What do you think?
Rate this book
Etiquette for an Apocalypse
It’s the 2020 Apocalypse and Sophie Cohen, former social worker turned neighborly drug dealer, must keep her family alive amid those pesky end of the world issues: starvation, earthquakes, plagues, gang violence and alas more starvation.She investigates a serial killing and takes down the sinister emerging power structure while learning to use a pizza box solar oven, bond with her chickens and blast tin cans from the perimeter fence with a Ruger 9MM.
In order to accomplish all this she must find a way to love her mother, accept her daughter’s adulthood and reignite her moribund marriage.
She might discover that a decentralized, consensus driven life—without fossil fuels, iPhones and chocolate éclairs—isn’t the end of the world, after all.
In order to accomplish all this she must find a way to love her mother, accept her daughter’s adulthood and reignite her moribund marriage.
She might discover that a decentralized, consensus driven life—without fossil fuels, iPhones and chocolate éclairs—isn’t the end of the world, after all.
276 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2012
8 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mendel
1 book8 followersAnne Mendel was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. She did, in fact, attend Mrs. Ashleigh’s Charm School.
Before writing, rewriting and rewriting became her life’s work, she was a community organizer. She never worked with Barack Obama.
She lives with her husband Mark in Portland, Oregon. Her children live back east. Her muse is her dog Humphrey.
Before writing, rewriting and rewriting became her life’s work, she was a community organizer. She never worked with Barack Obama.
She lives with her husband Mark in Portland, Oregon. Her children live back east. Her muse is her dog Humphrey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 24, 2017
What a surprise this turned out to be! Like others, I am tired of the typical dystopian narrative of gloom and doom. This provides a strong message of survival but through some laugh out loud scenes and dialogue. It's a wild, comic and sometimes harrowing story with a cast of colorful, quirky characters.
July 28, 2012
If the world was about to end who would you call?
After the apocalypse, now the year 2020. A mom turned drug dealer goes on an investigation of murders of prostitutes. They are being thrown in a pile on side of road. While the strange Jack the ripper event comes to an end. A war starts.
A meeting at the condo, some big guns and a very hilarious dialogue from Author Anne Mendel.
Anne Mendel does an apocalypse with a hunger growing for more Nutnella, and many other foods. Etiquette for an Apocalypse will leave you starving for more.
After the apocalypse, now the year 2020. A mom turned drug dealer goes on an investigation of murders of prostitutes. They are being thrown in a pile on side of road. While the strange Jack the ripper event comes to an end. A war starts.
A meeting at the condo, some big guns and a very hilarious dialogue from Author Anne Mendel.
Anne Mendel does an apocalypse with a hunger growing for more Nutnella, and many other foods. Etiquette for an Apocalypse will leave you starving for more.
June 12, 2017
I love this book cover! It's so appealing. Then I just about returned this book after the first chapter. I found the character a bit snarky. However, the snappy writing kept me reading more. I found the heart of the character coming out in later chapters. A smattering of typos, but overall a funny and enjoyable apocalyptic read.
December 22, 2018
I don't know how to articulate how damn good this was!
June 11, 2012
ETIQUETTE FOR AN APOCALYPSE by Anne Mendel
ETIQUETTE FOR AN APOCALYPSE is a novel written in the dystopian/science fiction genre that follows the Cohen family as they endeavor to survive in the post-apocalyptic world of 2023.
2020 saw the world enter into an apocalyptic nightmare. In the wake of earthquakes, floods and volcanoes those that survived had to endure solar black-outs, famine, cholera and an assortment of frenzied and fevered paranoia. Without the aid of government direction, those that somehow survived were left on their own to seek out some form of existence. But like all forms of ‘war’, anarchy ruled and those that had the resources, were now the one’s in control.
Sophie Cohen has found a way to survive. With the help of her neighborhood condo tenants, Sophie organized a daily exchange ‘market’ for anything from food to string, metal to cloth. And the most important aspect of life is the survival of her little eccentric family. Drug running was never Sophie’s intended goal in life, but as a former social worker, her skills were never readily accepted in the nightmare world of starvation and gun-toting neighborhood watches. As her husband Bertrand continued his daily commutes to offer what little aid as a physician that he was able, Sophie’s brother continued to design the medications necessary to ease the pain of those slowly succumbing to the exposure and injuries. But when Bertrand discovers a number of ‘heartless’ women piling up outside the hospital doors, Sophie and her husband take it upon themselves to investigate the possibility of a serial killer in their midst.
The condo cast of characters is a wide-ranging as the colors in a box of crayons. Each with their own specialty and ability, the condo residents combine what little they have in order for each to survive. But when word is out that the Cohen’s have stirred the ire of those in control, it is not only the Cohen family that is at risk for exposure. Sophie and her husband are soon swept into an underground world of armed guards, artillery stockades, food hoarding and the control of both physical and solar power. 3 years without power has left the country without food, clean water or the ability to heat their homes. And whoever has control of the source of power will have the ultimate control of the people.
Finding themselves at the center of a war, Sophie and Bertrand must face the possibility that their small group of family and friends may have survived the apocalypse but not necessarily survive this war. Those in power will use any means possible including murder, to secure their place at the top of the struggle for power. And it is Sophie’s family that will suffer one of the first losses of life.
Sophie’s social skills are soon put to the test when she is called upon to as an emissary between the powerful factions hoping to gain control of the power sources within the city. But when her daughter disappears, Sophie soon finds herself awash in the knowledge that perhaps it is too late-that getting involved may have caused more pain and suffering to those she loves the most. With one last journey and the directive of the underground clan, Sophie will embark on a life and death mission that will reveal the ultimate source of power that everyone has been in search (of).
Etiquette for an Apocalypse is written in first person POV from the perspective of Sophie Cohen. Once a wife, a daughter and a mother of two, the former social worker traverses the harrowing streets of a desolate city that only comes alive at night with a shower of gunfire and the threatening force of the gangs. There are two rival factions, who have everything including the power, but it is the fight for the power, that will eventually result in a calm settling over their tiny group of friends. Anne Mendel writes an interesting story that forewarns there is a very distinct possibility that life as we know it could end up an apocalyptic nightmare.
But…don’t misunderstand…there is plenty of sarcastic humor from Sophie as she comments on the various characters that she has learned to call her friends. Reading from the first person POV is a wonderful addition by Mendel, because without the running commentary of a well-meaning, albeit sarcastic heroine, the reader is never drowning in pages of anxiety or fear. Experiencing life in an apocalyptic world is tempered by a former social-worker hoping to keep her family and condo friends together for another day. An interesting look at Survival 101.
see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com
ETIQUETTE FOR AN APOCALYPSE is a novel written in the dystopian/science fiction genre that follows the Cohen family as they endeavor to survive in the post-apocalyptic world of 2023.
2020 saw the world enter into an apocalyptic nightmare. In the wake of earthquakes, floods and volcanoes those that survived had to endure solar black-outs, famine, cholera and an assortment of frenzied and fevered paranoia. Without the aid of government direction, those that somehow survived were left on their own to seek out some form of existence. But like all forms of ‘war’, anarchy ruled and those that had the resources, were now the one’s in control.
Sophie Cohen has found a way to survive. With the help of her neighborhood condo tenants, Sophie organized a daily exchange ‘market’ for anything from food to string, metal to cloth. And the most important aspect of life is the survival of her little eccentric family. Drug running was never Sophie’s intended goal in life, but as a former social worker, her skills were never readily accepted in the nightmare world of starvation and gun-toting neighborhood watches. As her husband Bertrand continued his daily commutes to offer what little aid as a physician that he was able, Sophie’s brother continued to design the medications necessary to ease the pain of those slowly succumbing to the exposure and injuries. But when Bertrand discovers a number of ‘heartless’ women piling up outside the hospital doors, Sophie and her husband take it upon themselves to investigate the possibility of a serial killer in their midst.
The condo cast of characters is a wide-ranging as the colors in a box of crayons. Each with their own specialty and ability, the condo residents combine what little they have in order for each to survive. But when word is out that the Cohen’s have stirred the ire of those in control, it is not only the Cohen family that is at risk for exposure. Sophie and her husband are soon swept into an underground world of armed guards, artillery stockades, food hoarding and the control of both physical and solar power. 3 years without power has left the country without food, clean water or the ability to heat their homes. And whoever has control of the source of power will have the ultimate control of the people.
Finding themselves at the center of a war, Sophie and Bertrand must face the possibility that their small group of family and friends may have survived the apocalypse but not necessarily survive this war. Those in power will use any means possible including murder, to secure their place at the top of the struggle for power. And it is Sophie’s family that will suffer one of the first losses of life.
Sophie’s social skills are soon put to the test when she is called upon to as an emissary between the powerful factions hoping to gain control of the power sources within the city. But when her daughter disappears, Sophie soon finds herself awash in the knowledge that perhaps it is too late-that getting involved may have caused more pain and suffering to those she loves the most. With one last journey and the directive of the underground clan, Sophie will embark on a life and death mission that will reveal the ultimate source of power that everyone has been in search (of).
Etiquette for an Apocalypse is written in first person POV from the perspective of Sophie Cohen. Once a wife, a daughter and a mother of two, the former social worker traverses the harrowing streets of a desolate city that only comes alive at night with a shower of gunfire and the threatening force of the gangs. There are two rival factions, who have everything including the power, but it is the fight for the power, that will eventually result in a calm settling over their tiny group of friends. Anne Mendel writes an interesting story that forewarns there is a very distinct possibility that life as we know it could end up an apocalyptic nightmare.
But…don’t misunderstand…there is plenty of sarcastic humor from Sophie as she comments on the various characters that she has learned to call her friends. Reading from the first person POV is a wonderful addition by Mendel, because without the running commentary of a well-meaning, albeit sarcastic heroine, the reader is never drowning in pages of anxiety or fear. Experiencing life in an apocalyptic world is tempered by a former social-worker hoping to keep her family and condo friends together for another day. An interesting look at Survival 101.
see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com
August 5, 2012
Have I mentioned lately how much I love being surprised by books? Which, granted, is getting progressively harder the more I blog. After all, I read a lot of reviews, a lot of tweets and a lot of pitches for books these days. Anyhow, a short while back I got the above blurb in a email pitch for Etiquette, was charmed by it and said yes. When it arrived I was charmed all over again by the clever cover art, and then it went into my towering (and not that cleverly organized) to-be-reviewed stack to gather dust until I got to it.
I'll be honest, I had no expectations coming into this book, it had been long enough between when it was pitched to me, and when I read it that I couldn't even remember what it was about. And from about 3 pages in I was loving it. Irreverently funny, Mendel takes a stab at what the Apocalypse might look like for the average American family, if there was a murder to solve, family secrets to discover and a gang war to diffuse. So it's like a post-apocalyptic murder mystery/dark comedy. In other words, a total breath of fresh air and not really like anything you've read before. And I mean that.
By Sunday night, Bertrand assumes that in the morning I"m going with him to check out the dead women. I'm assuming I'm not, but I haven't come up with a sidekick facsimile or a compassionate excuse. We lay at opposite ends of one of the two matching couches in the living room. Our feet overlap, but don't touch."Admittedly," I say, "it sounds like a lot of fun, but I don't think so." I say this playfully, which is more play than we've had in years. "If I had only been allowed to complete another season of Bones reruns, they were going to give me a medical degree, but since I didn't... It's no, no, not ever. Anyway, you might just need blood samples.""Oke, good idea. Mitchell would help." he says. "And it's 'We.' We get blood samples. See you're very good at this.""Mitchell? My brother?" After six months of waiting to die and not, we converted the entire tenth floor to a lab and living quarters for Mitchell. He's a genius retard, or guitard as I often think of him. How do I just keep making this discussion worse?
Mendels unconventional sense of humour put a smile on my face in under a minute, pretty much any time I picked up the book. Which since I was often reading it on breaks at work, was a perk I can't rave about enough. Her characters were wonky and loveable, but still carefully rendered to show the good and evil potential in everyone, especially in end of the world circumstances. She had great moments of emotion, and as dark as the comedy got there was a clear and appealing sense of hope to everything.
It's a very long two blocks, but we emerge into a Costco warehouse-sized basement, dimly lit but clean and stocked floor to ceiling with loot. Kind of like finding the pirate booty in the cave and gold coins and jewels, except this is much more valuable. Food, row after row of canned goods, boxes of wonders like crunchy granola bars and peanut butter crackers. Passing a row of Nutella, I grab a jar of the chocolate hazelnut without breaking stride. My breathing hasn't slowed from its I'm-going-to-die pace. My hands were already dry and cracked and are now gray with a soot-like substance. I would very much like to wash my hair, which I am sure is crawling with spiders, but I imagine that's out of the question. I hug my Nutella to my ribs..."Strategy." Axe nods to his crew. They not back. "Sophie's in charge now. I have to get upstairs and run logistics there."I nod. Kyle stands a few feet in back of me. Beanstalk man is nowhere to be seen. I take the jar that's still in my very sweaty hand and put it on the table. I'm tempted to ask, "Does anyone have something to put this Nutella on?" but go for the commander thing. I put the jar on the table without banging it, but with force. Now for my first command."I need something to put this Nutella on."
A solid read, with excellent dialogue, a great plot, and fantastic characters, I can only hope to hear more from Sophia in the long run.
I'll be honest, I had no expectations coming into this book, it had been long enough between when it was pitched to me, and when I read it that I couldn't even remember what it was about. And from about 3 pages in I was loving it. Irreverently funny, Mendel takes a stab at what the Apocalypse might look like for the average American family, if there was a murder to solve, family secrets to discover and a gang war to diffuse. So it's like a post-apocalyptic murder mystery/dark comedy. In other words, a total breath of fresh air and not really like anything you've read before. And I mean that.
By Sunday night, Bertrand assumes that in the morning I"m going with him to check out the dead women. I'm assuming I'm not, but I haven't come up with a sidekick facsimile or a compassionate excuse. We lay at opposite ends of one of the two matching couches in the living room. Our feet overlap, but don't touch."Admittedly," I say, "it sounds like a lot of fun, but I don't think so." I say this playfully, which is more play than we've had in years. "If I had only been allowed to complete another season of Bones reruns, they were going to give me a medical degree, but since I didn't... It's no, no, not ever. Anyway, you might just need blood samples.""Oke, good idea. Mitchell would help." he says. "And it's 'We.' We get blood samples. See you're very good at this.""Mitchell? My brother?" After six months of waiting to die and not, we converted the entire tenth floor to a lab and living quarters for Mitchell. He's a genius retard, or guitard as I often think of him. How do I just keep making this discussion worse?
Mendels unconventional sense of humour put a smile on my face in under a minute, pretty much any time I picked up the book. Which since I was often reading it on breaks at work, was a perk I can't rave about enough. Her characters were wonky and loveable, but still carefully rendered to show the good and evil potential in everyone, especially in end of the world circumstances. She had great moments of emotion, and as dark as the comedy got there was a clear and appealing sense of hope to everything.
It's a very long two blocks, but we emerge into a Costco warehouse-sized basement, dimly lit but clean and stocked floor to ceiling with loot. Kind of like finding the pirate booty in the cave and gold coins and jewels, except this is much more valuable. Food, row after row of canned goods, boxes of wonders like crunchy granola bars and peanut butter crackers. Passing a row of Nutella, I grab a jar of the chocolate hazelnut without breaking stride. My breathing hasn't slowed from its I'm-going-to-die pace. My hands were already dry and cracked and are now gray with a soot-like substance. I would very much like to wash my hair, which I am sure is crawling with spiders, but I imagine that's out of the question. I hug my Nutella to my ribs..."Strategy." Axe nods to his crew. They not back. "Sophie's in charge now. I have to get upstairs and run logistics there."I nod. Kyle stands a few feet in back of me. Beanstalk man is nowhere to be seen. I take the jar that's still in my very sweaty hand and put it on the table. I'm tempted to ask, "Does anyone have something to put this Nutella on?" but go for the commander thing. I put the jar on the table without banging it, but with force. Now for my first command."I need something to put this Nutella on."
A solid read, with excellent dialogue, a great plot, and fantastic characters, I can only hope to hear more from Sophia in the long run.
March 8, 2012
The title of his book struck me funny because how would someone act after the "End of the World." What would be the proper etiquette on how to survive in a world that might be almost completely unlivable. Do you still go on dates? Does it matter if women wear make up anymore and does it matter if people shower anymore?
The book introduces us to the Sophie Cohen and her family; Bertrand Sophie's husband and one of the few doctors, Sasha her 13 year old rebellious daughter, her brilliant brother Mitchell who is autistic and Lulu her crazy mother who trained show dogs and pretend to live in the past but is very aware of what is going on around her.
Anne Mendel created Sophie a mother who is trying to keep her family alive while dealing with death all around her. The Author created a character anyone could identify with and make the reader question "What would I do if this happens to me?"
The author made me laugh really hard when Sophie talked about how people prepared or didn't prepare for the end of the world and " The Christan Left-Behinders are now tiptoeing around their own special basement of shame, thinking the righteous ones have been called up. Jewish mothers have spent thousands of years perfecting emergency preparedness, but alas, not for the end of the world. Mormons -- well, they prepared." The humor in the book was snaky but most of the time it was what the character Sophie was thinking but not saying.
The author also introduced us to Axe a gang leader who might be trying to save the only part of the human population left on earth, Athena Wonder a Palm\Tarot reader who has her own secrets and Smiley the only man who holds the secret to everyone survival. The only problem is Smily thinks he is King Arther and he has killed everyone who knows anything about his "Stash" and will kill anyone who tries to take it away. Again the author has Sophie question "How do you get a man who is crazy to give up his stash?" Why pretend Sophie can talk to Merlin.
The author creates a group of very colorful character Gsypes, gay men, doctors, mercenaries, prostitutes and good old crazies to keep the reader intrigued.
At the beginning of each chapter the author has quotes from movies, authors, actors and even Sun Tza the author of Art of War. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the quotes to match the chapter for example Chapter 36 quote "Perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who... have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well. J.K. Rowling" Here is another question I feel the author has the read ask "What would I do if I was put into power without wanting to be there?"
The humor in the book makes it a fun to read even though the topic is depressing and sad. Who thought someone could make termite soup sound almost eatable. The Author ends the book with one important question "If the world was coming to an end in minutes who would you call? Why Wait?"
My answer would be my stock broker. Just kidding it would be my family because I would want them to know I loved them no matter who much they might have driven me crazy in life and yes I have recently talked to my family.
I gave this book five stars but I know this book isn't for everyone there is quite a bit of language and violence.
The book introduces us to the Sophie Cohen and her family; Bertrand Sophie's husband and one of the few doctors, Sasha her 13 year old rebellious daughter, her brilliant brother Mitchell who is autistic and Lulu her crazy mother who trained show dogs and pretend to live in the past but is very aware of what is going on around her.
Anne Mendel created Sophie a mother who is trying to keep her family alive while dealing with death all around her. The Author created a character anyone could identify with and make the reader question "What would I do if this happens to me?"
The author made me laugh really hard when Sophie talked about how people prepared or didn't prepare for the end of the world and " The Christan Left-Behinders are now tiptoeing around their own special basement of shame, thinking the righteous ones have been called up. Jewish mothers have spent thousands of years perfecting emergency preparedness, but alas, not for the end of the world. Mormons -- well, they prepared." The humor in the book was snaky but most of the time it was what the character Sophie was thinking but not saying.
The author also introduced us to Axe a gang leader who might be trying to save the only part of the human population left on earth, Athena Wonder a Palm\Tarot reader who has her own secrets and Smiley the only man who holds the secret to everyone survival. The only problem is Smily thinks he is King Arther and he has killed everyone who knows anything about his "Stash" and will kill anyone who tries to take it away. Again the author has Sophie question "How do you get a man who is crazy to give up his stash?" Why pretend Sophie can talk to Merlin.
The author creates a group of very colorful character Gsypes, gay men, doctors, mercenaries, prostitutes and good old crazies to keep the reader intrigued.
At the beginning of each chapter the author has quotes from movies, authors, actors and even Sun Tza the author of Art of War. I enjoyed how the author incorporated the quotes to match the chapter for example Chapter 36 quote "Perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who... have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well. J.K. Rowling" Here is another question I feel the author has the read ask "What would I do if I was put into power without wanting to be there?"
The humor in the book makes it a fun to read even though the topic is depressing and sad. Who thought someone could make termite soup sound almost eatable. The Author ends the book with one important question "If the world was coming to an end in minutes who would you call? Why Wait?"
My answer would be my stock broker. Just kidding it would be my family because I would want them to know I loved them no matter who much they might have driven me crazy in life and yes I have recently talked to my family.
I gave this book five stars but I know this book isn't for everyone there is quite a bit of language and violence.
July 2, 2017
Set in the year 2020 this post-apocalyptic novel dishes up dark humor, memorable characters and a startling look at a post apocalypse reality. Mendel’s debut novel is captivating as she takes us into downtown Portland and into the lives of the Cohen family. I was held hostage by the protagonist's voice and the suspenseful plot.
The tale begins when we step into the life of Sophia Cohen. Before devastating natural disasters occurred she was a mother, wife and social worker. Now she is a drug dealer trading medication for food and supplies. The residence in the condo that the Cohen family resides in, work together as a small commune. They all have skills and use those for the good of the building. Bertrand, Sophie's husband, works at the local hospital for bread and one night tells Sophia about the bodies of young woman showing up with their hearts missing. He thinks they should investigate and the tale that unfolds rocks their world and forever changes them. They learn of a power struggle between two rival gangs and quickly realize they are all in danger. Told from Sophia’s voice, Mendel breathes such an air of believability into this tale, that I found myself completely immersed.
The characters in this tale are all unique. Some are dark, some pathetic and some downright scary. Sophia wears many caps. She is; a daughter seeking approval, a wife who wants to be held, and a mother who worries for her daughter’s future. She is a sister, a caregiver and an organizer. She is brave even when she wants to turn tail and run. Sophia is clever and sees the big picture. To the outside world she is quiet, bright, a leader, a shoulder to cry on, and the voice of reason. On the inside she is a scared, sarcastic, witty woman who wants a hot bath, a piece of chocolate cake and maybe some friggin toilet paper. I adore her and I love the running commentary she has in her head. At times I laughed so hard I had tears. Bertrand is a quiet man. He is soft spoken, liked by all and driven in his professional field. He takes healing very seriously and at times Sophia thinks he is oblivious to the world outside of the hospital. As we learn about Bertrand we find out there is so much more to this man. Lulu is Sophia’s somewhat eccentric mother and I loved this silly woman. The other characters in this tale were well fleshed out and took on lives of their own. From the bad guys to the not so bad guys I was highly entertained and found them all to be memorable. It isn’t often that secondary characters have this much depth.
The world-building was so surreal. Mendel lays out a post-apocalyptic world and holds nothing back. She briefly explains how this world came to be, at least enough to satisfy this reader and paints the results in a horrifying, humorous, and realistic way. I loved the attention to detail from the source of food to the longing for toilet paper. The power struggle that is occurring in Portland and the Cohen’s inevitable role in it was fascinating, scary and believable. This is not a fast paced tale; it is complex and beautifully woven. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, the characters and the stark reality.
The tale begins when we step into the life of Sophia Cohen. Before devastating natural disasters occurred she was a mother, wife and social worker. Now she is a drug dealer trading medication for food and supplies. The residence in the condo that the Cohen family resides in, work together as a small commune. They all have skills and use those for the good of the building. Bertrand, Sophie's husband, works at the local hospital for bread and one night tells Sophia about the bodies of young woman showing up with their hearts missing. He thinks they should investigate and the tale that unfolds rocks their world and forever changes them. They learn of a power struggle between two rival gangs and quickly realize they are all in danger. Told from Sophia’s voice, Mendel breathes such an air of believability into this tale, that I found myself completely immersed.
The characters in this tale are all unique. Some are dark, some pathetic and some downright scary. Sophia wears many caps. She is; a daughter seeking approval, a wife who wants to be held, and a mother who worries for her daughter’s future. She is a sister, a caregiver and an organizer. She is brave even when she wants to turn tail and run. Sophia is clever and sees the big picture. To the outside world she is quiet, bright, a leader, a shoulder to cry on, and the voice of reason. On the inside she is a scared, sarcastic, witty woman who wants a hot bath, a piece of chocolate cake and maybe some friggin toilet paper. I adore her and I love the running commentary she has in her head. At times I laughed so hard I had tears. Bertrand is a quiet man. He is soft spoken, liked by all and driven in his professional field. He takes healing very seriously and at times Sophia thinks he is oblivious to the world outside of the hospital. As we learn about Bertrand we find out there is so much more to this man. Lulu is Sophia’s somewhat eccentric mother and I loved this silly woman. The other characters in this tale were well fleshed out and took on lives of their own. From the bad guys to the not so bad guys I was highly entertained and found them all to be memorable. It isn’t often that secondary characters have this much depth.
The world-building was so surreal. Mendel lays out a post-apocalyptic world and holds nothing back. She briefly explains how this world came to be, at least enough to satisfy this reader and paints the results in a horrifying, humorous, and realistic way. I loved the attention to detail from the source of food to the longing for toilet paper. The power struggle that is occurring in Portland and the Cohen’s inevitable role in it was fascinating, scary and believable. This is not a fast paced tale; it is complex and beautifully woven. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, the characters and the stark reality.
April 24, 2012
Mendel has taken a subject normally relegated to paranormal romance and science fiction and made it far more realistic. Her post-apocalyptic world is not filled with zombies and other supernatural atrocities. She creates a very believable situation and her characters are easy to identify with. Sophie’s drug’s are not recreational. Her brother makes, and she sells, what today would be over the counter drugs for medical ailments. Her husband still slaves away as a doctor at the local hospital even though it no longer pays and his job is far more challenging in a time when electricity, most drugs and other medical necessities are impossible to find but the number of dying patients has greatly increased. Their daughter is a typical 13 year-old in a very atypical time. Being a teenager is, in many ways, the same as before the apocalypse – rebellion against the parents, anxiety over boys, you know the usual – with the added problems of a lack of food, no organized schools and rampant street violence. Sophie’s mother’s grasp on reality seems weak most of the time and yet she can be very astute. She has a way of seeing the really important parts of a problem. She, ever the Jewish mother, is the one who has instilled Sophie’s good etiquette and still considers it very important despite, or perhaps because of, the horrible conditions the family lives in.
Sophie’s investigation into the dumping of murdered prostitutes leads her to an important role in a turf war. Being a mom and budding entrepreneur has prepared her well to be a para-militaristic leader.
Working together reignites a long dormant flame between Sophie and her husband that is touching and exciting.
Sophie is sarcastic and irreverent. I laughed put loud numerous times and marked several pages. This book is a very entertaining read and who knows, it might just come in handy if we find ourselves in similar circumstances!
Rating: 4.5
Heat Rating: Mild – Mild detailed scenes of intimacy, mild violence or profanity.
Reviewed By: Jeanne Stone-Hunter for My Book Addiction and More
Sophie’s investigation into the dumping of murdered prostitutes leads her to an important role in a turf war. Being a mom and budding entrepreneur has prepared her well to be a para-militaristic leader.
Working together reignites a long dormant flame between Sophie and her husband that is touching and exciting.
Sophie is sarcastic and irreverent. I laughed put loud numerous times and marked several pages. This book is a very entertaining read and who knows, it might just come in handy if we find ourselves in similar circumstances!
Rating: 4.5
Heat Rating: Mild – Mild detailed scenes of intimacy, mild violence or profanity.
Reviewed By: Jeanne Stone-Hunter for My Book Addiction and More
May 23, 2012
That which made me want to try this book was the cover, I mean look at it! So cool and weird, I love it.
It's the end of the world but some are struggling to survive (it helps having a genius for a brother who can make painkillers:) It's a new world where those with a skill has survived. Sophie sells drugs, but even in this bleak bleak world the book itself does not feel overly bleak. Because the book is so much more than just another dystopic apocalyptic story. It's a story about a mother trying to do right by her daughter, a girl becoming a teenager in this kind of world. Oh yes she is not happy. About a marriage that is not as passionate as it used to be. And it's not easy to be loving when you have nothing to eat and people die around you left and right. And last, dealing with a mother who does not want to accept that the world has changed.
But the family drama and issues aside the book is also a bit of a mystery as women are being murdered and Sophie wants to find out who is doing it. Because no one else care. And by digging around in things she should not more happens, I can't go into details but it gets exciting.
A bleak world about a family trying to cope. It has this certain feel to it, bleak yet so normal. Many apocalyptic books are awesome, but in the end they are just so freaking big. So much happened, the world has changed too much. Here it feels like this could happen. A supervolcano would just have to explode and that would send ripples through out the world. This is how people would try to get by.
Conclusion:
I have said it before, but a different sort of end of the world book, one that I enjoyed and one that felt like it was happening right now.
It's the end of the world but some are struggling to survive (it helps having a genius for a brother who can make painkillers:) It's a new world where those with a skill has survived. Sophie sells drugs, but even in this bleak bleak world the book itself does not feel overly bleak. Because the book is so much more than just another dystopic apocalyptic story. It's a story about a mother trying to do right by her daughter, a girl becoming a teenager in this kind of world. Oh yes she is not happy. About a marriage that is not as passionate as it used to be. And it's not easy to be loving when you have nothing to eat and people die around you left and right. And last, dealing with a mother who does not want to accept that the world has changed.
But the family drama and issues aside the book is also a bit of a mystery as women are being murdered and Sophie wants to find out who is doing it. Because no one else care. And by digging around in things she should not more happens, I can't go into details but it gets exciting.
A bleak world about a family trying to cope. It has this certain feel to it, bleak yet so normal. Many apocalyptic books are awesome, but in the end they are just so freaking big. So much happened, the world has changed too much. Here it feels like this could happen. A supervolcano would just have to explode and that would send ripples through out the world. This is how people would try to get by.
Conclusion:
I have said it before, but a different sort of end of the world book, one that I enjoyed and one that felt like it was happening right now.
March 4, 2013
I wasn't really sure what this book was trying to be. It's a murder mystery. It's a thriller, it's a satire, it's the story of a family trying to survive after the apocalypse.
In 2020, the world fell apart. Earthquakes, disease, a supervolcano, etc. In fact, pretty much the only thing that doesn't show up is the zombie apocalypse. Sophia is a mother who has had to toughen up when this all hit during the annual visit to her mother. Her son Max died in one of the epidemics, but she's got her doctor husband, Bertrand, her moody teenaged daughter, Sasha, her possible autistic brother, Mitchell, and her mother, Lulu, who doesn't seem fully connected to reality anymore. She got her family, and she want's to keep them alive, so she became the driving force in organizing the building her mother lives in, with her brother creating drugs (anti-biotics and painkillers, not illicit drugs) for trade.
But now her husband has been finding dead prostitutes dumped at the hospital with their hearts cut out, and he drags her into an investigation against her will, with pulls her into the middle of a possible military takeover, with the figurehead of a CEO who has gone bonkers and thinks he's King Arthur. And then there's a piece of almost magical technology that would be of great help.
The main problem with the book was that it was trying to be too many things to too many people, and the result was a little muddled. When I was reading it, I was sucked along by the writing, but when I put it aside for the day, I wasn't really all that anxious to pick it up again the next day
Still, it was an okay read.
In 2020, the world fell apart. Earthquakes, disease, a supervolcano, etc. In fact, pretty much the only thing that doesn't show up is the zombie apocalypse. Sophia is a mother who has had to toughen up when this all hit during the annual visit to her mother. Her son Max died in one of the epidemics, but she's got her doctor husband, Bertrand, her moody teenaged daughter, Sasha, her possible autistic brother, Mitchell, and her mother, Lulu, who doesn't seem fully connected to reality anymore. She got her family, and she want's to keep them alive, so she became the driving force in organizing the building her mother lives in, with her brother creating drugs (anti-biotics and painkillers, not illicit drugs) for trade.
But now her husband has been finding dead prostitutes dumped at the hospital with their hearts cut out, and he drags her into an investigation against her will, with pulls her into the middle of a possible military takeover, with the figurehead of a CEO who has gone bonkers and thinks he's King Arthur. And then there's a piece of almost magical technology that would be of great help.
The main problem with the book was that it was trying to be too many things to too many people, and the result was a little muddled. When I was reading it, I was sucked along by the writing, but when I put it aside for the day, I wasn't really all that anxious to pick it up again the next day
Still, it was an okay read.
June 4, 2014
Before the end of the world, Sophie Cohen was just like any other mom. She took care of her two kids and her husband, and life was good. After the caldera blew, life went to Hell in a handbasket. Making a new life for her family, including her dellusional mother and genius/autistic brother, doesn't come easy. Sophie is able to make ends meet by selling her brother's antibotics, pain killers, and whatever other medicine he can come up with. When her husband discovers bodies being dumped at his hospital, Sophie is sent on a wild ride trying to find the person responsible for the deaths and along the way gets swept up in post-apocalyptic warfare. It's survival of the fittest and the winner is the one who holds all the cards
Etiquette for an Apocalypse is a refreshing new take on the end of the world. It didn't need zombies or anything crazy supernatural to make a point. I always like new takes on old ideas and this book definitely had it. I mean, what would you do when the world ended? Sophie was an interesting character who did what she had to get by. The idea of a serial killer at the end of the world was different but something I felt I could get behind. Then the story went off in a weird direction.
I felt like Anne Mendel got a bit sidetracked with trying to transition from chasing a serial killer to teaming up to take down the psychotic pseudo-over lord of the end of the world. The action was extremely anti-climatic, after an interesting build up, and at the end, it just got weird.
I would recommend this book simply because it's so different. If you can get past the weird crap in the last 10 or so chapters, then you'll really like it.
Etiquette for an Apocalypse is a refreshing new take on the end of the world. It didn't need zombies or anything crazy supernatural to make a point. I always like new takes on old ideas and this book definitely had it. I mean, what would you do when the world ended? Sophie was an interesting character who did what she had to get by. The idea of a serial killer at the end of the world was different but something I felt I could get behind. Then the story went off in a weird direction.
I felt like Anne Mendel got a bit sidetracked with trying to transition from chasing a serial killer to teaming up to take down the psychotic pseudo-over lord of the end of the world. The action was extremely anti-climatic, after an interesting build up, and at the end, it just got weird.
I would recommend this book simply because it's so different. If you can get past the weird crap in the last 10 or so chapters, then you'll really like it.
April 30, 2012
Etiquette for an Apocalypse was really good. I loved the quirky characters and the post-apocalyptic setting, but I did think that some of the situations were a stretch. It could have even just been the humor in some parts that threw me off because I didn’t understand if the author was being sarcastic or not. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved all the religious jabs, but sometimes certain jokes seemed to fall flat in such dire circumstances. The character development, however, definitely made up for anything I thought was lacking in this book. Not only were they well-developed, but each of them was genuinely interesting and often completely crazy. My favorite character (and probably everyone’s), Sophie, made me want to be her – she was such a bad a** and the source of nearly every laugh-out-loud moment. The other characters were excellent too, but Sophie definitely upstages them all - a drug dealing mother and ex-social worker, come on - it's hilarious.
Despite the couple awkward moments, Etiquette for an Apocalypse was awesome. I love anything post-apocalyptic and I think anyone else who enjoys that kind of setting will also love this book.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
Despite the couple awkward moments, Etiquette for an Apocalypse was awesome. I love anything post-apocalyptic and I think anyone else who enjoys that kind of setting will also love this book.
Reviewed by Brittany for Book Sake.
June 2, 2012
Etiquette for an Apocalypse is a dark comedy that kept me riveted from beginning to end. Sophie and her family live on the eleventh floor in her building and it's pretty safe there. With no electricity, the elevator doesn't work and by the ninth floor, thieves are worn out from climbing any higher.
Her husband works at the hospital, her daughter spends her time reading, her mother has Alzheimer's and is always trying to perfect her new lithe figure and look, and Sophie spends her time trying to keep them all fed and pressing pills - how she trades for what they need.
When Bertrand, Sophie's husband, comes home from work one day disturbed about the dead prostitutes who keep showing up with their hearts carved out, Sophie doesn't want to become involved. But Bert insists and she soon finds herself investigating a serial killer. She's already lost a son and she sure doesn't want to see her daughter end up in that life and then dead.
With wry and dark humor, candid moments, Etiquette for an Apocalypse is a shining star in today's dystopian fiction. It's twisted and stark, and really had me appreciating what I take for granted. The characters are unique, yet completely relat-able. I can't wait to see what Mendel writes about next!
Her husband works at the hospital, her daughter spends her time reading, her mother has Alzheimer's and is always trying to perfect her new lithe figure and look, and Sophie spends her time trying to keep them all fed and pressing pills - how she trades for what they need.
When Bertrand, Sophie's husband, comes home from work one day disturbed about the dead prostitutes who keep showing up with their hearts carved out, Sophie doesn't want to become involved. But Bert insists and she soon finds herself investigating a serial killer. She's already lost a son and she sure doesn't want to see her daughter end up in that life and then dead.
With wry and dark humor, candid moments, Etiquette for an Apocalypse is a shining star in today's dystopian fiction. It's twisted and stark, and really had me appreciating what I take for granted. The characters are unique, yet completely relat-able. I can't wait to see what Mendel writes about next!
July 21, 2012
This was quite an interesting book. I loved how Sophie and crew did what they needed to do to survive in the post apocalypse world. Certainly made me wonder if I could survive,, and if all those survivialists who stockpile canned goods, etc are right! Also each chapter has a quote at the beginning, and some of them were hilarious. There is more than one quote from the movie "Shaun of the Dead"! One of my favorite quotes,, which reminded me of my former MIL was: "To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power." --Maya Angelou.
Also: "And yet to every bad there is a worse"--Thomas Hardy.
"Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control over what you don't--and it surprises me even in myself, how much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown." Rebecca Solnit
and a GREAT line from the author: "he considers himself a self-made man and clearly worships his creator." HILARIOUS!!
And the pit bull on the cover reminded me of my dog Rocco. And there is a zany character named Lulu. Definitely worth a read!
Also: "And yet to every bad there is a worse"--Thomas Hardy.
"Worry is a way to pretend that you have knowledge or control over what you don't--and it surprises me even in myself, how much we prefer ugly scenarios to the pure unknown." Rebecca Solnit
and a GREAT line from the author: "he considers himself a self-made man and clearly worships his creator." HILARIOUS!!
And the pit bull on the cover reminded me of my dog Rocco. And there is a zany character named Lulu. Definitely worth a read!
May 8, 2013
I wanted to like this book. It sounded like a funny take on a post apocalypse story. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
The story seemed disjointed and awkward in the beginning. It did not help that the writing jumped from around between standard novel format, to a play format. This change was distracting and didn’t lend anything to the story.
Sophie was an unlikely heroine. A self-doubting, middle-aged woman who is now a drug dealer, Sophie is a hard woman to understand and like. She seems very self-absorbed, with little respect for either her mother, or daughter, or husband. Her obsession with food made me constantly hungry while reading.
Overall, this was a gritty end-of-the-world story that doesn’t deliver much hope. It is dark and tries too hard to be funny. I was left with an overall bleh impression.
The story seemed disjointed and awkward in the beginning. It did not help that the writing jumped from around between standard novel format, to a play format. This change was distracting and didn’t lend anything to the story.
Sophie was an unlikely heroine. A self-doubting, middle-aged woman who is now a drug dealer, Sophie is a hard woman to understand and like. She seems very self-absorbed, with little respect for either her mother, or daughter, or husband. Her obsession with food made me constantly hungry while reading.
Overall, this was a gritty end-of-the-world story that doesn’t deliver much hope. It is dark and tries too hard to be funny. I was left with an overall bleh impression.
November 13, 2012
This is an absolutely amazing book. Our narrator, Sophie, tells us about surviving earthquake, fire, epidemic disease, volcanic eruptions and starvation in the none too distant future. Armored only by sarcasm, Sophie must preserve her family, find out who is murdering prostitutes, keep the newly emerging world from tyranny and see if there are enough cockroaches to make soup. Sophie's mother lives in La La Land, her brother has Asperger's syndrome, her daughter is a disdainful thirteen year old and her husband is a doctor who works sixteen hours a day. All told, Sophie has a lot to do and not much help to do it. Her narrative is bloodily horrifying and blackly funny at the same time.
Don't read this if you are squeamish. Do read it if you would like to feel grateful for small blessings.
Don't read this if you are squeamish. Do read it if you would like to feel grateful for small blessings.
April 1, 2013
Humorous and touching, this mystery/end of the world novel set in post-apocalyptic Portland isn't exactly the shoot-em-up story you might expect. Sophie Cohen is a former social worker forced by a caldera-caused-apocalypse to move her family into an 11th floor condo with her hyper-critical mother. Just as she's got her condo building filled with useful (read: helpful for survival) neighbors, politics, dead prostitutes and a bizarre re-interpretation of Camelot intrude on her somewhat peaceful, if hungry, existence. This novel gets it's real heft from the genuine emotions flowing through Sophie has she struggles to reconnect with her husband, keep her daughter alive, and make some sort of peace with her mother. If you like quirky adventure tales with a warm heart I would recommend this book.
abandoned
August 15, 2016I gave it my best effort. I made it halfway through the book. I hate giving up on book club reads because I want to be able to fully participate in the discussion. But the writing was just so terrible. I couldn't do it anymore. If you're going to self-publish, you at least have to find yourself a really good editor who will stop you from putting commas after conjunctions and will tell you when you're being unintentionally racist. The premise of this book actually has a lot of potential, but I kept getting lost as the plot veered wildly in different directions and expected the readers to keep up. I can't recommend it.
November 14, 2012
I wanted to like this more than I did. I like the characters and th plot, but the narration is missing something. I think that to include the humor, the narrator is a bit flip, but it lightens the mood so much that even though Sophie's life is always in danger the stakes are low. Also I don't think I found the motivations of the characters believable; I had the feeling that the author was driving the book rather than tthe characters.
June 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Sort of typical story of an ordinary person thrust into becoming a hero by the chaos at the end of the world. But it's imaginative, entertaining, and very human. And funny--can't leave that out. Plus it takes place in Portland, so I recognize the places. Kind of reminds me of when I lived in Pittsburgh and Night of the Living Dead came out...
September 24, 2012
Really liked it. It was smart and funny, while also being a story about a post apocalyptic world. The recreated civilization the characters inhabit is a very interesting one. Post apocalyptic Portland. Hearing it described as a Cormac McCarthy meets Christopher Moore book is a slight exaggeration but only slightly. I get that vibe from it, too.
June 22, 2014
Quite an entertaining look at life after the end of the world. They've made it just beyond the starvation, riots, looting, and cannabilism stages. Now they have to deal with serial murders, power grabs, and teenage daughters. The real trouble may be just ahead...
Set in Portland, Oregon, always a rich venue.
Set in Portland, Oregon, always a rich venue.
June 17, 2012
Lots of fun; a nice change of pace to read an adult novel, and I loved the dark comedy.
Fair warning: contains objectionable language and adult content. It's an end-of-the-world setting, so people's behavior is probably much more coarse than it would be in our everyday lives.
Fair warning: contains objectionable language and adult content. It's an end-of-the-world setting, so people's behavior is probably much more coarse than it would be in our everyday lives.
November 4, 2012
This was a fun little story. I chuckled at the notion of the end of the world
being caused by fracking. Liked the married-couple romance. The narrator's
constant obsession with food was amusing but it kept making me want to eat.
being caused by fracking. Liked the married-couple romance. The narrator's
constant obsession with food was amusing but it kept making me want to eat.
March 19, 2012
Heidi gave this book a fabulous review for us and we will be publishing it on our Book Him Danno book review blog in the next few weeks. Thanks for looking.
April 6, 2012
Ha! Humor, suspense, love and Jewish mother's approach to the end of the world as we know it!
Awesome!
Awesome!
May 1, 2012
Written with dark humor, this thriller makes the end of the world both more real and less terrifying! A fun and funny (seriously) read.
Want to read
August 14, 2012Recommended by AM Northwest
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews