Twenty-year-old Russ arrives in the northern California town of Freedom to visit his dad. Freedom has peculiarities other than its odd name: the local mayor''s ideas of "decentralization" have left it without normal connections to state or federal government and minimal public services. Russ meets an interesting young woman, Pendra, but before he can get to know much about Freedom or its people, a savage tsunami strikes the West Coast. The wave of human brutality that soon hits the isolated town proves more dangerous to the survivors than the natural disaster. Russ, his father, Pendra, and the other townsfolk must tap all their courage and ingenuity—and find strength they never knew they had—if they have any hope of living to find real freedom!
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
December 20, 2013 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781607013419
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781607013419
- File size: 446 KB
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Open EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781607013419
- File size: 445 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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December 5, 2011
In this slim, grim, and powerful novel, Shirley lets his imagination loose on the frightening possibilities of a massive natural disaster striking a small American town. A tidal wave transforms Freedom, Calif., from seaside idyll into a broken and perilously unstable landscape. Survivors include some natural helpers like Drew Haver and his son, Russ, as well as psychopaths Dickie Rockwell, a gang leader and drug dealer, and Lon Ferrara, the town’s ultralibertarian mayor, who privatized emergency services and now refuses help from FEMA. Treating women like commodities and wielding a plethora of weapons, these men fight for survival and ownership of the ruins. Shirley’s vision is vivid and horrifying, and it’s a testament to his talent that he makes this very unlikely instant-collapse-of-civilization scenario seem almost plausible. Agent: Guran Literary Services. -
February 15, 2012
Russ visits his father in Freedom, an independent-minded Northern California town with a mayor who doesn't believe in big government. When a tsunami reduces much of the town to rubble, Mayor Ferrara, backed by a gang of ruthless young men, decides to forego government help and institute a reign of terror. Russ, his father, and a few others decide to make a stand against the self-appointed administration--but a peaceful revolution is not in the cards. VERDICT Using the tsunami to unleash cosmic upheaval, Shirley (Bleak History; Black Glass; The Other End) creates a tale of natural violence and human cruelty that should appeal to fans of violent horror.
Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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