In a post-apocalyptic world where the coming of the fabled Four Horsemen is near, survival will depend on determination and will.
This book is certainly one of a kind. Through the intervention of supernatural forces, a world-wide plague has been unleashed, causing billions to suffer and die horribly as it spreads quickly across the globe. This story follows the events that lead up to the outbreak, the widespread panic that ensues, and then the aftermath, where the survivors must find a way to protect themselves in a now lawless society of desperation and despair. You can definitely tell that Stephen King’s The Stand has played an influence on the author, but its originality still holds, and I think readers of this genre will enjoy the adventure. I definitely recommend it.
I’m going to lay out some of the issues as well. It’s a good story, don’t get me wrong. Very creative and original, like I said. But the writing style and skill is what I’d call adequate. I noticed lack of transitions, redundancy within paragraphs, and the author seems to lack the comfort to properly replace proper nouns with pronouns (resulting in repeating characters’ names an awful lot). Does this take away from the story? No. But as an honest reviewer, I felt obligated to point out the shortcomings. There’s a certain lack of flow (sentences are choppy) and creative writing strategies within the paragraphs of this story. The Kindle version of the book is currently priced at $3.99. Nothing that would break the bank, but in my opinion, I think he would get a better response if he lowered this a bit.
So why do I recommend this book? There is an element within it that is very powerful, and makes the story so compelling: Symbolism. The title of the story is not metaphorical. The underlying theme is literally “Addiction and Pestilence.” The author has done an excellent job creating a wide variety of characters, and their personalities are well-defined and versatile. But every single one of them is dealing with some kind of habit, vice, or substance addiction that they clearly must overcome if they’re to survive the hardships that lay ahead. When you realize this while reading the story, you can understand the powerful message that this book delivers. With this one aspect, I give this story high ratings! Anyone who is dealing or has dealt with an addiction, or is close to someone who has, I believe will feel a personal connection to this story, and will find themselves rooting for the main character as he battles with the outside elements, as well as his inner demons, while trudging on the long journey through post-apocalyptic America to get back to his family. If you’re looking for something original, adventurous, and suspenseful, check out Kelly’s Addiction and Pestilence!
Richard Crofton 