Forge Books, April 25, 2017.
Three Stars
A massive storm is about to hit Silver Lake,
Pennsylvania, bringing with it the threat of flooding and evacuation. The storm
alone is dangerous, but the situation rapidly gets much worse when lightning
strikes the nuclear reactor that provides power to much of the state. The
containment breach is immediate, and the spread of nuclear waste is hastened by
the severity of the quickly moving storm system. With extreme wind and
rainfall, the contamination has spread for miles before anyone even knows what
has happened.
Conveniently, journalist Marla Hollis happened to be
inside the nuclear plant at the time of the breach, writing an expose on the
many safety rules that are being broken and ignored by the plant’s wealthy owners.
Inside the building at the time of the explosion, Marla gains access to
shocking information about the dangerous practices occurring at the plant –
trapped inside, she releases minute-by-minute updates as conditions worsen in
Silver Lake.
Meanwhile, at city hall, acting mayor Sarah Redmond
struggles to control the situation, simultaneously dealing with flash floods,
evacuation and increasing cases of radiation sickness. Sarah’s husband is an
EMT on the front lines of the disaster, and he risks his own life to save as
many residents of Silver Lake as he can from the threat of radioactive waste.
It is shocking to read about a nuclear disaster close
up, through the eyes of these three characters who have very different
perspectives and circumstances. The story is immediate, completely engrossing
and very believable. Realizing how easy it would be for a disaster such as this
to happen, not far away but right here in North America, is unsettling to say
the least – as I’m sure is Mara’s intention. However, I just didn’t connect
with the characters, who seemed formulaic and flat. So, while the plot was
fast-paced and thought-provoking, I felt that in this case, the message overshadowed
the medium. The story was lost in the author’s need to take a stand about the
dangers of nuclear energy – although he makes a very good point.
I received this book from Forge Books and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review.
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