This is yet another book where I am not the target audience but I read it in tribute to my daughter. One of the last things I did for her was to find this series of books on used book sites. She always liked creepy shows like The Twilight Zone, Lost, and Stranger Things, and this book is in that vein. I don't think she actually got through the series, maybe not even the first book, but I decided to read it.
It certainly is a fast read with plenty of action. However, this kind of book always makes me think of the people who find romance novels "unrealistic". In this book, the main character is almost a superhero. He has a background in Special Forces/federal agent but still - he can run and fight even after being sedated, he fords freezing rivers and climbs steep mountains after sustaining serious injuries, and so on. I was able to predict the "surprise" ending and found it depressing. It's kind of the opposite of Station Eleven with its "survival is insufficient" (view spoiler)[ It's a bit like Planet of the Apes. In the future, humans' DNA is so corrupted they turn into a sort of hairless, violent ape and the only way people are saved is by bringing them from the past and putting them in suspended animation. To be safe from the creatures, they live in a "perfect" small town with a 1950's vibe. They can never leave or ask questions. They are programmed to accept this, and to violently destroy anyone who tries to escape. My question is, "What is the point of surviving like that? They have saved humanity for what purpose?" At the end, they are so impressed with the abilities of the hero that they make him a leader of the town. (hide spoiler)] There are 2 more books but this was plenty for me.
There is a lot of violence and flashbacks to tortures the hero endured in Iraq, which I skipped over, since that's one thing I just can't read about.
It certainly is a fast read with plenty of action. However, this kind of book always makes me think of the people who find romance novels "unrealistic". In this book, the main character is almost a superhero. He has a background in Special Forces/federal agent but still - he can run and fight even after being sedated, he fords freezing rivers and climbs steep mountains after sustaining serious injuries, and so on. I was able to predict the "surprise" ending and found it depressing. It's kind of the opposite of Station Eleven with its "survival is insufficient" (view spoiler)[ It's a bit like Planet of the Apes. In the future, humans' DNA is so corrupted they turn into a sort of hairless, violent ape and the only way people are saved is by bringing them from the past and putting them in suspended animation. To be safe from the creatures, they live in a "perfect" small town with a 1950's vibe. They can never leave or ask questions. They are programmed to accept this, and to violently destroy anyone who tries to escape. My question is, "What is the point of surviving like that? They have saved humanity for what purpose?" At the end, they are so impressed with the abilities of the hero that they make him a leader of the town. (hide spoiler)] There are 2 more books but this was plenty for me.
There is a lot of violence and flashbacks to tortures the hero endured in Iraq, which I skipped over, since that's one thing I just can't read about.