One Second After

One Second After - William R. Forstchen In America, we are completely dependent upon electronics. They run our cars, our phones, our houses, and more. But what if something came along and destroyed all that!? What if our enemies send an EMP our way? We would be completely lost!
One Second After deals with the after affects of an EMP and its devastation upon a small town in North Carolina. Black Mountain is cut off completely after the EMP is detonated, and what results are medieval methods to keep the town running. As the food runs out, and people are starting to come toward their town in hopes of making it, the town is forced to undergo martial law, and to establish strict rules just to keep themselves from being completely wiped off the face of the planet. "Outsiders" are not allowed within the confines of the town, and the townspeople are completely united in their struggle to just stay alive.
John Matherson is a retired colonel from the United States Army living with his family in the mountains. After the initial shut down of communication, he knows what they are facing, and what could possibly happen. As the leaders of the town pull together to ensure survival for as many as they can, they are forced to face hard truths, and have to face some things that are rather uncomfortable for many to think about.

I loved this book! I was completely drawn in and it was hard to put down. That being said, it was not an easy read! I found myself crying over parts, frustrated over others, and downright scared to think that this could really happen here. The fact that not many would be able to defend themselves, or be able to survive off the land is something that hits to close to home. When the book described the children and their declining state, that hit even harder. The large amounts of death and the large numbers of those who dropped simply because of inadequate medical care and food was hard to stomach. We have become to entirely reliant on the "easy" that we have let so many of the facts of life that would keep us alive. How many of us can do something without having to google our way through the process? How many of us would be able to survive without running water or food from the grocery store?
I honestly think this is a book that everyone should read, and start thinking about what they would do in the event that something does happen? How many would survive longer than a week!?