HALL WAYS AUDIOBOOK REVIEW of Fallout series, book one, Survival, narrated by Kyle Tait.
Survival by
Lisa Harris, starts off with a tragic, emotional, and action-packed first chapter
after “The Quake” hits and its chaos in the small town of Shadow Ridge. I
thought our main character was going to be Garrett McQuaid, the top lawman of
Shadow Ridge and patriarch of the McQuaid family, but we jump to day 264 post-Quake,
and it’s Garrett’s sons, Jace and Levi, who have been deputized and are trying
their best to keep the town safe. (Garrett pops up briefly later in the book,
but I was left wanting more and really hope he comes back into the spotlight in
one of the other books in the series.)
Speaking of wanting more – readers
be warned: there are a lot of unanswered questions in Survival, but isn’t
that just how it should be? I can’t imagine the frustration of lack of
information nearly a year later – no idea of what really happened, and very
little communication from the outside world.
All of the unknowns are what
add tension to the book, and given the quality of the story, I have no doubt
that author Harris will give readers what we need as we continue with the
series. I am okay with this because Survival doesn’t end with an
annoying cliffhanger. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
“I know the right answers,
but I don’t know if I believe them anymore.”
As we settle into the second
half of the story, the faith element comes in heavier with Jace trying to find
answers. I like that the message of believing in God and going to church aren’t
all one needs to do to get back in the spiritual saddle again. Harris organically
incorporates Jace’s wavering faith into the story via a powerful conversation
with the town pastor, Matthew. The exchanges between Jace and Matthew seemed authentic.
Maintaining one’s faith is often a challenge when life is particularly
challenging, so it makes sense Jace would seek guidance. There is a Moses
analogy that we all should remember.
Initially, I found myself
wanting the details of what must have been absolute chaos right after “the
Quake,” and for that matter: what was it?! But then I realized that is
not what the author wanted to write. She focused on the relationships and
adaptations of what is likely to be the new normal; hence the name of the
series being called the Fallout series. We are seeing the fallout as it settles
over the people.
Back to that resolution…
while not a cliffhanger, the epilogue takes a bit of dark turn, providing a
delicious different direction for the story after we’re feeling all warm and fuzzy
about everything. Nice, Lisa Harris. I’m IN.
ABOUT THE NARRATION: WOWSA!
There could not be a better narration than Kyle Tait. His southern drawl, and
how he perfectly and consistently drops his Gs (goin’ comin’ lyin’)? It’s like
buttah! Smooth and a delightful pairing to Harris’s amazing story. Pacing was
perfect, not a glitch in the diction, and I listened at regular pace which is
almost unheard of. Tait’s delivery elevated my reading experience, and I’ll
seek out other books he’s narrated.
Book One, Survival
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What would you miss most if the grid went down? While not as essential as toilet paper or air-conditioning during a Texas summer, I think the McQuaid heroines from this series would love a bit of self-care—and so would I. – Author Lisa Harris
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