“Nuclear Winter Whiteout” by Bobby Akart – The Family Reunion
In the third book, titled Nuclear Winter Whiteout, we keep on following the dispersed Albright family as they all try to make it back to the safety of their home in the Florida Keys, a journey none of them are guaranteed to make.
Bobby Akart Continues the Albrights' Journey
Regardless of what political tensions might look like today, humanity is constantly carrying the capacity for self-annihilation by virtue of all the nuclear weapons around the globe. In his Nuclear Winter Series, Bobby Akart provides a rather detailed depiction of how this type of destruction could affect the United States, as seen through the eyes of the Albright family.
With this being the type of series where we're told a single continuous story, I would recommend you read the previous books before venturing into this one. On the other hand, the plot in each novel does work in a self-contained manner, and you likely won't feel lost or confused if you decide to dive into this one first. The choice is all yours.
In any case, this book picks up essentially where the last one left off, with the Albrights being scattered in little groups across the land, all trying to make their way back to the Florida Keys, where the promise of safety awaits them. In the process, they get to see first-hand the less immediate consequences of a nuclear winter and countrywide collapse.
In addition to the incredibly inhospitable nature all around them, the Albrights must also contend with a much less predictable enemy: Man himself. With all social contracts broken and every family being left to fend for itself, the true appraisal of one's value as a human being comes into question time and time again.
Perhaps even more unfortunately, the idea to retreat to the Florida Keys isn't specific to the Albright family, with rumours of a normal life being possible there making their way through the land. Before long, the grubby hands of desperate men and women promise to put an end to the dream of a safe haven.
New Friends and Enemies in Nuclear Winter Whiteout
Though we're clearly dealing with a fictional novel and a single author's take on a hypothetical situation, Bobby Akart has always managed to give the books in this series a very realistic and believable atmosphere. Plot armour isn't exactly a thing (for most of them, at least), and a steady flow of characters does quite a bit to keep things interesting.
On one hand, from time to time we see good people biting the dust, even some of the more important characters we've grown attached to over the course of the story. The good news is such moments always feel appropriate and sensical, rather than being cheap attempts at creating some sort of shock effect.
On the other hand, we also see some of the bad guys get what's coming to them, and the balance between the inherent good and evil in people always remains believable. This prevents the story from becoming too depressing, although it also seldom feels relaxing, in part because of the quick pace at which the plot develops.
Despite having various groups of characters to follow on their own paths, the events keep unfolding at a furious pace, with our protagonists seldom getting a chance to catch their breaths in the midst of all the chaos around them.
As they travel through the land they make the acquaintance of many other people who are somewhere in the grey zone between good and evil, and they all add a little excitement with the mysteries they introduce. I always found myself eager to learn more about them, to hear their stories, and ask myself how their actions could be appraised in such drastically-different circumstances.
The Ruins of Today
Even if you're not a big follower of the news, I think it's no secret a whole torrent of criticism is directed at the United States these days, both from the inside and out. Whatever points you agree or disagree with, I believe it's more than fair to say criticism is needed and deserved in many areas, and Bobby Akart makes his voice heard in this regard as well.
Before going further into it, I would like to assuage the main point I imagine you'd be worried about: the author never beats you over the head with whatever message he feels the need to deliver. Instead, he weaves it into the story, making it a natural part of the world he's attempting to depict.
Among the many issues he delves into over the course of his depiction of a nuclear winter America are the politicians and their increasing disconnect from the general population. More than a criticism of concrete individuals, Akart offers some compelling arguments about the deadly drawbacks of the system as a whole, the price of which is being paid by regular folks.
While some aspects of the story do require you to suspend your disbelief just a little bit, on the whole, I would say the author's image of the United States isn't too far off what could happen should an actual nuclear winter come to pass.
Perhaps more than anything, for me at least, the story of the Albright family isn't about a group of small people, nor even a nation, but of the pointless destructive potential held by mankind. It's a reminder of just how easily we can erase ourselves and all of our history, a plea to step away from the abyss on the edge of which we've been absentmindedly teetering on.
The Final Verdict
Nuclear Winter Whiteout by Bobby Akart is a great third book in the Nuclear Winter Series, continuing in the same vein as the previous two offerings, mixing an exciting story with compelling character drama, social commentary and an extremely detailed portrayal of a fallen United States.
If you've enjoyed the series so far and are looking for a post-apocalyptic science-fiction novel capable of deliver on all fronts, then I do suggest you pursue the adventure further.
 | Bobby AkartPersonal site Bobby Akart is an American author specializing in science-fiction novels, as well as religious and post-apocalyptic thrillers. Some of his better-known works include Yellowstone Hellfire, New Madrid Earthquake, and 36 Hours, not to mention the numerous series he has been updating for years now, such as the Boston Brahmin, Blackout, Doomsday, Geostorm and Nuclear Winter series. |
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