Assessment:

Plot: This solidly plotted novel moves at a quick pace, with several very intense scenes—though some plot points feel forced. Still, fans of the genre will find a lot to like here.

Prose: The novel is rich with description, making it a fun read. However, there are long blocks of dialogue without tags, and this makes it hard to keep track of the speakers. Because many of the characters have similar speech patterns, it takes some effort to differentiate one from the other.

Originality: The concept of southern states seceding from the U.S. and becoming economically unsuccessful is a fresh and fascinating concept. Separating plague survivors from the public by placing them in camps is not a unique idea, but works well in this case.

Character Development: The two characters that stand out and are the best developed are Bird and Philip Insco. The lack of background information on Destin gives him very little depth, while the addition of numerous minor characters makes them difficult to differentiate.

Date Submitted: August 01, 2017