The Revivalists

A Novel

By: Christopher M. Hood

Narrated by: Gary Bennett

“The Revivalists is a thrilling, terrifying, surprising, and tender debut, written in such exquisitely precise prose that I felt singed by its imaginary fires and warmed by its beating heart. Chris Hood's nightmarish cross-country family odyssey is also one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read.”—Karen Russell, bestselling author of Swamplandia! and Orange World

A stunning debut novel about a couple’s harrowing journey across a ravaged America to save their daughter.

Bill and Penelope are the lucky ones. Not only do they survive the Shark Flu emerging from the melting Icelandic permafrost to sweep like a scythe across the world, but they begin to rebuild a life in the wreckage of the old. A garden to feed themselves planted where the lawn used to be, a mattress pulled down to the living room fireplace for warmth. Even Bill’s psychology practice endures the collapse of the social order, the handful of remaining clients bartering cans of food for their sessions. But when their daughter’s voice over the radio in the kitchen announces that she’s joined a cult three thousand miles away in Bishop, California, they leave it all behind to embark on a perilous trek across the hollowed-out remains of America to save her.

Their journey is an unforgettable odyssey through communities scattered across the continent, but for all the ways that the world has changed, the hopes and fears of this little family remain the same as they always have been. In The Revivalists, Christopher M. Hood creates a haunting, moving, darkly funny, and ultimately hopeful portrait of a world and a marriage tested by extraordinary circumstances.

©2022 Christopher Hood (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent listen

Different than many others. Unique, fascinating, exciting, and detailed. Really enjoyed it. Hoping for another just like it.

Different twist

This story does not have the usual blood and gore which is the menu of apocalyptic novels. Dwells into the psyches of the individuals and their singular quest. I’d give it a 4.5 rating. I would read another of author’s books if he writes one.

Easy and Fun

Awesome realistic post-apocalyptic story with great twists and turns. Would love to find similar stories.

Great storytelling. The narraration is perfect.

I loved that this story had you on the edge of your seat in a chronological rollercoaster of twists and turns.

Wonderful

It was so refreshing to listen to a post apocalyptic stories that isn’t some redneck right wing fantasy about a bunch of grown men running around with ar15s and playing army
This is a thoughtful story about relationships and loving your children

Very “woke” and anti-white

The story started out so good. Great story line. Great potential. Then it subtly threw in little comments against guns and then not so subtle hints about African American people vs white people. Progressively got more and more ‘anti-white’ it lost its story line and was annoying. Narrator was good. Storyline went in the trash.

Interesting enough

If the White male author had not been so concerned about not being a racist, it could have been much better. For instance (Spoiler) there's a scene in which Bill's wife (who is Black) has to save them so she says she's a representative from (forget the name) a Black nation in Southern California there to make an alliance, and she presents her husband Bill as her slave. That was much more interesting than all his (and other people's) musings about race.

Also, did the daughter have to be such an idiot? Unreal. It's the end of the world and she joins a cult because her parents give her no agency? Like a cult does? The conversation she had with Bill (her dad) was stupid beyond belief considering the circumstances.

I kept wanting to call it The Revisionists

In a dystopic world set in the near future, a biracial couple from the Northeast travel to California across the vast physical, political, and cultural wasteland that is America. Once leaving the comfort of their own neighborhood, they encounter the menace of predatory strangers, which includes greed, racial prejudice, and extremely violent right-wing communities. There is neither gas nor food in the derelict convenience stores they encounter, but still they persevere in rescuing their beloved and doted on only daughter who has gotten herself mixed up in a religious cult out west. Oh the horrors, oh the tired tropes. Narrated by the guy who I swear did all those Motel Six (We’ll leave the light on) commercials, this book was in turns a snore and infuriating to anyone currently residing west of the Rockies.