“Survival is insufficient.”

I did not know what to expect from this book. I’ve heard it talked about a few times here and there, and I don’t remember a single bad thing being said about it. So of course, I was a little nervous that this book wouldn’t live up to the hype.

Luckily for me, I thought this book was excellent. I would even go so far to say that it’s probably the best post-apocalyptic book I’ve ever read.

I love the way the author crafted this story. I follows several characters before, during, and after the outbreak of an apocalyptic disease that killed most of the Earth’s population. It is as simple and as complicated as that.

This story is not told linearly. We jump back from right before the outbreak to twenty years later to thirty years before. I’ve read books in the past where this was really confusing. Somehow, the author does it with ease in this book. As a reader I never felt confused about where and when the story was, and it was as simple as her stating things like, “Five years after the collapse”. It never felt clunky or affected the pacing.

The characters were also a strength in this book. Not all of the people we follow are likable. Actually, most of them have acted in ways that are unequivocally unlikable. But Emily St. John Mandel obviously knows how to write authentic, flawed, and yes, unlikable characters in a way that still makes you root for them to succeed or at least keeps you invested in their story.

The best, and perhaps scariest, part of this book for me was the fact that it didn’t feel wholly unrealistic that this could happen in our own society, whether because of a disease or war or any other number of catalysts.

At the end of the day, this is a story about people and the human need to not only survive, but to find something that provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment, no matter the conditions.

To some, that could mean setting up camp and trying to create some sort of community with like-minded people. To others, it could mean traveling from place to place to trade or provide entertainment. And still to others, it could mean seizing any kind of power you can by any means necessary justifying their actions through religion or some other mandate.

I loved the way the author wove all of these stories together and even offered up a bit of hope at the end of the novel. Even though it’s only the beginning of the year, I know this is going to remain one of my favorites.