Audible Book Review: Unprepared, The Scourge, Book 1 by Tom Abrahams

This is a descent post-apocalyptic but not stellar.
Unprepared
The Scourge, Book 1
By: Tom Abrahams
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 04-26-20
Publisher: Piton Press LLC
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
A mutating plague is spreading. It's killing two of every three people on Earth. And Mike Crenshaw is totally unprepared.
From the world of The Traveler Series comes a new cast of characters, new obstacles, and the same devastating, world-altering virus which plunges society into the depth of a dystopian hell.
Unprepared begins in the hours before The Scourge takes hold. As if ripped from today's headlines, governments react too slowly and the disease spreads too fast. Quarantines don't work. Infrastructure fails. People die.
Follow Mike and his friends as they try to survive this new landscape and find out how the world in which The Traveler Series was set came into being. It's a thrill ride that will keep you up at night with the lights on and the doors locked.
©2020 Piton Press LLC (P)2020 Piton Press LLC

Review:
Mike Crenshaw is just a regular guy, a second-rate radio salesman in Lake Mary, Florida. The sales leader, Brice, is an unlikely friend. As the world learns about a fast acting, deathly virus, Mike and Brice find themselves together, unprepared, without supplies, and trying to get out of town. Along the way they pick up a stranger who agrees to let them drive her to relatives on the coast.

In a nearby area of Orlando, a waning news reporter, Kandy, and her new boyfriend, (Phil?), barely escape an angry mob. They too begin to head to New Smyrna Beach seeking refuge with Phil’s family.

Part of the story also covers the scientists in the Ukraine who are desperately researching the virus and seeking cures. The female doctor originally thinks she is being punished being sent to Ukraine, not realizing that she has had a chance to be part of the event at ground zero. I also liked the personal snippets as the plague spread through 1349 London.

The virus and government handling (or mishandling) could mirror the early days of Covid19 although the book virus is much more deadly. The story moves a little slowly at the beginning as the author introduces the characters in their different locations. The story skims over the multitudes dying as it follows these handful of survivors trying to get past barricades to safety. I enjoyed the diverse characters, and I liked the threads of connection that are revealed closer to the end.

The setting in Florida is a plus for me as is the lack of foul language. There is some mild cursing. It is fun that the author slips in songs and authors that are familiar. There are apparently “Easter Eggs” from the Travelers series - the same world five years later with different survivors. I have the Audible books 1-3 of that series and I may try the Travelers series before I continue with this one. Unprepared may be less exciting because, although there are several tense scenes, the story is more focused on setting up the characters and their journey to refuge. I recommend this as a solid beginning to a post-apocalyptic series.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce is a skilled narrator in this genre. He manages to convey the personalities and his voice fits the intensity of the story. I look forward to listening to more by this author and narrator.

Source: 12/31/2020 Audible Two for One Credit Sale. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet goals.