I found the subject the most compelling thing about this book. An insight into what would occur to our taken-for-granted everyday life should our power system be disrupted made it worth reading. Insights into just how vulnerable our interconnected power grids really are was also quite educational. As far as compelling writing style, I'd have to give a C, truthfully, I would not have finished the book were the subject not so interesting.

This story seems all too plausible and that makes it all the more frightening. It is the best kind of thriller with multiple storylines that you know will ultimately converge. Somewhat predictable but plenty of unexpected twists and turns along the way. I recommend this to anyone who likes international thrillers with a strong nod to technology manipulation.

I would like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of "Blackout" by Marc Elsberg for my honest review. The genres of this novel are Mystery, Thriller, General Fiction(Adult).
Although this novel is written as fiction, the author gives us a taste of reality where it is very possible that hackers could take over all computer systems internationally and cause havoc, disaster, destruction and collapse of society as we know it.
I found the first half of the novel a little slow moving with involved information of computer technology, grids, nuclear energy and the governmental controls.In the first part of the story, there are "Blackouts" that occur throughout Europe, and the scenes are pretty much the same. The second half of the novel was intense where we discover the "who" and motivations involved. There are chases, murder and adventure in this part of the novel.
As the "Blackouts" spread to the United States, there is lots of tension, riots, and fighting.
The characters are complex and complicated.
This is an intriguing fictional novel that almost crosses the line into what can be a devastating reality.

It all starts one night..... the power goes out and all of Europe goes dark. The book quickly escalates from there. Although I didn't understand some of the technical aspects, it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the book one bit. This book will take you on a roller coaster ride of suspense and terror, while making you horrified at the thought that something like this could actually happen. Definitely a must-read!

Thought provoking. Goes into great detail on the impact of an extended power outage, Characterization is a little thin.

For me, one word sums up this book - boring. A slow read with minimal suspense and a flat ending. If you want to read about electrical grids, this is the book for you.

“Blackout” by Marc Elsberg grabbed me from the start with a car crash caused by a traffic light outage; traffic signals should work and to be obeyed. What happens when electricity goes out -- everywhere? In this non-stop thriller with action ripped from the headlines, life comes to a screeching halt as a massive power failure hits all over Europe and the players desperately try to find the cause and the culprit as the outage spreads.

The main character in the book is the power grid itself where generators and power traders supply energy to people and industry through computer-controlled grids and smart electric meters. This tightly interconnected grid provides electricity to people and industry much as the circulatory system takes life-blood throughout the body. When the grid goes down, everything else falls like dominoes, transportation, shopping, food supply, health care, industry, even civilization itself.

The plot follows several groups of “secondary” characters (after the main character, the power grid), and as the action jumps back and forth all over Europe, each section is carefully defined with the geographic local to help readers keep track of the action. The characters represent a cross section of society devastated by the loss of power, the elderly, the reporter, the power representatives, the IT specialists, the law enforcement personnel, and the underground society.

No one escapes the devastation, and no one remains unscathed. The book has death and destruction, but it is not graphic, just incredibly gut wrenching and frighteningly realistic. This is the digital age’s worst nightmare, and as one reads, the possibility that this could actually happen becomes all too real.

NetGalley gave me a copy of this book in exchange for my review, and this book was so real that it was terrifying. The book was originally published in Germany, and the translation into English was first-rate. In the years since its publication, the scenario has become even more real and even more frightening.

This is not the sort of book I usually read, but this one was fantastic and frightening at the same time. I'm glad I read it -- I think. The next time any of us laugh at reports of fringe “preppers” practicing for the end of the world, we should, perhaps, think again.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. There was a slight lack of action in the beginning that had me worried. This wasn't a pull you in from the first page with non-stop action type of story. However, once it got rolling it absolutely pulled me in. The translation from German was really good.

What really impressed me most about this book was the research that went in to what would happen if we had no electricity. Besides the obvious, there were things in here that I never thought of that were really quite terrifying.

Much of this book reads like a documentary. The events and actions are way too real to be fiction. The story is terrifying, and the characters are very real. The story is a reflection on how our lives are dependent on the countless interactions of "smart" devices throughout the world. This is a thriller of a different sort, where the possibilities it create bring your heart into your throat. The writing is crisp and clear, and the unfolding of events never stops. This is a great book to have on your shelf and to use for discussions.

I enjoyed this book but it was a little tricky to keep all the characters straight. I felt the ending was abrupt. I still wanted to know more about Lauren Shannon and did she go on to have a career with CNN or……..Fast read and it did keep you reading into the night.

From Germany origins we get to read this thriller. Oh the dark, you just never know what happens in a novel when the power grids go down. A rebel group, anarchist, have taken over. While it reminds me some of another author's work, it was still well written and details were vivid and well thought through. It's exceedingly plausible, which adds to the suspense of it being such a thriller. I have been through some major power outages, so I have a grasp of how realistic this novel is in many ways.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

Elsberg's vision of how society and governments break down in only a few days of crisis seemed realistic and terrifying. I enjoyed seeing the story told from so many perspectives across Europe instead of just from one person or one country.

A former best seller in Germany, this novel has finally come to the United States. A techno thriller, this format is normally one that does not pique my interest.. However, if you are like me, disregard those thoughts! This fast paced novel moves and jumps from one chapter and one country to the next like exploding fireworks. As a blackout occurs all over Europe,terror fills the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens and bureaucrats dealing with energy control. Could this be a simple glitch or the work of terrorism? Ironically, as computers shut down all over Europe this past week due to malware, a fictitious scenario becomes all too real. A former hacker has an idea of how this may have occurred but in trying to sort out the situation he becomes the object of the search. As nuclear reactors' begin to melt, food shortages abound, and medical supplies dwindle, the plot's exploration of technology brings us down a rabbit hole of consequences that feel all too real. Leaping with intrigue from page one, this is a fascinating book that is scary in its ability to perhaps forecast the future.

Wow, what a sensational read this was. All the power has gone out in Europe. The author provides you a first hand look at what that actually means. The shortage of things that you wouldn't even think about happens. Food supplies, toilet backups due to sewers drying out, meat supplies short for years because of all the deaths of the livestock, and nuclear plants overheating causing widespread damage that will be a factor for decades. Truly, eye opening.

Then you have the action, and I do mean action - a lot of it, of the governments and one ex-hacker who thinks like the terrorists and starts to figure things out. Of course, the governments think he is part of the scheme and are after him. And, the terrorists are not happy that he is figuring things out. This poor man is running, he's not safe anywhere. He's shot, put in prison, chased and never given a moments rest.

This book was so full of action and I was certainly entertained and very glad that I believed the hype and requested this book. It was definitely worth my 8 or 9 hours it took to read it. Which is another good selling point. I think if a book keeps you entertained for that long, definitely a good buy!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Blackout has already sold a million copies, so there won't be much interest in what this reviewer in the California desert has to say, but hey, it's my chance to disagree with a lot of people. The topic of a huge blackout, first throughout Europe, then into the United States, carries a host of interesting possibilities for an author. Unfortunately, this novel is structured in such a way as to make the situation more boring than anything.. Too much hopping between different places and different people. In the beginning we keep switching to different cities, where the story is essentially repeated each time. The character development is so thin that you have no one to root for. Sure, you want the lights turned back on, but the process just goes on and on. Food and heat miraculously appear when it suits the story, but isn't the whole premise that there is no heat and food? Reading Blackout just left me hungry for a good thriller.

This book is shockingly realistic. I can see why previous reviews describe it as an all too accurate possibility of what could occur if there were a cyber attack on the power grids. The risk is there but hopefully preparedness will prevent a radical group from destroying what the "many" enjoy to gain their own utopia. Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.

What if the power went out? What if the power went out in not only your neighborhood, or in your city but in your entire country and then the entire continent? The is the premise of Blackout. Terrorist have infiltrated the electrical grid and all across Europe the power goes out and the power suppliers can't get the electricity back online. It's amazing how much our infrastructure relies on electricity. It is scary to think about what could happen if we lost that one thing, worldwide. It's easy to get annoyed and inconvenienced when we lose power for a few hours or a day.  We get out the candles or go out to dinner and we know in a few hours the electricity will come back on, until it doesn't. This is an interesting thriller with the possibility of an impending apocalypse. One of the things I liked about this book is the main character is not some macho hero that can do impossible things to save the world. The book does jump around a lot from different locations and people and sometimes repeats some of the same themes (food shortages, medicine shortages, transportation issues, price gouging) but overall it is good read and it will leave you with some things to think about.

This book started with a great premise and a "thriller" promise. It failed to deliver on both counts. Although the premise is interesting, the execution was dismally boring. There is NO thrilling action whatsoever. The author did NOT use the "show, not tell" narrative technique. Instead, repetitive telling of the effects of a power grid meltdown were told and retold, over and over ad nauseam. The author skipped around to various cities and countries, all reporting the same malfunctioning of generators and power structures. The book was way, WAY TOO LONG. The perpetrators were not introduced until after the halfway point. By that time, I didn't care. The tedium was painfully disappointing.

"Blackout"

Shivers! I haven't been as paranoid and wanting to hoard my money in the mattress since I read "The God's Eye View"!! This book is all and more as that one.

The amount of research and technical information is staggering. But I believe everyone should read this book and not worry about understanding the tech parts. The human (both citizen and government) reactions to an apocolytic event is worth it all. Loosing power, not just localized but for entire countries make you leary of all the technical advances that have been made in the past 30-40 years.

Dependence on data sharing and computer grids apparently could be devastating. Ask yourself what you would do when the power goes out and the dominoes fall one right after the other. First the power for lights, hot water, cooking, pumping gas, refrigeration; then data hackers affecting the cooling of nuclear reactors, communications between people and nations limited or nonexistent. Next a run on banks that have to limit withdrawals or close....the list goes on. Black market on gas, food, medicine rampant, theft and unrest part of daily life. This after only 10 days.

So, middle of winter, what do you do? Planes, trains and automobiles grounded because no power to pump or deliver fuel. Is this even a plausible scenario? We can only hope that we never have to find out but I think we may be farther into this global wide dependency than we know.

Frighteningly realistic look at a scenario that could happen today. Cyber-sabotage at its worst. A look at what happens when the lights go out. A must read for anyone concerned about what terrorists with a computer might do. (just my opinion.)