The Electric Kingdom

Well, this was certainly mind twisting. It starts out just before the end of the world due to the flies (but not really flies) that eat people and bring the flu, killing off the majority of human life and ends with a new kind of life that was really cool. Certainly not what I expected and I will be thinking about this for a bit, trying to get my head around the concept. Told in three viewpoints, Nico (traveling with her dog Harry to fulfill her father's plan in the land of Manchester), the Deliverer (an enigmatic being clad in a space suit and has lived many lives), and Kit (a young lad who seems to know things). I like how it didn't immediately have tons of action so that you could get to know and care for the characters. The buildup was good too for the unraveling of all the mysteries. The flies were creepy though and I hope they never show up in this world. I really liked this book and I am glad it ended the way it did. It was full of hope.

The Electric Kingdom tells the story of a world in the near future ravaged by a pandemic that makes coronavirus look like a walk in the park. This pandemic is apocalyptic. Carnivorous flies, carrying a deadly Fly Flu, have devastated the world, leaving behind few survivors. The story is about a group of young survivors in New England whose parents have succumbed to the the flies or fly flu. Nico and her dog have lived in a remote farmhouse and are now on a quest assigned by her father to find a enigmatic portal in Manchester. Kit is a twelve year-old artist who has been raised in an abandoned cinema with his friends Lakie and Monty, who are trying to reach an island refuge. Loretta and Lennon were raised in the forest by two women they met in a campground, after their parents were taken by the flies. Then there is the mysterious Deliverer, who lives over and over again trying to save, or at least help, the world. These young survivors cross paths in the woods and small towns, attempting to evade the deadly swarms of flies, in their quest for safety, love and answers. The Electric Kingdom is beautifully written, mesmerizing, dark, sad, thought-provoking and strangely hopeful. The characters are wonderful and this book will haunt you.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from Viking Press and Bookish First in exchange for an honest review. When I first heard about this book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had never read anything by this author before. I was very pleasantly surprised. This book was a completely original (at least to me) sci-fi tale. The characters are very well written and you really feel deeply connected to them. I truly enjoyed all of the twists and turns of the story. There were a few times throughout the book that I thought I had it figured out and new what was going on and what would happen next yet the author continued to surprise me. Though I'm fairly certain that this is a standalone novel, I do hope for a sequel book or something else set in this world. This universe felt very familiar and scientific with just enough "fiction" to make it extremely enjoyable. I had a blast reading this book.