and I can 100% imagine the same chain of events going down in real life. I'm a sucker for a good doomsday book (One of my favorites being Life as We Know It), and I loved the authors writing too. Honestly if I was not sent this book, I probably would have never picked it up and that would have been a shame!
Wow, what a book!
I know we are starting to see more pandemic/doomsday books come out in the face of the COVID-19 shutdown, but this book felt special. And very realistic too! One day randomly all technology stops working, from cars to lights to vape pens....and of course this community is torn up in the process. In a way, its like a modern day telling of Lord of the Flies.
I mean, you've even got the "big, strong, disgraced" man that usurps the (female) mayor and takes matters into his own hands. Forms his own militia, armed to the teeth with guns, with the intention to invade a neighboring borough because they have something we do not. Honestly, it got very 0 to 100 in this book!
The story is funny, with each character battling their own issues outside the technological shutdown, and they come closer together through this too. I enjoyed each and every one of the characters and their silly little dalliances, and it was interesting seeing just how differently they all reacted to the situation at hand.
The writing was amazing, it kept me engaged and even had me thinking my phone would be dead too! Despite being a 450ish page (?) book, I read through it quickly because the story just flowed so well. The ending just has me asking for more, because I still have so many questions! So this has the feel of a zombie apocalypse story, but without the zombies and without modern technology either.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story, even if I am not a huge fan of how the ending played out. It felt like a very realistic problem, and I can 100% imagine the same chain of events going down in real life. I'm a sucker for a good doomsday book (One of my favorites being Life as We Know It), and I loved the authors writing too. Honestly if I was not sent this book, I probably would have never picked it up and that would have been a shame!
July 28, 2021
3.5/5
This one has such a unique premise, it’s a mix between family drama and apocalyptic set in the suburbs of New Jersey. You hear from all four members of the Altman family in alternating chapters. Dan is the father who is a screenwriter, Jen the mom who quit her job to raise her kids and can’t stop thinking about her next drink, Chloe the oldest who is obsessing about college applications and Max the youngest who has a secret vape addiction. We meet them right before everything even remotely related to technology just stops working. It really made me think about just how much of my day to day life is dependent on tech and basically I wouldn’t function without it. So definitely an intriguing concept and I found myself relating to their struggles and laughing along with them. My only gripe was that it was long and dragged at times and for such a beefy read the ending felt rushed. I switched to the audio almost immediately and I’m glad I did because I’m not sure I would’ve been as engaged had I not been listening to the amazing narrators bringing the Altman’s to life. So I definitely recommend that route if you’re an audio fan and found this to be a mostly enjoyable read about a typical messy American family.
This one has such a unique premise, it’s a mix between family drama and apocalyptic set in the suburbs of New Jersey. You hear from all four members of the Altman family in alternating chapters. Dan is the father who is a screenwriter, Jen the mom who quit her job to raise her kids and can’t stop thinking about her next drink, Chloe the oldest who is obsessing about college applications and Max the youngest who has a secret vape addiction. We meet them right before everything even remotely related to technology just stops working. It really made me think about just how much of my day to day life is dependent on tech and basically I wouldn’t function without it. So definitely an intriguing concept and I found myself relating to their struggles and laughing along with them. My only gripe was that it was long and dragged at times and for such a beefy read the ending felt rushed. I switched to the audio almost immediately and I’m glad I did because I’m not sure I would’ve been as engaged had I not been listening to the amazing narrators bringing the Altman’s to life. So I definitely recommend that route if you’re an audio fan and found this to be a mostly enjoyable read about a typical messy American family.
July 11, 2021
A possible apocalypse and a dysfunctional family trying to cope forms the basis of Lights Out In Lincolnwood - it is a fun read that is entirely character driven.
This is another of those novels where the actual apocalyptic event is very much in the background, its the affect on people's ability to deal with the sudden loss of all the reliable things that is at the heart of things. We follow one family who were falling apart prior to the disaster and now must find a way to come together for survival.
It's a gentle tale in lots of ways, a slow descent and realisation that the world will never be the same, as such it works very well and is a different perspective on the usual disaster stories.
I didn't really like the family, the mother particularly irritated me so much but that aside this is a very different and really well written book that I'd recommend.
This is another of those novels where the actual apocalyptic event is very much in the background, its the affect on people's ability to deal with the sudden loss of all the reliable things that is at the heart of things. We follow one family who were falling apart prior to the disaster and now must find a way to come together for survival.
It's a gentle tale in lots of ways, a slow descent and realisation that the world will never be the same, as such it works very well and is a different perspective on the usual disaster stories.
I didn't really like the family, the mother particularly irritated me so much but that aside this is a very different and really well written book that I'd recommend.
July 30, 2023
Tell me how this book is over 500 pages long and it went N O W H E R E
It's not even funny how much I hated this book, all of this book had no plot! We don't know why anything happened, we don't have worldbuilding, we don't have anything apart from a dysfunctional family that whines about everything and does nothing to fix it!
It's not even funny how much I hated this book, all of this book had no plot! We don't know why anything happened, we don't have worldbuilding, we don't have anything apart from a dysfunctional family that whines about everything and does nothing to fix it!
October 1, 2021
Apocalypse novels are pretty terrifying and this kind, where an EMP takes out all of technology, is not only frightening, it could actually happen. I read an indie book years ago about this and it stuck with me forever. What would you do? How would you survive? Do you have what you would need to survive and protect yourself against the inevitable downfall of society? 😳 This book is a deep dive characterization into a typical upper middle class family that is completely self absorbed with their own problems. When everything just literally stops, they have to come to terms with what they thought was so important (pre-shutdown) and figure out how to come together as a family. It is told in alternating POV between all 4 Altmans over 4 days as things go from frustrating to confusing to crazy to insane. There are some hilarious parts but overall it’s pretty terrifying. I want to go to Costco right now, stock up and then build a bunker in my basement. 😳😂 I’m only half joking.
TW: descriptions of murder on TV shows, detailed alcoholism, assault, bullying, teen sex, teen drug & alcohol use, gun violence, suicide, B&E, home invasion
TW: descriptions of murder on TV shows, detailed alcoholism, assault, bullying, teen sex, teen drug & alcohol use, gun violence, suicide, B&E, home invasion
April 21, 2023
I can't believe I had the pleasure of reading this book. Well, I say pleasure... I had heart palpitations almost throughout. But it's so good!! The characters are likable and unlikable at the same time. Like real human beings. The actions they took and the thoughts they had often felt relatable, and accurate in the circumstances they found themselves in. If you enjoy end-of-the-world-books, this HAS to be on your list.
July 1, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I loved this book—it was a combination of two of my favorite storylines: the beginning of the apocalypse & rich people problems. I loved the Altmans & their befuddlement as they tried to navigate a suddenly changed world with no power, working vehicles or any technology. Honestly, this story of society devolving over the course of a few days seemed quite realistic, though probably on the funnier side. If you want explanations & tidy endings you probably won’t like this one, but it was a great peek at the beginnings of societal collapse from the POV of a completely average, upper middle class American family.
I loved this book—it was a combination of two of my favorite storylines: the beginning of the apocalypse & rich people problems. I loved the Altmans & their befuddlement as they tried to navigate a suddenly changed world with no power, working vehicles or any technology. Honestly, this story of society devolving over the course of a few days seemed quite realistic, though probably on the funnier side. If you want explanations & tidy endings you probably won’t like this one, but it was a great peek at the beginnings of societal collapse from the POV of a completely average, upper middle class American family.
July 5, 2021
Dnf'ing this one. Might pick it up back later. Not in the mood to read this and wasn't attached to any of the characters. Thank you Harper Perennial for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review
August 7, 2024
Surprisingly entertaining, bit mad about the short ending though.
September 30, 2021
This was such a page turner! I don't always love multiple POVs but the way they were mixed into short chapters felt so natural and kept the pace of the story going so quickly that I just couldn't put the book down. Each of the main characters had their own personalities and flaws and one of them was particularly unlikeable which all combined to make a completely relatable family.
I particularly liked the relationships that each character had outside the home and the ending left me hungry for more.
What a wild ride. When does the sequel come out? I think this needs to be a movie too.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher/author for a copy of the book in exhange for my honest review.
I particularly liked the relationships that each character had outside the home and the ending left me hungry for more.
What a wild ride. When does the sequel come out? I think this needs to be a movie too.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher/author for a copy of the book in exhange for my honest review.
September 30, 2021
I’m not sure what I read. I thought I’d love it but the ending somewhat ruined it for me. A dystopian novel set in the suburbs with a clueless family trying to survive seemed like a great premise to an exciting satire. But I’m so upset that I sat through that entire story (and it was a long, meandering one) to get to a highly underwhelming ending. The family was pretty funny and not unlike most (especially given the current day dependence on technology). But I’m struggling to find a tangible meaning outside of the fact that most of us have very few survival skills that would be useful in an apocalypse. I did learn how important it is to have flashlights, be honest with your loved ones and cherish natural resources - so maybe that’s the point.
3.5 rounded down because, boy, did I dislike how it ended.
3.5 rounded down because, boy, did I dislike how it ended.
July 3, 2024
Initially put this on my TBR after hearing Tina on the Book Talk, etc podcast talk about it.
I raced out and bought it and was disappointed when I couldn’t engage in the story. In the first few pages the characters are all very unlikable. I put it back on my shelf to read another day. Picked this back up and while the first few pages read the same, I connected to the story this time. Exactly why NRN exists. Sometimes a DNF is a NRN. It wasn’t the right time to read it the first time.
The characters aren’t likable in the beginning. That is sort of the point. This is the story of the Altman family. They are your typical white upper middle class family. Focused on accomplishments and very disconnected from each other. Dan is obsessed with work. Chloe is hyper focused on AP classes, the ACT, tennis and college essays. Max is vape-addicted and a bit of a loner. Jen is a stay at home mom with a drinking problem. In the beginning, they all seem to be existing in their own worlds without connection to each other. They are irritated with each other and perceive actions by others as personal slights. Each one of them also thinks their personal problems have the most weight. That is until the world changes. By mid-morning, they realize just how different life can be without electricity.
Planes fall out of the sky, credit cards don’t work, cars don’t work and phones are useless. How do you survive without technology and electricity?
Rodkey’s narrative focuses on the immediate aftermath. It doesn’t go into long term consequences of an electrical grid collapse. That would also be interesting but a completely different story.
The ALtman family continues to try to exist in their own worlds as things fall apart, but eventually figure out they need each other.
Chloe tries to focus on tennis and studying. And even finds moments to hang out with a boy.
Max spends a lot of time hunting for nicotine but also connects with an older neighbor.
Jen realizes she truly has a problem with alcohol. The biggest surprise to me was how Dan reacted.
Some genuinely funny moments in this terrifying story. Not terrifying because of gore, paranormal events or serial killers. Terrifying because it made me realize how vulnerable we really are.
The author did an excellent job of portraying how slowly the niceness of suburban America slips away when people are challenged to live without daily necessities. Most of suburban America would do exactly what these characters do at first. Politely interact with neighbors, have parties to use up rotting food but then when things get uncomfortable… the niceness disappears. Fascinating exploration of society.
Really enjoyed this!
I raced out and bought it and was disappointed when I couldn’t engage in the story. In the first few pages the characters are all very unlikable. I put it back on my shelf to read another day. Picked this back up and while the first few pages read the same, I connected to the story this time. Exactly why NRN exists. Sometimes a DNF is a NRN. It wasn’t the right time to read it the first time.
The characters aren’t likable in the beginning. That is sort of the point. This is the story of the Altman family. They are your typical white upper middle class family. Focused on accomplishments and very disconnected from each other. Dan is obsessed with work. Chloe is hyper focused on AP classes, the ACT, tennis and college essays. Max is vape-addicted and a bit of a loner. Jen is a stay at home mom with a drinking problem. In the beginning, they all seem to be existing in their own worlds without connection to each other. They are irritated with each other and perceive actions by others as personal slights. Each one of them also thinks their personal problems have the most weight. That is until the world changes. By mid-morning, they realize just how different life can be without electricity.
Planes fall out of the sky, credit cards don’t work, cars don’t work and phones are useless. How do you survive without technology and electricity?
Rodkey’s narrative focuses on the immediate aftermath. It doesn’t go into long term consequences of an electrical grid collapse. That would also be interesting but a completely different story.
The ALtman family continues to try to exist in their own worlds as things fall apart, but eventually figure out they need each other.
Chloe tries to focus on tennis and studying. And even finds moments to hang out with a boy.
Max spends a lot of time hunting for nicotine but also connects with an older neighbor.
Jen realizes she truly has a problem with alcohol. The biggest surprise to me was how Dan reacted.
Some genuinely funny moments in this terrifying story. Not terrifying because of gore, paranormal events or serial killers. Terrifying because it made me realize how vulnerable we really are.
The author did an excellent job of portraying how slowly the niceness of suburban America slips away when people are challenged to live without daily necessities. Most of suburban America would do exactly what these characters do at first. Politely interact with neighbors, have parties to use up rotting food but then when things get uncomfortable… the niceness disappears. Fascinating exploration of society.
Really enjoyed this!
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