| Title | : | Last Light (Restoration, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0310257670 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780310257677 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 381 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2005 |
| Awards | : | Christy Award Suspense (2006) |
But keeping it alive will require extraordinary measures. Yesterday's world is gone. All Deni and her family have left is each other and their neighbors. Their little community will either stand or fall together. But they're only beginning to realize it - and trust doesn't come easily.
Particularly when one of them is a killer.
Best-selling suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if novel in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts - and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world.
Last Light (Restoration, #1) Reviews
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Terri Blackstock is a brilliant writer. In book one of her Restoration Series, Blackstock captured my attention and imagination, making it quite difficult to set a slow, steady pace to read it. I found myself like I was when a child, sneaking in little reading sessions whenever I could. Putting off other tasks in order to read. Bringing the book with me everywhere in case I had just five minutes in which I could read further in the story.
The story takes place in modern times and follows the lives of a wealthy family and neighborhood when a global event disables all technologically advanced machines. This includes all vehicles, cell phones, digital watches, plumbing systems, and telephone lines. In the midst of confusion, chaos, airplane crashes, and inability to communicate long distance, the characters in the main family find themselves launched into unexpected and unwanted journeys. To add to their worries and desperation, a killer makes him or herself known in their neighborhood and creates a tailspin in the lives of these well-crafted characters.
I am now a Terri Blackstock fan for life. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the sequel, Night Light. -
Terri Blackstock used to write Harlequin romances under a different name. She decided she should be using her writing talents to glorify Jesus Christ and encourage people in Him, so now she writes Christian mysteries. This book is Book One of a series.
I don't think she could ever be accused of writing great literature, but she does write great stories. It's not that her writing is attrocious. It's just that I find her metaphors and similes occasionally to be a tiny bit cheesy. Once in a while, they make me cringe. But for the most part, her metaphors and similes - as well as her writing in general - are fine.
In this story, I got a bit frustated with how Deni was not allowed by her parents to grieve the losses she was suffering as a result of a power outage that was apparently national, if not international. They treated her like she was being immature for whining a bit while they allowed to each other to whine. Deni was portrayed as being selfish in her expressions of disappointment when I thought she was just behaving normally, given the circumstances. In the end, she does behave very selfishly, puttting herself and others at risk, but I don't think the author sold the character's selfishness along the way.
None of this is to say that I did not enjoy the book. Like every other Blackstock novel I've read, by the time I was halfway through the book, I was losing sleep staying up late to read "just one more chapter." Overall, I enjoyed the read immensely and will soon head for Borders to look for Book Two. -
Let me preface this by saying I am not a religious person, nor did I know upon downloading this book (for free to my Kindle) that there would be such a blatant hit-you-upside-the-head-with-a-bible message in it. That most definitely colored my opinion of it.
The premise is great - civilization shuts down and reverts to a time before technology, electricity, and all the creature comforts we have become accustomed to. A plot device that had such great potential became a "trust in god and you will be saved" story with no resolution and no ending. Maybe there are other books to follow, but I won't be reading them. -
Starting a new series by Terri Blackstock and this one has be really thinking, what if this would happen to us. In a way with Covid but could it get any worst. The family in our story was living the American dream until one day it all changed. The electricity went off, the cars stopped working everything was gone. The only thing the family could do is learn how to live without running water and electricity. Gone was the good old days. They had to carry guns for safety. What is worse is someone was killing the neighbors. The eldest daughter wanted to go back to her finance. Life was a complete mess, so what can they do? Believe in Christ for their protection and survival, but can they give this all to Him? This story has hit home especially now. Did we know that Covid was going to hit to change our lives for the last year and a half? What if this happen next, could we survive this?
Again an eye opening book that has me thinking, could I give my fears over to Christ for His protection. I like to think I would but until faced with something like Covid I still struggle. I highly recommend this book for your eyes to be open as well. Great read!! -
This was my first Terri Blackstock novel and my second “Christian Fiction” novel. I read Left Behind many years ago. I am a spiritual person but not a devout “pray-before-every-meal”, “pray-through-every-crisis” Christian. I try to do good things and try not to judge too harshly. I believe in “live-and-let-live”. I look for the good in people.
That being said, I think it is great that there is a Christian market for literature. Why not? There is a romance novel market, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery. Plenty of room for other genres. I’ve decided it just is not my thing. That is merely my personal – very personal – feeling. I think it is interesting to learn the author of this Christian fiction novel also wrote Harlequin romance novels, a genre that is known for lots of hot, premarital sex. Yet she judges one of the characters in Last Light as evil for owning an adult book store. Hm.
In Last Light, the world has lost technology. All of it. Except for battery operated flash lights apparently. The story centers around one man and his family who have decided to cope by getting the neighborhood to work together to survive. But there is a killer among them. Someone taking advantage of the loss of power to kill and steal whatever might be useful later. So far, I like the plot. But about a third of the way through the book I realized I was never going to like any of the characters. Life is full of unpleasant people so I accepted that. I figure it adds some realism to the story. It made it a difficult read, though.
The oldest daughter, Deni, is constantly whining. She is twenty-two years old and acts like she is twelve. I mean zero maturity. Not just a matter of being young and thinking one is indestructible. I mean this person went away to college in Georgetown, graduated, and came home with no sense of being able to take care of herself. How can that be? How is it that anyone who is an adult can go through 16 years of school and not know the sun rises in the east?! Ok, I can accept a character that is unpleasantly whiney but not one as unrealistically stupid and oblivious as Deni.
Not one child in this family has any real appreciation for the suffering of others, of what is really important in life. I do not know how realistic this is, it is beyond my experience knowing anyone truly like that – even self-absorbed children. But ok, I will accept that it is possible, even in a supposedly devout Christian family. Again, this is unpleasant but tolerable.
The parents seemed to cope best. And I think their interactions with each other and the children were the most realistic. I do not think they were as perfect as the author set out to make them, which is a good thing. In one scene the Mom has given away canned food to a neighbor in desperate need. The Dad initially feels anger but it wanes in deference to his Christian belief in helping others. Then in another scene, the dad offers a needy neighbor one of several bikes they own. Bikes have become extremely valuable as the only means of getting around and this needy family does not have any. The mom gets furious when she finds out, later explaining that it was because the dad did not consult with her first. What a hypocrite! Did she consult with him before handing out the last of their food? Was he allowed to get angry? No! And the dad was ok with this. Unpleasant but very possible in real life.
Like any apocalypse-themed book or movie Last Light makes you think about what your reaction might be in the same situation. Would it be every-man-for-himself or would you be willing to band together and how would you cope with others who are of the first mindset? I would have liked this book more if there had been at least one likeable character. For me the last several chapters were over-the-top preachy. But that is what I would expect to find in Christian fiction so that is not a valid criticism. Just my personal opinion. -
Okay...another a bit hard to rate. I'd go 3.5 here and I round it up to 4 as, well we don't have "half stars".
How do I describe this, sans spoilers? We open here after what is apparently an EMP attack or event of some kind (ElectroMagnetic Pulse). There are a few things in the story that don't ring true for that and even imply that whatever "happened" may still be "happening" and was/is not a "pulse". So, something knocked out all power and all electronics "apparently" everywhere. That's at least everywhere we are able to get to or find out about and no one ever shows up to tell these people otherwise.
The book is built around a given family whose daughter has just arrived back from college, planning a visit back to her "hick parents" before she goes to work as an intern for NBC in Washington DC and gets married.
This might sort of be called a post-apocalyptic
At Home in Mitford. You need to be aware that this is a very Christian novel. It is however a good novel. I'm aware of the "Christian novels aren't as good as secular Novels" assumption. Here it's not the case. The book is well written, BUT the Christian sections are rather heavy handed. I'm a Christian and I can't go along with some of the ideas that are here. That doesn't bother me. Christians disagree and minor points of doctrine aren't "deal breakers". (A Presbyterian Pastor I like, Steve Brown says that when we stand before Christ He'll say, "I've got good news and I've got bad news. The bad news is you were all wrong, the good news is it's okay.")
Much of the action here is built around those who can't come to grips with a change in reality, the bad decisions made in this situation and the dark side of human nature. None blindingly original but as I've said often I doubt there are any actually "original" plot points left. This places these elements in an interesting setting and tells a good story with good characters.
Look, I think you can read this book without the Christian aspects of it bugging you if you like. If you are a Christian of any stripe I think also you'll enjoy the book even if you disagree. The book is better than some other "survival books" I've read or tried to read and I may follow it up.
Aside from that I wasn't really in the mood for this type book. I'm over loaded with books to read and my brain is in a fantasy/brain-candy vein right now. I still give it a good rating.
So, family friendly, somewhat hopeful, and a flavor of realism
Recommended. Enjoy. -
Some consider this book to be too religious, but I personally appreciate its strong, Christian message. Without the religious aspects I would probably give this book four stars. Still a great book.
The story follows the Branning family through a terrible ordeal in which all electronic equipment is rendered useless. Without power, communication, vehicles, clean water, or the ability to go to the grocery store for food or even the bank for money, they must learn how to survive in a new world along with their neighbors.
The plight that the Brannings and their neighbors find themselves in worsens when they find that there is a murderer among them killing innocent people in their own homes. The community must band together in order to survive, but no one can be trusted. The story unfolds through the eyes of the devout Christian family who must learn how to survive and protect themselves while helping their neighbors and protecting their community at the same time.
This story is a great thriller with plenty of positive, Christian teachings thrown in. I enjoyed it very much. -
Without bothering to explain Himself, God takes away all electrical and mechanical power from humanity. Teenagers are outraged, middle aged parents and neighbors throw tantrums, and general bedlam ensues. While shallowly depicted characters in stereotypical situations work out their responses to the crisis of no cell phones, running water, or Home and Garden Network, a killer decides this is the perfect time to begin his serial career.
Though I love the genre of end-of-the-world scenarios and urban survival, this one was tough to read, just not well-written. Filled with Christian-ese, blocky dialogue, and a filthily predictable plot, I only finished it because a friend recommended it, and I hate to not finish books. Sorry, Terri Blackstock, I am no Steinbeck myself and should not judge, but I will not be reading you again. -
Do you think pornography is as abhorrent and sinful as murder?
Do you think that God will save your family from starving?
Do you think prayer solves everything?
Then this book might be for you!
I love the whole EMP no power, what now? I love the plot idea. And I know this is a Christian book and I am not a Christian, so I have been giving this book a lot of leeway, but here are the things I hate about this book:
1. Deni. She should have been a teenager, because surely she is as dumb and self-absorbed as the worst stereotype of a teenager.
2. Oh, you sell pornography? You must be the worst possible evil! Because clearly anyone who sells porn cannot possibly be anything other than evil.
3. Heavy-handed preachiness...yes, I know this is a Christian book, but still. Preachiness about everything.
4. How in the world does a college graduate 20 something NOT know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west?!?!
If you can stand Deni (gag), and are cool with the whole "let me tell you all about morality" thing, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. Because there is a good story as the frame there. EMP, murder mystery, stranded people, no power, how do we survive? Good frame of a story. It just would be better without all the preachiness...and without Deni. -
Loved this book and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Reading this book did make me want to run out and stock up on bottled water and batteries though!
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I LOVED IT!!!!!!! Review to come!!
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I don't think I've ever read a book like this one! It had me pulled in and totally engrossed from the very start! I didn't expect this, Terri Blackstock, but I loved it!
Deni is at the airport with her Dad when pandemonium and mayhem breaks out. Everything stops working: the airport equipment, cell phones, vehicles, airplanes, lights, etc. The results of this is absolutely shocking and devastating. Trying to get home with no car or cell phone, they see bicycles suddenly being fought over as the highest commodity, people's ugly side coming out in many ways, and more chaos as a result.
All of a sudden, things are very different, and people have to learn how to survive in a blacked-out world, with no sign of hope or sure solutions on the horizon. Men are having to step up and be more courageous than ever before. The entire family and community, the whole world, having to work hard for things that always came easily for them, giving up other things they never dreamed of doing without. Travel becomes difficult and very dangerous. How will they survive? Only one way: learning to depend on God, each other and choosing to not be selfish when it's the most tempting.
I read the entire series and then recommended it to my Dad. He picked it up and couldn't put it down! This is a must read! -
I really enjoyed this book. This was a Christian science fiction. It takes place under what could happen in the future. In reading this book the thought came to my mind, did anybody write a fiction book on the destruction of the twin towers before that ever took place. I may be wrong but I don't think anybody did, because it was not in anybody's mind that it would take place. In reading this book, what happens on earth has not yet happened yet, but I believe it is possible. So the author took an idea and made a fiction novel about it, and when you look at it, it scares you, knowing that people could very well act this way if it ever took place. If it takes place, what would you do?
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Georgia is in a state of pain when the power goes out. And with no sign of the lights going back on the people start to horde, become violent and thrn their backs on their neighbors.
Will they be able to keep their faith and stay positive and safe before the lights turn back on?
I read this now because of the mild state of panic our world is in due to COVID and seeing the similarities in a fictional story written long before covid happened was really interesting. -
"I've seen God do amazing things in my lifetime. Maybe this is one of those things" -
This is a life-changing, perspective altering story about a family struggling to adjust to life after the power grid and electronics fail. A stunning tour-de-force that stays with the reader long after the last page. Brilliant and scary.
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An international crisis has hit the nation. One minute everything was going on as normal but the next everything crashed. The electricity went out. Cars stalled and planes crashed. Phones died. Anything remotely connected to modern technology was finished. Riots began to happen. In the community where the Jennings lived it was hard to know whom to trust especially with a killer on the loose. Deni, the eldest daughter is set on taking her own way. She is determined to get to Washington to be with her fiance but doing so puts her life at risk.
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Good, thought-provoking story.
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I love Terri Blackstock's books and this one was no different! I've come to expect page turning suspense with characters I enjoy and a Christian theme that challenges you.
The characters: The main focus of the first installment of this series focus on the Branning Family, who needs to come to terms with a world of no electronics, and mainly on the eldest daughter, Deni. Deni irritated me so much in most part of the book, complaining about everything and came across very selfish and irresponsible, which caused other innocent parties to be at risk. However, I enjoyed to see how Deni grew throughout the story. She is still not perfect, but by the end of the book she recognised her selfishness and accepted God's will and path. The Deni at the end of the book I connected with and liked. I enjoyed Doug's character and how he is finding God's will in this bad situation and stepping up as a Godly man, husband and father.
The mystery/suspense: As if the break in power, electronics and electricity is not bad enough, there is a murderer in the neighborhood. I guessed who the killer was when I was introduced to the character, but there was some other suspects who threw me a bit from my suspect, but was surprised when the killer was revealed. I enjoyed the suspense and found myself saying, just one more chapter, to see how everything will turn out.
The theme: Trusting God for provision. At first I struggled to connect with the characters' whining about their lives being turned upside down, but then started to think. We have easy access to everything and live in a world where everything is fast and electronic, even our Bibles. How would we react when all the privileges of the modern world are taken away. Do we truly trust God with everything, or only with the things we have and are easy to obtain.
This was another great suspense from Terri Blackstock and recommended to all suspense/mystery lovers. -
I really liked Intervention that this author wrote. I picked up Last Light as a break away from my normal fantasy novels and because the synopsis totally drew me in. Planes falling out of the sky, cars won't start, no electricity or running water. Great concept of a story. At first, it made me want to inventory my pantry and other reserves, just to be on the safe side. Then the book took a turn that I did not care for, preaching. Now I do not mind when people have their own opinions on religion and express them as that, opinion. However, this book was simply preaching to me. Quit it 50% in. Just couldn't imagine having to struggle through the series of all 4 more books.
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A good book based on an EMP which is a very interesting subject. However, I felt the book was too preachy and in a situation such as this I think our society's downfall would be much more severe. The book didn't really describe all aspects of how this would impact the population or how truly bad things would be in a situation such as this. I found the characters to be spoiled, whiny, and very clueless, which made me roll my eyes at times.... Of course you should start a garden! Of course you should save table scraps for compost. I have a survivalist mentality and this book did not educate me or challenge my thinking, but it was an entertaining story.
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I thought the over all story was really good, I liked the descriptions given of the area and the situation, I really felt like I was there with them experiencing this disaster. My main issue is the heavy religiousness of it. I have gone through my own stories with religion and I know it can be different for everyone. I envy their ability to be at peace when all this chaos is happening around them because of their beliefs but it just doesn't resonate with me and felt very unrealistic. Overall, I found it distracting from quite a good story. That's just my opinion but it was still well done.
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Very good mixture of suspense and Christian fiction. As usual, Terri Blackstock did a wonderful job developing a plot that kept things interesting and exciting. The characters are well-developed and appear to be real people living through a real situation.
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Great series so far (ofc, it's written by Blackstock)
I'm loving Mark aaaand can't wait for Deni to throw Craig out the window -
Putting back for right now. I am in a slump and I can't see myself pushing through this by Monday which is when it is due back to the library.
Slumps are the worst. -
I guess I would give it a 3.5… the book is good and I’ve started the second book. However, giving the current ratings I had high hopes for it and honestly I feel the books are slow. There is a good concept and story line but it didn’t grip me into wanting to read the whole thing in one sitting.
Also, Deni is the worst -
Notable Content: Comments on girls wearing bikinis, and one sits in a guy's lap; a few references to sex, cheating, rape, and porn; mentions of kissing. Underage drinking; smoking and drugs.
Honestly, this book wrecked me. It was so incredibly REAL. The characters were so real. It was just. Real. Like, I quite literally started to pray for one of the characters at one point and had to stop myself. The book grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go; page after page, I fell in until I was stuck in the story. I read it all in a single day. The writing was amazing. The settings were amazing. It was all so well–thought out. It revealed things at just the right moments and it all wrapped up beautifully. She didn’t leave a bunch of loose ends to deal with in the next book; she tied things up but definitely left story to tell. She didn’t even use a cliffhanger, or need one, for readers to continue on. Wow, I just keep coming back to say how freaking real the book was. It honestly made me feel terrified that it could happen any day to me because it was so real. I don’t even know whether to recommend this book, or call it a favorite, because it was so emotionally exhausting and incredible. I don’t know whether to thank or blame my friend for recommending it to me. But it was an incredible journey of a book that I love and hate with all my heart. This is a book that’ll make you forget that you’re reading, a book that will pull you out of reality and into the story, a book that’ll invest you in the characters until you can hardly breathe as they fight for their lives. And I can’t end this review without talking about the theme. The theme was the plot. The plot was the theme. But it was so much plot AND so much theme. Every writing article I’ve ever read was impossibly and incredibly pulled off in this book. This book is the epitome of Christian fiction. This book will shake you to your core, but not let you stop turning pages. I could go on and on discussing everything that’s so incredible about this book, but I think I’ll end it here: Mrs. Blackstock, you are truly incredible. I didn’t know it was possible to write a book like this, but you did, and I commend you. -
This was my first Terri Blackstock novel and I intend to read the next in this series. I have read quite a few TEOTWAWKI "The End of The World As We Know It" novels. The scariest, and perhaps most realistic, was "One Second After" by William Forstchen. If One Second After was High School, "Last Light" would be Kindergarten. Still, I enjoyed the book. It is a quick read, short chapters, the story moves right along and never drags. The action began on page one. The characters are likeable, and I could identify with them. They are Christians with flaws, who make mistakes, complain, and question, are scared, and grow thru their trials. This book isn't scary and doesn't address all of the potential terrors possible in a situation of this type. It is also a murder mystery and it didn't take me long to guess the culprit.
A lot of the classic books of this type were written before we were so dependent on modern technology. I'm thinking of Alas Babylon, Lucifer's Hammer, Earth Abides, The Death of Grass. Last Light is not of the same caliber and will never be a classic.
A lot of books focus on firearms, gun battles, maneuvers, preps, such as James Wesley Rawles' books. Last Light focuses on a typical modern day neighborhood, and families who are suddenly without modern technology, a situation they have not anticipated nor prepared for. The book has a definite Christian focus, but I didn't feel it was preachy. Christians are who the main characters are. -
This series was recommended to me by my Library. They told me they bought the first book in the series and enjoyed it so much that they bought the series. I tried the first one....it is awesome!
Not know what to expect...the first book starts out at the Airport. Just after Deni Branning arrives, she and her Dad are on their way to pick up her bags. All of a sudden planes start falling out of the sky...the power goes out. Made me think this is the end of the world.
What would I do if we totally lost everything that has electrical components? The list is endless! Even cars stopped filling the highways.
The story keeps you thinking all the way to the end. There are unfortunately those people who are interested in greed only. Through it all some of the people, including the Brannings, learn to lean on God. Loved how their faith grew in the face of adversity.
Highly recommend this! -
Because I am drawn in by pretty much any story, I kept trudging through this book of painful, repetitive chapters. I was still intrigued to find out what was going to happen. And THEN I discovered it was a series and I really have to get through FOUR books to reach a real conclusion. I don't have it in me. I almost gave up on this one but I've got a book goal and I would have lost 2 days and like 250 pages if I didn't finish it. :-)
I appreciated the food for thought about what kinds of luxuries we have that we think we can't live without. I think about what it would be like to make canned goods last for more than a few weeks. Gave me a little gratitude. Also, I did enjoy the Christian side of it - seeing this family revive.
It did get suspenseful and exciting in the final 100 pages.
