Saturday, August 20, 2011

The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (CBR-III #29)

Cannonball Read III: Book #29/52
Published: 2010
Pages: 416 (12,601 total so far)
Genre: Post Apocalyptic

Peter and Ann divorce just before a version of the avian flu decides to wipe out half the human population. Together, along with their two daughters and Peter's female lab assistant (they of course happen to study avian flu strains), they must try and survive as everyone around them is dropping like flies and the world turns to chaos.

I found this book to be very similar to Life as We Knew It. However, I felt this one was much better written. I think I mainly liked that it was geared towards adults. Peter and Ann do have a teenage daughter, so we're not totally without the teenage perspective of losing everything you've ever known. It's just less angsty and whiny when the entire book isn't focused on a teen and their misery over not being able to see a crush.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't exactly action-filled, but the simple survival plot really keeps your attention. It's definitely one of the better family-survives-a-global-tragedy books out there.