A Departure

"A shockingly good debut novel about what happens when one world brutally ends and a new world begins. self-consciously elbows its way into the company of J.G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun and Cormac McCarthy's The Road - and like those great books, it will stay with you for long after you have read the final page. A cracking good read that has at its black heart hope, humanity and a dream of escape. Tony Parsons, International Bestselling Author of Man and Boy Michael's life is good. He's in love and about to leave home for university. Things couldn't be better. Then a natural disaster hits Britain. With his family and friends dead, and no help forthcoming from the government, Michael sets off, alone, aiming to reach the potential safety of the continent. Along the way, he forges a new family amongst the ruins of England when he is joined by former teacher, David, parish council head, Judith, and Zanna, a student. As the group travels south, what remains of society deteriorates around them, revealing the darkest aspects of human desire. Amongst so much darkness, Michael must fight to uphold his own ideals. A tale of coming of age on a road where rules no longer apply.