The Unit

by Terry DeHart

In a world gone mad, one ordinary, suburban family must find a way to survive. But each member of the Sharpe family must struggle in their own way.

The is a former marine and, for him, survival means protecting his family by any means necessary.

The is learning just how much she will sacrifice for her children.

The was going to go to college. Now, her only hope is to hold on to what's right.

The is discovering a brave new world - a world with only one choice to kill or be killed.

When survival is on the line, what wouldn't you do for your family?

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Survival, Zombies

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 2010

Reviews

[Barakiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were lucky enough to pick this up at a secondhand bookshop. I say lucky, because survival is my favourite genre and this is post-apocalyptic, so yeah - lotsa survival going on. I enjoyed it, despite some issues.

The book starts out great, but unfortunately, gradually declines. I'll list why in my Cons section.
First, a note on the format: I was a bit wary going in, because of the different viewpoints. I don't generally like different VP characters, because I inevitably get impatient when we leave a character I'm very attached to. But, I have to say, that Mr. DeHart did a good job in keeping all characters pretty interesting. One does not feel agony when it switches viewpoints. Later, as the tension grows and the stakes rise, there are a few scene breaks where I wanted to die of curiosity/impatience, but they were few.

Pros:
1. Survival
2. Post-apocalyptic
3. 4 Viewpoints, father, mother, sister and brother. The reader is bound to relate to one of them.
4. Competent father, he's ex-military. He stays upwind, he hunts, he keeps his family safe.
5. Lots of grimness
6. Good world-building. Good scene-setting.
7. There's quite a bit of action
8. There are a few characters besides the 4 main protagonists. They are not very varied, however.
9. Quick read. Did it in 2 days.

Cons:
1. My major issues with this book had to do with 4 things.
a. One of the characters does something very stupid, idiotic and inconceivable. (The mother shooting up the plane. WTH. It ruined her bad-assery at the shop. She just turns into a hysterical woman who accidentally almost kills them all. WTH. Suggestion: Have BS pretend to sleep while the boy flies. BS waits til the mom falls asleep and the boy is flying a particularly tricky bit and BS grabs for the shotgun. THEN have it go off accidentally. That way no one seems incompetent.
b. Another of the characters does not react believably to certain stresses. Melanie's reaction to her rapes... Completely unbelievable. Everything that follows after that is unbelievable with regards to her. She hangs onto her idealism and tries to save her rapists... I don't buy it. Her unbelievable reaction to those stressors killed the believability of her character for me.
c. One of the character makes an unbelievably bad decision that leads to all the mess they get into. When the family goes through the town together after the father said he wanted to do it alone but the mom isn't a push-over so he takes them along. We need a much stronger reason here for him to take them along other than he just didn't want to fight. I would have bloody well fought if it was me. Makes a lot more sense him going in alone, while they watch from a hidey hole with binoculars. If something happens to him they can rescue him or they can go for help. Makes no sense that he would put them in danger like that. There needed to be a better reason for him to take them along. Maybe there are hunters in the woods. Maybe they encountered a bear. Something.
d. Towards the end it felt like the author just wanted to finish things up. It felt a little rushed and a bit unsatisfying, especially with regards to the antagonist. I would have liked to have SEEN the scene where the villain gets what's coming to him. But for some reason, the author skipped right over it. Very strange.

2. Bill Junior and his compatriots. I didn't buy that juvies would be able to overpower the National Guard. They would have been more believable as ex-cons, AWOL soldiers gone bad or a city gang.
3. A bit preachy.
4. Could have done with less reminiscences and dreams.

Theme:
I don't know if this is what the author was going for, but for me, Melanie's perpetual goodness, idealism, innocence, purity and peacefulness seemed to be a metaphor. When she died it signaled to me that the world had irrevocably changed and that the previous ideals had died.

I'd recommend it if you're into post-apocalyptic books. There were some good bits. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Warning: There's rape in this book. It is not explicit and handled tactfully, but it might be worth a heads-up to my fellow sensitive readers.

[Cheruv · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off great, I considered this 4*'s.
It has a great premise, the author has a military background so there is a sense of authenticity. The 4 member family unit each have their own distinct personality.

So, what happened?
1. For a book called The UNIT, they actually spend a very long time being split up. First when Melanie gets taken, then later when Jerry goes off to try and rescue her and Susan and Scott gets to fly to Sacramento. They only gets reunited near the very end, and then only to return to an almost dead Jerry, a dead Melanie and a "new member of the family"? They would probably have been better off sticking together, as a unit.
2. The antagonists, Bill junior and his mates are more competent than military trained adults... yeah, makes perfect sense. I mean they learned those things in juvie right?
3. Melanie the "peacenik" daughter get's caught, she is repeatedly raped, yet this does not seem to have caused her too much trauma. She does not get nightmares, she seems reasonably fine. Even near the end when she sees the group that raped her, she literally runs to stand between Luscious and her old man. She still think that peace is the answer and wants to stop them from killing each other... Really that was a VERY stupid scene, maybe the character just lost all her brains somewhere, and she caused her own death in a roundabout way and almost that of her dad when he scooped her up and ran away getting shot up in the process. Stupid girl. (Also, how come dad suddenly has the strength to scoop her up AND run away, when she was the one stronger than him at that point?)
4. Susan the mother literally has one of the coolest scenes where she walks out with the shotgun, and protects her family, she does get wounded but she does her thing, and I thought, wow, that was awesome lady. Then later on she totally freaks out at the sight of a nuclear detonation at Sacramento, I understand that it would upset her, but she loses it and 'accidentally' shoots the plane they were flying in even though she wanted to shoot Bill Sr, this allowed Bill Senior to wrestle the revolver from her and they were forced to go where he wanted, that was a very lame section...
5. Bill junior the "main antagonist" gets killed off, (Not by our "hero's" but by one of his own men, without a last viewpoint from him, that was disappointing. Also, what about his father, he walked off into the wilds, after a couple of viewpoints from him and is not seen again :/ ...

All in all, I liked the action parts, I liked that it was harsh and difficult for the characters, it is only realistic. This could have been a better book.
I wonder if the author is a pantser or a plotter, it felt a bit like pantsing to me. This may explain why the end sort of... tapers off without a really satisfying conclusion.

[ABookGeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like post-apocalyptic fiction and this definitely qualifies. The reader finds out exactly what happened to land this family and the rest of the country in this predicament gradually as the story progresses. Read the whole review here: http://abookgeek-llm.blogspot.com/201...

[Elias Scorsone · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book started well, but falls apart into a big mess that never gets better. The premise is that this is a family unit that survives together; the villain group is based on Billy the Kid; the characters are introduced well enough, seemed interesting.
Problems started when (a) they split up and never meet up until the end, (b) one subplot is brutal and immediately important, but isn't resolved for two thirds of the book, and isn't resolved in time at all; and because the author keeps moving over to (c) the other group, who really just meander with no direction. I was so disturbed by the events in the one plot that I couldn't relax on my vacation, and had to keep reading to know if there was resolution. The characters don't solve any problems, they just scuttle about until they get rescued or the can sneak away. What's annoying is you've got a main character who's a soldier, but there aren't times where his training really saves the day (ie: stops the rape gang), and he seems to just get in as much trouble as anyone else would, makes stupid mistakes, etc.
Also: (d) TOO MUCH RAPE!!!! omg, I get that it's horrific, but there are two groups of survivors whose main goal is making women into whores. Two separate groups. And as a plot device, rape and especially gang rape, is traumatic. If the villains *will* do it, it's moving the plot along as a need to escape or whatever. If they *actually* do it, and to a character you've taken the time for the audience to sympathize with, and you don't end the book having done something about that, you've traumatized and pissed off the reader.
(e) The main characters aren't the agents of their survival, but are rescued by outsiders. This includes a random survivalist gun nut who's just in his house with massive machine guns and munitions; and a group of young men who solve one problem while the story was going, and then show up to save the b-plot. The gun nut is there for one scene, where he helps the father and daughter fend off some teen rapists, and is shot after they get away.
(f) The main villains are dealt with by the end of the book, but by someone else, not the family. More importantly, there isn't a sense of resolution by the end of the book. It's just a meat grinder without purpose, and not in a literary intent kind of way. Given that the main characters aren't capable per se (ie: three of them are too wounded to fight, and the daughter is a pacifist who is also brutally raped for most of the story), it's another reason that the story doesn't feel satisfying.
(g) The entire story comes off as a cautionary tale for people who don't or won't use weapons, or have an arsenal in case the world goes insane; or who won't believe in God. Literally, the daughter who starts as an aetheist, is gang raped for days, but still refuses to kill, has a moment in nature where she relates life to Gaia, and is shot the next scene. My guess is the wife, who isn't sure if she wants to stay married to the father (who uses guns, started to pray again), will die next book after she turns away from God and her husband. Even in the beginning, a family of hippies is gunned down while the protagonists are forced to watch. Yes, that's a microcosm of the experience of reading the book. In a Trump America, it's even more annoying.
(h) The next book introduces a new character whose middle name is Melanie, the same as the sister who was killed. Meaning the first one is replaceable?
(i) Too much first person narration, not enough showing vs telling.

Anyway: the book bothered me, but I wanted to finish something I'd started. The author can write but if it goes nowhere, has no purpose, then it's not good enough. And, as I said, the promise of the book (a family sticking together to survive in a realistic post-nuclear california) was broken.

[Andy Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows a family trying to travel through California following a limited nuclear exchange and EMP attack on the US. The story is told in the first person, but the narration switches between the four members of the family and two of the main 'bad guys'. This is an interesting approach, but some of the characters are more believable than others. They do have distinct attitudes and personalities, but I didn't really feel like I cared much about any of them.

The book was exciting enough that it made me keep reading, but I wish that the family had been exposed to a greater variety of situations along their journey. The entire story is essentially an extended encounter with a single group of bandits, although other minor characters and locations do come and go. The actions scenes are good, but some of the slower parts of the story aren't so interesting.

Although this is a self-contained story, the end of the book contains a short extract from the planned sequel.

[Brad Theado · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started with a lot of action and ended with a slow meandering thought balloon of everyone's existential purging of what just happened.

I find it ironic that in these post apocalyptic stories characters just "happen" to find the one guy who has been saving M60 machines guns, like these things are all over the place just waiting for people to stumble over them. I guess within the context of the story this can be explained by the ever present God that the survivors are worshiping.

I know that readers want a shred of hope that it will work out in the end but I think these books paint a cleaner picture of the world than we will end up with.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a cliche cheesy family orientated action novel... DeHart blew this idea right out the window. A mix of The Road and The Book of Eli, i was very hard pressed to put the book down. With quick action and beautifully poetic writing, The Unit is a fantastic ride threw an apocalyptic nuclear amerika. Told from the first person view of half a dozen different characters, you are constantly left in a state that makes it impossible to not want to read the next page.
Probably one of the best books i've read this year.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't pleasant, because no dystopian novel can be, but it was well told from the perspectives of several different characters. I'm not sure I ever really liked any of them, but perhaps there is a bit of us all inside each of them. From that perspective, it's quite well done. I actually don't read dystopian novels ever, so the fact that I both started and finished this one says something for it.

[Jessie 🦑🤎 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn’t a very exciting book and it didn’t peak my Interest that much and It didn’t make me want to read it more so I just dropped it 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying depiction of possibility in our crazy world. A story that really pulls you in.

[Lissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Set in a world where terrorists have detonated nuclear bombs on American soil, the Sharpe family is trying to survive. The story is told in the first person featuring multiple points of view, including Jerry (the ex-Marine father), Susan (the mother), Melanie (the stereotypical peacenik vegetarian daughter), Scott (the son who gives off budding sociopath vibes), and Bill Jr (a leader of ex-juvenile hall delinquents who are using the chaos to do whatever they want).

I thought that I would like this book more than I did. The first chapter caught my eye, and that is why I bought it. But as I read more of the book, I found myself becoming increasingly disinterested. All of the characters sound EXACTLY the same; there isn't any variation. Melanie sounds like a 50-year-old man, and so does Scott.

The plot is really stereotypical and lacks imagination. I just *knew* that Melanie was going to end up being raped at some point, just to "prove" that her pacifist leanings didn't work in this new world, and it didn't take long for that to happen. She never seemed to really deal with what happened to her, either; she was raped repeatedly, and then...things were just okay. Umm...all right.

The world just didn't ring true to me, either. There's enough radiation fallout to make people sick when it rains/snows or to kill them if they walk into certain clouds, but there never seems to be any problem having enough fresh water.

And what's the deal with the group thinking about splitting up all of the time? I would imagine that having a "unit" would make them all stronger, instead of striking off on their own.

The ending just kind of meandered around and was completely anticlimactic. It was like the author just decided that he was tired of writing the book, so he stopped.

I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, but I can't recommend this one.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still trying to figure out whether or not I liked this book. I didn't dislike it. One thing I really, really loved was the author's ability to write multiple first-person perspectives and make each one distinctive. The voices didn't just blend together; I got a sense of who each person was. Multi-first really worked for this story and it lent and immediacy to the storytelling.

It was also a really interesting study of what might happen to polite society after a nuclear disaster right here in America. Post-zombie-apocalypse scenarios are so popular right now that it was refreshing to see something else as a catalyst to disaster. The characters reacted like people do: with fear and aggression and hope.

I suppose my real issue has to do with the character of Melanie.

SPOILERS!

As the daughter of the family unit, I had a horrible feeling at one point that she was going to end up being raped. And I wasn't wrong. It was handled well, I thought, by the author. And the aftermath of Melanie's capture seemed on par with her character so far. But I kept waiting for...well, more. More of a reaction to the horrible violation she endured (at least, what? twenty times?). And I kept hoping that she survived the ordeal with her sanity intact and was able to grow into a strong, capable woman despite what was done to her. To help protect her family, rather than need to be protected by them.

What happens instead? She dies at the end of the book. I very nearly tossed it across the room. I mean, really? Really???

Really?

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very fine example of post-apocalyptic literature, one of the most realistic that I've read. DeHart does not pull any punches as to the dangers and threats, both natural and human, in a post-nuclear environment. His writing is simple, straight-forward, and lively. His characterization is thorough and does not come off as overly canned, though I didn't find any of the protagonists particularly likeable, the daughter in particularly being a little much to take (both in terms of her character being sanctimonious and she is written somewhat unrealistic, in that she's awful put-together after being gang-raped and kept for days as a sex slave - no PTSD for her). The action is good and the plot engaging. The realism and likeliness makes you think.

I have some problems with the frequent God-stuff in The Unit. I would have been fine with it if I thought the characters' faith is being critiqued or satirized in some way, but, while reading, I often wondered if DeHart is an evangelical trying to witness through his work because the religiosity is so straight-faced and matter-of-fact. Several times, I snickered at Jerry's or Susan's or Scott's claims of small miracles and help from God, given that the world they are wandering through is irradiated and rife with rape and death. Why would an interventionist God grace them by clearing some clouds momentarily, but allow millions to die in an atomic fireball and subject others to torture and sexual assault? Makes sense to me!

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This concept and premise were good, but it kind of fell apart at the end. The story is about a family fighting to survive in a post apocalyptic world. Each chapter is the viewpoint of a different family member or character in the story. It was unique to see the same events through different perspectives.

The family spends a lot of time separated, so multiple storylines start coming at you fast. You even view it through the eyes of one of the antagonist at one point I believe (been a while a since I’ve read it). One thing I remember clearly is it seems to leave a lot unanswered. Not in an open-ended type of way, though. It just seems like the author forgot to close out some of the characters storylines.

Still think it’s worth a read.

[Rachael Schuler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very quick read -- keeps you interested in the fate of the characters at first. But despite my interest in where the book was headed I just didn't care about any of the characters. There was little to no character development. Horrific things were happening to these people and I just didn't care.

The author could have done so much more with some of his story lines.

Also -- some story lines were pretty "convenient", tidy , and unrealistic. It's like the author got bored himself and just wanted it to end. Disappointing.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The realize that the nuclear apocalypse scenario would not be a pleasant experience, but this book was too dark in my opinion. I like the way the story was told with each of the 5 main characters sharing what was happening from their perspective, but the language used by the children in the book was unnecessarily crude. I know that the author has a few children as well...it left me wondering if that is the way they speak in his family.

[Keith B]

(No relation to my buddy Del) Not bad as far as Post-nuclear survival stories go but could have been better. Lot of action but not a lot of detail into survival itself. Of course, a story should move along based on the events and not the facts but those reading these books usually are looking for nuggets of some sort. That said, I will read the next in the series.

[Jane Hammons · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like apocalyptic lit and appreciated the grittiness of this novel. The title is particularly apt. While reading, I got less a sense of individual characters--though each has his or her distinct qualities--and more a sense of how the family functioned together. Good page-turner for sure.

[Carolyn Rose]

I don't often read post-nuclear-war books, but I've met Terry at several book fairs and picked this one up. There was plenty of action, terrific description, and interesting character development, but toward the end the book felt message-heavy.

[Rlbrown · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the reader wants a no-holds-barred account of desperation and is willing to accept that not every story has a happy ending, then Terry DeHart’s novel The Unit may be right up your alley.

Read the rest of my review here...

http://www.examiner.com/review/review...

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! In a world that has been bombed, one family struggles to survive. I loved how the book was written from multiple perspectives. The author did a great job keeping the voices in character. I'll be interested in the second book.

[Matthew Monsees · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'd give it 4 and a half if I could! Mr DeHart's first book shows some real potential although it was a touch rough around the edges. I found the story to be realistic, and well thought out. its sure alot better than alot of the post-apocalypse genre.

[Orbit]

Spring-Summer 2010

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very good TEOTWAWKI book. LIfe after nuclear war - the long winter, etc. Heavy on religion and personal insight.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy the ending but it was an ok book overall.

[Krisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK read. Plenty of action, though full character development is wanting. ..what exactly happened to the sequel included at the end of this book? ????!!!

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction but this one - nah.