{"id":703,"date":"2018-11-23T12:29:51","date_gmt":"2018-11-23T17:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/?p=703"},"modified":"2018-11-23T12:29:51","modified_gmt":"2018-11-23T17:29:51","slug":"survival-kits-apocalypse-by-beverly-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/survival-kits-apocalypse-by-beverly-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Survival Kit\u2019s Apocalypse by Beverly Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"When you read the words \u201czombie apocalypse,\u201d you probably think you\u2019re in for a gory fright-fest. But Beverly Williams\u2019 post-apocalyptic novel Survival Kit\u2019s Apocalypse<\/em> is less about the horrors of its zombified world and more about the exquisitely personal terrors of trauma\u2014and the relationships that can help heal them.  <\/p>\n

            In this character-driven novel, the titular heroine Kit is fleeing both from the novel\u2019s zombies (called \u201crotters,\u201d a mostly standard interpretation of the classic monsters, albeit with hints at a twist in their origins) and from a hideously violent past. Almost preternaturally capable but psychologically stunted, as a protagonist Kit is relatable if not quite likeable. Her past traumas are treated with sensitivity and humanity by the author, but are still quite disturbing to read about as they are revealed slowly throughout the novel. The physical and emotional scars of her twisted upbringing are excavated through the relationships she develops when she arrives at a camp of survivors. There, she is drawn out of her shell by survivalist heartthrob Eric and his brothers Thom and Matt. The siblings also come from an abusive household, so they can relate to Kit as she struggles to not only live in this new world, but to thrive and belong.<\/p>\n

            Scenes of head-popping rotter encounters and survivalist tactics are interspersed with slower, more nuanced set pieces in which Williams deftly develops the relationships between Kit and the other survivors, using quotes from favorite songs and authors to organize the scenes thematically. In addition to Kit\u2019s struggles with self-harm and thoughts of suicide, she also experiences moments of joy as she develops her first-ever romantic relationship with Eric, finds a new friend after saving the meek but resilient Sam from her abusive boyfriend, and begins exploring what happiness and family might look like in the aftermath of societal breakdown.<\/p>\n

As the camp members realize that the rotters are not the only threat they face, Williams brings home a central theme: humanity can be more monstrous than any supernatural creature.<\/p>\n

While there were moments when I would have preferred greater emphasis on pulse-pounding action and fright over deep-thinking exposition, Survival Kit\u2019s Apocalypse <\/em>is ultimately a page turner which is deeply invested in its characters, and as a reader I couldn\u2019t help but worry about Kit and her strange, eccentric new family. Although I came into the book expecting a thrilling tale of terror, in reality it is a surprisingly subtle parable of hope, home, and healing.<\/p>\n

Survival Kit\u2019s Apocalypse: Survival Kit #1 <\/em>by Beverly Williams. Published 2017 by Curiosity Quills Press. 366 pp.<\/p>\n

Review by Carmen Tracey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you read the words \u201czombie apocalypse,\u201d you probably think you\u2019re in for a gory fright-fest. But Beverly Williams\u2019 post-apocalyptic novel Survival Kit\u2019s Apocalypse is less about the horrors of its zombified world and more about the exquisitely personal terrors … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1635,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1635"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=703"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":706,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/703\/revisions\/706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/w1.loganberrybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}