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Desolation
Where were you when the world ended?
Will Hale was teaching a class in a distant city. One night, he went to bed with a fever. The next morning, he woke to silence.
Hallways emptied.
Roads clogged with stopped cars.
TV’s displaying static.
Now Will, an IT geek with no survival training, must figure out what is going on and how to help those he cares for.
Because there is no one else.
Will Hale was teaching a class in a distant city. One night, he went to bed with a fever. The next morning, he woke to silence.
Hallways emptied.
Roads clogged with stopped cars.
TV’s displaying static.
Now Will, an IT geek with no survival training, must figure out what is going on and how to help those he cares for.
Because there is no one else.
- GenresScience Fiction
203 pages, ebook
Published December 1, 2022
58 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Brian Hill
5 books26 followersBrian Hill is a writer of speculative fiction who likes to explore the dark and twisted corners of the human mind. He is the author of Desolation, a thriller about a deadly virus that destroys society, and The Artifact, the first book in the Parata Occult Mystery series, which follows a Native-American detective investigating supernatural crimes in New Orleans.
His stories are inspired by real locations, Lovecraftian lore, and his own vivid imagination. He has a knack for creating suspenseful plots, memorable characters, and terrifying monsters that will keep you up at night.
When he’s not writing, Brian enjoys playing music, pen and paper RPGs, and video games. He also likes to travel to exotic places and pretend he’s Indiana Jones.
He once wrote a novel in one sitting, using only his left hand. He can speak fluent R’lyehian, the language of the ancient gods. He has a pet dragon that he keeps in his basement. He is banned from several countries for being too awesome.
P.S. This last paragraph was written by AI, so maybe take it with a grain of salt.
His stories are inspired by real locations, Lovecraftian lore, and his own vivid imagination. He has a knack for creating suspenseful plots, memorable characters, and terrifying monsters that will keep you up at night.
When he’s not writing, Brian enjoys playing music, pen and paper RPGs, and video games. He also likes to travel to exotic places and pretend he’s Indiana Jones.
He once wrote a novel in one sitting, using only his left hand. He can speak fluent R’lyehian, the language of the ancient gods. He has a pet dragon that he keeps in his basement. He is banned from several countries for being too awesome.
P.S. This last paragraph was written by AI, so maybe take it with a grain of salt.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 31, 2023
Rating: B
Desolation is a speculative apocalyptic novel about Will Hale, an IT teacher, who comes down with a mysterious illness that very quickly results in the full collapse of society. Will, having recovered from a 4 day haze of sickness needs to know if his still lives family is after being unable to reach them.
I liked that Will's profession actually comes relevant in the story and how he uses his skills to "hack" computers to get himself a brand new car. It really read as someone who knew what they were talking about. I also really liked how Will really tries to help people or do good but then genuinely accidentally screws up. You can even see his dad's parenting style reflected in Will's own and his impulsive reactions.
I did feel like the book was kind of predictable. We spent almost half the book in a flashback about Will and Shae's relationship and raising Kai, which kind of detracted from the apocalyptic part of the story. Before we know it, Will's zoned back in and he's almost home - so even less of the societal breakdown is there.
I did think it was a pretty good, digestible read. A similar read might be Wanderers by Chuck Wendig.
Desolation is a speculative apocalyptic novel about Will Hale, an IT teacher, who comes down with a mysterious illness that very quickly results in the full collapse of society. Will, having recovered from a 4 day haze of sickness needs to know if his still lives family is after being unable to reach them.
I liked that Will's profession actually comes relevant in the story and how he uses his skills to "hack" computers to get himself a brand new car. It really read as someone who knew what they were talking about. I also really liked how Will really tries to help people or do good but then genuinely accidentally screws up. You can even see his dad's parenting style reflected in Will's own and his impulsive reactions.
I did feel like the book was kind of predictable. We spent almost half the book in a flashback about Will and Shae's relationship and raising Kai, which kind of detracted from the apocalyptic part of the story. Before we know it, Will's zoned back in and he's almost home - so even less of the societal breakdown is there.
I did think it was a pretty good, digestible read. A similar read might be Wanderers by Chuck Wendig.
December 18, 2022
I would like to thank Voracious Readers Only and Author Brian Hill for a copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving this review. I have to start by saying that this book may be difficult to read since we've been dealing with COVID for these past few years. A virus breaks out that seems to be getting everyone sick and Will is desperate to get back home to his wife and child. There doesn't seem to be anyone else alive at the hotel where he is staying. As he makes his way home,memories of Shae and how they met flood his mind. I couldn't help but cheer him on as he used his wits to continue his journey. All along I'm hoping that his family is ok when he finally walks into his home. I won't give away the ending. Suffice it to say that this book will stay with you.
February 21, 2023
It’s rare I absolutely devour a book.
Desolation is bleak, but it’s compelling.
The premise is an ordinary man with zero survival skills survives an apocalypse. Will is that man. A hundred and fifty miles from home, and he is the only survivor of a fatal virus. Is his family alive? We follow Will in his attempts to get away from the city he’s in and cross the country.
Will is a conscientious man, but he’s not fit. In my head, Dan Goodman was playing him during his Roseanne days of the late eighties (showing my age). He does his best for the one person he finds still alive, but he’s not a doctor. When he takes food, he leaves notes, and he pays for fuel, because he can’t believe the world has ended. He even chooses the cheaper of the available vehicles.
The first half of this book is a page turner. What happens? How does he solve that?
It’s excellent.
But…
And there’s always a but, isn’t there?
I felt slightly cheated by what became a good chunk of text when the first half of the book morphed unexpectedly into a Bruce Springsteen song. Whilst I found it interesting reading about Will’s life growing up, meeting his wife, dating, kids, the whole shebang, it did not sit comfortably with the rest of the book. I know why it’s there now I’ve finished, but I feel there was a better way of dragging that emotion out of me rather than a flashback lasting a third of the book. Instead, more of the end of the world would have made this book a firm favourite.
The writing is excellent. I like the ending and the questions it leaves open. It loses a star because, as much as I like Bruce Springsteen, I hadn’t signed up for that.
Desolation is bleak, but it’s compelling.
The premise is an ordinary man with zero survival skills survives an apocalypse. Will is that man. A hundred and fifty miles from home, and he is the only survivor of a fatal virus. Is his family alive? We follow Will in his attempts to get away from the city he’s in and cross the country.
Will is a conscientious man, but he’s not fit. In my head, Dan Goodman was playing him during his Roseanne days of the late eighties (showing my age). He does his best for the one person he finds still alive, but he’s not a doctor. When he takes food, he leaves notes, and he pays for fuel, because he can’t believe the world has ended. He even chooses the cheaper of the available vehicles.
The first half of this book is a page turner. What happens? How does he solve that?
It’s excellent.
But…
And there’s always a but, isn’t there?
I felt slightly cheated by what became a good chunk of text when the first half of the book morphed unexpectedly into a Bruce Springsteen song. Whilst I found it interesting reading about Will’s life growing up, meeting his wife, dating, kids, the whole shebang, it did not sit comfortably with the rest of the book. I know why it’s there now I’ve finished, but I feel there was a better way of dragging that emotion out of me rather than a flashback lasting a third of the book. Instead, more of the end of the world would have made this book a firm favourite.
The writing is excellent. I like the ending and the questions it leaves open. It loses a star because, as much as I like Bruce Springsteen, I hadn’t signed up for that.
November 25, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
I actually quite liked this book. A little bit thriller, a little bit horror, and a whole lot of suspense, Desolation definitely piqued my interest.
Will Hale is an IT geek who travels the country teaching others about technology. His newest trip was like any other, except his students start getting sick. Really sick. Sick enough that they have to call in to say they’re missing Will’s bootcamp. Unfortunately, whatever went around continues to spread and Will finds himself coughing, nauseous, and with a fever. He goes to bed hoping to sleep it off, but when he wakes up, everybody is gone and Will needs to figure out how to get back to his family… if there’s still a family to return to.
This was a solid read. To be completely honest, it didn’t blow my socks off, but I liked Will, and I thought the writing was quite well done. The novel itself is kind of a heart-wrencher and considering what is happening in the world today, this concept isn’t necessarily completely fictional. I wasn’t a huge fan of the author jumping back and forth between Will’s past and present, but I understand why he wrote it this way. I only wish the transitions were a little smoother as sometimes I felt I was being jerked back and forth between now and then. Still, a really good read and very enjoyable!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Brian Hill for my copy! I received an ARC copy of this novel and I am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I actually quite liked this book. A little bit thriller, a little bit horror, and a whole lot of suspense, Desolation definitely piqued my interest.
Will Hale is an IT geek who travels the country teaching others about technology. His newest trip was like any other, except his students start getting sick. Really sick. Sick enough that they have to call in to say they’re missing Will’s bootcamp. Unfortunately, whatever went around continues to spread and Will finds himself coughing, nauseous, and with a fever. He goes to bed hoping to sleep it off, but when he wakes up, everybody is gone and Will needs to figure out how to get back to his family… if there’s still a family to return to.
This was a solid read. To be completely honest, it didn’t blow my socks off, but I liked Will, and I thought the writing was quite well done. The novel itself is kind of a heart-wrencher and considering what is happening in the world today, this concept isn’t necessarily completely fictional. I wasn’t a huge fan of the author jumping back and forth between Will’s past and present, but I understand why he wrote it this way. I only wish the transitions were a little smoother as sometimes I felt I was being jerked back and forth between now and then. Still, a really good read and very enjoyable!
Thank you Voracious Readers and Brian Hill for my copy! I received an ARC copy of this novel and I am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 3, 2023
Different from your standard formula book.
I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers only for an honest review. It is definitely different from your standard book, which makes a refreshing change, and for people looking for something a bit different this is one for you. Where most authors would only gloss over the challenges a person would experience in the situation the main character finds himself in, this author goes into the finer details of them, drawing the reader deeper into what it might be really like, this is, not as simple as you would think.
The larger portion of the second half of the book is mainly a flashback which provides the full story of the start of the character's relationship with his wife, with several short returns to the present timeline. Some people may not like such a large portion of the story spent on this, but I feel in the end it enhances the end of the story when the character makes finally makes it home.
The ending is very sudden and leaves some things in the air. Again, some people may not like that but that's one of the things which makes this story different as it leaves you with questions to think about. The author did write an epilogue which he sent out in a newsletter, but said he decided to leave it out of the book. If you do get a chance to read it, it answers a couple of questions, but raises more. Maybe the author has plans to write a sequel to address these questions and decided to leave the epilogue out to give himself more options. Time will tell.
I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers only for an honest review. It is definitely different from your standard book, which makes a refreshing change, and for people looking for something a bit different this is one for you. Where most authors would only gloss over the challenges a person would experience in the situation the main character finds himself in, this author goes into the finer details of them, drawing the reader deeper into what it might be really like, this is, not as simple as you would think.
The larger portion of the second half of the book is mainly a flashback which provides the full story of the start of the character's relationship with his wife, with several short returns to the present timeline. Some people may not like such a large portion of the story spent on this, but I feel in the end it enhances the end of the story when the character makes finally makes it home.
The ending is very sudden and leaves some things in the air. Again, some people may not like that but that's one of the things which makes this story different as it leaves you with questions to think about. The author did write an epilogue which he sent out in a newsletter, but said he decided to leave it out of the book. If you do get a chance to read it, it answers a couple of questions, but raises more. Maybe the author has plans to write a sequel to address these questions and decided to leave the epilogue out to give himself more options. Time will tell.
December 4, 2022
This was really well done and unique from other post-apocalyptic books I’ve read in that it doesn’t showcase a character with exceptional outdoor skills or physical prowess but rather a somewhat average person with computer knowledge. Will Hale is on a business trip when he comes down with something. After he recovers, there is no one anywhere, and it appears that all communications have gone silent. This is the story of him trying to get home to see if his family has survived the pandemic. It seems at least possible because they live out in the country, so maybe they haven’t been infected. We get to learn more about his family and what they mean to him in the flashbacks that occur while he’s traveling. I would have really enjoyed one or two additional present day scenes, but I do understand why the author chose to place the bulk of the flashbacks in the travel phase of the trip. We all daydream and reminisce behind the wheel. The story was compelling and the character very likable in this short, easy read.
I received a copy of this through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this through Voracious Readers in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2022
I got a bit of mixed feelings about this book, it really starts great, then it stops and goes to descriptions of what Will is doing, and then goes back to his teen years, of when his life became what is now, a husband, father, a man with a family and then goes back to the story, and trigger warning, the first page should have a warning, lose all hope when reading this story…
It is a story that while is depressing, the book is written In a way that is easy to read, hmm I read many books about the end of the world, even when all hope is lost, like in the book “on the beach”, there’s closure, I didn’t find that here.. Even “the road” ended in a more higher note… but I suggest you to grab a copy and read for yourself, maybe you’ll appreciate this book way more than what I did…
After reading the book I went back and looked to the cover, one thing I don’t really understand is, why is there an open condom package there, so the part where he thinks about his past is more important than what is happening in the present? To be fair more than 45% of the book is thinking about the past and when the main character meet his the now wife.
Thank you VoraciousReaders for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
It is a story that while is depressing, the book is written In a way that is easy to read, hmm I read many books about the end of the world, even when all hope is lost, like in the book “on the beach”, there’s closure, I didn’t find that here.. Even “the road” ended in a more higher note… but I suggest you to grab a copy and read for yourself, maybe you’ll appreciate this book way more than what I did…
After reading the book I went back and looked to the cover, one thing I don’t really understand is, why is there an open condom package there, so the part where he thinks about his past is more important than what is happening in the present? To be fair more than 45% of the book is thinking about the past and when the main character meet his the now wife.
Thank you VoraciousReaders for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
August 6, 2023
This book was sent to me by Voracious Readers Only
This book follow Will who is a 30 year old man who is away from his family to teach a group of students a course. On the first day two of them come down with a cold that then seems to spread to everyone. This then gives Will terrible symptoms that nearly kill him and it appears he is the only one left alive. He then tries everything to get home to his wife and son as he reflects on his life back to when he met his wife.
A fantastic apocalyptic dystopian novel, I absolutely loved it
This book follow Will who is a 30 year old man who is away from his family to teach a group of students a course. On the first day two of them come down with a cold that then seems to spread to everyone. This then gives Will terrible symptoms that nearly kill him and it appears he is the only one left alive. He then tries everything to get home to his wife and son as he reflects on his life back to when he met his wife.
A fantastic apocalyptic dystopian novel, I absolutely loved it
January 26, 2023
It's an interesting take on the virus-survival genre. A computer nerd trying to get home to his family while dealing with the fallout of a deadly outbreak. The survival parts are excellent but the book is split between the main character remembering his backstory and the present-day survival. Given how it ends, it's a bit strange it was written like this but it's effective.
It's a very quick one-day style read and solid.
Received as an ARC.
It's a very quick one-day style read and solid.
Received as an ARC.
November 27, 2022
I received a free copy of this story through Voracious Readers. The premise of the story is great, and quite timely. It makes you think about how you would react in an unthinkable situation. I have to say I found the story a little jarring with a mixture of some good suspense, some gory parts, a little too much unnecessary detail in some places, and flashbacks that felt sort of like an alternate reality to me - although that is probably intentional. The main character seems to have been a bit of a passenger in his everyday life - letting events move him along. That is no longer an option. Spoiler alert: The title is quite telling.
November 30, 2022
Good Story
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was very interesting.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I enjoyed this story quite a bit. It was very interesting.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
May 20, 2023
Lonliness
Enjoyed the book even though it will make you sad. The catches your attention and you keep wondering what he will discover.
Enjoyed the book even though it will make you sad. The catches your attention and you keep wondering what he will discover.
Read
November 2, 2022This is a Voracious Readers Only read. I really enjoyed it. I think it's something we've all thought about during the last few years and told really well. I would definitely recommend this to people if you're into this sort of story. It's really good and easy to read and sympathize with. And an ending you don't expect, it really punched it in!
April 28, 2023
I received a copy of this title from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. I was very pleasantly surprised by this title. I have read a lot of apocalyptic fiction (a lot!) and it has been very hard lately to find a new approach to the genre but Hill’s take on the end of the world was a very welcome and entertaining read. The main character is mid-career IT professional Will Hale, who is teaching a seminar in an unfamiliar city when he and his students start feeling sick. When Hale wakes up, he has no idea how long he was ill or what has happened around him. Hill shines when he is describing the psychological progression that his character goes through as the realization that everyone around him is dead becomes apparent. A large portion of the novel consists of flashbacks that relay Hale’s history, underscoring the importance of his family to his ongoing mental stability and overall well being. Hill’s approach to how an everyday person with no survival training would be able to function in a world turned upside down with no warning is extremely well done. No zombies, cannibals, or meteors, just an unknown illness and a desperate desire to get back to loved ones.
December 4, 2022
This is my first time reading this author, and he is definitely worth a first read. Honestly, haven't you ever thought about going to a deserted Island with no one else around for miles? Well, this story takes that thought and pushes way beyond "Leave Me Alone." Our main character Will truly does not enjoy or appreciate his life. Will, constantly lives in this negative space which is a real drag. It is super easy to mistreat your loved ones when they are there. But, what happens when the world you know is no longer? Most individuals would party their behinds off, find that lost love, or just walk away from the life you are complaining about. All of the above sound really exciting, but let us remember Will is all by himself. Life is not always Black and White, sometimes there is a ton of Gray. Our friend Will Hale for sure woke up on the Gray side of the bed....
This story has a very Out of Limits vibe which is great! I enjoyed this book and would recommend to everyone especially those who like Post-Apocalyptic stories. Thank you Voracious Readers Only and author for my free copy of this book.
This story has a very Out of Limits vibe which is great! I enjoyed this book and would recommend to everyone especially those who like Post-Apocalyptic stories. Thank you Voracious Readers Only and author for my free copy of this book.
April 18, 2023
[I would have give this 3-1/2 stars if the option was available.
This story is a post-apocalyptic thriller with a side order of romance. Yes, that is a strange combination.
It follows along as IT instructor Will Hale, while on a teaching assignment, contract a virus that lays him flat out. Once he is finally able to leave his hotel room, he discovers that most of his students have died from the same mysterious sickness that affected him. The one remaining student dies despite all the help Will is able to provide for him. Then Will discovers that everyone in the hotel, maybe the whole city, seems to have succumbed to this sickness. It seems that whole country is been plagued by this menace. Is anyone still alive? He is determined to make his way to his wife and son, hopeful that they will have survived since they live in the country and not an urban area where the virus is more likely to spread quickly.
The title of the book, Desolation, is perfect for this story. It sums up in one word the feelings of the main character, as he tries desperately to get home to his family. Will is a computer geek so finds himself outside his comfort zone as he tries to figure out how to navigate this strange occurrence.
I have mixed feelings about the plot though. It seems unlikely that no one else survived this pandemic. Surely others must have pulled through the sickness if Will did.
This story is a post-apocalyptic thriller with a side order of romance. Yes, that is a strange combination.
It follows along as IT instructor Will Hale, while on a teaching assignment, contract a virus that lays him flat out. Once he is finally able to leave his hotel room, he discovers that most of his students have died from the same mysterious sickness that affected him. The one remaining student dies despite all the help Will is able to provide for him. Then Will discovers that everyone in the hotel, maybe the whole city, seems to have succumbed to this sickness. It seems that whole country is been plagued by this menace. Is anyone still alive? He is determined to make his way to his wife and son, hopeful that they will have survived since they live in the country and not an urban area where the virus is more likely to spread quickly.
The title of the book, Desolation, is perfect for this story. It sums up in one word the feelings of the main character, as he tries desperately to get home to his family. Will is a computer geek so finds himself outside his comfort zone as he tries to figure out how to navigate this strange occurrence.
I have mixed feelings about the plot though. It seems unlikely that no one else survived this pandemic. Surely others must have pulled through the sickness if Will did.
April 4, 2023
okay, this one is different....
...From most every other post-apocalyptic story. It is a long, detailed narrative about one person's experience on the first day of the event. But, completely different (as in unusual) is the amount of time spent on the main character's meeting and relationship with wife and subsequent child...Really very deep character development for seemingly no point. Several other "rabbit holes" as the author describes actions the he, himself, must be very knowledgeable about.
Don't get me wrong. It's written very well and it is interesting as far as it goes. But one is left with a " Well, really, what now?" feeling. Again, very different.
Sincerely,
...From most every other post-apocalyptic story. It is a long, detailed narrative about one person's experience on the first day of the event. But, completely different (as in unusual) is the amount of time spent on the main character's meeting and relationship with wife and subsequent child...Really very deep character development for seemingly no point. Several other "rabbit holes" as the author describes actions the he, himself, must be very knowledgeable about.
Don't get me wrong. It's written very well and it is interesting as far as it goes. But one is left with a " Well, really, what now?" feeling. Again, very different.
Sincerely,
April 2, 2023
In reading this book, which I received gratis for an honest review, I find myself grappling with a perplexing issue: how to categorize it. While the promotional material boasts a clever fusion of "The Martian" and "The Stand," the book itself defies such easy classification, presenting instead a curious amalgamation of disparate elements.
And yet, for all its genre-bending qualities, the book proves to be a thoroughly engaging read. I devoured it in a single lazy Saturday, a feat I rarely accomplish. Although it lacks the propulsive tension of a typical thriller, and while it can at times become bogged down in minutiae, the book's pacing remains largely in tune with the protagonist's introspective character.
While the book is not overtly terrifying or gory, it maintains a compelling sense of apocalyptic dread. It is not, however, a traditional horror story. Indeed, attempting to pigeonhole this book into any particular genre feels reductive and unsatisfactory.
Upon reflection, I cannot help but consider the book's final act. While I will not divulge any spoilers, I must confess that I predicted the outcome halfway through the narrative. And while this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, I cannot help but wonder if an unexpected twist might have heightened the book's emotional impact.
As I sit here typing this review, it occurs to me that the book reads like an early draft, one that could benefit from additional rounds of revision. Nevertheless, its flaws do not detract from its inherent appeal.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to readers willing to approach it with an open mind, free from preconceptions and expectations. The book's unconventional narrative structure demands a flexible approach to reading and interpretation, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
And yet, for all its genre-bending qualities, the book proves to be a thoroughly engaging read. I devoured it in a single lazy Saturday, a feat I rarely accomplish. Although it lacks the propulsive tension of a typical thriller, and while it can at times become bogged down in minutiae, the book's pacing remains largely in tune with the protagonist's introspective character.
While the book is not overtly terrifying or gory, it maintains a compelling sense of apocalyptic dread. It is not, however, a traditional horror story. Indeed, attempting to pigeonhole this book into any particular genre feels reductive and unsatisfactory.
Upon reflection, I cannot help but consider the book's final act. While I will not divulge any spoilers, I must confess that I predicted the outcome halfway through the narrative. And while this did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book, I cannot help but wonder if an unexpected twist might have heightened the book's emotional impact.
As I sit here typing this review, it occurs to me that the book reads like an early draft, one that could benefit from additional rounds of revision. Nevertheless, its flaws do not detract from its inherent appeal.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to readers willing to approach it with an open mind, free from preconceptions and expectations. The book's unconventional narrative structure demands a flexible approach to reading and interpretation, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
April 12, 2023
This book has an interesting, though not uncommon, premise of how a regular guy would deal with a pandemic that suddenly kills nearly everyone but him. We see the start of people, including Will, getting sick but then when he ventures out of his room, the event and ensuing chaos is over and he (and we) missed it. We do get to see some of the ingenuity that the main character must use to get some supplies and get home to his family. This should have been more interesting than it was but was diluted with the constant diversion to absolute minutiae of what he was doing. I really did not need to know exactly what Will was cooking for himself, the details of which were sufficient to have been a recipe. The technique for hacking the key vault could have been interesting, but again there was way too much unnecessary detail to keep focus. A very large part of the book then covers (in detail) his first meeting with his wife Shae and then how their lives in high school progressed. Did we need to get a sense for who Will Hale was and his relationship with his family? Sure, but most of the book ended up being his early life and not handling this apocalyptic event. The ending made me realize I would never get back the time I spent reading this. Still, I managed to finish it so gave it two stars, but wish I had stopped before the end.
March 29, 2023
This feels like the opening third of a much longer book. The story flows well, and we learn a little about Will Hale, and how he comes to the scary circumstances of a major disaster... but really? Pandemic again? But since the world comes to an end over the course of (it seems) just a few days, we avoid too many messy details and launch into survivalist mode where the central character is intent on getting food and transport so he can get back home.
The journey turns into an extended flashback of his life rather than an actual road trip, but sadly things do not end well. I was left with lots of unanswered questions.
I feel I know WIll Hale quite well and his history was well-written and engaging - but there's precious little about the state of the world post-Plague and what his future might hold. I felt the story needed more characters, more conflict - and, as previously advised - more pages!
A good read, but the ending was a bit abrupt.
The journey turns into an extended flashback of his life rather than an actual road trip, but sadly things do not end well. I was left with lots of unanswered questions.
I feel I know WIll Hale quite well and his history was well-written and engaging - but there's precious little about the state of the world post-Plague and what his future might hold. I felt the story needed more characters, more conflict - and, as previously advised - more pages!
A good read, but the ending was a bit abrupt.
October 13, 2023
Just another paragraph from The Stand
Picture the first time you read Stephen King's The Stand. Remember all of the vignettes as society collapses? Yeah, this is a novel-length version of one of those. It tries to be suspenseful, but it's not. It tries to have a dark twist at the end, but you see it coming a mile away. It tries to explore the depth of meaning in teenage romances and childbirth but misses the mark pretty widely. There's just no redeeming factor to this other than learning about ninja rocks (which, fair play, is why it has two stars instead of one).
I love Hill's Parata series so far, and I'm thankful that I found those first, because if this had been my first encounter with Brian Hill, it would also have been my last.
Picture the first time you read Stephen King's The Stand. Remember all of the vignettes as society collapses? Yeah, this is a novel-length version of one of those. It tries to be suspenseful, but it's not. It tries to have a dark twist at the end, but you see it coming a mile away. It tries to explore the depth of meaning in teenage romances and childbirth but misses the mark pretty widely. There's just no redeeming factor to this other than learning about ninja rocks (which, fair play, is why it has two stars instead of one).
I love Hill's Parata series so far, and I'm thankful that I found those first, because if this had been my first encounter with Brian Hill, it would also have been my last.
March 29, 2023
A bit boring. There’s a lot of description and detail, but very little action or dialogue. I understand that a man on his own after a dystopian pandemic wouldn’t talk much but it made the story boring. Also, I don’t understand how places like hospitals and emergency services could be depopulated so quickly when hazmat gear is available and how people could have passed the virus so quickly if they respected the quarantine orders.
April 20, 2023
Desolation is about a plague that kills off most of humanity. It's a bit boring, as there is no real action or danger. Just one man trying to get back home, and the boring details of going to convenience stores or auto dealers and stealing a truck. No zombies. The ending was a downer, but it's honest.
August 15, 2023
I didn't like this book. I had to force myself to finish reading it. Given the ending I wish now that I had stopped.
The book swung wildly between overly detailed and drawn out to vague blurred jumps in story line. It was a hard read pace wise.
The ending was despicable. Not even a strongly worded trigger warning could have saved it. I will not read more from this author.
The book swung wildly between overly detailed and drawn out to vague blurred jumps in story line. It was a hard read pace wise.
The ending was despicable. Not even a strongly worded trigger warning could have saved it. I will not read more from this author.
November 13, 2022
A free book from Voracious Readers thank you
The end of the world bought on with a deadly pandemic. The story of a lone survivor and and his trials to return home to his family with hope in his heart.
Were his fears realised? To find out read Desolation
The end of the world bought on with a deadly pandemic. The story of a lone survivor and and his trials to return home to his family with hope in his heart.
Were his fears realised? To find out read Desolation
February 3, 2023
Awful
Sick, sick sick! Why anyone would want to depress his readers is beyond me.
I will never read another book from this author. The only finished reading it because I
had expected a different ending.
To me, this author is a terrible person.
Sick, sick sick! Why anyone would want to depress his readers is beyond me.
I will never read another book from this author. The only finished reading it because I
had expected a different ending.
To me, this author is a terrible person.
February 4, 2023
Depressing
I had hope off and on reading this. Clearly someone with computer knowledge, lots of detail and good story line but horrible ending.
I had hope off and on reading this. Clearly someone with computer knowledge, lots of detail and good story line but horrible ending.
February 8, 2023
Interesting book
Interesting storyline… but a very disappointing ending! I kind of feel robbed of the time I invested in the book.
Interesting storyline… but a very disappointing ending! I kind of feel robbed of the time I invested in the book.
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