From the Bookshelf of Apocalypse Whenever…

Hell's Children

John L. Monk

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Feb 03, 2018 Netanella rated it it was ok

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, young-adult, did-not-finish, 2018-january-reading-challenges

I really wanted to like this book, a post-apocalyptic tale of an America where all adults are slowly killed by an infection that leaves most kids below the tweens alive. Imagine the world that is remains where only infants, toddlers, and adolescents are left. Winter is approaching, food is scarce, and the majority of the kids can't even reach the gas pedal of a vehicle, let alone know how to drive it. I found this world fascinating, and a great set up to a genre that is glutted with mediocre sto I really wanted to like this book, a post-apocalyptic tale of an America where all adults are slowly killed by an infection that leaves most kids below the tweens alive. Imagine the world that is remains where only infants, toddlers, and adolescents are left. Winter is approaching, food is scarce, and the majority of the kids can't even reach the gas pedal of a vehicle, let alone know how to drive it. I found this world fascinating, and a great set up to a genre that is glutted with mediocre stories.

So why a DNF at 40%? The setting was great, the pacing was steady, the editing was spot-on. Yet for me, I didn't give one whit about the characters, particularly our protagonist, who in all aspects practically is an adult. Raised by eccentric, elderly parents, our young hero (henceforth referred to as YH) is home schooled. Taught by his parents to expect their deaths, since they are so much older, he is raised to be self-sufficient. He is taught business, home ec, agriculture. hunting, butchering an animal for meat. He is taught root cause analysis and self-reflection. He has a bugout bag.

So when the end comes, his family is ready. The house is well supplied, and when his parents finally succumb to the disease, YH is ready. He saves a neighborhood of young children from the local bullies. He organizes, analyzes, and acts with calm patience. He transports the children in a bus to a remote set of log cabins where he systematically begins to rebuild civilization, albeit on a pint-sized scale.

Ultimately, I became bored with the adult-minded YH and his colony of kids. There didn't appear to be any room for character development, although there was the obvious upcoming conflict both internally with Pete and externally with Blaze and Gas Can Girl. But lengthy paragraphs of fixing things such as plumbing and water and heating and all the things we take for granted - this just didn't cut for me. In the end, the book started to read to like fictionalized account of a prepper how-to manual, and ultimately I got bored.

DNF, unfortunately. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2017 Brick Marlin marked it as to-read

Feb 16, 2018 Gertie marked it as got-it-unread

Jun 22, 2019 Debra Harrison marked it as to-read

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