One Year After by William R. Forstchen

The second in his series, following One Second After.  The second year after nuclear weapons were set off above the U.S. knocking out all power, communications, services, and isolating communities. Black Mountain, N.C. is struggling to survive. Perhaps not as scary as the first book, partly because the first had such an impact on me that my thinking has changed and because the community has found a way to sustain itself, still hungry but not starving.  With no supplies coming in, they have become very creative in trying to use what was left from the “old” days.  But outside marauders from nearby are still causing battles and deaths.  Medical and dental care is minimal to non-existent.  A larger community a few miles away has more connections to the national scene.  But they want to take over everything and everyone.  The strongest and youngest in the town have been drafted from authorities there to serve where there is rampant rioting in big cities.  Thus not enough strong bodies would be left to grow and harvest food.  Troubles just are dominoes sliding every which way.  I’m more worried about the next in the series, The Final Day. I think this series should be required reading for every high school student and adult in our country.  Although I read a lot, I rarely buy the books, using the library services.  But I bought One Second After the day before I started One Year Later and will buy it, too. I have The Final Day on reserve.  9 out of 10. We need to think about this topic.