Rina and Ethan have been house hunting for months when they finally find the right place for them. It even has a bomb shelter that Ethan can adapt to a ‘man cave’ where he can invite his band and play their instruments without worrying about the noise. It seems like a dream coming true until a virus much like COVID-19 (but much more lethal) hits the world. The happy couple locks inside the bunker and remains there for more than two months. Their only way of communication with the outside world is a radio. After trying to reach someone else for days, someone replies. That’s what prompts the couple to leave the shelter to assess the situation outside. What they’ll find is predictable, but everything that happens next is the icing on the cake. Read The Melt (after the Apocalypse) by Ann Werner to find out.
The first part of the novel is much like what we’re experiencing today with COVID-19, with a deeper dramatisation of the events and the gravity of the fictional virus. If you don’t like reality, this part is going to cause you a bit of trouble because it hits too close to home. The second part, after Rina and Ethan, shocked and traumatised, leave the bunker slowed much better to me, especially when we’re introduced to the villain. Ms Ann Werner is a master in describing emotions, especially Rina. As a woman, I can easily understand her fears and the struggles to keep her head up no matter what life throws at her. I must admit the ending was a bit disappointing to me. It kind of broke my suspension of disbelief, but I still want to know what happens next. If you like emotional stories and post-apocalyptic scenarios, this book is for you.
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