Blackout by Robison Wells
In Robison Wells’s Blackout, a virus is spreading across the United States, but for some reason this mysterious disease affects only teens. The symptoms? Strange superpowers that range from invisibility to super-strength to mind control. Add in some terrorist attacks, several destroyed monuments, and a paranoid military force, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a post-apocalyptic story that keeps you turning those pages.
Laura and Alec are trained, lethal terrorists, while Jack and Aubrey were two average high school students. They come from extremely different backgrounds yet, as a result of this new virus, their lives become connected in a way that no one could have foreseen. Now they must work together to survive in this strange, new world.
Blackout reminded me right away of Michael Grant’s Gone, since both have the same theme of teenagers with superhuman powers. In Blackout, however, the kids are in the midst of a conflict that looks like the start of World War III.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The multiple points of view do make it a bit difficult to keep track of who’s who, at least until you get to know the characters. It’s a fairly fast read, but the pace is just right for an action-packed book such as this one. I especially appreciated the cleverly placed plot twists, which left me blinking in disbelief. Wells’s writing is engaging and hooks the reader with its twists and turns.
The ending is a perfect set up for the planned sequel, but for those who want more, and want it now, there’s Going Dark: A Blackout Novella, which is a prequel to Blackout available as an e-book.
If you enjoy fast-paced, action-packed, dystopian, post-apocalyptic stories, then I would definitely recommend reading Blackout.
By: Suchita Chadha
