Sunday, October 16, 2022

The Apocalypse Seven by Gene Doucette

 


From the blurb:  "The whateverpocalypse. That’s what Touré, a twenty-something Cambridge coder, calls it after waking up one morning to find himself seemingly the only person left in the city. Once he finds Robbie and Carol, two equally disoriented Harvard freshmen, he realizes he isn’t alone, but the name sticks: Whateverpocalypse. But it doesn’t explain where everyone went. It doesn’t explain how the city became overgrown with vegetation in the space of a night. Or how wild animals with no fear of humans came to roam the streets.

"Add freakish weather to the mix, swings of temperature that spawn tornadoes one minute and snowstorms the next, and it seems things can’t get much weirder. Yet even as a handful of new survivors appear, life in Cambridge, Massachusetts gets stranger and stranger."

My thoughts:  This book is an entertaining mix of science fiction, mystery, and survival. Doucette's imagining of the end of the world is a unique and unexpected one. He writes well and does a good job of weaving together the narratives of the seven different characters. I liked all of them from Pastor Paul, to Win and her horse, Elton, to Ananda, the MIT astrophysicist. Most of the novel centers around Robbie, Carol, who's blind, Touré, and thirteen-year-old Bethany. These four team up near the beginning of the book and are a fun combination of contrasting personalities. The mystery behind the apocalypse is a little crazy and out-of-this-world, and the ending is definitely a bit mind-bending, but I still enjoyed this one. And I'm curious to see what else Doucette has written. 

Rating:  3.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

50 comments:

  1. I do love a good apocalypse and this one sounds just that little bit different. Colour me intrigued!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love a good apocalypse, too, and this one is definitely unique. But very readable. I enjoyed it.

      Delete
  2. Like Cassie, I'm definitely intrigued by this one as it sounds really different.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have not read anything by this author, but this book sounds really good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was fun, and makes me want to see what other books he's written.

      Delete
  4. I'm most definitely intrigued. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's well-written and certainly has an unexpected twist at the end.

      Delete
  5. This is such an interesting premise. I love the whole last persons on earth trope. And the idea of wandering through cities choked with vegetation.

    I am loving your story BTW- looking forward t othe enxt installment! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Greg! That means so much coming from you. We've got more episodes ready to publish every Monday.

      Delete
  6. It sounds like an unusual plot. You have definitely piqued my interest.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You read a great variety of books! Nice review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a bit of an eclectic reader. I like most everything from classics to nonfiction to mysteries to romance to books like this. :D

      Delete
  8. You have me curious about an apocalypose book, and I never really like those! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The premise of this one had me curious, too. ;D

      Delete
  9. I've been curious about this one. The "whateverpocalypse" sounds like an interesting twist the average apocalypse book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a very different twist at the end of this one.

      Delete
  10. It does sound like a different and imaginative take on an end-of-the-world scenario. Glad to hear you had fun with it, Lark!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was fun...implausible and unexpected...but fun.

      Delete
  11. This one sounds like fun. I've been reading this kind of book since I was a kid, but they still intrigue and entertain me. Going on my list for later.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always drawn to apocalyptic novels; I think it's that whole survival element in them. If you do read this one, let me know what you think! :D

      Delete
  12. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! I remember really liking it too. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's fun...and different. Made for a nice change of pace. :)

      Delete
  13. I am a fan of books that deal with the apocalypse. This sounds really good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's well-written. And I liked the characters. If you read it, you have to let me know what you think of that ending!

      Delete
  14. I love apocalyptic books. This sounds interesting!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love apocalyptic books, too! And this one has a very different take on what causes the end of the world as we know it. :)

      Delete
  15. I tend to enjoy these kinds of books, thought I've learned I have to read them in small doses. Too much end times talk can really bring my mood down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get that! I don't think I read any end-of-the-world books in 2020 at all...too depressing.

      Delete
  16. Glad you found it entertaining and clever.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That sounds good, I like an apocalypse type setting.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've never heard of this one but I like to think that one day animals and plants will take over the planet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A world run by dogs doesn't sound too bad these days. ;D

      Delete
  19. I love stories set in the end of the world to see how people react. This one sounds so familiar. I wonder if I read it before.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what I like about reading these kinds of books... seeing how people react and survive. :)

      Delete
  20. This sounds really interesting. I love post-apocalyptic stories. I'm going to add this one to my TBR. :D Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Not my usual read but it sounds intriguing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Whoa, this has such a cool synopsis! Not my typical genre but I'm so happy to have learned your thoughts on it! Great review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was interesting to see such an unusual take on the end of the world. :)

      Delete
  23. Mostly I've stayed away from post apocalyptic fiction but when I read your review a few years ago of Earth Abides I was intrigued and decided to read the book and I was very impressed. The Apocalypse Seven has a similar plot where a man wakes up and finds humanity is gone except for a few people but the plant and animal life is still going strong. It sounds interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was an interesting premise...and an ending that I saw coming in one way, but that was unexpected in another way. I liked it.

      Delete