I’m sure everybody out there has had a drunken conversation or two involving how you’d handle yourself in the event of the apocalypse. Or, if you’re not a drinker, at least you’ve gamed it out a bit. Some see themselves as natural leaders, some would just find anything that seemed like a safe place to hunker down for the duration. And then there’s the occasional person who thinks that, all things considered, crawling into a bottle would be the best thing for all involved. If you’ve ever been curious about the “adventures” of this last type, you’re in luck! Nick has put out this thoroughly darkly entertaining look into a survivor who doesn’t give a shit whether or not he survives. As the book goes on we see more and more of the history of Jack (our hero!) and the three other survivors who basically drag him along with him (after threatening to take his booze away). Each of them have their own journeys, we see a few other people come across them as time goes on, and it’s clear that whatever has infected most people doesn’t affect animals, because they seem to be all over the place. Also, what does it say about me that I didn’t even think to link this to covid before one of them literally says “global pandemic”? Oh well. I don’t want to give much of anything away. I came into this blind, and I’d highly recommend that anybody reading this does the same. Which makes this review tricky, as I’d put this on any “best of 2021” list that I was putting together. Thoroughly engaging from start to finish, and most of the mysteries are revealed in a “show not tell” way that is essential for a story like this. Give it a shot, is what I have to say. $15
