The Deluge | Book by Stephen Markley

This is not a book you can read in one, two or even three sittings. It took me weeks. The story spans decades and there is A LOT of information. I almost gave up but pushed through because I loved Markleys book, Ohio. Expect a lot of politics and I do mean a lot. I am not averse to politics but some of the passages are like trudging through wet clay. This is especially true when you first start reading the book. It takes a bit to get to the disaster part but when it does it's rather frightening especially if you've lived in a areas where you've seen mother nature in action.   Markley's writing brought back visuals, smells and feelings associated with the disaster. 

The imagery can be rather graphic and I was left upset when it came to unnecessary details pertaining to animals death. Expect rape, drug and alcohol abuse and a lot of violence. The book gets really bleak and scary around halfway through especially since the disasters and violence isn't far fetched and one can easily see it happening. 

The story is told by many different characters . At first you're a bit lost but it all comes together. Markley has an expansive vocabulary be prepared to look up words. I have never looked up so many words before but they really did add to the story. You probably won't like most of the characters (I didn't) but that's what made the book more interesting because you see them faults and all. There is a lot to get through with this book but the topics broached are incredibly important and if you can get through the excessive politics it's worth the long read.  

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.