Book Review: Surviving America's Collapse by William H Weber (Last Stand #1)

John Mack, a prepper and former soldier, struggles to save his family and community after an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) takes out the country’s electrical grid. With most electronics, communications and transportation destroyed in a matter of seconds, the nation quickly collapses into anarchy.

For John and the other residents of Willow Creek Drive, the breakdown of social order throws them back to the 1800s. As the community tries to come together, a powerful outside force appears that threatens their survival. Will John’s years of military and prepping experience be enough to keep them safe?

Mixing tons of useful prepping tips into an action-packed story, Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse is a must-read for any fans of survival fiction.

My Review:
John Mack is a prepper and former soldier who is working as a general contractor. He lives with his estate agent wife Diane and his children Emma and Gregory. He has tried to prepare for everything without telling everyone what he is doing, including a cabin to go to if things get messed up. When the EMP hits, his priority is to get to his family and bring them back to the safety of the street, where they can plan their next move. Do they stay and try to help those around them to prepare themselves or take their chances on the road to the cabin?

John has been getting ready for years so I admit I was surprised when he decides not to take his family straight to the cabin as soon as the power goes off. He knows instantly what has happened so it seems strange to me that a prepper wouldn't take advantage of the few days lull before the panic and violence start to set in. Instead he decides to stay for a few days to help his neighbours Al and Missy get organized. Prices quickly rise in the shops as food starts to run out so John tries to get the people in his street to accept what is ahead and band together as a small community to look out for each other. They start to think how they are going to get food, water and medical supplies and of course deal with security. I liked seeing the people working together and listening to John's advice rather than the 'I don't believe you' angst that can appear in these apocalypse books.

By blocking off their street, it gives them better security and they can only watch as neighbouring streets fall to the armed gangs. There is a moral issue here that is nicely explored. John's street are safe and getting supplies in to sustain them but when neighbours from other streets flee the violence and look for sanctuary, do they let them in? If they do they can save them from the uncertainty of the new society and the local dangers forming, but would that risk the people on John's street if extra people come flooding in? Would their supplies stretch to allow them to help? Should they take these people in? It was an interesting dilemma that the author handled well, and a question that many preppers think about when they do their disaster planning. 

Cain is a psycho drug lord who sees the apocalypse as an opportunity to rule the area and he starts to attack the people in the nearby area, taking anything of value that they have and destroying their homes. The people run for their lives and look for sanctuary but will John and his group take them in or turn them away? Cain's eye soon falls on this street who are not fleeing and as he plots to destroy them, it is up to John to try and find a way to save his community. It is always fun when the survivors of an apocalypse have to deal with these life and death situations and this book certainly ramps up the pressure when Cain comes into the equation.

I liked John as a main character, and the way that he decided to try and help the people on the street. He had no idea that these people were going to be so quickly threatened despite the preperations they were making and he feels he cannot abandon them, despite the danger it places his family in. I'll be first to admit that my plan would be to get out to the cabin as soon as I realised it was an EMP, perhaps asking Al and Missy to come along to save them from what is coming. Waiting until the collapse is complete does endanger his kids so John in my book made a few questionable choices but of course that was the point of the plot, exploring the choices that he has. I did enjoy watching him struggle with the choice. The one character I really detested was his whiny daughter Emma. Yes I get that an EMP would be tough for her but she was annoying and her rule breaking shows that she learned nothing from her dad.

The book had very mixed reviews but I was pleased to actually enjoy it. It was a typical EMP disaster plot so it was familiar territory to read about. I have the rest of the series waiting for me which I hope to finish soon.

Read December 2018
4 stars.