A Young Adult Dystopian Novel
(long-term power outage)
Summary:
When a power outage in her neighborhood lasts for days, not hours, Amber starts to wonder if the blackout will last forever. Months go by and her sixteenth birthday is completely different from anything she ever imagined it would be. Then, the government comes to take charge. However, what she hears from the authorities doesn’t match what she knows from the outside world. Can she find out the truth in time?
Buy Life After on Amazon.
Available in paperback and Kindle version.
The Story Behind Life After:
Life After is actually the first novel I ever completed writing. However, it needed a lot of work. After I finished editing and publishing The Ring, I went to work to make Life After a finished product.
Life After is a dystopian novel. I got the idea for it while doing freelance blogging for The Survival Mom. I was writing a lot of blog posts about prepping for disasters big and small. One of the most interesting disasters out there is a long-term power outage caused by solar flares. I chose this disaster as the backdrop for Life After.
Many dystopian books are written for adults and feature a very dark world. I didn’t want to ignore the hardships of a long-term power outage, but I wanted a dystopian novel that my teens could read and that would give some hope in how humanity might act.
Amber is 15 when the lights go out and the first half of the book focuses on how the neighborhood comes together to survive. As power gets restored, the government needs people to work at the restoration headquarters and Amber volunteers so her family can have more food and credits for new appliances. Things are not quite what they seem when she starts working there, though.
Reviews of Life After:
“Too many dystopian books seem to assume virtually everyone will end up being a bad person and only out for themselves. Sarah Carter has written an engrossing book with a more realistic combination of people working together for community, only helping themselves, and taking advantage of the situation. The situation and solution were also unique among YA dystopian novels, making this an engaging read that didn’t have the obvious, well-worn plot-lines. It’s a good read for kids and adults. I definitely recommend it.” – B. Kim, Amazon review
“The premise of this story was so intriguing! A page-turner, for sure. If you’re a fan of YA dystopian, you’ll love this one.” -Victoria, Amazon review
“It’s hard not to think about the end of days with all of the issues our current world is facing. Yet, many books study the barbarism which takes over humanity when the lights go out. Not in this novel. Our protagonist, Amber, is a character with humanity, as are many of the support characters in the story. There’s well thought out scenarios, problems, and solutions to losing the comfort of our modern day luxuries, yet it still examines what makes a government, society, and the difference between. Check out this book if you’re looking for a different kind of dystopian book.” – Wolfman Clyde, Amazon review
“I knew I was going to love this when I couldn’t stop reading even after I told myself it was too late! She does a masterful job of dragging the reader in… sweet, everyday details create an ominous suspense that is SUCH a page turner! The Oreo, the banana – honestly, I was surprised at how much a could feel their anticipation and joy. Seriously unique story!” – Michelle, Goodreads review