THE BIG DARK by Rodman Philbrick explores life in a small town after an apocalyptic event.
When a geomagnetic storm disrupts all electronic devices, lawlessness ensues and an anti-Semitic survivalist tries to take charge of their town. The situation becomes desperate when Charlie’s mother begins to run out of medicine. Charlie must trek 50 miles through the snow in search of the nearest hospital.
Although the bad guy is somewhat one-dimensional, the author successfully captures the havoc caused by the disaster. The themes of courage, tolerance, and personal responsibility are effective for the middle grade audience.
Librarians will find this quick read provides a nice introduction to science fiction and dystopian novels for readers seeking to expand their reading options.
To learn more about the author, go to http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/.
Published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic on January 5, 2016. ARC provided by the publisher.
