The Rule of Three

October 28, 2013
In this understated post-apocalyptic novel, an unknown event renders all computers inoperable, leading to the shutdown of most technology and the collapse of civilization. Fortunately for 16-year-old Adam, he drives a ’79 Omega, one of the few cars still operable in his suburban neighborhood. As days pass and panic sets in, Adam’s police captain mother takes control, aided by their neighbor Herb, a retired government agent (“Black ops? In my business there was very little that was black or white. Most everything involved shades of gray and shades of right”). They form a neighborhood watch and eventually build a walled community to keep out the sometimes-violent people who pass through. Then heavily armed ex-military types wipe out a nearby community, and Adam’s neighborhood is next on their list. Walters (the Seven series) realistically depicts how a typical neighborhood might react to the collapse of society. Adam is a relatable protagonist, but the other characters, including the ultra-competent Herb, are somewhat thin. Nevertheless, it’s a solid read that sidesteps most of the SF influence so prevalent in current dystopian fiction. Ages 12–up.

December 15, 2013
When Adam's civilization falls, there's no zombie plague or nuclear war--a computer virus destroys modern technology, and people do the rest. With no warning, all computers and cellphones shut off, cars die in the streets, and anything with a computer in it refuses to turn on. Adam checks in with his neighbor and family friend, Herb, a retired bachelor whose career involved top-secret work in foreign countries. Paranoid Herb straightaway works to maneuver Adam and his family so they are supplied and protected. Adam's family isn't helpless--his police-captain mother organizes patrols and keeps the situation from falling to complete chaos, taking Herb's counsel on the extraordinary circumstances. Soon, their neighborhood has to restructure and wall itself off to survive, especially against organized, heavily armed raiders. Reticent Adam, who frequently witnesses the adults' closed-door proceedings, often gets lost in his silence, and Herb consistently steals the show. Otherwise, Adam and Herb make a good team, pairing youthful hope with calculating cynicism. Many of the most exciting moments involve student-pilot Adam's homemade ultralight plane--noncomputerized and therefore still functional. The prose can be clunky, reading at times like a survivalist instruction manual disguised as dialogue--but the detailed content is more than worth it, capturing the nitty-gritty of rebuilding--and defending--civilization. Perfect for aspiring doomsday preppers and survivalists. (Adventure. 12 & up)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Adam, 16, is helping his friend Todd work on a computer project at school when everything shuts down. At first, it seems like a run-of-the-mill blackout, but then they notice that anything with a computer has been affected. Luckily, Adam drives a '79 Omega and therefore is able to travel around town. Things are a bit tougher than usual, but everyone is hopeful that things will get back to normal soon. Adam's neighbor Herb, a retired and secretive government paper pusher, is helpful as the situation unravels but is also aware that things may never be the same again. Between Herb's inside knowledge and Adam's mother being police captain, a lot of the truth about what is going on is revealed to Adam. This story shows what happens to people and society when everyday rules go out the window and everyone is struggling to survive. Some of the characters lack depth, but Adam is a relatable protagonist. The story tends to drag at times as the main action doesn't occur until the very end, but key moments will propel readers forward. Rule of Three maintains a realistic and frightening look at what happens when technology is lost and modern society begins to fall apart.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 One afternoon, as teenage Adam and his best friend, Todd, are working in their high-school computer lab, all computers and anything relying on them to run shut down. As the alarms sound, Adam, his mother (the local police chief), and their neighbor Herb, an elderly former government operative, become the center of the neighborhood's efforts to survive the technological meltdown. They erect walls, stockpile supplies, and convert the lawns into farmland, hunkering down to face the growing unrest. However, as is often the case among sci-fi in general, Walters' (Tagged, 2013) female characters are often relegated to merely romantic or administrative roles. Adam's mother is naive and ineffective, and Herb repeatedly subverts and manipulates her authority. And despite the fact that she's one of the few people in the community with knowledge of farming, Adam's girlfriend, Lori, is his first choice for day-care provider. In spite of those shortcomings, Adam's ethical qualms about the ruthless decisions that Herb insists they must maketurning people away from their sanctuary, treating unknown people as threatsmake for nuanced reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)