THE COLLAPSE: Swantown Road by Frank A. KaminskiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I've taken a chance on many indie authors over the years only to be horribly disappointed. I'm so glad, however, to have again taken the plunge with Frank Kaminski. Ok, let's get the few negatives out of the way. First, Kaminski offers an explanation for the lack of editing--and rightfully so. The book is fraught with errors in word choice, grammatical structure and just plain typos. Once you get past that, and the painfully slow introduction to the characters, you are left with a fascinating story that is both timely and relevant. The characters are well developed and become so real that you both cheer for them and mourn their losses. Fish is perhaps the most interesting of the three main players, a military guy with reckless abandon and a heart the size of Texas. Stephen and Tara Alexander, doting parents of the Kays (their twins) offer great contrast to one another and balance the scales with the caution and care only parents can appreciate. All of the characters outplay the stereotypes they could have easily represented and instead show both bravery and vulnerability in the face of great adversity. The entire premise, in short, works. Kaminski has taken a brilliant approach to the post-apocalyptic genre that doesn't need to include blood thirsty zombies or improbable tragedies brought about by Mother Nature. Instead, man's inhumanity to man is highlighted as society collapses and our main characters strive to retain their own civility as well as redefine themselves in this cruel new world. I certainly hope Kaminski writes a sequel--and soon--as I inhaled this fabulous novel in one long sitting and am left even this morning wondering just how the extended Alexander family is faring.
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