BOOK REVIEW: EMP CASUALTY

GENRE: Fiction, Romance

The book entails the events that happened after a major tragedy; an EMP blast that sets life back to the 1800s. The reader is introduced to Joshua and Jessica at the beginning of the book. The two are in love, deeply in love, but the challenge comes with their parents. Jessica’s dad wants nothing to do with Joshua. He doesn’t think that the man is fit for his daughter. We are informed that Jessica’s father, Ben Randal had in a previous occasion warned Joshua to stay away from his daughter. Joshua seems stubborn, or perhaps desperately in love, as he is now determined to meet his lover’s father.  Jessica’s dad is very protective of her. Jessica not being of legal age was one factor that made Ben Randal dislike Joshua being with his daughter. 

One is able to determine Joshua’s character within the first few pages. Like his father, Joshua was a salesperson. Both Joshua and his dad knew a lot of languages, which helped them to survive.  Joshua is street-smart and knows how to deal with people. Joshua is an observant guy. Notice how he watches Officer Ryan when he came to pick Jessica, and knows when to speak. Joshua’s mother, however, loved Jessica and wished that her son had a long lasting relationship with her. Though she loves his father, Jessica also appears to be little rebel.

Through this book, the author enables the reader think about basic things like knowing the people you live with. The characters in the group have different habits, and with this, the reader is aware that even in real life, our neighbors and the people we interact with all have different stories.

Romance is among the major themes in the book. Michael Kravitz shows how love unites people no matter the circumstances. Joshua and Jessica were hell-bent on being together, even with opposition from both their parents. The friendship between Vivian and Jessica is also admirable. Vivian was a good friend who looked out for Jessica. Though the friends attended the same high school, Vivian and Jessica came from different backgrounds. It’s not just race, they were direct opposites.  

Jessica came from Nebraska and Vivian came from the projects and Florida. Jessica had a loving family and has a well-structured home while her friend Vivian was raised by her single mother.  Vivian was an African American, who had struggled to live with her mother Camille. She had it rough growing up, moving from one area to another, and being exposed to societal ills. With the comparison of the two friends, the author tries to show the reader that good friendships are formed even for people who lead different lifestyles.

The author’s use of similes and metaphors make his writing style more colorful for the reader. He also adds in a little humor once in a while, to make the storyline more interesting. Reading “EMP Casualty” was easy, as the reader can relate to Joshua’s and Jessica’s storyline

The book gets engaging as you dig deeper into the pages, and this makes the reader more interested in the event. The author mixed some sad and happy stories, but in the end, the reader enjoys this piece of art. It is a good book for teens, and even adults, as the language used is easy to understand. The author’s use of stylistic devices makes the book more absorbing.