That day everything changed. Let’s go back to the beginning. Rewind time! That day everyone was outside because it was happy new year's! There was reported to be a meteor shower at midnight so everybody was waiting. It was count down time, 30, 29, 28, everybody was excited, 23, 22, 21, the sky was flashing weird colors, 15, 14, 13, Was that a northern light, I can’t wait! 3, 2… suddenly the sky started exploding someone yelled, “Look away!” as everything turned black. Or that’s what I thought. It turned out after a while that the lights of the whole village were out. That’s when the adventure started. It was an adventure of hyenas, asylums, firebombs, and science teachers. This, was the beginning.

Wow, what a crazy story. I got caught in this story because we were on a road trip and I saw this on the floor of the car so I thought to myself, “what else do I have to do?” so I started reading. Soon enough I got myself caught in a great story with a whole bunch of twists and turns, and it’s just mind boggling how good of an idea this is. I couldn’t have done this. And that’s just surprising. And the asylum, *brrr* I never knew asylums were like that. These are just normal people. Well, maybe not to normal. But I just have to congratulate this author because there’s never been a book that I just didn’t stop reading. Every moment I had I just kept reading! Well, that’s that, see ya next time,
best wishes, -Mr. Spooky ( )

Philbrick's story of a present where all electrical devices have been shorted out due to a solar flare puts survival in a whole new light. Instead of trying to show how everyone was impacted, he shows the story through Charlie and his family, who live in a small New Hampshire town. This book had a good message and gets the reader thinking about what we depend upon as a society, and what matters most in a time of crisis. However, I felt like the characters could be developed further, and the resolution a bit more fulfilling. ( )

This is a decent sci-fi/adventure book for the middle grade crowd.

An electromagnetic event occurs that shuts down all power in a small New Hampshire town. Nothing that uses electricity or batteries works. Since it's January in New England, this is very bad. People must use their wood stoves for heat and melted snow for water. The town has one volunteer police officer but his authority is being challenged by the town weirdo/bully/white supremacist. He spews hate and steals from those who are less fortunate. There is no way to communicate with the rest of the world and chaos is on the horizon.

Charlie is a young teenager caught up in the crisis. He is managing well, taking care of his mom and sister, until his mom's diabetic medicine begins to dwindle. The only pharmacy in town has burned in an arson fire and the nearest town is Concord, 50 miles away. Charlie knows his mom would never allow him to go that distance on his own, so he borrows a friend's skis and sets out on his own. What he finds in Concord is worse than he thought.

Charlie is a great role model for teens. He mans up and gets the job done despite the challenge. The story explores both the good and dark side of humanity. On one side we see the Bragg family who will plow down everyone in their path in order to survive, and on the other we see people giving up some of what they have to help those less fortunate.

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THE BIG DARK by Rodman Philbrick explores life in a small town after an apocalyptic event.

When a geomagnetic storm disrupts all electronic devices, lawlessness ensues and an anti-Semitic survivalist tries to take charge of their town. The situation becomes desperate when Charlie’s mother begins to run out of medicine. Charlie must trek 50 miles through the snow in search of the nearest hospital.

Although the bad guy is somewhat one-dimensional, the author successfully captures the havoc caused by the disaster. The themes of courage, tolerance, and personal responsibility are effective for the middle grade audience.

Librarians will find this quick read provides a nice introduction to science fiction and dystopian novels for readers seeking to expand their reading options.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/.

Published by The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic on January 5, 2016. ARC provided by the publisher. ( )

A solar event knocks out our planet's electricity, and a boy must risk his life to save his sick mother.

What would you do if every spark of electricity suddenly vanished, as if somebody had flipped a switch on the entire planet? Cars won't start, the heat shuts off, there's no water in your faucet, and your radio, TV, and flashlight go dark. Everyone in Charlie's small town is baffled.

But as time passes, lawlessness erupts and takes an ugly turn. When the market and pharmacy are torched by an anti-Semitic arsonist, Charlie realizes his mother will die without her medicine. So he dons skis and heads off alone, seeking the nearest hospital. After traveling fifty miles through brutal ice and snow, Charlie encounters a burned-out, looted city of terrified citizens. Will he be able to save his mom?
-summary from goodreads.com