Review: The After War: The Complete Novel

The After War: The Complete Novel by Brandon Zenner
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Rated R for the language. There are some F-bombs and some foul language, and taking God's name in vain.

Let me first say that I am a dedicated supporter of indie publishing. I know that it is challenging, and I try to support anyone brave enough to do it, so kudos to Brandon Zenner for doing it.

The premise of this book is a bit formulaic so you expect certain things to happen, and they do. I have to say that I am not a fan of dual POVs. In this book one is in Canada and the other is in the heartland of America and it takes forever to bring them together. Every great book has a character that has good motivations--wants something desperately and is willing to do just about anything to get it. These characters don't have that. They act like they do, but they really don't. Survival isn't enough. They already survived some major war and plague. So survival doesn't cut it.

There just isn't any reason why the world is as it is, and really no motivations for the characters to start a trek across the country after the two years is up. Why two years? How did anyone know that at the end of two years it would be safe to come out?

So when reading, those questions come to the back of your mind, don't fret, they won't be answered. That's frustrating.

The characters are flat because there is no development for Steve and Brian. I can't remember the name of the fellow that was the outdoorsy guy who weathered the Whatever War and Plague in Canada, and he was one-dimensional as well.

However, if you are looking for a dystopian story that has such great narrative that you are living and breathing the atmosphere: the narrative and description in this book are top-notch. You are literally in their world.

The trouble is, if you don't know the characters and their motivations, then you don't care about them. The switching POVs with cliffhanger chapters is not my cuppa tea. Transitions from one POV to the other are non-existent. I've never found a writer who could do this well except Mary Stewart.

I would love to recommend this book, but I just can't.


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