Originally, I had Chapters 1-6 from the author and found that the beginning chapters showed promise. I was sent the entire book and burned through it rather quickly. Sheridan doesn't explain how the vPox comes to be. Rather, he starts off with character building; small cliques of survivors getting their heads back into the game. Yes, you have the college kid, Irish couple, and bank robber, but you also have Walter. I think readers will connect with him. In subsequent chapters, other key players come into the story and make for a dynamic character-driven story about survival, control, violence, and perseverance. I had originally assumed this would be a doom and gloom book (nothing wrong with that), but for me, it strayed a bit from pure dystopian lore. How? Walter, really. His presence is the glue that binds (for better and worse). Oh, and Ralph - I stated pulling for him as well. In the kindle version, after you are finished, there is (currently) an offer from the author to get a FREE pre-chapter, which explains the vPx073 origins. As stated, ARC provided by author for review.
4 of 5 stars. From the Publisher:
A college student in Knoxville. An Irish couple on their dream vacation in Orlando. A bank robber in an Atlanta prison...what do they all have in common? They are survivors of vPx073, the most deadly virus ever to be unleashed on the planet. One that has brought civilization to a standstill. Haunted by the tragic death of his Gulf War veteran father, Cody Parsons is a struggling student at UTK when the pandemic hits Knoxville. Soon the sharpshooting skills his father taught him as a fourteen-year-old are put to good use --- especially when an ex-US army combat engineer takes him under his wing. As food and water runs out, and roving gangs take over the cities, the paths of some very determined survivors are destined to meet...with surprising consequences. With strong, original characters that jump off the page, this is a fast-paced story that fans of post-apocalyptic survival fiction will appreciate.
