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Agents Of The Undertow
Helen Small is journalist at the largest news organization in the Republic of Texas, and a survivor. Seven years after a plague has culled humanity in half, the Republic is falling into a totalitarian state. Survivors - the few who contracted the virus and survived — are being vilified by William Chaste, the new Administrator of the Republic. An army of Chaste’s zealots has taken on the “patriotic” call of protecting the Republic from survivors, who they believe — based upon false information from Chaste - are still spreading the plague. When a mob of supporters murder a survivor, Helen finds herself in an increasingly hostile atmosphere as she attempts to uncover the truth and expose Chaste’s lies. All the while, she struggles with her own guilt at having survived the plague that killed both her husband and son. Amidst all of the bleakness she meets Francisco Stiles, an artist from the barrio in Denver who offers her a chance at a real life — and love.
Average citizens and co-workers become more hostile towards her and she loses her job because she makes people uncomfortable and fearful. Having lost everything, she decides to go to the barrio to be with Stiles. Tensions escalate in the Republic and Helen is attacked and then arrested while driving to Denver. She is put in jail without any rights or even a phone call. Two articles by her appear on the Republic Voice website — written and uploaded before she was fired - questioning Chaste and proving he is lying. She is deemed a terrorist for spreading false and misleading information. Helen realizes no one knows she is in jail. No one knows where she is. At her lowest moment, she understands that she has to rely on herself to escape. With her comm dead and charging, she drives to Denver. Chaste intensifies the lock-down of the Republic. The plan to round up survivors is announced and Helen is identified as the author of the articles and misinformation spread about Pan21. The hunt for her as a terrorist is officially on.
Average citizens and co-workers become more hostile towards her and she loses her job because she makes people uncomfortable and fearful. Having lost everything, she decides to go to the barrio to be with Stiles. Tensions escalate in the Republic and Helen is attacked and then arrested while driving to Denver. She is put in jail without any rights or even a phone call. Two articles by her appear on the Republic Voice website — written and uploaded before she was fired - questioning Chaste and proving he is lying. She is deemed a terrorist for spreading false and misleading information. Helen realizes no one knows she is in jail. No one knows where she is. At her lowest moment, she understands that she has to rely on herself to escape. With her comm dead and charging, she drives to Denver. Chaste intensifies the lock-down of the Republic. The plan to round up survivors is announced and Helen is identified as the author of the articles and misinformation spread about Pan21. The hunt for her as a terrorist is officially on.
310 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 11, 2017
An entertaining quick read. The story line invokes a haunting shadow of the current American political state as it continues unfolds. This first in a series sets the dystopian stage and I look forward to additional novels in the series.
June 9, 2017
This is a page-turner of a (fairly)-near-future dystopian novel, with moving characters--especially protagonist Helen Small, a journalist survivor of the plague Pan-21 that has killed her child, her husband, and most the inhabitants of the Republic of Texas, a rightwing-oriented newly independent nation-state that bears certain resemblances to certain refugee-fearing, "security"-minded aspects of today's US government. Helen Small and the free-minded man who loves her, along with their hunted friends in the Republic's underground, are well-rounded characters whom one can identity with--making for a suspenseful tale of people we quickly come to care about.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews