Starfish: July details a road trip across the American Midwest. The story is primarily character-driven, focusing on Zack and his neighbour’s child, Melissa, as they navigate the aftermath of an apocalyptic event that renders all electronic devices unusable.

One of the things that stood out to me as unusual - and that I enjoyed - in this book, was that the two main characters were not at the forefront of the cataclysmic events happening. Everything is told to the reader from their distant viewpoints: an explosion on the horizon, electronics in their homes no longer working - and they simply have to try to cope and survive with what they're going through, and to infer what is happening from the broken and scattered information they're getting from their fellow survivors.

Zack and Melissa had a good amount of interiority and I think the author successfully showed the nuanced situations and feelings one might have when one is in a fight for survival. I felt their actions made sense with the information they had under the circumstances. I also felt that Melissa was written very well. As a parent of a child around Melissa's age, she felt very true to that age range. I often see authors writing 10-11 year olds as if they were much younger or older, and I never felt that with Melissa.

I think my one criticism is that our main POV character, Zack, is profoundly uncurious. He and his wife stay with their "Eastern European" neighbours for several months in the initial wake of the disaster and on the page, Zack never asks where in Eastern Europe they are from - they eventually drop into conversation that they're from Ukraine. Similarly, after living with them for months, Zack is still unsure of how old Melissa is. He actually never asks her, even when they've been on the road together for a week or more.

Overall, this was a great debut! I felt deeply for both characters, especially Melissa, and the tension of their situation kept me turning the pages. I would have liked a slightly clearer denouement as I had to read it a few times to understand, and, as I said above, Zack in the early stages of the book felt very dissasociated from the people around him, but this was a great read for people who like character-focused books.

Starfish: July is a character-driven post-apocalyptic thriller that follows Zack and Melissa, who are forced onto the road across the American Midwest. They are forced to navigate a dangerous new world where danger and uncertainty lurk everywhere. I think the atmosphere was the main draw of the book since I felt there was a really well done constant unease that was created. The environment as a whole felt dangerous but also believable and the characters, while some side characters could have been developed furthered, are still in no way a major slight to the book.

Another very good merit of the book was the grounded perspective. Rather than focusing on world leaders or the cause of the disaster itself, the story stays centered on ordinary people trying to survive day by day and it feels like they are just existing and living the new world, not dictating it. The bond that develops between the two main characters, Zack and Melissa, also gives a solid emotional core which contrasts the world and tension around them. The pacing is slow at first but rewards readers who stuck with it as the uncertainty continues to grow. While I personally would have liked a few more answers about the larger events unfolding in the background, I think that being left in the dark is more fitting considering what it felt the story was going for, even if unintentional. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy atmosphere and this type of genre.

A solid, emotional debut with serious 'The Last of Us' vibes

‘Starfish: July’ starts with a gut-punch of an opening that feels devastatingly familiar to readers of post-apocalyptic novels : Zach finds his wife and friends brutally murdered, with only his friends' eleven-year-old daughter, Melissa, surviving the attack by hiding. From there on, we follow Zach and Melissa on the road, trying to survive a world that completely went to shit after a massive electromagnetic disaster in July.

With all electronics and the internet permanently wiped out, they have to navigate a silent, brutal new reality filled with dangerous scavengers, religious fanatics, and a mysterious, gas-mask-wearing U.S. Army figure known as Captain Gardiner, who belongs to a division called the "Prophets."

For me, the most heartbreaking part of the book was Zach’s internal struggle. He was thrown into a guardian role he was absolutely not prepared for, all while carrying the crushing weight of mourning his wife and the guilt of his new reality. He had to be the strong one for Melissa, meaning he was never truly allowed to grieve when he desperately needed to. It was incredibly hard to read at times, and the author did a fantastic job of making you really feel that emotional suffocation.

I loved the dynamic between Zach and Melissa. Refreshingly, Zach doesn't suddenly turn into a coddling, perfect father figure, barely any paternal vibes I’d say besides the clumsy, awkward conversations he tried to initiate with the girl. The world they live in doesn't allow for that. Instead, he treats her more like an adult, I’d say—making her drive, urging her to loot the backpacks of the dead, leaving her alone in a community camp, and speaking to her bluntly. Honestly, instead of a traditional dad dynamic, their bond felt much more like a protective big brother and a younger sister to me, both just doing their best to smart their way out of terrifying situations.

For a debut novel, this is a seriously solid story. It gives off major ‘The Last of Us’ or ‘The Walking Dead’ energy, just swap out the zombies for a technological apocalypse. While I would have loved a bit more backstory on the actual electromagnetic event and the mysterious Prophets, it leaves the perfect groundwork for expanding this universe in future books. Highly recommend if you love gritty, character-driven survival stories that focus on how humans deal with world breaking events.

Many many thanks to Karl Harrison, KH Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. This is a voluntary review, reflecting solely my opinion.

A beautifully written debut novel packed with everything readers love in a post-apocalyptic story.

In a world stripped of technology, Zach finds himself facing unimaginable loss. Forced to survive in an unfamiliar and unforgiving environment, he must navigate grief, danger, and uncertainty while protecting Melissa, the daughter of a friend. As tragedy continues to strike, Zach is left fighting not only for survival but also for the people who depend on him.

This novel is filled with strong values, compelling characters, and an engaging storyline. For a debut work, the writing is impressive and shows a great deal of promise. My only critique is that I wish it had been longer and explored certain plot points in more depth. Even so, it was an enjoyable and high-quality read that left me eager for more.

I posted this review to Goodreads and TikTok. Links below!