Well, it can’t have gone too badly last month, because Gene’O has let me loose on the blog again – or maybe he just forgot to revoke my access, but let’s not remind him, I quite like it here.
Last month I reviewed Disclaimer by Renee Knight, a book in the crime fiction genre. A genre I strongly identify with. But, you may not, so I have to be conscious of that and mix it up a bit and that’s what I’m doing this month.
Today we are looking at something that something that isn’t very common but is starting to gather momentum. Series fiction. It works just like a television series. It’s shorter than a novel and progresses the story, but leaves you with a cliffhanger so you buy the next one. Let’s have a look how it works….
Yesterday’s Gone (Episode 1) by Sean Platt & David W. Wright
On October 15 at 2:15 a.m. everyone on Earth vanished.
Well, almost everyone.
A scattered few woke alone in a world where there are no rules other than survival… at any cost.
A journalist wanders the horrible reality of an empty New York in search of his wife and son.
A serial killer must hunt in a land where prey is now an endangered species.
A mother shields her young daughter from danger, though every breath fills her with terror.
A bullied teen is thrilled to find everyone gone. Until the knock at the door.
A fugitive survives a fiery plane crash. Will he be redeemed, or return to what he’s best at: the kill?
An eight year old boy sets out on a journey to find his missing family. What he finds will change him forever.
These survivors aren’t alone…
Someone or something is watching them.
And waiting…
Strangers unite.
Sides are chosen.
Will humanity survive what it never saw coming?
The only certainty is that Yesterday’s Gone.
My thoughts:
First of all, I don’t usually read much in the post-apocalyptic vein (I find it even grimmer than crime!), so this whole experience was going to be new to me and I didn’t know what to expect.
The way it’s set out is in the conventional way of a book – with chapters. And, in this case, each chapter was from the point of view of a new character as they woke or realised they were alone in the world.
Initially, I found it slow to get into. I don’t know whether that was my mindset about the book, genre, serialisation aspect, format of knowing I had to work my way through a cast of characters and not knowing if I would remember them all, but as I continued to read, I found myself wanting to read on, wanting to know what came next, or what or why it had happened. Maybe the next paragraph would be able to explain a little more, or have a little tidbit in it.
As we came around to meeting the characters again, I suddenly found I was engrossed. I was watching the percentage meter on my Kindle telling me I didn’t have a huge amount left to read and yet I wanted more. Where had everyone gone? What was this creepy thing that was happening? Come-on authors you can’t leave me hanging like this! Yep. That’s right. I am hooked.
Serialised fiction, if done well, can really work. Apparently this had about 100 pages in it, so you’re not being held hostage over a few pages, it’s a third the size of a lot of novels.
I only intended to read this first one for this review, but I think I might find myself going back for the series one box-set. If you buy on Amazon, the first book is free and the first box-set (season one) is free. It’s a marketing tool to hook you in, the authors aren’t shy about admitting that. But that’s the whole point of serialisation, to make you want the next one.
Here’s a trailer they made for it and what the readers say, pretty much sums it up. For the (price) of a free book, what do you have to lose by checking out what you think of serialised fiction or this post-apocalyptic series?
Sourcerer 