Apocalypse All the Time by David S. Atkinson

 

What would happen if there was an apocalypse almost every other day? We would become used to it and even become bored with our constant doom-and-gloom life. That is the premise of this unique novel that creates a dystopian world that still does not feel as far off from where we are in the world today. That is one of the best things about this story: it manages, even in its absurdist style, to capture some of the reality of what we are living now. The way we have become dulled to the everyday tragedies that make up our world is represented clearly in the book’s pages.

The writing is fresh, with the author keeping the pace up in a comfortable way. For me, the one thing that could have been improved was the two or so chapters at the beginning that give us the backstory of the world in which our protagonist is now living. All of this information, with the many kind of apocalypses that have passed through, could have been given to us in flashbacks or scattered in other ways throughout the story. By giving this information all at once, I think it pulled us away from the immediacy of what the protagonist was experiencing at the moment. Other than that, the writing keeps us turning the pages, waiting to see what other craziness the novel has in store for us. 

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and you will be cheering our protagonist on as the climax nears. If you are looking for a unique novel that packs quite a philosophical punch, this is one to consider.