48 States

by Evette Davis

What if trusting a stranger is the only way to save your life?

Widow, single mother, and Army veteran Jennifer “River” Petersen works as a truck driver in Energy Territory No. 1, formerly known as North Dakota. Forced to enlist after her father’s death, the lines of River’s life have been redrawn, much like the United States’ map has changed. Living in a motel room with nothing but her books and a Glock handgun for company, River is weeks away from returning home when an injured man standing in the middle of the highway upends her plans. From the moment he encounters River, Finn Cunningham knows he must conceal his identity as the son of the President of the United States or be left for dead. His deception draws them into a megalomaniac’s deadly conspiracy to ignite a civil war and overthrow the government. If River and Finn want to survive, they’ll have to learn to trust one another and themselves.

Perfect for readers who loved Station Eleven, California, and Gold Fame Citrus, 48 States is a one-of-a-kind dystopian thriller about the dangers of extremism and the power of love and forgiveness. When author Evette Davis is not writing novels, she co-manages San Francisco-based public affairs firm. 48 States is her third novel, and she’s currently at work finishing the Dark Horse trilogy, with the final book slated for publication in 2023. Her work has also been published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Genres: Dystopia, Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Speculative Fiction, Suspense

242 pages, Paperback

Published June 7, 2022

About the author

Evette Davis is a science fiction and fantasy writer. She is most recently the author of 48 States, which Kirkus named one of the Best Indie Books of 2022. The book was also a quarter-finalist for the BookLife Prize 2023 and longlisted in the 2023 Indie Book Awards.

Davis is also the author of The Others and The Gift, the first two installments of The Council Trilogy, which Spark Press will publish beginning in September 2024.

Davis is a member of the Board of Directors for Litquake, San Francisco’s annual literary festival. In 2023 and 2017, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library honored Davis as a Library Laureate. Her work has also been published in the San Francisco Chronicle.

When she's not writing novels, Davis advises some of the country’s largest corporations, non-profits, and institutions as a consultant and co-owner of BergDavis Public Affairs, an award-winning San Francisco-based consulting firm. Before establishing her firm, Davis worked in Washington as a press secretary for a member of Congress. She previously was a reporter for daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Davis splits her time between San Francisco and Sun Valley, Idaho. Visit www.evettedavis.com for more information or to sign up for her newsletter.

Reviews

[Lisalena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited at the beginning of the story, as it started with an interesting premise - following a catastrophic terrorist attack, 2 states were abdicated for the purpose of generating emergency energy supplies. Quite a stretch, but I was willing to give the book my suspension of disbelief, to see how the author could structure the storyline to logically uphold the original premise.

However, the internal logic never seems to emerge. Around a third of the way in, the story becomes full throttle preposterous: The wounded hydrologist's mother is actually a frazzled-mom-slash-President of the United States? Huh? Not to mention, the mom is being pushed around by an oil tycoon who somehow has managed to domineer the the entire Executive Office, regardless of the the rest of the surviving cabinet?

And while President Mom is scrambling to repair the wreckage of the US, she can't help but get distracted and pine for her overwhelmingly ethical, estranged husband who left her when she became President. Right. The First Gentleman left his wife The President and their son so he could embark on compulsive charity work around the ruins of the country. But President Mom understands his need to do so and somehow finds the time to keeps tabs on him. Huh?

The emergence of a teen romance storyline was the last straw, and I was unable to finish the book.

Gripping post-apocalyptic story? No. Lifetime afternoon matinee? Maybe.

[Kaili (Owl Book World) · Rating 2 out of 5]

48 States really has a cool concept of a dystopian United States. My only issue is that the story lacks any details to me. I feel like we aren't given any logical reason as to why the territories were even created. Why exactly do so many people need to move out of their homes and out of the state completely for this?
Honestly, I'm kind of questioning why it got to this point as well. I get that terrorists attacked but this has happened before so I'm not really connecting why they closed off the United States completely. Was it so bad that they just had to do it?
I wish there were more details as to why Red goes completely nuts and wants more territories. I feel like I completely missed something when it comes to him. His attitude and pushiness is really lacking any explanation.
But I do have to say that I really like River and Finn. Moreso River because I love her strength. You don't get a lot of that in books even though it's starting to become more common.

[Auggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. This leans more pulp dystopian than literary which puts it on par with some of the Kindle Unlimited dystopia fiction I’ve read. Not a bad thing but it did make me reset my expectations. However, once the romance was shoehorned in, I just couldn’t anymore. Stopping at 50%.

[Mike Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

'48 States' has an intriguing and original premise, a strong female lead and a powerful opening with short, crisp chapters, like well-done establishing shots plus some character-building close-ups. The world-building is low-key but threatening. I liked that there was a little bit of violence in the first chapter to get first blood out of the way and to establish the lawless nature of the Energy Territory and the toughness of River, our heroine.

For me, the book worked best when River was at the centre of the storytelling, which was about the first sixty per cent of the book. She felt real to me and I enjoyed seeing the world and the people in it through her eyes. She has the ex-army background, practical competence and solitary but tough personality that is de rigeur for any action hero about to take on impossible odds but she's far from a cliché. She's a mother and a widow and she's had her life derailed more than once. She's multilingual and escapes from the world into books. She's a survivor, not a crusader and she has limited expectations of personal happiness.

I was convinced by the premise of the book. I could see a swing towards totalitarianism in the face of two large-scale terrorist attacks, one of which beheaded the government. Converting sparsely populated States into Territories to enable oil and gas extraction that would secure the USA's energy needs is something I can easily imagine the fossil fuel lobby pushing hard for.

Where the book started to work less well for me was when the focus switched from River to the President of the United States. She was also a strong, well-drawn character who felt real to me but I struggled to believe that her principled, 'I will defend the constitution of this great nation and restore and protect the democratic rights of its citizens' stance would have stood much of a chance when confronted by a well-funded and well-organised kleptofascist movement led by a charismatic megalomaniac. Maybe that's my problem rather than the book's problem. Either way, I found the ending at best anticlimactic and at worst unbelievably optimistic.

The part that worked least well for me was the President's big speech. Personally, I've never heard a speech by a President that I've found inspiring. I'm deeply suspicious of their intention and largely immune to their techniques, so the big speech was never going to be a highlight for me. I could see that the plot needed it and that it needed to be powerful, so I'd have let it pass if it hadn't gone on so long and hadn't included a poem and long quotations from Kennedy and Lincoln.

The final part of the book didn't work for me. The action scenes were well done. The various reconciliations and happy-ever-afters went on too long, felt too neat and were accompanied by what felt like sermons on the nature of good government and healthy relationships.

Perhaps I'm just allergic to optimism. More positive readers, especially those with a patriotic bent, may find the ending deeply satisfying.

For the most part, I enjoyed '48 States' and I admired Evette Davis' writing so, I've picked up her next book, 'Woman King' which kicks off a fantasy trilogy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the year 2042, the United States is rebounding from a series of terrorist attacks and upheaval that has left the former Secretary of State as the new President.  In the aftermath, she has had to make the harrowing decision to turn two states into energy territories, displacing all of the people there.  Redmond Pierce is the CEO of Universal Industries that is in charge of extracting all of the resources from the land.  His heartless approach hasn't escaped the President or her son, Finn who is just outside the territories collecting water samples.  Red sets out to stop Finn from divulging what is in the water samples, but Finn makes an escape and finds aid in an unlikely companion, River, an army vet doing long hauls in the energy territory.  Against River's Instincts she chooses to help Finn and finds herself risking her life for a stranger and finding out who she can trust. 


48 States is a dystopian thriller that shows what can happen when greed and power take over. A strong beginning threw me into the story with amazing characters.  I loved River's character from the beginning as she stood up for herself within the territory of mostly men.  River is strong both physically and mentally, but that is not her entire character.  As the story unfolds, River's backstory is revealed so we can see her many layers, tragedies that she has overcome and why she chose the difficult journey that she did. When Finn and River find one another, the suspense increases.  Finn's character is mysterious and honest. I enjoyed seeing him and River interact as they learned how to trust people once again.  With this trust, they are able to bring the President evidence of Universal's environmental mismanagement.   River and Finn's romance built naturally and did not get in the way of the story.  While fate seemed to bring them together, they truly made one another whole.  The climate and terrorism aspects of the story were intriguing to me.  I was wondering how the US got themselves into the situation they are in since it does not seem too far off from where we are now.  There are bits of that backstory explained, but not fully explored.  Red's characters symbolized many of the ways of thinking that are detrimental to society, a power-hungry misogynist with dangerous ideals and belief systems.  While Red's character seemed a bit over the top, there are definitely people just like this in the world.  48 States is an emotional, surprising, yet realistic dystopian thriller. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

[Mal Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Day by day as I write, evidence continues to surface about just how close we came to losing democracy in the United States. Right-Wing extremists and religious zealots nearly disrupted the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021. They’re still trying. And it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that sometime in the near future likeminded people will succeed in seizing control of the United States government. It’s a theme that has given birth to a host of dystopian novels over the years, most notably including Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here (1935) and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). Evette Davis updates the theme in 48 States, portraying the US in the grip of a fascist nightmare two decades down the road. The novel is a truly disturbing picture of a near future America.

A SHAKY ASSUMPTION
Davis’ novel rests on the shaky but convenient premise that a future iteration of ISIS succeeds in assassinating almost all the country’s leaders. Progressive Secretary of State Elizabeth Cunningham is the highest-ranking survivor and rises to the presidency. Immense pressures force her to disband Congress, cancel elections, institute nationwide surveillance, deport aliens, and enter into a hare-brained scheme advanced by a Texas oil mogul. By presidential order, two states—North Dakota and Wyoming—are now “Energy Territories” managed by the mogul’s company, Universal Industries. Fracking is now the order of the day, producing millions of barrels of oil to release the US from dependence on the Middle East.

CHARACTERS BRILLIANTLY PORTRAYED
Improbable circumstances aside, 48 States is a wrenching near future dystopia that manages to push any liberal reader’s buttons. But it’s also a great read, because Davis so skillfully portrays her characters. The principal figures in the story are all finely drawn in three dimensions. It’s difficult not to relate to them as the tale unfolds. And the novel’s plot is uncomplicated, focusing the reader on the human dimensions of the tale. The thrust of the story quickly becomes clear as we meet the central characters.

RIVER
Jennifer Petersen, known as River, is an ex-soldier and war widow who has moved to North Dakota. She drives a truck there, hauling waste from the oil fields, earning the money she needs to support her mother and three-year-old daughter back in Idaho. Driving home one night she spots a wounded man standing in the middle of the road. Against all the rules, since he is clearly a fugitive, she picks him up and takes him to the motel room where she stays.

FINN
The wounded man calls himself Finn. He’s a hydrologist who had been taking samples from the Missouri River to determine whether Universal Industries has been polluting the water. (No surprise: they have been.) River calls him “Ivy League,” and the nickname is apt. He holds an advanced Yale degree and clearly comes from a wealthy family.

RED AND COOPER
Meanwhile, we learn that Finn’s wounds weren’t an accident. Redmond Pierce, known as Red, the CEO of Universal Industries, reveals in conversation with Cooper Smith, his security chief, that he had ordered Finn killed and is distressed that the young man is still alive. But Cooper’s order to wound, not to kill Finn, was just the first step in his growing effort to resist Red’s megalomania.

ELIZABETH
All the while we gain insight into the perspective of President Elizabeth Cunningham, who is struggling to combat Red Pierce’s mad schemes to drive the United States further into fascism. The President misses her husband and son, both of them missing somewhere in the West.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In the bio on her author website, Evette Davis writes that she “is the author of 48 States and Woman King and Dark Horse, the first two installments of The Dark Horse Trilogy. When she’s not writing novels, Davis dispenses advice to some of the country’s largest corporations, non-profits, and institutions as a consultant and co-owner of BergDavis Public Affairs, an award-winning San Francisco-based public affairs firm. Before establishing her firm, Davis worked in Washington as a press secretary for a member of Congress and as a reporter for daily newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area. . . Evette splits her time between San Francisco and Sun Valley, Idaho, with her husband, daughter, and dog.”

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique take on dystopian United States.

No one could have anticipated the attacks that would occur on United States soil. Multiple political assassinations took out much of the country’s leadership until the Secretary of State was the next in line for the presidency. After that, things changed rapidly. In order to become fully oil independent, the states of North Dakota and Wyoming were completely evacuated to be used solely for energy production, giving them the names Energy Territory No. 1 and No. 2. Congress was suspended. Millions were deported out of the county and immigration came to a halt. The county as we knew it, ceased to exist.

River Peterson works as a truck driver in Energy Territory No. 1. After returning from the Caliphate Wars, her husband took his own life, leaving her and her daughter with massive debt. There was little she could do beside take a job in this wasteland to pay everything off before she could return to Idaho to see her mother and daughter. One night on the way to her apartment, a man runs out in front of her truck. She can see that he is deeply wounded and makes the decision to take care of him. Unbeknownst to her, he is Finn Cunningham, the son of the President of the United States and is trying to prove the harm that the territories are causing the rest of the country’s water supply. When the dawn of a new threat arises within the borders of the county, River and Finn must work together to find a way to save their own families and countless others in the process.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a unique take on dystopian literature. This genre has become so common that it seems like authors either have the same ideas or someone is getting copied. However, Davis brings a fresh look with 48 States. Named so because two of the states are evacuated for energy production, this book dives into some of the darker areas of what could potentially happen to our country. I loved both River and Finn as the two main protagonists. They were cut from different cloths, but still so much the same. Both characters had some growth, which might have had to have some setbacks first. The villain was quite overplayed as well, but when you have an egotistical maniac on the loose, what do you expect. The story was interesting to read out and I thought it was well done. There is some language throughout and some implied sex, but nothing really graphic or over the top. Even so, I still recommend this book for mature readers.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

[Gloria Cangahuala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not normally read dystopian novels because the genre is not usually my cup of tea. However, I received this thriller (thank you for autographing it, Evette Davis!) in exchange for an honest review, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it!

The book is set in a future where the U.S. has been reduced to 48 states, with 2 of the states redrawn as Energy Territories in response to a national crisis. Jennifer "River" Petersen, a military vet and single mother, works as a truck driver in one of the Territories to make ends meet. One night she comes across an injured man standing in the middle of the highway. From that point, River's life is upended, as the man does not reveal who he is, and that one detail draws both of them into a conspiracy that could very well destroy the country.

It took me a little bit to get into the book because, as I mentioned earlier, I don't normally like dystopian novels. However, Davis's writing style really appealed to me, and before long I found myself engrossed and unable to put the book down. The plot was tightly constructed, and I really appreciated that - no dangling unaddressed issues or superfluous unnecessary bits. I also liked the gradual revelations of each character's past, how the character development stretched throughout the entire book. I feel that this engaged me more, as it made me care more about EVERY character, and they felt wonderfully human. The bad guy was a little over-the-top, almost in a Hollywood movie fashion, but I didn't mind that too much. There was plenty of entertaining action, but it didn't get in the way of plot and character development. It was just a very well-written book.

Thanks to the author for making my first foray into dystopian fiction an enjoyable one!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dystopian story of the United States. We are not told exactly what happened to force the United States to discontinue the rights of Americans. We do know the President and high level government people were killed, as well as a mall attack. Red, a former soldier convinces the President to make several states into Energy Territories. All the people must leave Montana, Wyoming and several other states, so Red can get the oil out and save the country. River, a female former soldier is working in the Territories to save money for her mother and daughter. River meets Finn, who has dropped in the street after being shot. She saves him. Because Red wants Finn dead, the two go on the run. River finds out Finn is the son of the President, Elizabeth Cunningham. Elizabeth is trying to bring the rule of law back to the country.

[Tonstant Weader · Rating 2 out of 5]

48 States features a strong, capable, and independent protagonist named River who is flagged down by a wounded man on the road. Finn is the President’s son, something he doesn’t tell River immediately, certain she would abandon him if he did. She patches him up a bit and soon the two are on the run chased by homicidal mercenaries in the employ of an oil company executive who has lost the plot.

Redmond (Red) Pierce is the complete villain. He has no redeeming qualities, believes in nothing but himself, and narrates his plans to his targets just like a Bond villain. His goal is to overthrow the government and install himself.

48 States presumes a dystopian near future after a terroristic attack by Muslim extremists on the White House kills the President, Vice-President, Speaker, and President pro tempore of the Senate in one blow, handing the Presidency to a reluctant Secretary of State. Inexplicably, she accedes to Red’s plan to achieve energy independence by evacuating everyone from Wyoming and North Dakota and allowing Red’s company total control of those former states in order to forestall and need to import oil.



I am somewhat conflicted about 48 States. There is a propulsive energy to the writing that kept me interested but then there are the things that made me snort. Red is one. Successfully evil villains hold their cards closer to their chest. Red took out neon signage.

Then there is the inexplicable choice of North Dakota and Wyoming as sources of our energy independence. There’s only about 6 billion barrels in the Bakken oil reserve and it’s very expensive to extract. They’ve already extracted the easy oil, one reason many who worked in the Bakken have been laid off as production goes to cheaper places. Wyoming has only about 2 billion barrels and again, not easily or inexpensively extracted. All the oil in ND and Wyoming is less than two years of oil demand. It makes no sense. Then Red wants Pennsylvania. I have to ask what happened to Texas and Alaska?

Also, wouldn’t the reasonable reaction be to invest more in wind, solar, and nuclear energy, not in a finite and polluting source? This just made no sense at all.

The story would be more interesting if the writing were less omniscient. Putting the reader in the head of all the main characters leads us to an over-reliance on telling us what will happen and why. I am a real believer in show, not tell, writing. It involves the reader more directly because we get to figure things out. In 48 States the readers are passive, there is nothing for us to infer as everything is told to us. Evette Davis has imaginative and new stories to tell. 48 States gives us a completely original idea of the future, but she needs to trust her readers more.

I received an ARC of 48 States from the publisher through LibraryThing.

48 States at Flesh and Bone Publishing
Evette Davis author site

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...

[Amanda Auler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read plenty of dystopians, and several thrillers, but never something listed as a dystopian thriller! So, it being a new genre for me I was excited to dive in.
I think the pacing of this book is really well done. I was immediately invested in this girl named River who is this bada** trucker living in abandoned states that the USA is using for fracking. She drives a hauler, is a good shot, fluent in at least three languages, and reads like a fiend. When she meets Finn, life begins to spiral from one adventure to the next.
At first the “third person limited omniscient” threw me off. It switches viewpoints from one paragraph to the next, but by halfway through the book I stopped noticing it and it flowed.
Unfortunately, the writing and characters ended up falling flat for me. The author does a lot of telling versus showing, which I was willing to gloss over, but I couldn’t do the same with the characters. They started off so promising but got lost as the story went on. The villain was bland and completely childish. I never got that “oh no!” feeling I get from thrillers. River, who I really liked at the beginning, made decisions that I (as a mother) did not recognize in another mother. I felt her motivations were muddled and it made me stop rooting for her about halfway through.
The most well written character was the president, I really loved her heart even after the hand she was dealt.
Overall, I did want to continue reading and see how it ended. I give this book a solid three stars out of five and appreciate the author sending me a paperback copy for me to read–I love a physical book and this one will stay on my shelves!

[Amanda Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I used to think I didn't like the dystopian genre, but it's books like this one that prove me wrong.

River is a single mom fresh out of the military and working in a newly formed American government territory doing dangerous transporting work. Between the dangerous job and having to fight off men with bad intentions everywhere she goes, River plans to do one more transport, then retire back home with her mom and daughter.

One night when River is driving home she comes across an injured man in the road. Against protocol in the territory, River ends up helping the stranger and bringing him home to hide in her room. They spend a nice night talking to each other and River finds that he is quite enjoyable to spend time with, after enduring such loneliness for so long. So, when the police come to her room looking for him, she finds it hard to give him up.

The stranger turns out to be an important person to the country as well as to River and she fights for both their lives to be saved.

I really enjoyed the story and the writing was wonderful. This is a well-conceived and well-written book.

I won this through LibraryThing.

[Heather Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5 stars*. “48 States” has an intriguing premise. There have been domestic terrorists attacks in the U.S. and several states have had their citizens relocated (refugees within their own country) to establish an ‘Energy Territory’. River is widow, single mother and former veteran working as truck driver in the Energy Territory. Finn is the son of the President of the United States running for his life from the power hungry sociopath who wants to ignite a civil war and overthrow the government. River picks him up on the road but doesn’t know his real identity. Now they are both running for their lives. The first part of “48 States” is great but it gets lost through the middle. River is a fantastic lead character and Finn is well-written too but some of the others were just a bit one note. I think the ending was tied up rather too neatly and the romance was not needed at all. Overall, it’s a decent read but lacking real depth.

[blueygurl2016 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a little bit more of an actiony thriller type, but this was more of a weird mix of a political drama, kinda sorta dystopia, romance, and family drama. But it somehow mostly worked? Just not quite exactly what I was expecting. Red was one of the most chauvinistic characters I’ve ever read and it absolutely irritated me reading about him. His line about Elizabeth being emotional cause she was on her period and then him kinda retracting it because “Oh I made an oopsie” made me want to punch him so hard lol. 😂 Usually I feel something when characters die, even bad guys, but I was like happy when he died oof. 😅 Poor Joshua though. When Finn and River reconciled at the end and Finn was taking Ava fishing my face did the 🥺 emoji. It was such a cute and wholesome way to end the book after a pretty stressful climax.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out strong. A dystopian near future of the United States. After several terrorist attacks the US government essentially goes on lockdown. Placing tracking chips in all citizens, massive deportation and cutting off immigration, and commandeering 2 of the states and turning them into territories where gas and oil production to make the US a self sustaining nation.

If the story had just stayed in the vein of espionage and terror it would have garnered more stars from me. The laser fast romance thrown into this book was nauseating at best and creepy at worst.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book a few months ago, started it, got scared, and put it down. I thought that I knew what the book was about. I was wrong.

This isn’t a dystopian book. The book takes place in 2040. No spoilers. Great characters. Well-written. Feasible. Read it for yourself.

I was fortunate enough to win this book, and two others that just were moved to the top of my tbr pile, in a contest probably in late 2022. I read no books before their time, but I kinda wish that I had read this one sooner.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very plausible book about politics which mirrors all too closely what could happen, especially with Trump once again running and his inability to to not act like a dictator. Well written and really enjoyed the characters, particularly River. I did find myself suspending belief on a few occasions and wishing the book was longer to fill in the gaps about the “why” of the territories and some of the other aspects. The romance also felt a bit forced and could have been omitted for a stronger story.

[Mardi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Davis must have had premonitions to write this very interesting read. Davis brushes the US political arena with so much unnerving reality.

The main characters - River and Finn - have purpose and resilience. Trying to invoke some normalcy after a country’s catastrophe - this shines a bright light on some real-time dysfunction.

Amalgamating 50 United States to 48 = climate crisis, refugees, toxic waste, political chaos and too much greed and power - bringing Davis’ thrilling ride to the edge of a cliff.

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was scared by this book because it sounded like something that could happen in the near future. I loved River, Finn and Elizabeth. I loved that the story showed what could happen to the world when there are crazy people that can become leaders. This has a lot of action and many twists and turns. I received a copy of this book from Pacific and Court for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

good and scary

Alternate history is one of my favorite genres. This is alternate future history, near future at that, and pretty dang dystopian to boot. Also not too terribly unlikely, given the current political climate. The politics of this future United States revolve not around climate per se, but around energy and terrorism. I’m not normally a fan of dystopian tales, since our own country appears to be rapidly devolving into one recently, but this one is both believable and well-written.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found it prominently displayed at my local library and noticed the reference to Station Eleven, so I gave it a read. I liked it! This is very much a "post-pandemic" novel in that it grapples with an America that seems divided, a tyrannical/ narcissistic megalomaniac referred to by a color (not Orange, but.....) and a society that is dealing with the realities of climate change - and it's also a romance with strong female characters! I'm gonna look up her other books and would recommend it.

[Jude Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intelligent as well as suspenseful exploration of where our society is heading if we can’t figure out quickly enough how to save ourselves from the clutches of authoritarianism. Powerful female characters shouldn’t have to be the stuff of speculative fiction, but I was glad to spend time with and learn from the ones Evette Davis has created in 48 States.

[Cory Hammerstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my typical style of read and frankly, I'm not sure why I picked it up in the first place. I'm not one to give a 3 star review just because I found a book just "okay". I didn't want to abandon it, so that's something. I ended up liking it more because of the way apex of the story played out.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. The story was really interesting and hooked me in enough to want to keep reading to find out how it would end. I didn’t think it was incredibly unique or a standout story, but I did enjoy it.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but poor execution. Pros: intelligent, tough female characters and polical intrigue. Cons: the villian is misogynistic to the point of being a caricature and insta-love romance. Disappointing.

[Wally O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superlative raeding.

Extremely captivating read. Given today's turmoil in the US, this book makes things even more pertinent. People are coming from different perspectives, but the motivations are still similar. Great job.

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Sometimes great, sometimes not.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a chilling plot. A great read with great characters.

[Thom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly predicable. But it was an OK read.

[Alice Kanitz (bacardibookclub) · Rating 2 out of 5]

review here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDdO0-FxR...