Review of The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust

[Victor Nwabuisi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust" by Tak Salmastyan.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The world is quiet and dead, with just a few human survivors left at their peril, frightened and anxious with no idea when death might knock on their doorsteps as they run from being hunted. Hunted by little creatures who were once human, these little kids ought to be protected and cared for, but the virus has taken their innocence and created monsters in them. Who seek delight in devouring other people. The virus has altered their DNA and made them mutants, giving them weird physical features and accelerating their growth. A one-year-old becomes five years old as they keep growing by the minute. They were called Accelerates. In this dead world lie two brothers, Ethan, a fourteen-year-old kid, and Leo, a one-year-old child trapped in the body of a five-year-old, an anomaly, a defect, some would say. How would these two kids, who have nothing but each other in a world that has taken everything from them and still hunts them, survive? Find out by reading this gripping story.

The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust by Tak Salmastyan is an apocalypse story that features themes of greed, loss, power, survival, love, and hope. This is an exciting story that would draw readers in and take them on an emotional journey. The book made me tense and anxious as I held my breath, watching in my mind’s eye the peril these characters go through. The story shows how the world ended as a result of greed by those in corporate power who wanted to enrich their pockets rather than save the world. Instead of using a cure to fight cancer, they changed it to create hormone-based infertility drugs. These drugs allowed parents to choose how they wanted their children to look by changing their DNA. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned when the drugs turned into a virus and changed children in dangerous ways. GeneCorp is the company behind it all. Their greed caused the virus, GeneCorp Virus-40-DZX, to become airborne and spread to all and sundry, which brought about the apocalypse.

What I enjoyed most in this fascinating story is the author’s creativity in building the characters. The characters were well-developed. My favourite character is Ethan. With no one to look after him and his brother, he toughened up quickly and tried to shield his brother from every danger, even though he was still just a kid himself. I could hear my heart pounding loudly whenever they faced the Accelerates. Every fight and action felt real to me, and I wished I could jump into the scene and offer them help. Another favourite character of mine is Mia; she is a brave twelve-year-old who can hold her own and also tries to protect her big sister, Cara, not just from outside danger but also from her inner pain and struggles. These characters' will to survive and make sacrifices against all odds stacked against them was heart-wrenching and admirable.

I didn’t find any negative aspects about the book. This is an intriguing story that leaves one feeling emotional after reaching the last page. The author’s poetic writing style is beautifully done; readers would feel the raw emotion dripping from every word in the book. The book is also excellently well-edited. The writing was well polished; thus, I didn’t notice an error. As a result, I rate this story five out of five stars. I would recommend this book to lovers of science fiction. This was a touching story about love, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit.

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The Accelerates: Forty Days to Dust
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[Kibet Hillary]

It always causes one to stop and wonder about the possibility of some of these effects, especially when viewed through the lens of humankind's greed. The story sounds really exciting and captivating, and the fact that it is corporate greed that led to it all also makes it a rich source of food for thought. Many thanks for the review, @Victor Nwabuisi.

[Jeevan Jeev]

From the very first page,, The Accelerates, Forty Days to Dust by Tak Salmastyan pulled me into a haunting and emotional journey through a world destroyed by human greed. Set in a post apocalyptic future where children have become dangerous mutants due to a genetic virus,, this book is both a chilling science fiction tale and a deeply emotional story of survival, brotherhood, and hope.

The story follows, fourteen year old Ethan and his younger brother Leo, a toddler whose accelerated growth has made him appear five years old. Their relationship forms the emotional core of the novel. As someone with a younger sibling, I found Ethan's fierce protectiveness and growing maturity incredibly moving. I could feel the weight on his shoulders, the desperation in his decisions, and the moments of rare tenderness between them that gave the story its heart..

The world-building is sharp and creative. The idea of “Accelerates”mutated children who rapidly grow and hunt others is terrifying yet unique. I loved how the author weaved real world issues,, like genetic manipulation and corporate greed ,into the fabric of the story. GeneCorp, the fictional company responsible for the virus,, felt disturbingly plausible in today’s world of scientific overreach.

One of my favorite characters was Mia,, a brave and intelligent twelve year old who has her own demons to face. Her strength reminded me that even in the darkest settings, hope survives through human connection.
The emotional layers between Mia,, her sister Cara, and the two brothers kept me invested throughout.

What impressed me most was Tak Salmastyan's writing style.. It’s poetic without being flowery, intense without being overwhelming. The action scenes were vivid and cinematic, while the emotional moments were raw and authentic.. I never felt bored,,, in fact, I was constantly holding my breath, turning each page with both fear and fascination..

I did not notice any grammar or formatting issues, which speaks to the excellent editing. Everything flowed smoothly, and the pacing was spot-on.

I give this book a full 5 out of 5 stars....
I highly recommend The Accelerates to fans of dystopian fiction,,,readers who enjoy emotionally driven survival stories, and anyone who appreciates morally complex narratives.. It's a powerful reminder of how love,, even in the darkest of times, can be our strongest survival tool..

[Joshua Omede]

From the reviews done previously,I agree that every words were poetic and brought the whole story to life, citing real life senecio to brings real connection real time, simple but well articulated with emotional symphony that can’t be denied, overall this is on point and would rate it 5 stars.

[Yasmine ZM]

That is just a scary scenario, where one year old kids become monsters which hunt and devours humans, brrr. How will Ethan and Leo survive this, and would there be a cure for Leo? I guess I will have to read to find out.