Into the Mist

  I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Into the Mist (Into the Mist #1)

Author: P.C. Cast 

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Release Date: 7.12.22

Publisher’s Summary 

As men fall to the mist, the age of womankind begins to rise.

The world as we know it ends when an attack on the U.S. unleashes bombs that deliver fire and biological destruction. Along with sonic detonations and devastating earthquakes, the bombs have also brought the green mist. If breathed in, it is deadly to all men—but alters the body chemistry of many women, imbuing them with superhuman abilities.

A group of high school teachers heading home from a conference experiences firsthand the strength of these new powers. Mercury Rhodes is the Warrior, possessing heightened physical powers. Stella Carver is the Seer, with a sixth sense about the future. Imani Andrews is the Watcher, with a rare connection to the earth. Karen Gay is the Priestess, demonstrating a special connection with Spirits. And Gemma Jenkins is the Healer, a sixteen-year-old student who joins the group after losing her parents.

As they cross the Pacific Northwest, trying to find a safe place to ride out the apocalypse, the women soon learn they can't trust anyone, and with fresh danger around every corner, it will take all their powers to save themselves—and possibly the world.

My Review
I love post-apocalyptic, feminist speculative fiction. When I read this summary about a mist that kills men,  I thought of Lauren Beukes' Afterland and Christina Sweeney-Baird's The End of Men. Then the comparisons to Station Eleven and Practical Magic cinched my decision to read this release. I agree with the Station Eleven comparison but I think a Practical Magic comparison misses the mark. I would label this "Mad Max: Fury Road meets Shirley Jackson’s 'The Lottery' meets Twilight Zone meets Cormac McCarthy's The Road." All great movies and books in their own right but when woven into a supernatural narrative, those elements lose some of their weight.

What I loved: The weeklong journey of this band of teachers given superpowers after they are touched by "the mist" is absolutely action-packed.  

What I didn't love: The writing style included a lot of forced slang and pop culture references and strained tangents to make political and social commentaries. 

Overall, I didn't love it or hate it, and I will give the next book in the series "Out of the Dawn" (releasing next spring) a try.