Review of The Long Walk Home

[Nisha DSouza]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Long Walk Home" by Stephanie Albright.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Have you ever heard of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and how it can be disastrous to life on Earth? An EMP is a burst of electromagnetic radiation that has the potential to cause extensive damage to power lines, telecommunications, and electronic devices. The Long Walk Home: EMP by Stephanie Albright is a fictional story of one such incident that hit Sophie's life. She instantly recognized the severity of the situation when it first happened and reacted promptly. The story begins with Sophie and her co-worker deciding to walk back home—a journey that will take them over 19 hours. What were the after-effects of this outage? Will Sophie reach home unharmed and be able to adjust to her new life? Will she see Rick, her husband, again? Grab a copy of this book to find out.

I was amazed by this unique and very possible futuristic reality. The author has created an excellent cast of characters, a distinct plot, and a fluid flow of events in this novel. I was particularly impressed by some of the innovative survival strategies chosen. The story depicted the significance of adapting to changes and creating an atmosphere of authentic community living by helping each other. The aspect I liked best was the optimism it brought for a simpler world. Yes, some things were horrible and scary, but I could almost imagine a world with no phones, no television, no bills, no air pollution, and no vehicular noise. It would be as if someone hit the reset button, and we could reverse the environmental deterioration we had already caused.

One of the book's flaws was the lack of an introduction explaining what led to that catastrophic event. Also, some events did not make sense. For instance, why did some trucks and three-wheelers work but not cars? Not being a technologically adept person, I was confused about that. Similarly, why did a few electronic gadgets not get affected? The author should have attempted to provide a plausible explanation for these anomalies.

One very noticeable drawback was the author's overuse of dialogue tags. It emphasized the author's lack of creativity. Every other dialogue began or ended with an "I said," "he said," or a similar tag. That had an impact on my appreciation of the book as a whole. Furthermore, some readers may find a few incidents of gun violence unpleasant, although this would be understandable for a post-apocalyptic period.

The premise of this book is riveting and thought-provoking. It makes you wonder what would transpire if something like this happened. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but it would have been even better if there had been more exciting occurrences. The editing also needs to be improved, as I noticed quite a few errors. There were times when "Jeb" was referred to as "Jed," and I wondered which one was correct. After much thought, I deducted two stars for the dialogue tag and the errors. I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars. It deserves nothing less than that because I liked the premise so much.

It is a fascinating book that will get you thinking. As a result, I suggest it to fiction readers and those who enjoy imagining a world devoid of gadgets. Due to the frequent use of offensive words and a bit of violence, I would urge a mature audience to read it. Be warned: it features one especially tragic incident of a mentally disturbed individual inflicting self-harm and hurting a child. Although it is only a minuscule section of one chapter, some readers may prefer to avoid it.

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The Long Walk Home
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[Aswin3848]

The plot of the story is exciting. But I found the review more exciting as it covers all the possible aspects of the story. Nice review.

[Sarah Zain]

I already begin to think
What will happen if we press the reset button. For a moment it will be peaceful but also very scary. I appreciate your comprehensive review and I enjoyed reading it.

[Nisha DSouza]

The plot of the story is exciting. But I found the review more exciting as it covers all the possible aspects of the story. Nice review.

Thank you so much for your kind words, Aswin.

[Nisha DSouza]

I already begin to think
What will happen if we press the reset button. For a moment it will be peaceful but also very scary. I appreciate your comprehensive review and I enjoyed reading it.

Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your thoughts and your kind comments.

[Ajuan Olay]

I haven’t read the book yet, but only the preview shows how fascinating it would be… besides error on the names…

[Omneya Shakeep]

That's a thought-provoking book to read. I believe the storyline has potential if the author explained the events you mentioned and gave the book another round of proofreading. I enjoyed reading your review very much, and I'm considering reading this book if it appears in my selection. It's an amazingly detailed review.

[MsH2k]

Yes, some things were horrible and scary, but I could almost imagine a world with no phones, no television, no bills, no air pollution, and no vehicular noise.

It's like being transported 150 years into the past, except you are aware of the inventions you are missing. No bills? Not too bad. Thank you for your thorough analysis of this very possible futuristic reality, Nisha.

[Nisha DSouza]

That's a thought-provoking book to read. I believe the storyline has potential if the author explained the events you mentioned and gave the book another round of proofreading. I enjoyed reading your review very much, and I'm considering reading this book if it appears in my selection. It's an amazingly detailed review.

Great! Let me know if you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you, Omneya, for your kind words.

[Nisha DSouza]

Yes, some things were horrible and scary, but I could almost imagine a world with no phones, no television, no bills, no air pollution, and no vehicular noise.

It's like being transported 150 years into the past, except you are aware of the inventions you are missing. No bills? Not too bad. Thank you for your thorough analysis of this very possible futuristic reality, Nisha.

Yes, very true. A simpler life from the past but with the awareness of what's missing. Thank you so much, Donna, for sharing your thoughts and your kind comments.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I love the cover and title of the book. Also, I love that the world is portrayed as backward with no technologies, pollution, phones, bills, etc. I would love to know how the author depicts life like that. Though it has some downsides, I still want to experience the book myself. Thanks for your beautiful, honest review, Nisha!

[Nisha DSouza]

I love the cover and title of the book. Also, I love that the world is portrayed as backward with no technologies, pollution, phones, bills, etc. I would love to know how the author depicts life like that. Though it has some downsides, I still want to experience the book myself. Thanks for your beautiful, honest review, Nisha!

You definitely should. It is a wonderful book.

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words, Hazel.

[Smrithi Arun]

A world devoid of technology sounds very frightening! The Long Walk Home does sound pretty interesting, though; I might give it a chance. You've done a great job on this review, Nisha! Thank you for including trigger warnings as well.

[Nisha DSouza]

A world devoid of technology sounds very frightening! The Long Walk Home does sound pretty interesting, though; I might give it a chance. You've done a great job on this review, Nisha! Thank you for including trigger warnings as well.

Yes, it is scary but also interesting. Do let me know what you think of the book if you read it. Thank you so much, Smrithi, for your encouraging words.

[Nisha DSouza]

I haven’t read the book yet, but only the preview shows how fascinating it would be… besides error on the names…

Thank you, Ajuan, for stopping by and sharing your kind words.