Powerless
When all goes dark, they're left alone. As starvation provokes chaos, can one man defend all he holds dear?
Sunspots, Al-Qaeda, North Korea-no one knows why the power goes out in sleepy little Harpursville, how much of the world is affected, or how long it will last. In one instant virtually every modern convenience stops working, leaving the townspeople scrambling.
For Kevin Barton, the problem is compounded by the presence of his sixteen-year-old daughter's best friend, Dina, who's been stranded at the house after yet another sleepover. When Kevin's attempt to escort Dina home ends in robbery and humiliation, their "second daughter's" overnight visit becomes a permanent stay. Kevin doesn't really mind. Dina helps with everything from hauling water to digging a garden, and she does it with a smile. But with food scarce and hunger eating away at reason, her large appetite and constant presence sets the household on edge, causing a rift between Kevin and his wife, Monica.
Help is offered by the man who stops Harpursville from sliding into everyone-for-themselves chaos but then he gives Kevin an unthinkable ultimatum. With the peace of the town and Kevin's own family hanging in the balance, he faces a two-front war. Can Kevin find the power in himself to protect everything he holds dear?
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Community Reviews
An unprecedented coronal mass ejection sends plasma hurtling towards Earth to wreak havoc on the majority of the world's electrical grids. The premise was exciting and I think Washburn did a great job balancing the science talk with layman's terms for people like me who are certainly not experts. Also, I'm a sucker for disaster stories and I appreciated the side storyline of global relations that distinguished this novel from many others.
My only real gripe with this book was the very shallow and superficial female character development. I can't think of a single character who was not almost immediate sexualized by the men around her, except for one department head who was very clearly called out as a lesbian. Even the President of the U.S. during a major, worldwide crisis takes the time for a nooner with his wife and tells her how good her ass looks in her jeans... Maybe it's realistic, but it was annoying to me.
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