Powerless is one of those books where I read the synopsis and already felt scared. I am afraid of the dark and then you add in not knowing why and an apocalyptic story…I’m sold. This book was great and I liked how it wasn’t set in a big city as most post-apocalyptic books/movies are. It’s nice to read something in a small town and have a great cast of characters. The author did a great job of character building and I really liked the entire story.

Thank you to Breaking Night Press and Jeff for an advance copy of Powerless.

In an undisclosed time period, that could very well be present-day, the grid goes down. Cars stop working, lights go out, and no one has a way to contact anyone outside their town. For Kevin, his main concern is his wife and daughter…and daughter’s best friend Dina who happened to be staying with the family when the world went dark. In an attempt to get Dina back to her less than attentive parents, the world has already moved towards Martial Law and Kevin is assaulted by a group of kids which turns Dina’s time with the family into an unforeseen permanent stay.

As the calendar pages turn and the only help that comes is in the form of tanks rolling through to get to a bigger city leaving nothing but some food and a promise to return with answers, the town is left to their own devices, working together (or not) to survive the people start to show their true colors, paranoia sets in, and survival becomes more than just making sure there’s food on the table.

As far as dystopian character studies go, this stands at the top compared to some of the others I’ve read. I typically read YA dystopians which are much more action/plot-driven so I tend to find character study dystopian books a tad on the slow side. This did have its slow moments, but overall I found it fascinating. Jeff really brought together a multitude of personalities and scenarios to test the characters.

Powerless has the feel of a locked-room book, there were times in which the town felt suffocating. While the focus is on Kevin’s family (plus Dina) we meet plenty of side characters that play major roles in the story. I loved how Jeff was able to thread together so much in what is really a limited setting.

A great story with beautifully developed characters that allow you to examine the situation through multiple perspectives.

While it only deals with one town and one man and his family, it could happen anywhere, at anytime, and if it did, just like the main character in Powerless, we'd never know what really happened or how far it's affected, and that's another scary part, one the author delves into with surprising finesse.

This is one of the most realistic portrayals of a “quiet apocalypse” that I’ve read. The fall of society and the disintegration of civilization is shown in all its ugly truth. The fact that it takes place in a small country town as opposed to a large city allows the focus to be on character development and for the reader to really appreciate the growth and changes of the characters. The relatability of the people and situations they encounter are eye opening and intense. A definite must read!

When the power goes off unexpectedly, Kevin Barton doesn't think much of it. But as more is revealed, and cars will not run, no telephone service, he begins to worry. The loss of control of the situation is as dangerous as the loss of power. The situation will worsen and the family must pull together to get through and survive.

Is this the apocalypse or some kind of human accident? When all the power goes out, these are the questions the small town citizens must ask themselves.
Harpursville is a rural town where everything is peaceful. One day, suddenly, the power goes out. Nothing works—not even landline phones. No one knows why or how far this problem goes. Nor do they know how long it will last. Without power, the residents are left to old fashion living. For Kevin Barton, this leaves him panicked and afraid. Not only must he take care of his wife and daughter but his daughter's best friend. With no cars working, he tried to take the friend home but a robbery sent them scurrying back home for cover. Meanwhile, wife Monica, who deals with anxiety even before the power went off, is obsessed with how much food they have and sees the girl as an issue that may affect her family. When the town is organized by a furnace maintenance man, things get better and worse. The town has food as they make a garden, pillage empty houses, and create a protective force for the area. But the Bartons know his type and it can't be long before he does something heinous.
Jeff O'Handley doesn't take on the large story. Instead, he focuses on a handful of characters. While some background characters have a story, he doesn't spend much time on them. Their lives are usually portrayed to the reader through dialogue. By focusing on the Bartons and the town “leader”, readers are able to get to know these characters and really care about them. You feel their emotions and understand why they make decisions even if they are stupid ones. The characters propel the story as they adjust to their new life.
Powerless is also a metaphor. The loss of power puts characters into situations they can't control. They must develop their inner power and stand up for their family, for their survival. The story can not end until they find that power and change the world they live in for the better. This becomes even more important than the actual power coming on because their character development will transcend this emergency leaving them stronger and braver for the rest of their lives

O'Handley is stingy with answers. So don't expect many. Though you can expect the story to be wrapped up neatly.

When the power goes out, cars stop working, and electronics freeze, Kevin does the best he can to take care of his wife, daughter, and his daughter's friend Dina. The community quickly begins to panic and lawlessness rules. When Sobchuck steps up, he organizes the community, pools resources and keeps everyone afloat. However, he demands Kevin turn over Dina to him. Kevin's wife slowly begins to suspect a relationship between Kevin and Dina, threatening the family.

I had a hard time with this book. It seemed that every man was extremely horny and primarily focused with getting laid. In a survival situation, where people are exhausted and focused on food and water, this just did not seem realistic. The characters seemed a bit stereotypical, and the plot was a bit anticlimactic. Overall, not a book I would reread or recommend.

The Barton family is enjoying a typical Saturday morning. Monica made breakfast and Kevin is about the drive his daughter Kelly's friend to a track meet. But when Kevin and Dina get in the car, it won't start. Neither will their other car, and that isn't all. Suddenly everything stops working. Clocks, phones, tablets, machinery, everything that needs any type of power.
Their first thoughts are that it is a power outage. But that doesn't explain the cars, watches, and things that are charged. So what has happened? There is no radio or TV, and they cannot call the power company to find out. You know it is bad when the landline is dead and this family and their neighbors will soon find out how little information or help is out there.
Dina just wants to go home, but when the reality of desperate people hits too close, she winds up staying with the Bartons. Amidst a town full of people with few skills that easily transfer into self-sufficiency and a man who has become the town leader, a man with a hidden agenda, can this family survive?

A plot that doesn't seem as far-fetched as it might have at one time. I liked almost everything about this story except a potential relationship between two characters(who shall remain nameless because of spoilers). It was interesting to see who became resilient and who took advantage of the people being powerless. The ending isn't what I expected, but then I am not the author, am I right!

Reading this, it kind of feels like Jeff is trying to be Stephen King. Disaster in a small town, several characters who share narration (quite abruptly in some cases), and a lot of obsessing over women's breasts.

Jeff's not Stephen, but this is still an interesting read. I saw the very ending coming a mile off, but the middle bits were interesting. It's a good look at how something like this might play out - and apparently we're overdue for a really good solar storm! It makes you aware how fragile things really are.

I know it's very accurate, but reading some of the male gaze parts made me feel grimy. I'd have liked to skip them. Again, though, it's very accurate to how things would likely play out in this kind of situation.

A good read overall, just watch out for those spots if you're sensitive to that kind of thing.

I really enjoyed this post apoloclyptic- flavored novel. I don't love a quick resolution and happy ending, but everything else leading up to it was good. All the things to consider if this were to happen. It is scary and fascinating to me. I need to find a neighbor like Jake.

First of all, great title! “Powerless” refers to several aspects of this highly-readable and entertaining book by author Jeff O’Handley. This is the story of an everyday family in an everyday small town. On a typical Saturday morning, all power suddenly goes out. Of course, the Kevin Barton family assumes it will be restored soon. But the power doesn’t go on. After the initial semi-fun of lighting lanterns and creating meals with snacks in the pantry, Kevin, his wife, daughter and daughter’s friend must come to grips with their new life.

And during this challenging time, the Bartons learn what it means to “feel powerless”-physically, emotionally, mentally. Kevin is a nice guy, with no particular skills, except for his caring instinct. But day by day, Kevin gets to know his neighbors better and he begins to learn new skills so he and his family can survive. The Barton’s plant a garden, chop wood, try to hunt, trade things with their neighbors. But planning and trying can only go so far, when their family relationships become strained and when the village people begin to have issues.

Interestingly, we readers never learn anything more than what Kevin knows. We don’t discover why or what caused the power to stop. When will it come back on- or will it ever come back on? I really liked this book-it was fun, engaging and easy to read. Thanks to NetGalley and Breaking Night Press for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

I don’t know that I can articulate how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the concept, I thought parts of it were silly and other parts were good. It was an ok read but it took me way longer than usual to finish this one. Parts of it were memorable and yet I sit here just days after finishing trying to remember other parts. Fans of Sci-Fi may like this for the powerless part but not the soap opera storyline between the dad and the daughter’s friend. I’d give this one 3 star

The power went out. Nothing that runs on electricity works. We aren't told exactly why, because this is the kind of thing you need power for your radio or computer or smartphone to give you. Speculation is sunspots or an EMP, considerating that even battery run gadgets don't work any more. No cars, no lights, no refrigerators, no chainsaws. Nothing that requires electricity works.
We are in Vermont, I think. Location is only important to show we are in a very small town surrounded by trees. Events would have unfolded differently in a larger town or small city. We are focused on a family, Kevin and Monica and their daughter Kelly. Dina, a friend of Kelly's, was spending the night. She is now trapped with the Bartons. That leads to different dynamics later on in the story.
Our little town, Harpursville, is too small for a chain grocery store. This fact, and the knowledge that the closest grocery is now some 20 miles away, makes the villagers nervous. When Army trucks suddenly show up driving down the road, everyone crowds around them. One man, Eli Sobchuk, steps out in front of the trucks and stops them. This convoy is the only information that the people of Harpursville have of what has happened and that their government is still running.
Sobchuk takes advantage of his "heroism" in stopping the convoy and getting the village some supplies to become the mayor pro-tem. That actually works for a while, but you remember the saying about power. Eli pushes Kevin in the wrong way and things change.
I found this story, apocalyptic as it is, to be an interesting look at how a group of people could behave when they just have themselves to count on. Fortunately for the inhabitants of Harpursville, this whatever happened, happened at the start of the summer. They would have had a harder time surviving if it had been winter. The only hard to swallow bit was at the end of the story, but I'll let you find that out for yourself.

When I read the blurb about this plot where there's a major blackout, not only of electrical power, but vehicles, machinery, watches, phones, etc, I wanted to read it. But I was soon to learn that the plot is not really ABOUT the power blackout but about SEX! I feel more than a little guilty in finishing it, it was that disturbing (not just the sex but the language). However, I really wanted to find out how it ended and what had caused this blackout. Let's just say that I was just about as disappointed in the ending as I was the rest of the book.

The redeeming factor (in my opinion) is that the disaster made a few people examine their lives and become stronger. I hate giving only 2 stars to something that I was privileged to read in advance, but I was asked for an honest review, so here you have it.

Review of eBook

It’s a usual Saturday morning with Kevin Barton preparing to drive his daughter, Kelly, and her best friend, Dina, up to the school so that Dina can catch the bus for the track meet. As they’re preparing to leave, static bursts from the radio, the light goes out, the kitchen appliances stop humming.

No one thinks too much about the power being out . . . it happens from time to time in sleepy little Harpursville and it probably won’t be long before power is restored.

But then neither of the cars will start. The landline doesn’t work. The cell phones don’t work. Kevin’s watch stopped working.

Nothing works.

With virtually every modern electronic convenience out of commission, it isn’t long before people are scrambling for food. An attempt to walk Dina the seven miles to her home meets with disaster as a group of thugs accosts them and steals their food and water. And so, Dina, a frequent sleepover guest, remains with Kevin, his wife Monica, and Kelly.

When Eli Sobchuk plants himself in the middle of the road, causing an Army convoy to stop, the townspeople get virtually no information about what has happened, but the Army does leave some MREs for them. Sobchuk becomes a hero of sorts and becomes the authority, setting up jobs to help people survive, and working together as a community to share food, clothing, blankets, and tools.

But appearances are often deceiving and it isn’t long before Kevin finds out what Eli really wants. Can he protect his family from the disaster . . . and from those with nefarious plans?

=========

What do you do when an unexpected event upends your life and everything you took for granted suddenly disappears? Here, in this captivating tale, readers see not only the difficulties associated with survival but also the issues of dealing with a variety of attitudes and behaviors . . . and not all of them conducive to community sharing of work and food.

A strong sense of place, well-defined characters, and a captivating plot combine to pull readers into the telling of the tale from the outset. Unexpected events keep the suspense building and an undercurrent of tension runs throughout the narrative.

True-to-life in the behaviors of various characters, one can only wonder what it would be like if this scenario actually occurred. Power plays an important role in the unfolding narrative, whether it is about the now-silent electronics or the power bullies hold over others or the power some seek in order to control others [or goods or services] or the power one can find within oneself.

Readers will find much to ponder in this compulsive tale that could, one day, become a reality.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Breaking Night Press and NetGalley
#Powerless #NetGalley

Wow! This was great! The whole time you are reading you are wondering how you would fare if similar circumstances

Special thank you to Breaking Night Press and Netgalley for allowing met to read and review this Digital ARC of Powerless.

I was very intrigued by the description of this book and its did not disappoint! I couldn't put it down. Its though provoking, it's deep in context, a unique story that is completely consuming. This book goes beyond just the message of "lack of food" - it touches on the lack of humanity. This book is written fluidly and keeps you wanting more.

This was an excellent story. Keep me interested till the end. A story of loss. A great new author to read.

Thanks to Breaking Night Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and comment on Jeff O'Handley's 'Powerless.'

While, for me, there were some fairly significant plot holes or at least weak areas of the story, this was an enjoyable read.

I loved James Howard Kunstler's 'A World Made by Hand' series and this novel has elements of that. It's not all doom and gloom in the wake of an unspecified event that drives the people back into the pre-electronic age. There are bad people and bad behavior but it's not all warlords and depravity. I also saw influences from Stephen King where a previously low-key and overlooked and underappreciated member of the community comes to the fore and exhibits heretofore unknown depths of ingenuity and leadership before beginning to go a bit power-crazy.

I loved the ending, it could work just as well as a thought-provoking parting shot or the setup for a sequel. In spite of some weaknesses here, I'd enjoy following what happens next.

*************** POSSIBLE SPOILERS **************************

These following lines may be spoilers so tread carefully. I referred above to a couple of plot holes.

A key character, the friend of the family's daughter who was overnighting with them when the event occurred, is only seven miles from home and - despite continual references to her being so sad to not be with her family - only one abortive attempt is made to get her home and, furthermore, nobody from her family came looking for her. It's not like this was a mass extermination event, the lights just went out. I found this hard to get around. Seven miles is hardly that far, you'd walk it in a couple of hours and the area hadn't descended into pure anarchy. The only attempt was abandoned when they were faced with a few bolshie kids and her family seemingly never attempted to come look for her.

The other thing was that it was explained by the army that the outage was confined to the NE. If that indeed was the case - and it's conceivable that the army was trying to contain any panic - then why didn't help come from outside? Why were no planes seen overhead?

In Powerless, O'Handley gives a new, eerily timely, and thought-provoking meaning to the ultimate question of "What would you do?" Some people may think they have an idea of how they would act or fare if the entire world as they knew it crumbled around them. But what happens when others threaten the very foundation of who you are, the people you love the most, or what you believe yourself capable of?

This novel delves deep into the inner psyche of so many things. It's not just a great book with lots of action... no, it forces the reader to think from page one clear through to the end.... and then you still can't help but continue to ponder all the what-ifs. And that's what makes this a five-star read for me.

Definitely recommend.