Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Joe Chase and Ned Bowden are damaged men. They each bear scars from surviving the world they were born in. Deep scars, both physical and emotional.

When fate offers its first kind act by bringing the two together, suddenly their scars don't seem so bad, and their lives don't feel so empty.

Yet that kindness comes at a price.

Just as Joe and Ned begin to experience true happiness for the very first time, the world turns on them again.

But this time it turns on everyone.

Book Review

The idea of the sun dying or, like in this case, a severe solar storm interfering with heat and light coming to Earth and plunging everything into darkness and freezing cold, is super scary. Looking at the cover and the title of this book, I expected a dystopian story about people fighting for survival in a postapocalyptic world. And there was some of that, but interestingly, it was just the setting, the background for the human drama playing out as two friends redefine their relationship in circumstances that neither of them could have predicted. While the science and the bigger picture of violence erupting as modern technology and society break down was well done and mostly quite realistic, the real fascination, for me, came from Joe and Ned and their reactions as external and internal dynamics changed between them.

The disaster starts suddenly, its impact more of a disruption than a real problem at first. But a couple of days with decreasing light from the sun soon have everything in chaos. Looters take over, animals go crazy, and humans soon follow. The guns come out and the streets are no longer safe. Joe and Ned try to keep everything normal, to the point of still making it to work, but there is an underlying fear as the realization hits home that this may not get better.

Joe and Ned live in the same apartment building and have been friends for a while. Both are broken with issues in their past that make a relationship hard. If not impossible. But as they draw closer together in defense against the threats from the outside world, their feelings come into focus and they begin to realize there is more between them than they thought. Their romance is very sweet and gentle, and forms an intriguing contrast with the harshness of their living conditions as things deteriorate further. Ned summarizes the essence of the book perfectly about two thirds into the book: “I don’t know what’s happening with the planet, but I think if we all pull through this, we’ll be better people for it. We’ll have caught a glimpse of what it means to lose everything. That has to change us for the better, Joe.”

If you like stories about the effects of catastrophes on the human spirit, if you want to see what happens to a relationship when all external support breaks down, and if you’re looking for an emotional read with some great character growth in an intriguing setting, then you will probably enjoy this novel as much as I do. It’s an ode to love and hope in the worst conditions and I adored the message as much as the story itself.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 234 pages/86259 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	18-September-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/nightfall-by-john-inman-9854-b