REVIEW: The Unit by Terry DeHart

The Unit by Terry DeHart
Publishing Information: Paperback; 310 pages
Publisher: Orbit; 14 July 2010
ISBN 10: 0316077402
ISBN 13: 978-0316077408
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book: "Jerry Sharpe is an ex-marine and, for him, survival means protecting his family by any means necessary.

Susan is learning just how far a mother will go for her children. But how far will she go for a man she doubted before the bombs fell? As Jerry's training and instincts take over, she is certain of one thing -- her children need her.

Melanie was going to go to college. Now, she is struggling to find a way to live in a world gone mad without losing sight of what she believes in.

Scotty has a new mission - more than survival. He was saved, and he'll be damned if he won't fight for what's right.

And Bill -- Bill was locked up, but the power went out and the guards left. Now he and his fellow inmates have realized that everything is free for the taking...if you're strong enough to hold on to it."

After Al Queda strikes at the heart of America with nuclear weapons purchased through North Korea, America strikes back through a devastating nuclear strike which wipes out the aggressors but not before causing a catastrophic environmental change of radiation and nuclear fallout. It is here that we meet the Sharpe family in Dehart's The Unit.

The Unit is told through the eyes of several people; Jerry Sharpe the father, Susan Sharpe the mother, Scotty and Melanie Sharpe the children, Donny, Bill senior and junior a bunch of outlaws pillaging the california countryside. The book switches prospectives many times and allows the reader to experience everyone's thoughts and concerns. I really enjoyed Jerry and Scotty's points of view as they mirrored what I hope are my own if placed in a similar situation. Susan's prospective was that of a mother and while I am not a father I can imagine the stress that would be put upon a parent in the events that unfold during The Unit. These three individuals seemed very real and possible to me. Melanie's point of view was alien to me. There were many times that I wanted to jump into the book and shake her to wake up and face reality. Her character was very frustrating to me. Which added a lot of realism to things, as I think that there would be individuals that still hold on to the past and do not take stock of what needs to occur in order to survive in the new climate and hold on to their old values and beliefs in order to make sense of the new world around them.

Bill Junior and the rest of the escaped juvenile detention brats would be a concern for anyone in the post-apocalyptical world. Bill jr. is a criminal but his intentions are simple: survive. He was not just a bad guy but a fully fleshed out character with motivations and hopes. It was hard not to like him even if he was the antagonist.

The plot is simple a family on vacation is caught away from home when a national/international disaster occurs and they are working their way back home while avoiding all forms of predators. Many of the issues brought up in The Unit are real concerns: food, shelter, faith, and love. A real shock is that early on in the book, as we are being introduced to the various family members, several state that they plan to leave the rest of their family behind and strike out on their own. This was odd to me as I do not think I would even think of something like that. In a disaster like nuclear fallout the last thing I would want to do is leave the safety of my family. I would think that they would be the only people you could trust. But it does set up their motivations for the remainder of the novel.

The Unit also does a nice job of filling in the gaps about the times between where we start in the novel and the time when the bombs start falling. Just like the days after the attack on the world trade center and hurricane Katrina, the United States goes back to an earlier time where everyone is friendly to one another and those without shelter are brought into other's homes to get back on their feet. I would hope that this would be the case and it was a nice addition to the book.

The Unit switches prospectives often and it helps keep the pace moving. The book does its best to try and stay within reality. People are injured. People get striped down to their core and then built back up. Faith and hope plays a lot in the well-being of our characters. It also motivates them.

The one issue that I had with The Unit is kind of a spoiler so I will not talk specifically about it, but I will say that Bill Senior's attitude seemed genuine at one point and then at the snap of your fingers he gets really nasty which seemed unprovoked and really lost me. It was so odd and unexpected that it took me out of the story for a bit as I kept looking back on it and wondering why.

The Unit is a fairly decent post-nuclear novel with some great themes. The book seemed possible which is what I was hoping for considering Dehart's personal background. I look forward to reading more books from Dehart in the future.

I also found it interesting that this book is ironically being written on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, so to all of the veterans out there, from every country. We thank you for your courage and your sacrifices. God Bless.

Plot 7
Characters 6
Style 7

Overall 7/10