What would you do if the end of the world was around the corner? No one really knows and neither did the people in the small town of Beckitt Massachusetts. Everyone’s cell phones suddenly lit up with words “BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Eighteen minutes later, a new message arrives, ”FALSE ALARM. PLEASE DISREGARD. ALL CLEAR.”
But eighteen minutes later is too late for some people. They have already shown their true colours under life or death pressure. Their lives will never be the same. Sometimes the consequences are worse than if the disaster actually occurred.
David runs his car through the slowly opening garage door, leaving his wife and child behind before discovering the false alarm. He cannot face his wife, his child, friends, himself, the same way for the rest of his life.
Nina sends a nasty text to her daughter before discovering the false alarm. Her husband, daughter and her never have the same relationship again.
Russ squeezes his wife and child into the bathtub and lies beside them to await his fate.
Every chapter feels like a short story about the lives of the characters who suffered through this error. We find out about each of their pasts, bringing them to this moment and their subsequent future based on their reaction to the emergency. Sometimes, they meet briefly, some never are mentioned again. We even get the back story of the person who made the mistake.
All in all, it’s a well-written debut asking the reader to look deep inside and think about how we treat each other when times are both good and bad and when you think your life is on the line.
Very soul-searching.
This book is available to borrow from the Caledon Public Library or if you’d prefer to own it, Booklore in Orangeville will give a 10% discount if you mention you saw this book review in JustSayinCaledon and ask for ‘Donna’s Discount.’
