The Electric Kingdom by David Arnold follows a few survivors living in a post apocalyptic world that had been taken over by swarms of biologically modified honeybees known as Flies. The Flies attack in swarms, and it’s nearly impossible to escape once they find their target.
One of the main characters, eighteen-year-old Nico, who had been living with her father her whole life, is sent by him to travel to Manchester in eight days, looking for a place her father called Kairos. Nico went on her journey with her trusty companion, a dog named Harry. The book switches to the perspective of a young boy, born years into the apocalypse, but already seems like an adult. The boy, named Kit, lives in a group with his mother, and two siblings they had met along the way. The third perspective is of a character named “The Deliverer”, who mentions their past lives, and their failures at trying to stop the apocalypse and fulfilling their ultimate purpose.
During the book, characters cross paths, separate, reunite, and the idea of where characters intend to go shifts multiple times throughout the story, at one point it was a paradise they heard about on the radio, then it was Boston, then, Manchester. The book winds love and loss together well, and we form valued connections with the characters as we learn about their thoughts and feelings. The author makes it feel like the characters aren’t actually in the apocalypse at some points, but changes the vibe completely with a sudden burst of danger and fear.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dystopian novels, of course, but anyone who likes romance, and stories about life would enjoy this as well. It isn’t just an apocalypse book, it teaches readers lessons about life and how to form relationships with people in short amounts of time.
I learned a lot reading this book, and felt a wide range of emotions, like fear, awe, excitement, and much more! If you want to feel these too I highly recommend this book!
By Teen Reviewer Miles