Divided

Silent Nation, Book 1

By: Joseph Coley

Narrated by: Andrew B. Wehrlen

Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Ben Marcus was having a rough day. His grandmother died, his ex-fiancee was trying to take his daughter away, the snow was coming down, and he was on his way back from Ohio.

Then something happened.

As he stops at a rest stop in northwest Ohio, the power goes out. Not just the lights, but the cars, phones, and everything else that made up everyday life. He has to get home, and he has no idea how to do it. Stuck in the snow amid a cataclysmic event that no one can precisely explain, he sets out to help not only himself, but those trapped with him. He has to find a way to travel the 300+ miles home, and he needs to do it fast. His family at home is saddled with problems of their own, and they have no way of knowing what has happened to him. As the world slowly spirals out of control, Ben must try to make it home...or die trying.

From the best-selling author of the Six Feet From Hell and Refuge from the Dead series comes a realistic take on TEOTWAWKI - the end of the world as we know it. No zombies this time, just pure survival.

©2019 Joseph Coley (P)2019 Joseph Coley

Best laid plans!

Our protagonist, Ben Marcus is leading a couple vehicles on their way home to Virginia after attending their grand-mothers funeral in Ohio. While taking a break at a rest stop, an EMP strikes due to a solar event. Ben and his brother Steve decide to hike back to grand-ma’s house where there is a somewhat restored 1967 Mustang. Just the thing they need to get the rest of the way home. The plan seems simple enough. Head back to Signet, pick up a battery along the way, get the Mustang, then back to the rest stop to get the others. Of course things never work out as planned. We follow Ben and Steve as they encounter one problem after another to reach their goal. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Just finished it for the second time this month

Pros
Story line is a lot more believable of something that would possibly happen if this happened in real life don’t want to ruin the story for anyone but most these types of books have the good guys dealing with near miss after near miss and walking away in the end with all the main characters with just bumps and bruises were as this books is a lot more down to reality he doesn’t sugar coat it and shows the happy with the sad and how people in the real word would probably deal with it well rounded and look forward to the next book also I normally have the few couple narrators I try to stick with being you can have the best story line and book but if you have a bad narrator can ruin the whole book this was not the case with this book believe I found another one to add to the list

Cons
Only thing I would of like to see done different was I feel we’re the book left off was not the most ideal place didn’t leave me in suspense in the way were you just can’t wait for the next book almost felt like there should of been another chapter or two to build up the story line a little for the next book

Overall
Good story line I will be looking forward to the next book to come out had wished the second book was out when I listened to the first if so there probably wouldn’t of been anything under the cons list

Decent Start

I totally enjoyed listening to this Post-Apocalyptic with no zombies and good narration. I really liked the characters of Ben and Ken but as with all series kind of abrupt ending and cannot wait for book 2 to find out if Ben gets to his daughter. There is a lot of action and shows how society changes their attitude when things go wrong, some are good some evil but make you think what you would do if EMP does happen. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you

Divided

I read and enjoyed stories like this all the but didn't really get into this one.

This book seemed more like the first couple of chapters of a book, and not a whole book in its self. it was lacking a story line.and I found it kind of boring. And way too long.
( I listened to this my husband, and he didn’t find it as bad as I did)

The narrator did a good job with the voices. and I would listen to a book he reads again.

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Divided

I liked this story.It was after the emp hits 'lite'. The Amish was a nice touch.Everything went way too smoothly. Andrew B Wehrlen was a wonderful narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Excellent New Series Awesome Narration!

Divided Silent Nation, Book 1 is written by Joseph Coley. The narration is provided by Andrew B. Wehrlen. Ben Marcus is the main character. His grandmother died, his family driving back home to Virginia from Ohio and the Event happens. Stranded 300 miles away in the falling snow in the interstate, unprepared, away from home. This new series from this established author begins at a breakneck pace once the action begins.

The story truly holds the listener's attention through the entire audio production. Without spoiling the story, the author does go against the normal convention in the standard Post-Apoc lit and goes grim and dark with his storytelling for this series. This makes for some truly compelling listening.

The narration provided by Mr. Wehrlen is amazing. Mr. Wehrlen makes the characters memorable with their unique voices. The production quality of this audiobook is also of the highest quality. I heard no problems during the entire performance. There were not any detectable flaws that I was able to hear during the entire performance such as loops, breaks, or buzzing. The production was crisp and clear. Joseph Coley delivered an excellent audiobook production. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Disappointing

I've been reading a lot of post-apocatlyptic stories lately. While looking through a list offering review copy audiobooks, I saw this title. I received a free review copy, at my request, and am now writing a voluntary opinion.

This post-EMP book presents a few problems for me (I give a few examples that might be considered as spoilers.):

The author writes the story primarily through 'telling' rather than 'showing'.

There is a lot of repetition. Sometimes things get unnecessarily repeated within a few paragraphs.

The dialogue is not well-written. In almost every conversation, I thought to myself that people don't talk to each other this way. There is no natural flow to the words. A lot of it is cliche and cheesy. Also, the author has some of the characters do 'info-dumps' of technical facts that are very awkwardly written.

Characterization is completely muddled. Most of the characters would, i think, consider themselves good people, but their actions tell a different story. For example, the main character, Ben, iterates multiple times how his being an emergency medical services (EMS) worker makes him a caring person. But, in fact, he shows himself to be a selfish person by not ever, even once, doing anything that an EMS person would do if they saw injured or in-trouble people around. I don't know if the author intended to make most of the characters self-centered, unlikable jerks or not, but that's how they come across to me.

POV is all over the place too. There are a few instances where the POV changes during the same scene, making it confusing to know whose perspective it's from. There are also a couple of times that the POV character knows something when there is no way for them to know it.

At the end of the story, there is no character growth or accomplishment made. I know it's only been a few days in the book, but maybe the author should have made it longer to show these things by the end. Literally, the main character ends the book back in the same place he was when the EMP happened. Again, I don't know if this is intentional, but it serves as a great metaphor for zero character growth.

That brings me to how unrealistic this book is. Ben thinks he's going to make it from north-west Ohio to western Virginia in one day, after the EMP has struck and he acquires a working vehicle. I wish him luck getting through Charleston, WV in particular, with any number of cars stalled on the elevated interstate. Back roads won't be any easier to navigate, I fear. Winter in the mountains, no snow plows working, the human factor; I don't see it happening, even in weeks.

I bring these examples up because had the author gotten a good editor, this could be a different review. I like this kind of story, but just slapping some words on a screen won't make me not find fault with it. It needs a clearer destination in both story and characterization. I don't hate it, but it did cause some eye rolling and screams of "Really?".

On the whole, the author doesn't bring me into this story. There is no emotional anchor for me. I don't feel moved by any of the characters' plights.

I like the narration by Andrew B Wehrlen. He attempts to add drama and emotion into this flat story.

Excellent Start

Excellent start to what I hope is a great series. Love that its different from most other stories in this genre.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Great

Great book and can not wait to start the second one. The characters were amazing and the narrator did an amazing job. Sucked me right in from the start. Great listen!

An ok story

Nothing spectacular. Pretty much the same scenarios as others. Guy trying to get home after an EMP.