Review: The Rule of Three by Eric Walters

When disaster strikes, one must remember The Rule of Three. A person can last 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. But what will happen to a modern world rife with technology, when everything that runs with a computer shuts down?

Chaos descends.

Title: The Rule of Three by Eric Walters
Release Date: January 21st 2014
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher (Thanks Andrew!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Dpository

Summary:

One shocking afternoon, computers around the globe shut down in a viral catastrophe. At sixteen-year-old Adam Daley’s high school, the problem first seems to be a typical electrical outage, until students discover that cell phones are down, municipal utilities are failing, and a few computer-free cars like Adam’s are the only vehicles that function. Driving home, Adam encounters a storm tide of anger and fear as the region becomes paralyzed. Soon—as resources dwindle, crises mount, and chaos descends—he will see his suburban neighborhood band together for protection. And Adam will understand that having a police captain for a mother and a retired government spy living next door are not just the facts of his life but the keys to his survival, in The Rule of Three by Eric Walters.

It started with an electrical outage that quickly escalates into something big, something countrywide, something that might be a global catastrophe. At first Adam was thankful that his ancient car still works, but when everything else wasn't working, Adam starts to think that something else might be happening. As the quest to find answers starts, Adam finds himself in the middle of a community that was slowly breaking down, and with a mother as a cop and a mysterious, old neighbor who knows more than any of them does, it was up to them to save their community.

This book was one of those reads that made me feel terrified and extremely curious at the same time. Why? Because it was all too close to reality, and the possibility of it happening is very, very big and very very real. Technology has been a big part of their lives for most people, some treat it as the cornerstone of their existence. What happens when it's suddenly gone?

Adam is an interesting character. Smart, quiet, reliable and a little laid-back compared to his friend Todd. His first and only concern before was how to confess to the girl he likes, but even that took a set back when the breakdown happened. Suddenly Adam is this kid who flies planes, thinks of plans to protect the community he lives in and defend it from attackers. An unlikely hero, and one you don't expect to be taking that role at all. And Herb's mere presence was enough to make it sound like a big conspiracy that happens worldwide. The old man's intuition was never wrong, and he seemed prepared for when the world as they know it goes down the drain in the blink of an eye. He was smart, cunning, fearless with that uncanny ability to pacify people, even better than Adam's mother. Who really is Herb?

The Rule of Three is a terrifying sneak peek into a world that has been transformed into a stark, new reality where society is fragmented into smaller groups scrambling to have peace and order, where the key to survival is to become self-sustaining, where violence is common, where danger follows everywhere. Everything has started to become startling simple and complicated at the same time. Farming has become the way to sustain life, plumbing and irrigation are a priority and communities have become territories to invade and fight over for resource. Alliances must be formed, enemies must be thwarted, and outsiders are killed. It's a frightening setting, and Eric Walters injected just the right amount of shock in the grim picture he painted for a world where everything is suddenly scarce. Resiliency and adaptability. Leadership and initiative to restore what was in chaos. These are some of the traits and themes showcased by the book. The Rule of Three had personified people who possess amazing traits needed to keep a community alive and showed the ugly side of a world in complete disorder.

Eric Walters is a master storyteller, easily sustaining the palpable tension throughout the book while delivering a story filled with heart stopping scenes and dire situations, a wide range of memorable characters, even a bit of romance and a healthy amount of scare in a story that seemed all too real.

A terribly fascinating, scary read, and it's only the beginning. I cannot wait to see what happens next! That felt like someone pumped too much adrenaline on my system. What a rush of a read! Fast paced, action filled!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

I really thought this was a stand alone novel. Is it? Because with the way it ended, you cannot convince me that there's no sequel. But if there's not... how can it end there? It made the book feel so incomplete after all that Adam and his community had went through!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Kind of similar to Monument 14's cover, no? That kind of chaos presented in the cover which gives you an idea of what you're really about to read.