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EMP Collapse #1
Chaos Begins
Getting home has never been so treacherous
When an EMP takes down the power grid and everything that runs on a computer chip, Melissa has no choice but to walk from her office in downtown Salt Lake City to her home in a suburb fifteen miles south. With a few co-workers to keep her company, she isn’t too worried—until they begin their journey and discover how quickly society can fall apart.
Alex, Melissa’s husband, works thirty blocks south of Melissa’s office. When everything stops working he has to decide whether to head north and find Melissa or go in the opposite direction to see if their teenaged children made it home. Only trouble is, he’s by himself and danger is everywhere.
When an EMP takes down the power grid and everything that runs on a computer chip, Melissa has no choice but to walk from her office in downtown Salt Lake City to her home in a suburb fifteen miles south. With a few co-workers to keep her company, she isn’t too worried—until they begin their journey and discover how quickly society can fall apart.
Alex, Melissa’s husband, works thirty blocks south of Melissa’s office. When everything stops working he has to decide whether to head north and find Melissa or go in the opposite direction to see if their teenaged children made it home. Only trouble is, he’s by himself and danger is everywhere.
- GenresSurvival
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2021
137 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Christine Kersey
128 books322 followersChristine loves to read, but also loves to write suspenseful stories. She enjoys camping and hiking with her family and watching movies. Check out her website: christinekersey.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
June 19, 2022
Christian EMP post-apocalyptic fiction is my favorite subgenre to read. This one was just ok, as it was very violent (sadly, probably realistic) and I wouldn't have known it was Christian unless it was labeled as such on Amazon. I probably won't continue on with the series.
May 13, 2025
A different and more laid-back view of an EMP disaster. It had a good flow and didn't have that instruction manual feel some indie survival books have. It was a bit irritating how the FMC's personality changed when her hubby was reunited with her.
March 14, 2022
Dumb people doing dumb things
One of the main characters got several people in her group killed and her friend kidnapped . Nobody seemed to understand this. Dumb. Then the survivors, some unarmed, left a half dozen guns including 3 rifles and went on their way. Dumb. When another group member is shot one of the main characters is able to sneak up on the shooter but won't shoot him. Thinks to himself, can't shoot him in cold blood. WHAT? Dumb.
One of the main characters got several people in her group killed and her friend kidnapped . Nobody seemed to understand this. Dumb. Then the survivors, some unarmed, left a half dozen guns including 3 rifles and went on their way. Dumb. When another group member is shot one of the main characters is able to sneak up on the shooter but won't shoot him. Thinks to himself, can't shoot him in cold blood. WHAT? Dumb.
January 11, 2024
A great read.
We follow the main characters Alex and his wife Melissa from different directions they are likeable and are trying to get home to their children after an EMP and the story is about their journey and who they meet on the way. There isn't anything that stands out as brilliant but there is a lot that happens to them and it's easy to read.
We follow the main characters Alex and his wife Melissa from different directions they are likeable and are trying to get home to their children after an EMP and the story is about their journey and who they meet on the way. There isn't anything that stands out as brilliant but there is a lot that happens to them and it's easy to read.
September 1, 2021
The book pulls you in fast and it is hard to put down. The characters are well developed. When a world is put back hundreds of years because of an EMP, what sort of person do you become? You hope there is still humanity out there, but you do see a lot of the bad. Looking forward to the next installment.
March 17, 2026
「⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Star Review...」☀︎ CHAOS BEGINS ☀︎ Is the first full length post apocalyptic book in the (EMP Collapse) series by new to me author Christine Kersey. This story follows the main characters Alex and his wife Melissa and their treacherous journey as each try to reach home from opposite directions.
📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
I'm always drawn to these types of stories when shit hits the fan how prepared are you? So when this was recommended to me I thought I'd give it a read..
I live in the country, 45 minutes away from the nearest anything, other than a small overpriced dairy down the road, we've been having power cuts weekly, most ranging from a day to 2x days, with the power company not knowing the cause, so due to that I had to stock up on candles, flashlights, batteries etc. I can handle 2x max but longer without power I would not be prepared..
This starts off with a strong start, showcasing every day people thrown into utter chaos when a EMP hits the power grid and everything simultaneously stops. People thrown into a panic, not knowing what's happened, many at work, wondering how they're going to reach home, especially if it's miles away, when all vehicles have stopped running other than older models which aren't run by a computer chip..
Melissa wasn't what you'd call a modern day or old school preeper but they did have a few supplies stored at home due to a neighbours suggestion and the havoc covid placed on food stores and panic buying, which with the state of the world today, panic buying has occurred yet again.
Melissa's top priority is getting home to her family, on foot with a small group of co-workers who are going in the same direction. Her journey is full of strife and not many will make it to their destination.
Hubby Alex is also in the same boat with a need to get home and protect his family and hope that Melissa has made it back from work in one piece.
I liked the concept of this story, and it flowed perfectly with enough crap hitting the fan to keep me invested, the only thing when it came to Alex's journey it just seemed too unrealistic, there they were pushing groceries home in trollies, from a hoard at the supermarket when his thought was how much easier it would be if they had an older vehicle at their disposal, then what do you know (without mishap) one just dropped into their laps.
Same thing with Melissa's story a female co-worker gets kidnapped then who other to bowl up on them and help them out is a person trained in that area of expertise.
How convenient..
But even those two things still didn't stop me from enjoying the story. And has me invested to carry on with this series...
📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
I'm always drawn to these types of stories when shit hits the fan how prepared are you? So when this was recommended to me I thought I'd give it a read..
I live in the country, 45 minutes away from the nearest anything, other than a small overpriced dairy down the road, we've been having power cuts weekly, most ranging from a day to 2x days, with the power company not knowing the cause, so due to that I had to stock up on candles, flashlights, batteries etc. I can handle 2x max but longer without power I would not be prepared..
This starts off with a strong start, showcasing every day people thrown into utter chaos when a EMP hits the power grid and everything simultaneously stops. People thrown into a panic, not knowing what's happened, many at work, wondering how they're going to reach home, especially if it's miles away, when all vehicles have stopped running other than older models which aren't run by a computer chip..
Melissa wasn't what you'd call a modern day or old school preeper but they did have a few supplies stored at home due to a neighbours suggestion and the havoc covid placed on food stores and panic buying, which with the state of the world today, panic buying has occurred yet again.
Melissa's top priority is getting home to her family, on foot with a small group of co-workers who are going in the same direction. Her journey is full of strife and not many will make it to their destination.
Hubby Alex is also in the same boat with a need to get home and protect his family and hope that Melissa has made it back from work in one piece.
I liked the concept of this story, and it flowed perfectly with enough crap hitting the fan to keep me invested, the only thing when it came to Alex's journey it just seemed too unrealistic, there they were pushing groceries home in trollies, from a hoard at the supermarket when his thought was how much easier it would be if they had an older vehicle at their disposal, then what do you know (without mishap) one just dropped into their laps.
Same thing with Melissa's story a female co-worker gets kidnapped then who other to bowl up on them and help them out is a person trained in that area of expertise.
How convenient..
But even those two things still didn't stop me from enjoying the story. And has me invested to carry on with this series...
March 5, 2024
I lived in Sandy, Utah for many years, so it was fun having the story in a familiar place. The initial plot is fine, though someone standard, with an EMP taking everyone by surprise. While there is no doubt that shock and fear would be an issue, especially with the prospect of a long walk home, I really don't see the senseless violence erupting so quickly. Most people will thing it is just an unusual power outage. I was on the fence about Melissa's group, except John who ended up being the star. They have several in their group killed and one kidnapped and they just don't seem too affected, though they did try to rescue their friend. The gangsters that grabbed Tamara drugged her to keep her quiet and then just left her alone? I was glad not to read anything bad happened to her but what was the point of her capture? Melissa spends a lot of time being shocked and not too good at thinking ahead on the trek home; I do suppose a lot of people would react that way, but unappealing in a main character. Also word of advice to them...the minute you got home you should have thoroughly cleaned and dressed your son's wound. Having antibiotics on hand is no substitution for proper wound care.
December 24, 2022
Gripping.
With so much going on in the world right now, it makes things even scarier when you realise something like this could really happen, and I can imagine the world descending into chaos just as in the book. It’s excellently written, telling the story of Alex and Melissa, who are both at work on opposite sides of town when the EMP hits and everything simply stops. We follow along with each of them as they both struggle to get home to their children, and also hopefully find each other. They don’t have an easy time of it to be sure, as humanity has degraded in such a short time, and killing someone for a packet of cereal seems the right thing to do. Terrifyingly real. I can’t wait to start on the next book.
With so much going on in the world right now, it makes things even scarier when you realise something like this could really happen, and I can imagine the world descending into chaos just as in the book. It’s excellently written, telling the story of Alex and Melissa, who are both at work on opposite sides of town when the EMP hits and everything simply stops. We follow along with each of them as they both struggle to get home to their children, and also hopefully find each other. They don’t have an easy time of it to be sure, as humanity has degraded in such a short time, and killing someone for a packet of cereal seems the right thing to do. Terrifyingly real. I can’t wait to start on the next book.
August 27, 2021
A world turned upside down
The story was exciting and I didn't want to put it down. I loved the comment, "it's the new normal". That's alot like our world is now with Covid-19. It depicts how people react to complete chaos Melissa and Alex search for each other in a world that has become dangerous. People shooting incident bystanders for the heck of it. Jason their son being brave while searching for Melissa; his mom. Jason gets shot and doesn't complain like most teenagers would. They finally made it home to their other two children who were scared and left at home alone. I definitely recommend this book.
The story was exciting and I didn't want to put it down. I loved the comment, "it's the new normal". That's alot like our world is now with Covid-19. It depicts how people react to complete chaos Melissa and Alex search for each other in a world that has become dangerous. People shooting incident bystanders for the heck of it. Jason their son being brave while searching for Melissa; his mom. Jason gets shot and doesn't complain like most teenagers would. They finally made it home to their other two children who were scared and left at home alone. I definitely recommend this book.
April 3, 2025
First I want to say how difficult it is to write a book and then also be brave enough to self-publish. I think this ok, it did have a few flaws.
I listened to the audiobook through the app hoopla.
Christine Kersey chose to narrate her own book and although her voice is clear and crisp it was also lacked emotion.
I was mildly irritated that although this book follows one family and a series of friends and neighbors, the author failed to use common sense as it pertains to simply recognizing your own spouse and child. When the mom hears her son and father talking she didn't recognize their voice or mannerisms and I can't imagine that being something true in real life.
I listened to the audiobook through the app hoopla.
Christine Kersey chose to narrate her own book and although her voice is clear and crisp it was also lacked emotion.
I was mildly irritated that although this book follows one family and a series of friends and neighbors, the author failed to use common sense as it pertains to simply recognizing your own spouse and child. When the mom hears her son and father talking she didn't recognize their voice or mannerisms and I can't imagine that being something true in real life.
September 27, 2024
This is my kind of story. But.....I couldn't finish it. I got very tired of the main character saying and thinking, "I need to get home to my kids." Ad nauseum. I KNOW her motivation and don't need to be smacked over the head with it.
I wish that I had liked it more, since it is a series. Maybe I'll try again, but I'm off reading other books, like the Hyllis Family series post-apocalyptic books.
I wish that I had liked it more, since it is a series. Maybe I'll try again, but I'm off reading other books, like the Hyllis Family series post-apocalyptic books.
September 14, 2021
Chaos Begins
This story is exciting and interesting- from the start. I was transported into a different world. The situation and the people’s reactions were believable and I was pulled in by wondering what I would do. A real page-turner! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
This story is exciting and interesting- from the start. I was transported into a different world. The situation and the people’s reactions were believable and I was pulled in by wondering what I would do. A real page-turner! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!!
September 18, 2021
Fast paced, clean, survival story
I had a hard time putting this book down and really enjoyed it. When an EMP happens while Alex and Melissa are at work in different locations they struggle to get home. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Great characters, interesting plot.
I had a hard time putting this book down and really enjoyed it. When an EMP happens while Alex and Melissa are at work in different locations they struggle to get home. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Great characters, interesting plot.
January 22, 2022
I love these types of apocalyptic thriller stories. One of my favourite movies is “The Day After Tomorrow”. This story is great! It’s the first in a series so it isn’t a stand-alone book but it’s a great read. It doesn’t have any religious views in it. There is no sex and no swearing either, although there is a lot of violence. It is quite similar to her pandemic series. I really enjoyed it.
August 28, 2021
Great
Another great book by Christine Kersey. I loved this book and all the characters in this series. I can’t wait to read next book in series. I would recommend this book and all Christine’s books.
Another great book by Christine Kersey. I loved this book and all the characters in this series. I can’t wait to read next book in series. I would recommend this book and all Christine’s books.
September 21, 2022
Apocalypse
It's scary to think about the what if's. After reading this book, which is very detailed, I know that my family is not prepared. It's time to get ready for EMP's or whatever may come!
It's scary to think about the what if's. After reading this book, which is very detailed, I know that my family is not prepared. It's time to get ready for EMP's or whatever may come!
June 13, 2023
chaos begins
The lights go out. Phones don’t work, neither do cars. An EMP the cause. Follow Alex and Melissa. Heading home from there work twenty miles away. Brilliant read, not to be missed.
The lights go out. Phones don’t work, neither do cars. An EMP the cause. Follow Alex and Melissa. Heading home from there work twenty miles away. Brilliant read, not to be missed.
July 2, 2023
EOTWAWKI. Pretty standard nuclear emp situation for a family trying to get home and survive. 1st in series. Audiobook available for free on Youtube. Chaos Begins (EMP Collapse Book One) - Full Audiobook, Unabridged // post-apocalyptic thriller.
January 17, 2025
Great apocalyptic thriller!
Interesting and realistic main characters and an engaging storyline makes this first book of the series a great introduction! I enjoyed it very much.
Kindle Unlimited
Interesting and realistic main characters and an engaging storyline makes this first book of the series a great introduction! I enjoyed it very much.
Kindle Unlimited
May 31, 2025
Reasonably entertaining entry in the genre but two complaints 1) Eye rolling amount of violence day after day following the EMP event. 2) I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author. Good bless Ms. Kersey but I thought she was a below average narrator.
September 9, 2021
Couldn't Put It Down!!!
I love this book! Looking forward to the second book. As always Christine Kersey writes fantastic story that you can imagine happening.
I love this book! Looking forward to the second book. As always Christine Kersey writes fantastic story that you can imagine happening.
January 15, 2022
Great read
Great quick read, I pray an EMP never happens. I love how this author gives you details with out being graphic about.
Great quick read, I pray an EMP never happens. I love how this author gives you details with out being graphic about.
March 9, 2022
Scary
As we wonder what Russia will do next, I began taking notes from this story. I see the strong need to know your neighbors. Safety in numbers.
As we wonder what Russia will do next, I began taking notes from this story. I see the strong need to know your neighbors. Safety in numbers.
September 26, 2023
Love this book and all of her books
April 24, 2024
It was alright.
May 14, 2023
This book has to be seen as the beginning of an apocalyptic series in which the first volume only represents the first reactions of the characters and a presentation of the story itself. For me it was just a very basic entertainment book and not very engaging as well because it was so predictable. The elements are typical of any apocalyptic story, with nothing too particular. Within the genre, I'm sure it's one of the worst. I will give the second book a chance which I anticipate will be better.
December 22, 2025
Very clean book. Nothing vulgar.
March 27, 2025
Not bad for a free online book. Main characters try to make moral choices in the midst of fear and chaos.
June 26, 2025
➥ ❪ 𝟭𝟮/𝟭𝟭/𝟮𝟯 ─ 𝟰★ ❫
▸ read on youtube
▸ audiobook
▸ read on youtube
▸ audiobook
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews