Although slow to start with, this atmospheric, apocalyptic story becomes as gripping as any thriller. With a strong sense of place and time, it would be a good choice for a reading group looking for something a little more unusual.
Extract
I had more or less stopped crying when I found the others kneeling around the laptop as if it were an oracle. Ben's face was red and even Ruth looked mildly interested in the unflattering blue light coming off the screen.
'What is it?' I asked.
Yianni looked up. 'It's not good,' he said. 'You won't like it.'
I put my hands over my ears and shut my eyes. 'Then don't tell me. I don't want to know.'
'Nina? Listen to me.'
'I don't want to know.'
Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes. Ben. The laptop was still on, flickering in my peripheral vision, and the sky was huge and white. They were all looking at me.
