Not Alone

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I’m not sure I have just one… But in the realm of post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels, it would be Earth Abides by George R Stewart, which is a beautiful thoughtful post-apocalyptic novel written in the 1940s (ecological, anthropological, about surviving and starting again – not crawling with zombies and violence, though I’ve read plenty that feature those too) or Station Eleven, The Road, The Dog Stars... This whole book is designed to make you sob tears at the end. Which is fine. Except it fails horribly in doing so. I am so relieved for it to be over. The plot is recycled garbage and the characters are not compelling enough to be considered a “character driven” story. Charlotte’s a wonderful human being – kind, encouraging, articulate and full of insight and useful knowledge to impart on the course. I love reading and devour books far too fast and certainly don’t need anyone to give me an excuse to read – but her encouraging us to read as much as we could and explore different things, and the way we bounced around ideas about what we read in class helped me to read not just for fun but read more critically and notice what the writer had done and not done. It gave me a sort of confidence to open up more conversations about books with people, to ask for recommendations and really think about writing as a craft.

Intensely moving, genuinely gripping, plausible and absorbing; this is a stunningly debut by a truly talented new writer.” At a time when stepping outside could kill you, Harry is kept indoors at all costs, never venturing beyond the door to their one-bedroom flat. The bodies begin to build up around them and layers of poisonous dust hang heavily in the air, seeping into the soil and slowly killing anything attempting to cling onto the natural world. The emotionally wrenching story of a mother’s fight to save her young son as they struggle across a toxic and hostile world. The tension never lets up. Utterly believable, always compelling, and deeply moving. I loved it.” I love wild places and was inspired by all the adventures I’ve had in my job and also for fun – kayaking up rivers and across lakes, seeing a mountainside spread out from the highest peak, squelching through bog and peat. I wanted the characters to go on an adventure. Whilst Not Alone is grounded science fiction, I have loved fantasy and science fiction, adventures in imaginative worlds with a hint of magic, and grew up loving the likes of Garth Nix, Philip Pullman, Ian Irvine, Robin Hobb… Harry’s love of dragons and make believe, things that sparkle, and having a curiosity about the world feels precious and hopeful in a world Katie sees as dangerous and not how things should be at all. If you’ve never in your life read an apocalyptic tale, *maybe* this will be fine for you. For me I found it insulting that anyone would ever waste and abuse my time in this manner.Not Alone has left me haunted. I’m worn out and haggard, as if I accompanied Katie and Harry on their trek across the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Other reviewers have mentioned that the MC, Katie, wasn't likeable. She wasn't a saint, and in a dog-eat-dog world, this seemed realistic. As the reader, you could see that she tried her best to raise her child with absolutely zero help or resources, so it seemed appropriate that she'd be bitter and callous at times.Which brings me to her son, who is the most whiny, obnoxious, pathetic child you can imagine. Really, though, I blame the mother for how she raised him. I enjoyed the parts where other characters entered, as this seemed to push the story forward and provide something different within the narrative. Towards the end, I was feeling an impatience to reach their final destination and find out if Katie’s fiancé was alive after all, but once I reached the end, it all felt worth it. The book’s horror hinges on the fact that with few women left in the world many men are rapists. And hey, I’ve read my fair share of feminist revenge stories, but the number of times this book attempts to drive that point home it just became one dimensional in nature.