Synopsis:
When seventeen-year-old Zara escaped her father’s backwoods survivalist compound five years ago, she traded crossbows and skinning hides for electricity and video games…and tried to forget the tragedy that drove her away.
Until a malware attack on the United States electrical grids cuts off the entire country’s power.
In the wake of the disaster and the chaos that ensues, Zara is forced to call upon skills she thought she’d never use again—and her best bet to survive is to go back to the home she left behind. Drawing upon a resilience she didn’t know she had, Zara leads a growing group of friends on an epic journey across a crumbling country back to her father’s compound, where their only hope for salvation lies.
But with every step she takes, Zara wonders if she truly has what it takes to face her father and the secrets of her past, or if she’d be better off hiding in the dark.
Review:
When the blackout comes, Zara is mostly prepared, though not emotionally. And as the story moves along, we get glimpses of Zara’s difficult childhood as her paranoid father pushes her for preparedness. She is not only well-equipped with great instincts, but courageous with good priorities as well. This novel reads like a fast-paced movie – thrilling and full of suspense. It’s an emotional roller coaster with engaging characters and an exciting plot that had me hooked until the very end.