Author: C. J. Tudor
Publisher: Random House Publishing – Ballantine
Date Published: January 31, 2023
I was hesitant to read a post-apocalyptic novel, worried that it would be too dark and angsty. But C. J. Tudor has given us a story about the will to survive, and maybe a fable for our current situation – one that tells the story of what happens when/if we lose our humanity.
The story is told from three different scenarios: a coach bus that has crashed on its side in a snow drift, a cable car suspended and stalled over an abandoned ski run, and a compound called The Retreat, a living quarters for survivors. Each group has one or more people with secrets, as the body count rises and the survivors do what they must.
And if that isn’t enough, Tudor writes with just the right amount of humor (the second book I read this month that riffs on our favorite car loving, space traveling, social media buying celebrity), right amount of cursing, and megatons of tension throughout. Their lives will intersect in the most surprising and gruesome ways. So I offer you this recipe for a great novel:
- 1 lb of suspense
- 45 cliffhangers
- 1-2 dozen well defined characters
- 1 jigger of horror tropes
- Stir together
Enjoy!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine for an arc of this thrilling novel!
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