Paige's Book Shelf: Impetus By Scott Sullivan

While being a post-apocalyptic thriller, "Impetus" is set ten years after the catastrophe, in a post impact world. This is different from the genres current mid-catastrophe theme most post-apocalyptic novels carry these days. Don't get me wrong, I love the mid-conflict driven books, but Scott Sullivan has given us action with a twist. (Something not so expected)

The general dynamic of the story takes place in a destroyed and primitive version of Boston. Sorry Bostonians, your beloved city along with most of Earth suffers greatly from impact.

I fell in love with Mick, the main character, right away. He is a down to earth 50 year old man just trying to help his makeshift family of eight survive. I like the fact that he is so down to earth... Normal!  No special powers or abilities, just a man. (Love it) It makes Mick and the other characters more relatable, and it makes the reader be able to more easily place themselves right in the middle of the action.

This book is amazing to me in many ways, it deals with love, (at what level love still exists) loss, survival, growing up in a wasteland, the fight to protect those you care about, and most importantly, learning that family is not necessarily what you were born with, it's what you make of it.

In order to survive, the most unassuming group of people have joined forces. Mick, his 14 year old twin children, Nate and Kathryn, and five other post impact misfits have lived with each other's help and guidance for ten years. When their already shaken world gets a bit more rocky with the introduction of a so called virus from space, the group is forced to set out on an even bigger journey to survive, in which they come across an even larger collection of characters.

In a world like this, you may only have a few seconds to decide who to trust or who to leave behind. Making the right decision is key when trying to see tomorrow.

In order not to spoil... (You will have to read for yourself)  I'm not going into a lot more detail, but I will say that salvation can come from the most unlikely of places... But so can destruction!

This book is well worth the time spent reading it. Scott Sullivan knows how to write a fast pace, edge of your seat, mind stimulating, imagination using novel!

I give it my seal of approval. 

Author: Scott M. Sullivan

Interview With The Author: 

Me-How long did it take you to write Impetus?

Scott Sullivan-I started writing Impetus in November 2013 for NanoWriMo. A friend of mine, Tom Deady, who will be releasing his first novel soon, talked me into doing it. I made it about 25K words into Impetus by the end of the month. Then I hit a block on where I wanted to go with the story. I picked Impetus back up in April 2014 and finished in in about 3 weeks.

My thoughts-That is an impressive time frame to write a 42 chapter novel!

Me-Which character do you best relate to?

Scott Sullivan-I relate most with Mick. I wrote him from a father's point of view. Having two children (8- and 4-years old), I tried to imagine how I would feel if I was thrust into his situation. Mick babied his kids a bit, but I feel like I would have also, even in such dire circumstances. He's an ordinary guy put in extraordinary circumstances. I wanted him to be relatable.

My thoughts-I think any parent with children could relate to Mick in this story line. I know that most parents would die for their kids, and Mick is one of those parents.

Me-What do you feel is the target audience/age group for Impetus?

Scott Sullivan-I would say anyone looking for a dystopian/post-apocalyptic story. That being said, I tried to make Impetus a bit different by setting the story far enough past the meteorites so that the destruction of the world wasn't the epicenter of the story. I wanted Impetus to be a humanistic tale about how we persevere to overcome obstacles when we are left with little choice. I also set out with the aim to keep the story as free from gore and violence as possible -- though it would be unrealistic, in my opinion, to have no violence in the world after-Impact. I wanted it to be gritty and real, but also fairly clean compared to some other tales in the genre.

My thoughts-I spoke about this in my review. It is of the same genre, but with a twist.

Me-Are any of your characters inspired by actual people, or are they purely fictional?

Scott Sullivan-They are all fictional characters.

Me-Why Boston?

Scott Sullivan-I live in Connecticut now, but I am from a town about 20 minutes south of Boston. It's my favorite city. Too bad it had to be destroyed by those cursed space rocks!

My thoughts-This response makes me smile!

Me-As an author what is your inspiration to write in general?

Scott Sullivan-I write because I get these insatiable urges to do so. A story will start as an idea and blossom from there. The story will pester me until I write it down. I tend to open Word and just start typing and see where it takes me. I also find writing to be therapeutic in a way. What better way to release some stress than to take it out on your characters!

My thoughts-I write for this same reason.

Synopsis 

This story is character-driven, centering on what’s left of humanity when the world around it has been decimated. Impetus takes place well after the catastrophe, focusing on an everyday man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. The story deals with both morality and the lack thereof when the human condition is pushed past its boundaries.

When the world first heard about the meteorites, it was already too late.

With no clean running water, power, or forms of communication, the Earth went backward, taking with it almost everything they held dear. In the post-Impact world, alternatives were a luxury that no one could afford.

Now a deadly virus promises to finish the job the space rocks failed to.

With the clock ticking down on their lives, Mick will navigate the deceitful webs spun by those that oppose his drive for salvation. And along his quest to prevent another catastrophe, Mick will rediscover what it truly means to be human.

Published on June 2, 2014 by Digital Ink Publishing this book is available for purchase as paperback or ebook on Amazon. Connect with Author Scott M. Sullivan on Facebook.