A really interesting and thought provoking story, the first thing I did was Google the Carrington Event and I was delighted, and a little bit scared, to find out that it was a real thing! We've all just been through a worldwide pandemic, how would we cope if we were now faced with a Black Sky event? I love that the author has kept the scale small here, it's about one disjointed and disfunctional family and their experience. There are great characters, especially the ones you'll love to hate and it's just a brilliant snapshot. Am excited but not surprised to see that this has been picked up by Netflix.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW!! I have really been struggling to relax to read recently but when I have been able to I have really enjoyed reading Aurora by David Koepp. I’m very grateful for the eARC in exchange for an honest review and I will be purchasing a copy when this book is released very soon on June 9th, 2022. I think this is really my favourite genre, based in our world following a world changing event. In this case a solar flare that knocks out most of the world’s electricity. The fact that this could happen really interests me and scares me in equal measures. Is it bad that I wish more had been said about toilets though? My head is less interested in the science and much more in the practical day to day things. Lots is talked about and I think was done very well, but what did the main characters do about going to the toilet? I think I’m embarrassing myself here so I’ll move on. I really loved the characters, good and bad came across really well. I really enjoyed the focusing on Cayuga Lane residents, just my mind again wants to see what the rest of the world is doing while this street pulls together. This story was fast paced and really keeps you hooked. Very much worth reading, I definitely recommend!

Aurora By David Koepp I don't know what is in the water recently but I seem to be hoovering up disaster and near future stories having spent the past two years avoiding them like the plague (or pandemic). This is set against the background of a massive CME, a coronal mass ejection, which is powerful enough to take out the entire magnetosphere, leaving us with a crippled grid, meaning no electricity, no wifi, no internet, no fresh water (pumps), in short, we are all plunged back into the bronze age. As with all apocalypse stories, the most interesting part is what happens in the immediate aftermath and how do we employ our resources to get on with things. In Aurora we get all this, but so much more. Because this is also a family dynamics story, a found family story, a crime story. I really enjoyed the set up for the disaster. If the movie gets made, I'm looking forward to seeing how they depict the pimped up aurora borealis described in the book. I also cannot wait to see the pad that Thom has been creating for himself and those important to him in the event of calamity. What didn't work for me was the scope of the story. With such a great premise, I expected a bit more. More panic, more emotion, more examination of how different localities dealt with their particular aftermaths. More examination of the global response. However, it is a very well written story, with interesting characters who interconnect well and demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness and community spirit. Thanks to #netgalley and #HQ for the egalley.