Official Review: When North Becomes South by Becky Bronson

[kandscreeley]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When North Becomes South" by Becky Bronson.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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How much do you rely on technology? What would you do if you suddenly couldn't use your stove or coffee maker? What if you couldn't simply go to the store to buy food? Would you be resourceful enough to survive?

These are the realities Laurie, Stan, and the rest of the world face in When North Becomes South by Becky Bronson. The magnetic poles are shifting; eventually, radiation will make most of the world uninhabitable. While this isn't due to happen for many years, a superstorm devastates the world causing widespread power outages. How will the world cope without power?

The story is written in the third person perspective and follows multiple characters. The shift is clearly delineated at the beginning of each section; therefore, the reader is never confused. In a situation where there's no long-distance communication, this is really the only way to see the entire picture.

Though the apocalyptic fiction genre is oversaturated, this book is unique. I've seen the world end by a comet, by a new ice age, by an EMP, and by mass hysteria. The magnetic poles shifting causing radiation? Not so much.

I appreciated the thought-provoking nature of the book. Themes such as materialism, over-reliance on technology, and teamwork contribute to this provocative story. I finished the book wondering if this could actually happen, when, and how I would react, all of which are worth pondering.

Also worth mentioning, this book is more a series of vignettes rather than a timeline of events from start to finish. The author starts with ten years before the superstorm and moves to one year before. She gives us the day of the storm and the day after, but she jumps from six months after immediately to four years after. This served to shorten the book, yet at times I felt the plot moved too fast. I wanted more of the day to day details of how each character coped with having to scavenge for food and supplies. I didn't feel the author took quite enough time to show the despair of the characters and the more negative side of humanity during a worldwide crisis. Perhaps this would be a positive for those that don't like books that are too dark.

In addition, the book needed to be more carefully edited. I found a number of errors such as words running together, names spelled wrong, and missing words. Though not plentiful, they were egregious enough to notice easily, and there were more than ten.

Due to the grammatical errors and underdeveloped characters and situations, I rate When North Becomes South 3 out of 4 stars. I recommend the story to all who enjoy the apocalyptic genre. The book seems especially geared toward young adults, especially those of high school age as there is some minor profanity. If you like more of the day to day happenings and less of a high overview, you might want to look elsewhere.

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When North Becomes South
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[Magnify3]

I like the questions that you ask in this review. I can do without the coffee maker since I don't drink coffee. However, I have been thinking about the dependence on the electrical stove and gardening more recently. Thanks for the review!

[Kola+wole]

Thrive the question you raised in your review. Indeed, how would I cope without the things that seemingly make life easier. Excellent review, well done.

[Teele]

Nice summary. It's a story I would love to read.

[kandscreeley]

I like the questions that you ask in this review. I can do without the coffee maker since I don't drink coffee. However, I have been thinking about the dependence on the electrical stove and gardening more recently. Thanks for the review!

It's definitely much more than our dependence on coffee makers. There's so much that we don't think about. How about just our dependence on going to the store for our food! It's a lot to think about. Thanks.

[kandscreeley]

Thrive the question you raised in your review. Indeed, how would I cope without the things that seemingly make life easier. Excellent review, well done.

Humanity usually finds a way. I can't deny it would be extremely difficult, though. Thanks!

[kandscreeley]

Nice summary. It's a story I would love to read.

I hope that you can find time for it! It was interesting for sure. Thanks!

[Phelicia Gloria]

I don't think can hold on to all this sudden change, seems great book , it's a must read for me

[Doziesixtus]

The book reminds me of some series Revolution. I'd like to actually see how many days humans would pay without technology. Nice review.

[Nerea]

Without power activities are paralyzed. The concept in the story seems to leave the reader in a state of self-reflection about how they'd react if the story were a reality. I've never tried apocalyptic genre. I might start with this one. Thank you for your well-organised and informative review.

[Rodel Barnachea]

The questions you presented are extremely thought-provoking. Great review!

[Maria Esposito]

This book presents an interesting scenario. Like you mentioned in your excellent commentary, I could not imagine my life without all the technological comforts I enjoy.

[NetMassimo]

Good to see that this novel offers some food for thought for young adults as with apocalyptic books there's always the risk of a trite story. Thank you for your great review!

[Imstaci-1]

I'm sure I could survive without technology like stoves... But, if I suddenly wake up and the stores are gone that would be a real scare. I foresee panic and chaos. Given a timeframe, yes, I'd the able to make my home self sufficient. Book sounds like a gem. Gets one thinking about all the things we take for granted like cellphones breaking all geographical boundaries. I really would like to read this book. Thanks for the review

[Elvis Best]

How much do you rely on technology? What would you do if you suddenly couldn't use your stove or coffee maker? What if you couldn't simply go to the store to buy food? Would you be resourceful enough to survive?

I doubt I could answer yes to any of these questions. I enjoyed reading your review also. Good job!