2018 SOUTHERN FRIED KARMA NOVEL CONTEST WINNERIN SUBURBAN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BEA CRENSHAW SECRETLY PREPARES FOR THE APOCALYPSE. But when a solar pulse destroys modern life, she’s left alone with four grandkids whose parents do not return home. She must teach these kids to survive without power, cars, phones, running water, or doctors in a world fraught with increasing danger. If Darkness Takes Us is … If Darkness Takes Us is fraught with resilience, humanity, and heart.
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I’ve always had a weak spot for apocalyptic novels. What makes this one so intriguing is the author confines the action to a single suburban neighborhood. A solar pulse is responsible for wiping out the power grid, turning life upside down. Bea Crenshaw is a 70ish woman who has her four grandkids for the weekend when the disaster strikes. As the world she knows falls apart around her, she steps up to take charge, not only in protecting her family—teaching them how to function in a world without internet, cell phones, or even refrigeration—but also taking on a leadership role in her neighborhood. Fortunately, Bea has been stockpiling goods for some time, preparing for the day when tragedy strikes, though she never expected it to come from the sun.
The kids vary in age from grade school to older teens, and each are forced to do some serious growing up before the book is over. Bea is a strong character who does what she can in an impossible situation. There are plenty of hardships including balancing the need to help others with caring for your own family. Bea has a huge heart, but she can also be secretive and controlling when she needs to be. She makes a unique MC, especially in a novel of this type. Her oldest grandson, Keno, is also particularly strong, as is neighbor Jack Jeffers. The characters lodge in your heart, including many of the secondary ones who arrive halfway through the book. The pace moves swiftly, and the author’s easy style of writing will keep you flipping pages to find out what happens next. The ending is rather surprising and not one I expected. As an apocalyptic novel this one is unique in its approach and characters, and well worth reading.
This post-apocalyptic book is like reading a diary. I had to keep reminding myself it is fiction. The author did a great job of drawing me into the story and into the struggle for survival after a devastating EMP. Whether it came from the sun or a radioactive blast, there was no way to know. But for Bea Crenshaw and her four grandchildren, it all came down to basic survival. When the EMP fried electric grids, a tremendous train wreck that released chemical toxins begins this harrowing tale. The after-effects grow more dire with each day that passes. Vehicles are rendered useless. There is no running water, no gas to cook with and no way to flush toilets. At first, Bea and her grandchildren were sure their lives would return to normal within a few days – surely government aid was on the way. However, as the days turned into months, it became apparent no help would arrive – EVER. Bea was more prepared than most. She’d been stockpiling food and essentials for years in a house she kept secret from everyone, including her husband. Now keeping it a secret becomes a matter of life and death. Looting takes place in every store within the first few days. As time passes, people are killed over water. Carrying arms becomes daily normality. The intensity builds throughout the story, as Bea and her grandchildren cope with this life-altering event. Bea’s husband, Hank, and the children’s parents had gone to Waco for a football game. So, the unanswered question as to what happened to them grates on frayed nerves as weeks turned into months with no return and no word. Bea is nothing short of a superhero in this book. While dealing with an illness and caring for the grandchildren, she brings the neighborhood together to work for a common goal – that of survival. Her stockpiles in the secret house save lives, that is until thugs break in and steal what they can. A grandchild dies because of no medical care. Bea never quite recovers from that blow. Then a stroke renders her helpless. This book is not a heart-warming feel-good book It caused me some worry and sleepless nights, but I feel the message is not far off the target. Would you be able to survive in an apocalypse? This book might give you some ideas.
This book was truly excellent. A grandmother stuck with four grandchildren in the wake of a global disaster. They had to face food and water shortages as well as intruders and rising radiation levels. The characters were well drawn and relatable. I couldn’t out this book down and it made me both laugh and cry. This is one of those rare books that will stay with me for a long time.