Apocalyptic Organ Grinder

Title ~ Apocalyptic Organ Grinder
Author ~ William Todd Rose
Publisher ~ Random House ~ Hydra
Published ~ 17 June 2013
Genre ~ Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic/Short

*Book source ~ Many thanks to NetGalley and Hydra for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5

Centuries ago a virus caused a great divide in the people of the United States. The virus caused many people to die, but those that didn’t became carriers capable of infecting others. The sick and carriers were separated from those uninfected and made to live in prison camp conditions. Eventually those infected escaped and built villages far from the others. The infected came to be known as the People amongst themselves, but the others called them Spewers. Spewers called the others Clear Skins, but the others called themselves Settlers.

Tanner Kline is a Settler and a trained Sweeper. He goes outside the settlements and sweeps for Spewers. If he finds any he shoots them. Lila is a protector for the People. She has no gun and uses a spear, her wits and her physical prowess to protect herself and her People from the Sweepers. The meeting between Tanner and Lila creates a spark that ignites a deadly war between the two factions and obliterating the uneasy balance maintained for so many years.

This is a compelling story told from two polar opposite points of view. You have Tanner who is trained to protect the Settlers from the deadly Spewers and you have Lila who is trained to protect the People from the deadly Settlers. Both think they are noble and doing the right thing and yet they are on opposite sides. Who’s to say which group is right? If they had just left each other alone then the ending that comes to pass could have been avoided. Though I have to say I was quite impressed with that final scene. Very clever!

The writing flows smoothly and the tension ratchets up with each page until the grand finale. This is a story that will stick with you when you are finished.