When the world ends, it is up to 16-year-old Macy to keep her family together. In total oblivion: more or less, the Palmers witness their Minnesota town break down — no phone, no cable, and soon no government. Along with a wasp-borne plague, horsemen from another reality sweep across America, forcing Macy, her parents and siblings to relocate to a refugee camp. Escape may be down the Mississippi, but it holds its own peculiar dangers.
While author Alan DeNiro unfolds a dreamscape, one where the very land and rivers reshape themselves, the family drama is grounded in the familiar. Kin can be maddening and endearing from one moment to the next; they say something they don’t mean but is hurtful nonetheless, then redeem themselves with a kindness that is unexpected.
The novel was surreal and original. Macy really does double-duty — holding her family and the story together. She does both amply well.
Have you read it? What do you think?