About the Book

Book: Pulse
Author: Linore Burkard
Genre: Christian YA/Apocalyptic Suspense
Release date: August 24, 2015

What do you do when the whole world stops?

Andrea, Lexie and Sarah are just ordinary teens until a mysterious event shuts down all technology. In the dead of winter, there’s no heat, no internet, no cell phones–not even a working car. In this chilling Christian YA tale, most of the population doesn’t survive. Pitting faith and grit against a world without power, the girls and their families must beat the odds. But can they find the strength to survive when society collapses and technology fails?

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My Review

So ... I have mixed feelings on this review. What I liked is the kind of apocalypse backdrop that was framed as a quite possible event in the future that I have heard a lot of talk about- an EMP. Knocking out all forms of technology, communication, transportation, etc. would definitely have a crushing effect and put our country into apocalypse mode no doubt. I feel like bringing that occurrence from the viewpoint of 3 teen girls and their families was an interesting way to tell the story. I also liked the thread of faith and questioning their faith in the three girls (which were all very different in background and personality) as I felt it shared the gospel well and also made the characters relatable to the YA reader. I felt like with the girls being different, every reader could find one that they relate to. I felt the topic discussed was a difficult one, and the author gave us a realistic look at the horrors that an EMP would cause while giving us the thread of faith. What lacked for me in this book was that, while a character can certainly have political viewpoints, it was just overdone and too specific in my opinion. Whether I agree with the viewpoints or not, I feel like the way it was so specific could alienate some readers, especially considering the audience. Also, it took me a while to get into the story which seems odd for a thriller/apocalyptic type vibe. To be honest, the action just seemed sudden and took a long time to get there. I realize this is a trilogy, but it just didn't seem to have the same push that an apocalyptic type book usually has- not to say there isn't some horrifying scenes in it, because there is. So while I have mixed feelings, I would suggest a parent check it out first and share with their YA reader, or just someone looking for a realistic look at an apocalyptic book might enjoy this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.

About the Author

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of genuine regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Published with Harvest House, her books opened the genre for the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, Linore home-schools her youngest daughter, teaches workshops for writers, and is the Vice President of the Dayton Christian Scribes. Her latest PULSE EFFEX SERIES, takes readers into a “chilling possible future for America, while affirming the power of faith in the darkest of times.”

More from Linore

When my sweet historical romance series was published, I never dreamed my next would be YA/dystopian. What a switch in genres! So, how did I go from one end of the writing spectrum to another? Blame it on an idea that refused to die. I read a headline about how close the earth came to suffering a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, in 2012. We missed the worst effects of a solar flare by a hair (in space terms); but the “what if” factor had been set in motion. What if that flare hadn’t missed us? What if I was a teen raised on electronics–or an adult medically dependent on them–and it all went dead in a matter of seconds? What if the next flare doesn’t miss? PULSE, the first book in my PULSE EFFEX Series, was born.

The books shows life in the aftermath of such an event for three teens and their families. With the world plunged into a new dark age, can they keep hope alive?