The Big Dark

April 4, 2016
When all electronics turn off unexpectedly in the dead of winter, Charlie finds life becoming quite different and challenging in his rural New Hampshire town. Society does not break down entirely, but new struggles emerge, including Charlie’s search for medicine for his diabetic mother and his encounters with a group of militant extremists aiming to take control of the town and its resources. Reader Crouch has a youthful voice with a light rasp that works really well with Charlie’s voice and inner monologue in this first-person narrative. He captures Charlie’s excitement, fear, and teenage ambivalence quite well. Crouch’s character voices do not always hit the mark, however; many are a bit more caricatured than seems fitting. Ages 8–12. A Scholastic/Blue Sky hardcover.

November 2, 2015
A massive power outage, triggered by a solar flare, throws a small New Hampshire town—and presumably the world at large—into turmoil, with all things electronic instantly rendered useless. After the town pharmacy burns down amid growing discontent, Charlie Cobb must devise a plan to get his diabetic mother the medicine she needs. Charlie’s adventure is rife with obstacles, including starving coyotes, frigid wintry elements, the traumatic aftermath of a downed plane, and gun-toting survivors. Philbrick (Zane and the Hurricane) weaves an absorbing tale about the breakdown of contemporary civilization, the return to chaotic vigilante justice, and the strength of kindness and community. Charlie narrates from an unspecified point in the future, looking back at events as they unfolded: “Too bad that wasn’t how it ended,” he says after the town votes to appoint an emergency leader. “The good guys win, big cheer from the crowd, and everybody lives happily ever after.” The conclusion unnecessarily veers into preachy territory, repeating the same message Charlie’s journey already conveyed with clarity and finesse. But this misstep doesn’t overshadow the story’s poignancy and gripping intensity. Ages 8–12.

October 1, 2015
When a solar flare knocks out all technology, residents of an isolated New Hampshire town must figure out how to survive. Unless neighbors share their precious resources, many will not make it through the brutal winter. Unfortunately a violent faction of racists has other plans. Determined to take control of the town, they burn down the local supermarket, robbing the residents of food and medication. Charlie Cobb's mother, a Type 2 diabetic, will not survive without her medication. To save her, Charlie must risk exposure, wild animals, and desperate people to ski the 50 miles to the closest hospital. The science behind the apocalyptic event is suspiciously vague, but the realistic portrayal of the human capacity for both good and evil is well-written: some resort to hoarding and violence in the face of the global catastrophe, but others choose an enlightened path and elect to care for one another. A slow beginning pays off during Charlie's desperate journey, and the depiction of a world gone suddenly dark is both terrifying and completely possible. Philbrick's overarching message is clear. While ruthless villains might be living next door, so might a school janitor-turned-selfless leader and a boy-turned-hero. Readers who get past the sketchy science will find a riveting, credible, and even inspiring vision of life just after the apocalypse. (Science fiction. 8-12)

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November 1, 2015

Gr 5-7-It's New Year's Eve, and the residents of Harmony, NH, brave bitter cold to watch a spectacular display of the northern lights. Suddenly, blinding light flashes across the sky, and anything electric, from flashlight batteries to cell phones to home generators, dies. At first, residents band together. But as days pass, intimidation and eventually the use of deadly force by Webster Bragg, an antigovernment white supremacist, causes fear and uncertainty. When Bragg torches the local pharmacy, middle schooler Charlie Cobb must brave life-threatening elements-both natural and human-to track down diabetes medication for his mother before she runs out. What could be a compelling tale about modern-day disaster, however, quickly devolves into something flat and forced. One-dimensional characters lack substance and sufficient development. Stilted language is distracting and archaic-Charlie's mother, a teacher, refers to math as "arithmetic," and Charlie describes a poor family as "living off the state." Perhaps most concerning are Bragg and his adult sons, who are frighteningly realistic in both dialogue and ideals. Though they are terrifying in their likeness to real-life racists and extremists, Philbrick misses the opportunity to provide more nuance to these and the other characters, leaving middle grade readers a superficial understanding of why the Braggs' hateful ideas are so harmful and why, in times of crisis, even "good" people allow hate to rule the day. VERDICT Though the themes of racism, hate, and the danger of fear are desperately needed in conversations with the intended age group, this novel only scratches the surface.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 The sky brightened with a brief but intense flare of light, and immediately everything in the world changed. All electrical charges went dead, and the rhythms of Charlie's life in his hometown of Harmony, New Hampshire, are immediately replaced by a terrifying new normal. Mr. Kingman, the school janitor and town's sole volunteer police officer, is forced to confront one of the town's fringe residents, Mr. Bragg, an antigovernment extremist whose self-interest policies lead to growing violence. When Charlie discovers that his diabetic mother has just 19 days of medicine remaining, he leaves the relative safety of Harmony to walk 50 miles to the hospital in Concord. Philbrick is in his element with this kid-oriented view of global catastrophe. Charlie's world is brimming with danger, yet he single-mindedly accepts his mission to save his mother, since, for him, the threat of wild animals is overshadowed by the menace of frightened human beings. With a fast pace, pulse-pounding premise, and approachable first-person narration, this would be a great pick for reluctant readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)