When the Power is Gone: A Powerless World - Book 1

I have tried to read other female authors of this genre and most of the time, I just couldn't stay with them, but P.A. my gal, you did real good. I'm a man's man, retired US ARMY, John Wayne, All American and I think that there is nothing more alluring, than a woman who's got grit, but still knows how to be a lady. When the SHTF comes, it's going to be men and women with true grit, together, who will make a new world. SFC WILLIAM B SMITH US ARMY RETIRED

My first in the genre with Ms. Glaspy. Very simply written...almost too simply if you have explored the big names in the field....especially the A. American "Home..." series, which I consider to be the best in this field by far. Although with most of these books you get trapped into buying each/every book. Gets expensive....but still enjoyable reads. For a one book purchase try Lights Out by David Crawford. That was the first and got me hooked on the genre.....(I do not read the zombie and paranormal crap that is out there). Just what I would consider closer to real life situations. Ms Glaspy does write from the aspect as told by a woman and that may be to the liking of many readers out there. No so much for me. That is not a criticism , just a general take.

When the Power is Gone is quite compelling and is truly a realistic account of what could happen or may happen. It is very thought provoking and a great read. This author is going somewhere. I'll be watching and waiting for more!!

Very much enjoyed this book. Full of useful info even for someone who is an experienced prepper. Author writes well, and characters are well developed. Storyline is realistic, and well thought out. Also like the fact that it's written somewhat from a woman's perspective, something that's unusual in this "prepper fiction" genre. Looking forward to P.A. Glaspy's next book, wish the store had some way of notifying me when it comes out.

I absolutely hate to write negative reviews. It is very easy to forget that there is a human behind this book. I just didn't get the story, and admittedly did not finish the book.

For me, to read about an EMP, all of the electrical engineering needs to be correct. It wasn't. And I couldn't believe the characters would behave like this. I can see how other people would very much enjoy this book though, and very much disagree with me. They are probably correct. If I can't finish a book, then I write a review. This author is very much better at writing than I am though.

The premise of the book was interesting, but the writing was so poor that it was painful. I gave up after a couple chapters when it was painful to read. I encourage others to read a sample before purchasing.

Slow and plodding, somewhat predictable. Everything always seems to work out just fine. While not used in excess the profanity is used out of character and inappropriately, a sure sign of poor vocabulary and writing skills.

Spoiler Alert: Great start. I hope this is just the first installment. Like the McClain Apocalypse series, it was more about family survival and characters than about long descriptions of arms, ammo and blazing gun fights...though there was a little of that for the guys, too. The only plot point that I had a problem with was that the convoy would park itself on an open highway for over an hour waiting for the guys to locate a car that ran. That was such a dangerous trip that I think they should have gone on to the farm...it was only 10 miles away, dropped off the trailers and kids and then gone back for the passengers. Being sitting ducks for over an hour on an open highway with several of your shooters gone sounded too risky to me. Other than that, I loved all references to everyday life without power. Hope you are working hard on the next installment...can't wait.

The writing just takes forever to go anywhere, the story drones on and on about small stuff, and then nothing happens for yet another day. The writing itself might be considered OK, as in no grammar mistakes, but that is not why I want to read, I want action.

This book puts me off simply because of the apparent desire of the author to just fill a book with drivel that does not go anywhere.

I love this topic but now see more and more aspiring writers entering the arena, filling pages with hardly anything happening and then try to suck you into a sequel.
I would say don't waste your time, I cetainly wich I wouldn't have on this one.

I enjoyed this story & the families written about. The only thing keeping it from a five star review is it was a bit repetitious in spots. This is not a book for those who like gritty shtf stories. This was milder & more to my liking. Looking forward to the next one.

"Prepper Porn". I read that on another review and I think it is a useful term. I'm encountering this genre for the first time. Wow, where to start? First, great effort for a first time author. I applaud the effort. That said, the book is cringe worthy. People don't talk like this. The dialogue is stilted and immature. The language throughout is awkward. The author has annoying habits like having the characters say or do something funny -- and then explaining the joke to the reader. She'll also tell us that a "conversation begun" instead of just saying "Bob said..." The book is boring. It's a never ending laundry list of 50 lb sacks of flour and how to use chemical toilets.

The story is unrealistic. SPOILERS AHEAD!! The author never explains what makes the power go out. That's OK. Mystery is good. But I'm having trouble imagining a disaster that not only causes the power to disappear, but also apparently all police, firemen, EMTs, National Guard, U.S. military, and FEMA were taken up in the rapture. Really? No one is around? No one from any government is broadcasting any signals? Really? I can suspend disbelief, but this is just a prepper's wet dream. Also, while I get that people can "break bad" I find it incredulous that on day 2 of The Event, your neighbors are turning on you and trying to ransack your house for Power Bars. It is set in TN, but really, everyone has multiple guns? Which reminds me, it also reads like NRA porn.

Finally, at the end, the book completely jumps the shark by dabbling in the realm of Christian mysticism. So, I guess there's an audience for this, but fair warning to anyone sucked in by the high ratings here... this is not for everyone. The author is clearly of right-wing political leanings, too. I almost put the book down after chapter 1 where she just goes off on a fictional diatribe about how the government rounded up everyone's guns during Katrina. (I actually broke down and googled that to make sure it didn't happen. It didn't happen.) However, I soldiered on, and read to the end. Like watching a car wreck, I just couldn't look away -- I needed to see how bad it was going to get. Near the end of the novel they come upon the Uber Prepper and a ridiculous hidden sanctuary that was just tailor made for the current disaster. I was so glad when the book suddenly ended.

I get that this is fiction, but she clearly is living in that AltReality we read about on Breitbart. I purchased this on impulse and to be honest this is the first sub 3 star review I've written. It pains me in a way. I should've done my homework better before making this purchase. I love a good post apocalypse tale. This is not it. This is an advertisement to sell prepper kits. Not owning any tin foil hats, I do not fit the target demographic.

From a grammatical/editing standpoint this book is very well written...especially for a first time author. With that said though, this book moves at a snale's pace. I got to page 230 and just couldn't do it anymore.

*Spoilers Below*

I'm an avid reader of just about everything in this genre and have been involved in preparedness for over a decade. There are multiple times throughout the book where the characters, through cumbersome and unnatural dialogue with each other, make it clear that you can't save everyone and that their preps are for their families only...yet every...single...time...the group encounters someone or even a moderately sized group they invite them to join them. Maybe this is the glass half full approach to prepping (or maybe it's just a book and I shouldn't be so bothered by it) but if you're going to take the time to have the characters lay out their ideologies on trying to save others why have them then break that every time they encounter someone new? That just isn't realistic. And to have them 1.5 weeks in to a full grid-down scenario where strangers are civil with each other and no one has even had to discharge a firearm yet?

This book felt like a homework assignment and I haven't been in school in over two decades.

No real characters. As someone else said, neither the men, the boys, or the women are given any unique personal characteristics.

Use of crude language/profanity was awkward. Like a teenager trying too hard. Anne, the protagonist and wife/mother of a teenager, uses phrases such as saying something "tastes like ass", or is so thrilled when her husband "grins, the one that says 'that's my bitch'" (after which he "smacks her on the ass"). Frequently mentally refers to herself as "cool", or "bad ass", or tells you that she "rocks". Comes across as contrived and juvenile.

That particular that's-my-bitch-ass-smack exchange btw was the exciting conclusion to the scene in which Anne explains in detail for an entire page how and why they are all to wash their hands before eating from now on. Another "bad ass" "traffic cop" (her own words) style monologue occurs later where she announces everyone has to brush teeth after every meal (actually an extremely bad idea since it will wear off your enamel, which is temporarily softened by the acids in foods). Frequently there are scenes where the two women get very excited about the prospect of... cooking a meal later that day. Or packing a trailer. And how amazing they're going to be at it. High fives and fist bumps between them. The men grin excitedly in response. Apparently over the moon at the idea of functional humans as wives. It's just weird. If it's sexist, I'm not sure if it's more patronizing to men or women.

Moments like those are presented as the pinnacles of excitement for most of the book. Other than seeing a few people breaking into a few neighboring houses, and eveeeennntuallly leaving their own house at the very end of the book, that is about the extent of the action, if you can call it that.

The rest is dinner details, lunch details, breakfast details, freezer details, fridge details, prep storage room organization details, vehicle packing details; and oft repeated thoughts on shtf and prepping in general.

If that sounds thrilling to you, you will enjoy this book. If you are looking for characters or plot look elsewhere.

I was intrigued to read a SHTF book written by a female author. And was a bit disappointed then to have the female protagonist sounding like she was written by a teenage boy, or by someone who views "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" as their personal bible. A lot of harping on women (or "chicks" or "girls") being a certain way, and men being a certain way. Yes, both have their differences and their strengths, but it's just weird when people seem to be obsessing over it to a point that is manufacturing these traits and harping on them for the sake of it. It limits both men and women in a wishful fictional manner that is just not realistic but rather seems to reflect some fictional role play fantasy on the part of the author.