This book was incredibly touching. Disease has wiped out nearly all of the world's population. It's been nine years and it's a struggle to stay alive and stay safe. Hig and Bangley, who teamed up to defend their safe haven, can't trust anyone. They've agreed that they must shoot and kill anyone who comes inside their perimeter. The only problem is that Hig refuses to believe that everyone is out to kill them and take their resources. He wants there to be good left in the world.

It was heart wrenching to read through his inner struggle any time they faced a threat. Many times he just about gets himself killed because he wants so badly to be able to trust people. Maybe Bangley can be seen as heartless, but he's truly the only reason Hig has made it this far. But I kept asking myself- what's the point? Would I want to continue living if everything I'd ever known and loved was suddenly gone? I'm not sure.

I understand that the book is written with no punctuation (?) and I realize that the author did this on purpose to convey the feeling that things like communication are not what they used to be. Hig is a book lover and believes he should have been an English teacher. Not using punctuation in the book is significant because the written word is important to him, yet there's no place for any of that in this new world. He's stuck with one foot in the past and one in the present.

I listened to the book on audio and the narrator did an amazing job. I didn't know the book was written this way until I went on to read the reviews of other people. Several people felt that it was difficult to read through. Because I listened to it, I was able to get quite a lot out of the book. I loved it. I do think I would have been frustrated if I'd read it. So my recommendation is- please get this book...on audio. It's not one to pass up.