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American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins
Read the startling prescient novel by acclaimed author, Nova. With the economy in free fall and millions out of work, America's fragile democracy collapses.
The federal government is left powerless, police and military forces disband, and a once-proud America descends into lawless anarchy. Cities empty. Looting, violence and murder quickly become the norm. And desperate citizens are left to fight for their very survival.
Amid the chaos, one teenager finds himself homeless and alone, striving to stay alive on the outskirts of a crumbling Washington, D.C. Forced to adapt by the constant threat of starvation and violence, the young man finds himself developing survival skills he never imagined needing and a moral sense that gives meaning to his struggle.
American Apocalypse is a riveting coming-of-age story where one man, against all odds, must find the will to live and, in turn, become a fledgling force of justice.
The federal government is left powerless, police and military forces disband, and a once-proud America descends into lawless anarchy. Cities empty. Looting, violence and murder quickly become the norm. And desperate citizens are left to fight for their very survival.
Amid the chaos, one teenager finds himself homeless and alone, striving to stay alive on the outskirts of a crumbling Washington, D.C. Forced to adapt by the constant threat of starvation and violence, the young man finds himself developing survival skills he never imagined needing and a moral sense that gives meaning to his struggle.
American Apocalypse is a riveting coming-of-age story where one man, against all odds, must find the will to live and, in turn, become a fledgling force of justice.
280 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2011
About the author
Nova
151 books26 followersI am a writer among other things. I wrote, "Police Battalions of the Third Reich" and the "American Apocalypse" series.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 12, 2013
Booooooo!
This was one of the toughest reads I've ever had. I wanted to see the main character catch a case of dysentery and die from lack of medical attention just to end the agony of a completely unlikable character in a who gives a crap situation. Let's all make sure to get our video game time in as the world crumbles.
This was one of the toughest reads I've ever had. I wanted to see the main character catch a case of dysentery and die from lack of medical attention just to end the agony of a completely unlikable character in a who gives a crap situation. Let's all make sure to get our video game time in as the world crumbles.
September 17, 2017
I think the author does a good job of setting the stage for hypothetical events in the future of a possible worldwide crash - I hope with the way things are looking now they don't come true, but if they did I could see this book's plot as a realistic scenario. I think the author does a good job of getting you into the situation and storyline quickly, and you are able to relate to a lot of the characters. I couldn't put this one down once I started reading it, and was disappointed to see it end. Now, I am off to get the second one in the series!
August 30, 2015
Gardner, The Killer
American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins, by Nova.
I wish I could say the survivalist story of Gardner hooked me in and kept me begging for more to read, but it simply didn't. Gardner lives in a world where the "Crash" happened, and the U.S. economy is in complete shambles. After losing his job, Gardner takes it upon himself to be innocent, and lay low with his laptop. Gardner formerly was an avid gamer, so the online world isn't unfamiliar ground for him, and he knows that "clans" have formed together in the real world in an attempt to survive together. However, Nova does a terrible job connecting the world of online gaming to these clans, and makes the whole purpose of the clans seem to be a waste. In fact, it'd have been better off if Nova simply made Gardner a college student,(no online gaming background) and the clans have been former college students/survivalists with nowhere to turn to, and banding together for survival. Anyway, Gardner spends his early time out in a field, away from others. Although food supplies are low and life isn't easy, this Gardner was my favorite Gardner. At this point, he's an optimistic person who truly wants to succeed, and you feel for him. Then, a man much larger than him is rummaging through the grass, and Gardner hears the screams of a child. Gardner listens for a while, and then realizes the child is trying to save himself from being molested. Gardner, the hero that he was, jumps out of hiding, and attacks the man with a trowel, stabbing him in the gut. As heroic as this action is, it changes the course of Gardner forever. Gardner does not see himself as the hero he should, rather he's "feeling as if he had a big neon sign blinking MURDERER." As much as I wanted Gardner to become a crime-fighting, molester-killing daredevil, it didn't happen, and Gardner takes the route of becoming a psychopath, killing others for sometimes his own safety, and sometimes just for revenge, such as when he murders two people in their sleep.
This transition makes the book seem less optimistic, and more in the eyes of a murderer, which I really disliked, and would assume most readers agree with me. I feel as if Nova tried to make readers read the underdog story that he wanted, but I didn't quite feel that way. For me, it wasn't easy reading about a guy with plans to murder others, and make a joke out of the struggling society that he was in. I was hoping for Gardner to become a hero of the poor, saving those in trouble, and ultimately, helping all of those who were without homes to survive. In a world where there's little help from the government, as they are fighting giant wars in the Middle East, Gardner doesn't do his job to make the world a better place. Also, in the story, lots of details are left out, and as a reader it is very easy to become confused. The big picture is there, but I struggled to see much motif, metaphors, or just meaning behind some events. Maybe this style was done to play the murderous type, but I personally didn't like it, and would have enjoyed a much more planned-out and methodical story of survival, rather than things coming easy for Gardner at times, such as when he receives a pack of water bottles out of thin air. In a previous chapter, he had been low on supplies, and the next chapter he magically has a pack of water bottles to keep him hydrated? The lack of detail seen in events like those really shows in the book.
Overall, I failed to see the good in this book. The first one hundred pages or so are alright, but the remainder felt like trying to finish a marathon with a broken leg. To other readers, I simply can't put together a list of books that compare with American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins, because it wasn't an ordinary book. If you enjoy following a struggling, mentally-scarred killer, this book may suit you, but I think it has a very specific audience, those who like crazy survivalist stories. The Collapse Begins is an interesting read, but I wouldn't say it's a particularly enjoyable, exciting read. The book received two stars from myself, for a variety of reasons. I enjoyed the seemingly never-ending action, and it made the book somewhat enjoyable, but it lacked lots of crucial details, and events that should have been seen by the reader. Rather than just learning something happened, I wish I could have had more information as to why an event was happening, such as the war in Pakistan. Also, the book becomes less enjoyable to read as it goes in, whereas most books improve over time, keeping a reader hooked. I found it difficult to read about how Gardner killed others in ways not just "for survival." For me, the book became dry, and was a hard book to finish, due to Gardner's actions.
Review written on 8/29/2015.
American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins, by Nova.
I wish I could say the survivalist story of Gardner hooked me in and kept me begging for more to read, but it simply didn't. Gardner lives in a world where the "Crash" happened, and the U.S. economy is in complete shambles. After losing his job, Gardner takes it upon himself to be innocent, and lay low with his laptop. Gardner formerly was an avid gamer, so the online world isn't unfamiliar ground for him, and he knows that "clans" have formed together in the real world in an attempt to survive together. However, Nova does a terrible job connecting the world of online gaming to these clans, and makes the whole purpose of the clans seem to be a waste. In fact, it'd have been better off if Nova simply made Gardner a college student,(no online gaming background) and the clans have been former college students/survivalists with nowhere to turn to, and banding together for survival. Anyway, Gardner spends his early time out in a field, away from others. Although food supplies are low and life isn't easy, this Gardner was my favorite Gardner. At this point, he's an optimistic person who truly wants to succeed, and you feel for him. Then, a man much larger than him is rummaging through the grass, and Gardner hears the screams of a child. Gardner listens for a while, and then realizes the child is trying to save himself from being molested. Gardner, the hero that he was, jumps out of hiding, and attacks the man with a trowel, stabbing him in the gut. As heroic as this action is, it changes the course of Gardner forever. Gardner does not see himself as the hero he should, rather he's "feeling as if he had a big neon sign blinking MURDERER." As much as I wanted Gardner to become a crime-fighting, molester-killing daredevil, it didn't happen, and Gardner takes the route of becoming a psychopath, killing others for sometimes his own safety, and sometimes just for revenge, such as when he murders two people in their sleep.
This transition makes the book seem less optimistic, and more in the eyes of a murderer, which I really disliked, and would assume most readers agree with me. I feel as if Nova tried to make readers read the underdog story that he wanted, but I didn't quite feel that way. For me, it wasn't easy reading about a guy with plans to murder others, and make a joke out of the struggling society that he was in. I was hoping for Gardner to become a hero of the poor, saving those in trouble, and ultimately, helping all of those who were without homes to survive. In a world where there's little help from the government, as they are fighting giant wars in the Middle East, Gardner doesn't do his job to make the world a better place. Also, in the story, lots of details are left out, and as a reader it is very easy to become confused. The big picture is there, but I struggled to see much motif, metaphors, or just meaning behind some events. Maybe this style was done to play the murderous type, but I personally didn't like it, and would have enjoyed a much more planned-out and methodical story of survival, rather than things coming easy for Gardner at times, such as when he receives a pack of water bottles out of thin air. In a previous chapter, he had been low on supplies, and the next chapter he magically has a pack of water bottles to keep him hydrated? The lack of detail seen in events like those really shows in the book.
Overall, I failed to see the good in this book. The first one hundred pages or so are alright, but the remainder felt like trying to finish a marathon with a broken leg. To other readers, I simply can't put together a list of books that compare with American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins, because it wasn't an ordinary book. If you enjoy following a struggling, mentally-scarred killer, this book may suit you, but I think it has a very specific audience, those who like crazy survivalist stories. The Collapse Begins is an interesting read, but I wouldn't say it's a particularly enjoyable, exciting read. The book received two stars from myself, for a variety of reasons. I enjoyed the seemingly never-ending action, and it made the book somewhat enjoyable, but it lacked lots of crucial details, and events that should have been seen by the reader. Rather than just learning something happened, I wish I could have had more information as to why an event was happening, such as the war in Pakistan. Also, the book becomes less enjoyable to read as it goes in, whereas most books improve over time, keeping a reader hooked. I found it difficult to read about how Gardner killed others in ways not just "for survival." For me, the book became dry, and was a hard book to finish, due to Gardner's actions.
Review written on 8/29/2015.
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May 6, 2013Sherman, Ben
Humanities Period 2
“American Apocalypse” by Nova is an action packed and suspenseful novel. The price of the book was $14.95 and it was published in the U.S. by Ulysses Press. The book itself was first written as posts on the economics blog, Calculated Risk. The genre of the book is a thriller/apocalyptic.
The story takes place in Virginia during a really tough economic struggle throughout the U.S. and most of the world. Out of all the books that I have read, this was the #1 book that kept me reading since the “Hunger Games”, this book was certainly the first of its kind because it was very adventurous in its content. Also, this was not the author’s first book however this was the first book by the author that I have read. In comparison to other apocalyptic like books such as “The Eleventh Plague”, (which had a somewhat happy ending), “American Apocalypse” ended with the death of the main character. Overall, I was semi-pleased with the book though there was some language every now and then.
In “American Apocalypse”, as the U.S. government falls and the economy deteriorating, a guy in his mid-twenties nicknamed “Gardener” makes friends with people in his community and attempts to enforce civil law outside Washington D.C. Gardener becomes a vigilante and is eventually wanted by military veterans and the U.S. government. In the story Gardener comes across new threats to society and with people in the area becoming more desperate, Gardener proves himself willing to do anything necessary to protect the local community.
This book affected me by entertaining me and not boring me. Moving on, what caught my attention was how Gardener slowly rose from a computer geek into a key figure in his community. The book was very suspenseful however some events in the storyline seemed nearly impossible such as killing two soldiers with a steak knife. My favorite character in the story was Max because he trained Gardener and kept him alive. Therefore, Max was not only Gardener’s mentor but his best friend. The producer of this book, Nova tried to make Max the wisest and most experienced in their group and Gardener the most stubborn and cocky.
The book was an interesting fiction yet clearly over-exaggerated, as I stated earlier that there was some language, I believe the book was meant and should be read by a mature reader. Therefore I recommend it to people who enjoy stories with lots of fast-paced action. Also, I personally thought that the characters should and could of been developed more. However, I thought Nova got their point across of creating an action-packed, apocalyptic thriller.
In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book overall. The pros of the book was that it was entertaining and certainly well worth its price, the cons was that the characters were not as developed as I would've liked them to be and I would prefer a different ending.
Humanities Period 2
“American Apocalypse” by Nova is an action packed and suspenseful novel. The price of the book was $14.95 and it was published in the U.S. by Ulysses Press. The book itself was first written as posts on the economics blog, Calculated Risk. The genre of the book is a thriller/apocalyptic.
The story takes place in Virginia during a really tough economic struggle throughout the U.S. and most of the world. Out of all the books that I have read, this was the #1 book that kept me reading since the “Hunger Games”, this book was certainly the first of its kind because it was very adventurous in its content. Also, this was not the author’s first book however this was the first book by the author that I have read. In comparison to other apocalyptic like books such as “The Eleventh Plague”, (which had a somewhat happy ending), “American Apocalypse” ended with the death of the main character. Overall, I was semi-pleased with the book though there was some language every now and then.
In “American Apocalypse”, as the U.S. government falls and the economy deteriorating, a guy in his mid-twenties nicknamed “Gardener” makes friends with people in his community and attempts to enforce civil law outside Washington D.C. Gardener becomes a vigilante and is eventually wanted by military veterans and the U.S. government. In the story Gardener comes across new threats to society and with people in the area becoming more desperate, Gardener proves himself willing to do anything necessary to protect the local community.
This book affected me by entertaining me and not boring me. Moving on, what caught my attention was how Gardener slowly rose from a computer geek into a key figure in his community. The book was very suspenseful however some events in the storyline seemed nearly impossible such as killing two soldiers with a steak knife. My favorite character in the story was Max because he trained Gardener and kept him alive. Therefore, Max was not only Gardener’s mentor but his best friend. The producer of this book, Nova tried to make Max the wisest and most experienced in their group and Gardener the most stubborn and cocky.
The book was an interesting fiction yet clearly over-exaggerated, as I stated earlier that there was some language, I believe the book was meant and should be read by a mature reader. Therefore I recommend it to people who enjoy stories with lots of fast-paced action. Also, I personally thought that the characters should and could of been developed more. However, I thought Nova got their point across of creating an action-packed, apocalyptic thriller.
In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book overall. The pros of the book was that it was entertaining and certainly well worth its price, the cons was that the characters were not as developed as I would've liked them to be and I would prefer a different ending.
May 3, 2011
This is apparently an edited and polished version of a previous release. The writing was tight and flowed well, although the author does come off as a little paranoid.
The premise is that the economic collapse of 2008 was much worse than it turned out to be. The country rapidly descends into massive unemployment and homelessness. Basic necessities become scarce. People have to band together in tribes to survive.
Although there are hints of a big bad I was actually glad that for the most part there isn't one in this book. Don't get me wrong, if civil society really did break down I'm sure there would be no shortage of strongmen kingpins. But it's become very formulaic in post-apocalyptic or zombie novels to have the kingpin try and take whatever location and resources the protagonists have.
The ending doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. It's not that I don't buy that the government would order troops to fire it's that the government has essentially been absent for the entire book and then suddenly at the end they get their act together enough to distribute basic supplies. Before I realized it was part of a series I though the author just got tired of writing it and threw together a quick ending.
I have some real concerns about the next book based on the reviews but I'll check it out.
The premise is that the economic collapse of 2008 was much worse than it turned out to be. The country rapidly descends into massive unemployment and homelessness. Basic necessities become scarce. People have to band together in tribes to survive.
Although there are hints of a big bad I was actually glad that for the most part there isn't one in this book. Don't get me wrong, if civil society really did break down I'm sure there would be no shortage of strongmen kingpins. But it's become very formulaic in post-apocalyptic or zombie novels to have the kingpin try and take whatever location and resources the protagonists have.
The ending doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. It's not that I don't buy that the government would order troops to fire it's that the government has essentially been absent for the entire book and then suddenly at the end they get their act together enough to distribute basic supplies. Before I realized it was part of a series I though the author just got tired of writing it and threw together a quick ending.
I have some real concerns about the next book based on the reviews but I'll check it out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2012
I really wanted to like this book. I really did. It’s a post economic collapse survival story, which is something I love to read about, and it’s the first in a series (I love continuity of story) which would keep me reading all summer long. Alas it didn’t work out that way. The three biggest issues I had with this story are:
1) Writing style. I never felt a part of this book. It’s told as if someone was just spewing out thinks that happen. No context, no description and nothing holding it together. I did this then went and did this then that.
2) The story doesn’t go anywhere. Normally there is a beginning, then something happens and throughout the book it leads up to a big issue that must be resolved. In this case that didn’t happen. It really just recounts what happens to Gardner over this time period. T here is a fight at the end but I think its smaller than the one in the middle and feels hastily thrown together so you barely know who to root for.
3) There are no heroes and no villains and about half way through the book I really disliked the main character. He was a dick who is quick to violence when he really didn’t need to be, and was just all around unlikable.
Never mind that some of the stuff is just not believable, and that its way over priced for a 200 page book. Just pass on this book.
1) Writing style. I never felt a part of this book. It’s told as if someone was just spewing out thinks that happen. No context, no description and nothing holding it together. I did this then went and did this then that.
2) The story doesn’t go anywhere. Normally there is a beginning, then something happens and throughout the book it leads up to a big issue that must be resolved. In this case that didn’t happen. It really just recounts what happens to Gardner over this time period. T here is a fight at the end but I think its smaller than the one in the middle and feels hastily thrown together so you barely know who to root for.
3) There are no heroes and no villains and about half way through the book I really disliked the main character. He was a dick who is quick to violence when he really didn’t need to be, and was just all around unlikable.
Never mind that some of the stuff is just not believable, and that its way over priced for a 200 page book. Just pass on this book.
June 17, 2016
I still can't believe I saw this one through to the end. The most clichéd characters ever written. All of whom should be considered white unless otherwise specified, and they will DEFINITELY BE specified. "They rolled the black soldier over..." "The Hispanic woman asked..." yeesh.
And the author is an unbelievable horndog; every other line seemed to reference "good-looking women" or getting to sleep with his hot ASIAN girlfriend (or his disappointment when she, perhaps rightly upset over observing violence and death, just wants to be held by the narrator). Women exist in the story simply to reinforce the necessity of the Bechtel Test.
As for story, it's somehow both too intricate and mind-numbingly vague. Collapse, sort of maybe? Some authority but its total absence? A random interlude and some killings at a possibly-renegade-possibly-not hidden army base in West Virginia, never to be spoken of again?
I've already spent far more time on this review than the book deserves. But jeez, is it this easy to be published?
And the author is an unbelievable horndog; every other line seemed to reference "good-looking women" or getting to sleep with his hot ASIAN girlfriend (or his disappointment when she, perhaps rightly upset over observing violence and death, just wants to be held by the narrator). Women exist in the story simply to reinforce the necessity of the Bechtel Test.
As for story, it's somehow both too intricate and mind-numbingly vague. Collapse, sort of maybe? Some authority but its total absence? A random interlude and some killings at a possibly-renegade-possibly-not hidden army base in West Virginia, never to be spoken of again?
I've already spent far more time on this review than the book deserves. But jeez, is it this easy to be published?
January 9, 2014
A phenomenal series. If you are into WROL, currency collapse type stuff this is the best book I could recommend. A believable story, and backdrop in the near future U.S. after the economy has finally tanked. Ventures down the sci fi/fantasy path slightly, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment at all.
April 19, 2023
It took a while to get imteresring.The characters need to be explained and fleshed out a little more.Not the beast I have read but not the worse.A little closer to my view of what would hapoen.
January 25, 2023
Good fall of the Nation apocalyptic story. However, not the most skilled author and the protagonist is just over the top macho which is a distraction and an annoyance.
December 27, 2012
Ah, dystopia - how many ways do I love you? The four volume American Apocalypse series popped up on my radar recently so I dedicated the last few weeks to reading the books serially. This review will cover all. In this TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It for you non-apocalyptic types) story the seminal event is economic collapse. The collapse scenario is believable and actually very accurate in how certain events could trigger catastrophic world financial breakdown. Just look around and it will seem quite familiar. The resultant rapid impacts of massive unemployment, food and fuel shortage, social reorganization, reliance on precious metal and barter are all represented credibly.
What didn't work so well for me was the Jackie Chan-like action with the good guys superhumanly decimating the bad guys, and the somewhat misogynistic treatment of female characters. I usually don't like supernatural elements thrown in with my dystopian tales, but in this case the entry of Freya in volume 2 and the old man in the final volume sort of works. All in all, for fans of post-apocalyptic novels it's a worthwhile series.
What didn't work so well for me was the Jackie Chan-like action with the good guys superhumanly decimating the bad guys, and the somewhat misogynistic treatment of female characters. I usually don't like supernatural elements thrown in with my dystopian tales, but in this case the entry of Freya in volume 2 and the old man in the final volume sort of works. All in all, for fans of post-apocalyptic novels it's a worthwhile series.
June 20, 2011
Not the worst of all books I've read. It's a shallow story with extremely underdeveloped characters and the principle of which is not-at-all believable. However, "American Apocalypse" is certainly fast-paced and is entertaining here and there. If you're into conspiracy theories and dark stories, this might be worth reading on a plane or when you're really bored, but don't expect any life-changing revelations stemming from this book.
September 28, 2011
Another interesting apocalytic story set in the Washington DC area. The book doesn't really specify the time period in which the story takes place, but it appears to be sometime in the not so distant future, as references are mad to Obama and another unnamed African American president.
In any case it is a believable story as well as fast paced.
My only problem now is that it seems that the second novel in the series is not available on kindle. I hate when that happens!
In any case it is a believable story as well as fast paced.
My only problem now is that it seems that the second novel in the series is not available on kindle. I hate when that happens!
December 8, 2011
This was a relatively good read, but much too extreme in my opinion. Many of the situations did not seem realistic even in the slightest, and I think the author's commentary on what a possible outcome may be for the US is drastically overblown. While this would make for a good fictional story, the attempt to make this an almost realistic "what-if" book just did not sit well with me.
Anyway, this is a very quick read, and you may enjoy it if you are big into post-apocalyptic type books.
Anyway, this is a very quick read, and you may enjoy it if you are big into post-apocalyptic type books.
February 18, 2015
Good book but a bit fast paced for me. I would liked to have gotten more info on how the world got to the state it was in and more character development would also have raised my enjoyment of the story. Will follow up with the next book as it did provide me with enough entertainment that I want to continue.
April 15, 2012
As the USA collapses economically, socially and politically, a no-hope young man discovers what he's really good at - killing bad guys.
February 2, 2012
This is a new genre for me. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Read
February 25, 2012Fast read and entertaining because it was more probable than most "end of the luxurious world" books that I have read.
January 29, 2013
Quite good. Suitably apocalyptic without being alarmist.
April 17, 2013
Just couldn't force myself to finish it
Read
July 14, 2012Not a good book at all! I didn't even finisb reading the whole book. Boring!!!
February 27, 2013
Good book about the collapse of the US. Cool thriller, WTSHTF book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews