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On the eve of an extinction level event, Anna Jenner’s survival is almost assured. All she has to do is travel with her son from Midland, Texas to the designated safe zone out east, picking up selected essential personnel on her journey. Her job is to lead and bring the chosen few to the sanctuary. A comet is on a direct collision course for earth. Its impact will bring global devastation.

Anna and the others will be the ones to rise from the ashes when the dust settles. Everything is set. But along the way, chaos over the nearing event ensues, and while crossing a panic filled country, Anna makes decisions that impact the long term plan.

She is human.

Unable to refuse those who ask for help, Anna opens the door to strangers in her own small attempt to preserve humanity. The meticulously drawn out long term plan is out the window. Not only must Anna prove to everyone that her choices were the correct ones, she must try to maintain balance in an emotionally difficult situation. Unfortunately, it is not easy for her. In the days and weeks following the event, everything in the bunker must be rethought, recalculated and unfortunately, heartbreaking decisions made.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2014

151 people are currently reading
135 people want to read

About the author

Jacqueline Druga

235 books569 followers

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5 stars
209 (39%)
4 stars
171 (32%)
3 stars
101 (19%)
2 stars
28 (5%)
1 star
18 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
Profile Image for Sam.
11 reviews12 followers
January 29, 2015
Books should be proofread before publishing. My God.
Profile Image for Pam Shelton-Anderson.
1,921 reviews66 followers
May 29, 2018
I generally like this author's works a lot, but this is not one of the best. Anna, simply drives me crazy. She waits too long to head to safety, has no situational awareness, and doesn't listen to anyone. I would want to have a positive attitude to being able to survive and rebuild too, but tempered with some caution. She learned nothing from the attack that came from the people she rashly invited into the shelter. She clearly doesn't understand that the supplies they have are finite and will not be replenished for a very long time, if ever. And what kind of security expert, leaves an unlocked Hummer running when they get out to investigate a woman that they both consider to be suspicious? I think Darwin was right.
Profile Image for Curt.
279 reviews11 followers
March 25, 2022
The Earth is going to get with a comet wiping out all life. Anna's ex-husband Gil is an up and comer politician, who arranges (and funds) the construction of a bunker (named Protocol One) meant to ride out the disaster for Anna and their son.

Like most of Druga's books, this one is a unique approach to the end-of-the-world. And while I enjoy most of her books, this one landed a bit flat for me. The main character, Anna, is frustrating. She leaves her departure to the bunker until the last minute and not surprisingly gets into trouble on the way. She feels sorrow for every person she encounters and ultimately brings them with her to the bunker. So instead of her and her son, she shows up with like 10 people. She somehow cannot understand the concept that there are limited resources. She is very naive about people's motives when it comes to survival - yes Anna, they will take your shit and kill you.

By the time we reach the end of the book she and her boyfriend make some dumbass moves that put them in jeopardy resulting in a cliffhanger and another book. Think I will pass.
Profile Image for Reads_Must .
913 reviews13 followers
March 10, 2025
Protocol One
Protocol One Saga #1
Sci-Fi
Jacqueline Druga
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ʀᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ • ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ • ᴅɪꜰꜰɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴꜱ •

Another great book from Jacqueline Druga!

I was immediately drawn in by the sense of paranoia and the tension as Gill made Anna collect supplies and send them off to mystery locations.

I liked the characters but Anna did become a bit frustrating. She constantly jumps to positive conclusions, especially about other people, and refuses to consider the threat they may pose. She was also quite childish everytime she had an argument with someone.

I did feel sorry for her in some situations though. She had been through a lot and it deeply affected her.

The pacing was just right and I just couldn't stop reading. I was surprised by a few things that happened and who did them.

I'll start the next book immediately 😂
Profile Image for Ann237.
424 reviews5 followers
August 27, 2021
Narrator issue

I must say having the audible version to go along with the readable one, I was a bit disappointed. The book was fine, but having a male narrator for a book with a female lead character was odd & got confusing at times. The narrator had a pleasant enough voice, but there was no change in presentation for each character.
But as I said the book was enjoyable and filled with surprises & “WHAT”? moments. I am looking forward to the next part.
Profile Image for Tori.
1 review
March 14, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, the story was there. Unfortunately I couldn't get past the awful editing. While some of the writing was done well and managed to reel me in, most of it was cheesy, and I felt the characters were severely underdeveloped.

Also Anna, has to be one of the most annoying characters I've ever encountered in all my years of reading. I have never wanted to see a main character in a post-apocalyptic book, not survive, so badly.
34 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2018
PERFECT reading during 2018's visit with The Beast from the East. Another great apocalyptic yarn...

... from Jacqueline Druga.
Great cast of characters.
Fast paced.
A ton of action and several interlocking intriguing people.
I read this in less than 24 hours and have already downloaded Book 2 and shall forthwith disappear inside.
Profile Image for Sam.
2,487 reviews43 followers
October 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this EMP comet end of the world apocalyptic adventure! I really liked the ideas for the story line as well as the characters. Not just your average end of he world but a very enjoyable story that has me really wanting the next part! I do recommend this & look forward to reading more by this writer.
555 reviews8 followers
July 20, 2017
I liked the story and will probably read another in the series just to see what happens. I wish Anna had not been so immature and unreasonable. They don't act as serious about the situation and I would imagine.
Normally, I do like Ms. Druga's books very much.
Profile Image for Velinda haywood.
78 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2018
Interesting Read

I liked all the characters pretty much except the heroine of the book Anna. I liked her (bleeding heart) outlook . but what gets my nerve was she didn't defer to Tony's nor Gil's expert knowledge.
570 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2020
Interesting

A very interesting read. I enjoyed the characters and the author's writing style but there were quite a few editing mistakes ie....misspelled words and repeated phrases in the same sentence. That is the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.
Profile Image for TheReadingKnitter/ Kasey.
1,002 reviews11 followers
September 19, 2022
I just couldn't get into this book. I think it was cause there was so much prep talk and little character building. Either way I'm going to keep reading this author cause all the other books I've read by her are amazing.
12.5k reviews186 followers
December 29, 2021
Intriguing. Anna doesn’t follow proper instincts and try to get to safety right away. Will she make it. Ready for more.
Profile Image for Acro Iris.
10 reviews
April 6, 2022
oh my god how stupid is anna? It's so annoying I wanted to slap her
Profile Image for Bona Fide Book Reviews.
96 reviews6 followers
November 16, 2016
I was initially drawn to this book by the humorous dialogue between the main characters, Anna and Tony. Sadly, the book quickly lost that humor and became less entertaining. Even though the story is driven by a comet about to hit Earth and destroy life as everyone knows it, I still think a little humor would have gone a long way, especially since it started out funny.

I did not find Anna to be a sympathetic character. For one thing, she unquestioningly follows the orders of her EX-husband (you heard me right, not her current man, but her long-time ex) and buys obscenely large amounts of aluminum foil and cardboard, shipping these truckloads all around the country. Who in their right mind wouldn't ask why? She doesn't and that says a lot. Of course, at this point she has no idea what is going on, but that is no excuse. Curiosity killed the cat, but this cat would have been safe in wanting to know the reason behind the world's strangest request.

As the story progresses, she becomes completely wrapped up in the self-serving idea that she is always right, saving everyone, and knowing what is best for all involved. Does she take into account what others say? No, she ignores all questions and concerns. Sounds like a hero complex to me. She certainly means well, but her arrogance got old really fast. I'm stunned that her boyfriend, Tony, didn't get sick of it as well. After all, they're about to be roasted by a comet, perhaps he should have put in his two cents and stood by it.

Traveling across country, picking up specific "special" people sounds promising, but suddenly she gets a mind of her own, and decides to take charge, letting everyone she wants to hop on board the savior bus. But there's only so much space and food in a bunker. That's just common sense. She blindingly followed the orders of her EX before, so why she ignores him now is beyond me. Needless to say, she winds up with too many people crammed into a space meant for a fraction of them, due to her staunch administration and refusal to listen to anybody besides herself. She tries to base her decisions on the needs of the group and not of the one (Star Trek reference for all the Trekkies out there). Unfortunately, her drive for sainthood just endangers them all on more than one occasion. Am I being too harsh on Anna? Possibly. She is the leader of this story, whether I like it or not, but it doesn't mean I have to like her.

There are several other characters, including Tony, that I think could have added to the story and made it more interesting, but they're just sidenotes. Maybe the sequel will give them a chance to shine, instead of being backup for the Anna Show. There is a certain amount of suspense, which I liked and I think the author was clever in her development of the story's timeline. Overall, I enjoyed the central theme, which is, "let's survive this comet and make a new world." It's not necessarily a bad story and the next book might prove worth reading, especially since the last chapter has a few enticing spoilers. Of course, that means cliffhanger. However, this wasn't enough to really draw me in and the likelihood of me continuing with this series is next to nil.

For the rating:

Genre and general audience: science fiction fit for just about anyone.
Level of sexuality: very, very mild.
Was there graphic language? Not overwhelmingly so, which is surprising since they're about to meet their maker.
Did I cry? Not once.
Is this part of a series? Yep. The Protocol One Saga.
Level of character development: Basically none.
Did I laugh? As I said, the beginning is funny, but it dies quickly.
Overall, my rating for this book is ⭐️⭐️ stars. A genre I usually love, but a lackluster book. The author tried and that's obvious, though, so there is hope for the future.
13 reviews
January 31, 2015
Very interesting storyline with creative plot twists

This is a different style of apocalypse writing than what I'm used to but the characters where interesting and easy to visualize. The story includes the many real world character types that would be encountered, good, bad, evil, weak and strong that makes for good reading. I did find myself wondering where the obvious security weapons where going to show up since all aspects of the required survival needs seemed to be well thought out by the main character. I'm big on the need for personal protection and would have had a mini arsenal included in the story but i personally like reading those fight for survival books. That's just me and it didn't take away from the excitement of the book. The only negative I had was the use of coarse language used a couple times. It may be real world human nature but I don't like paying money to read it in a book or listen to it in a movie. I will be looking for more books from Druga in the future though. This book would probably be one that I would go back and reread again just because of the cool events and characters.
1 review
March 4, 2015
Skip

While I've enjoyed a few of Ms Druga this was so disappointing, the main character was so silly the world is falling apart and while starting out with "good intentions" once reality sets in and your faced with those people willing to kill and take what you have, you would think that a person would learn from their mistakes! Not so..... Honestly in a world filled with desperate people would you leave the keys to your vehicle?!
Sorry but this was so disappointing, there was much more about this book that was just wrong.
351 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2015
Another hit!!

Well, I think I have found one of my favorite authors. Protocol One is another book about what happens when our world, as we know it, changes in a few minutes. How would you survive when temperatures soar, then drop into negative numbers? I loved this book and finished it within hours. The main characters come alive and each moment of their journey keeps you wanting more. I know book 2 is available now, and I can certainly say that I look forward to any other book in this series! I will also be on the lookout for any other series from this great author!
Profile Image for Tremont G.
187 reviews4 followers
June 15, 2015
Typos, poor character development, and Anna is annoying!

I'm 56% in and did not finish because I HATE Anna! She is so annoying, stupid and just dumb with her "bright side" of humanity bullshit. Also, I'm bored. This is slow going and I really don't know any of the characters well except for crappy Anna. Awful. If I read any further I just know there will be a ton of obvious and horrible decisions made by not only AA (Annoying Anna), but Tony as well, as he will probably be sucked into doing whatever she says and putting up with her bs for no good reason.
170 reviews2 followers
December 30, 2015
A comet heading for Earth. A government planning to save itself so it can be around to pick up the pieces of the US and start rebuilding. A mother and son leave their home in Texas to go to a bunker prepared by her ex-husband and on the way pick up more people than they planned on, she just couldn't say no. After the impact, they live through the phases of the catastrophe and people intent on taking what they had to eventually leave the bunker to see who remained alive.

This was an interesting story, with well thought out characters. I recommend reading this book.
Profile Image for Nadhia.
32 reviews
January 23, 2015
I want to like this book, I really do. The story starts out well and has a good premise.

However, there are so many character inconsistencies. For example, someone who is supposed to be obsessed with security detail, leaves the keys in a car used to go exploring. The car is stolen. I could go on about inconsistencies, but I won't.


I am also reading their ebook (bought on Amazon) and the typos are just insane. I think the whole story would be better with a good editor & proofreader.
158 reviews8 followers
June 19, 2017
Excellent premise for an apocalyptic story! I thoroughly enjoyed this book most especially because it is told through the eyes of a senator's ex-wife. So although the senator is privy to information about the coming disaster the main character Ann is not. This made for many surprises and quite a few funny mixups along the way. A definite book to read if you are into end of the world stories because Protocol One has suspense, hilarity, a love story etc all in one!
Profile Image for Jill Lamond.
269 reviews
June 22, 2015
The storyline was Ok and the sort of thing I generally enjoy reading. Unfortunately the positives stop there. I was constantly annoyed by the grammatical errors and typos which should have been sorted out at the proof-reading stage. The writing was stilted and the characters two dimensional. I won't be reading volume 2.
Profile Image for Meredith Morgan.
123 reviews2 followers
October 2, 2016
While the storyline was good I was consistently irritated with Anne, the main female in the book, who after a comet hits the earth consistently keeps seeing only good in people and puts other people at risk because of her soft heartedness. I guess it is well written when a character has the power to irritate you so much, otherwise I enjoyed this story.
48 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2015
Excellent

My only complaint is the apparent lack of quality proof reading. I hate when you are really in a good part of the book and all of a sudden the flow struggles due to grammar or semantics, etc.
However, the book is quite good.
105 reviews2 followers
April 27, 2015
Cool

This is another good read from a good author. Although this one needs some more time on the editing desk the story flows well and the character development is good. I enjoyed this installment and will pick up the next when I get a chance.
40 reviews
May 3, 2015
Drugs has a winner here ....enjoyed it

Great read ,well done...a great mix that keeps you guessing ,,,,our humanity and reality clashes. She has a well story that holds your attention
Profile Image for Jen.
185 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2015
I really, really wanted to like this. I just could not get around the terrible editing ("He started at me" instead of "stared"), pretty flat character development and several Plot Twist! that I totally saw through.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews

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