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A review by brooke_review
Not Alone by Sarah K. Jackson
3.0
Allow me to start by saying that I love dystopian/apocalyptic fiction. In a time when it feels like there's a very real possibility that we could experience a life-altering, world-shattering disaster in our lifetime, I like to read novels based in the fall of society to ground me and help me prepare for the what ifs. Sarah K. Jackson's Not Alone focuses on the survival of a mother and son in a world destroyed by micro-plastics pollution.
When I started Not Alone, I was all in. This book gave off strong Emma Donoghue Room vibes, but in a dystopian world. A mother and 4-year-old son locked away in an apartment, unable to venture out in the world, having only each other for company and survival. I loved this book ... until the mom makes the bizarre decision to leave the safety of their apartment to set out on a lengthy road trip, yes, in a SUV, to track down her fiancé, whom she has not seen since before the apocalypse. This decision did not make an ounce of sense to me. First of all, it is dangerous to be outside, so what happens if the truck breaks down and they have to hoof it. Not to mention riding around in a SUV is going to make them a prime target for nefarious people. Furthermore, they do not even know if this fiancé is alive, yet they are risking their lives and leaving the safety of their home to find out. I hope that if the apocalypse ever does happen, that the survivors aren't this stupid.
As previously stated, Not Alone started off really good - I found it to be incredibly enjoyable. But once our duo set off in the car, Jackson lost me. The plot becomes muddled and confusing. I listened to this novel on audio and was afraid that I was missing information, but after reading reviews, I have discovered that it is not just me. I had a very hard time following mother and son on their road trip and understanding what was happening - the writing, which also moves very slowly, is just all over the place. Not to mention this story is incredibly bleak and depressing. I get that it is dystopian fiction, and I do not normally take issue with dark subjects, but ouch! For some reason this book really flared up some underlying anxiety in me and put me in a bad place.
So, in all, Not Alone is a decent book that could have been better with a little finesse and editing.
When I started Not Alone, I was all in. This book gave off strong Emma Donoghue Room vibes, but in a dystopian world. A mother and 4-year-old son locked away in an apartment, unable to venture out in the world, having only each other for company and survival. I loved this book ... until the mom makes the bizarre decision to leave the safety of their apartment to set out on a lengthy road trip, yes, in a SUV, to track down her fiancé, whom she has not seen since before the apocalypse. This decision did not make an ounce of sense to me. First of all, it is dangerous to be outside, so what happens if the truck breaks down and they have to hoof it. Not to mention riding around in a SUV is going to make them a prime target for nefarious people. Furthermore, they do not even know if this fiancé is alive, yet they are risking their lives and leaving the safety of their home to find out. I hope that if the apocalypse ever does happen, that the survivors aren't this stupid.
As previously stated, Not Alone started off really good - I found it to be incredibly enjoyable. But once our duo set off in the car, Jackson lost me. The plot becomes muddled and confusing. I listened to this novel on audio and was afraid that I was missing information, but after reading reviews, I have discovered that it is not just me. I had a very hard time following mother and son on their road trip and understanding what was happening - the writing, which also moves very slowly, is just all over the place. Not to mention this story is incredibly bleak and depressing. I get that it is dystopian fiction, and I do not normally take issue with dark subjects, but ouch! For some reason this book really flared up some underlying anxiety in me and put me in a bad place.
So, in all, Not Alone is a decent book that could have been better with a little finesse and editing.