Abandon Us

A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Fiction - Science Fiction
302 Pages
Reviewed on 06/20/2022
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Stephanie Chapman for Readers' Favorite

E.T. Gunnarsson’s Abandon Us is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller. The daunting tasks of survival in a world affected by pollution, robots replacing people in jobs, and disease are daily problems people face in the year of 2070. Robert struggles to live with his boyfriend, Zilv. Civil war is threatening, and Robert’s best friend, William, is free from prison. He convinces the couple to go underground as the military, militia, and the anarchist T-Pem organization face off and a pandemic spreads across the surface. It isn’t long before the military enters the underground and begins killing everyone. They take cover in a building’s basement until Zilv falls ill. They attempt to get medicine for Zilv, only to find a massive chemical war has begun. On one trip to get food, the results of the chemicals prove that people have more to fear than war.

E.T. Gunnarsson creates the possibility of life ruled by a tyrannical government that does not care about long-term pollution effects. Food rationing, trash building up, and dead bodies littering the streets are terrifying to imagine. Robert’s perception dominates the story, and I would feel hopeless if I were in his place. If a nuclear war occurs, many of the descriptions of what the world could turn into feel accurate. This is a fast-paced story with a vivid depiction of how far people will go when desperation for survival overcomes humanity. People turn on each other without remorse, and trust is a thin line even when they team up. The end of the book was unexpected and leaves an opening for a sequel. Reflecting on the issues in the story, I feel I may need to invest in a well-stocked bunker. Readers who enjoy thrillers set in the future filled with civil unrest and its results will enjoy Abandon Us.

K.C. Finn

Abandon Us: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller is a work of fiction in the science fiction subgenre and serves as the prequel to Forgive Us. It is aimed at mature readers and was penned by author E.T. Gunnarsson. Set in the ruins of the world as World War Three rages on, technician Robert and his partner Zilv seek refuge in the underbelly of a city as its social structure falls apart. As the war is fought to the bitter end on the surface world, the threat against their sanctuary forces Robert back to the world above. As the civilized world continues to disintegrate around him, Robert must fight with all his strength to stay alive.

The thought of what the world would look like if we ever went down the road of a third world war is a dark one, and this book certainly doesn’t shy away from the harrowing imagery of a world falling to pieces in brutal violence. Author E.T. Gunnarsson's prose is harsh and visceral, a perfect set of tools for depicting the nightmarish vision of the future that he has crafted with great skill. Robert Ashton is a perfect protagonist for such a story, a determined individual grounded by his desire to provide for his partner and do whatever he needs to do for them both to survive. The story that unfolds throughout Abandon Us with such a strong protagonist forced into the world of WW3 is sublime and gripping, with every threat feeling credible and every moment of danger so tense that the reader can taste it.