I feel like this took me forever to finish. It was also very character driven , it honesty dragged and it just wasn’t for me.

Suspenseful. Completely all-consuming. From beginning to end, AURORA is one of those books that scares you but you can't step away from it.

As I am from the town next to Aurora Illinois this book caught my interest, however the town really didn't have a lot to do with Aurora. That being said I enjoyed the book anyway. It showed how different people react to a global emergency--the good and the bad. But it was also about how even in that emergency the problems that exist before still exist. Sometimes what happened to the characters was disappointing--I thought I had a perfect companion for Aubrey, but alas, it didn't work out--kind of like real life. I do think some of the violence could be left out, but that is just me and maybe that would be a hook for others. All in all a good premise and an interesting and exciting read.

this was a good book that tells a story that may well happen in our lifetimes. The sun puts out a burst of energy that knocks out every single source of electricity and power to most of the world. No phones, no microwave, no banking, no thing. A wealthy (Muskish) man has been preparing for this for years and has established a place for himself and his family in and under the mountains. His sister is a proud woman who doesn't want to take his handouts and so she and her group of friends and neighbors get along as well as they can. This book put chills down my spine several times Is the rich man with his generators and power happier than his sister who is trying to cope with little or nothing? A very well done story.

Apocalyptic novels can be put into two major groups- the prepper porn where the focus is on what people have stored (sometime itemized in the text) and how they're going to defend themselves, or the complete other end of the spectrum where people come together after the disaster and work communally to survive. This book pits both camps against each other. Would be interesting to fans of apocalyptic novels (who are maybe more in the community focused camp) but not sure there's enough to the novel for others.

Recent single mom,
Left with teenage son who is a teenager.

Somehow aliens turn off the power and are invading near her home, and she decides to be the one to protect the town. Not her family or the family that does not live near her, but everyone.

I liked Koepp's last novel fine but this one strained credulity even under the bounds of pulpy-fun-suspend-disbelief-action storytelling. I'm sure it'll make a fine film, though.

Aurora was a quick, action-packed read about what happens to a brother and sister when a coronal mass ejection blacks out the power grid worldwide. Characterization was good, although at the beginning I felt like the main characters were too unlikable to root for. However, they changed/evolved and you were rooting for them against even more unlikable characters.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was not a good fit for me. It should have been. I just could not get into it. I put it down at 20%.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
While I received the ARC from Netgalley, I waited for the audiobook, because the narrator Rupert Friend is amazing! He did not disappoint for his second book by David Koepp. I was initially drawn to this book because I live near Aurora, IL and have been there countless times. I was able to more vividly see the setting and imagine the characters because of this. Overall, an interesting read with complex characters made all the better by actor Rupert Friend.

Koepp, one of our more famous screenwriters (Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, Spider-Man, etc.), is rapidly becoming a writer whose work I will continue to seek out. This, his second novel after the excellent Cold Storage, is another winner, a tale of a large-scale apocalypse told from the smaller point of view of a pair of neighborhoods and a brother and a sister. Aubrey Wheeler is just managing to get by in a small town on the outskirts of Chicago, after finally ridding herself of her deadbeat, small-time criminal ex-husband. Her stepson has continued to live with her and the ex makes the occasional surprise visit, but things are safe and comfortable for the most part. Aubrey's brother, Thom, is a self-made billionaire, a genius with multiple cars, residences, and a staff that he doesn't always treat very fairly. Thom feels he owes Aubrey for an incident from their teens and he tries to send her money, etc., which she generally turns down.

When a giant solar storm knocks out electric circuits and transformers on a nearly world-wide basis, Thom is ready. He's prepared a former nuclear missile silo with everything he and a carefully-selected group of other survivors will need: food, water, etc. He has a place for Aubrey, but she's not interested, so he sends her a bag of money with his right-hand man Brady. Aubrey and her neighbors meanwhile, have come together to ride out the 18 months or so before things get back to normal. They've turned their yards into vegetable gardens and have people taking turns at checkpoints into the neighborhood. Things haven't gone completely post-apocalyptic, but it looks like they could at any moment. When Aubrey's ex gets wind of the money that Thom sent, a chaotic plan clicks into place and will anyone be safe?

Really good book that combines the science of the event with the small-scale storytelling of the two different situations. Thom's carefully designed bunker doesn't really work, as the people don't want to live by his rigid structure, and they start drifting away, while Aubrey's neighbors come together, including pothead Phil, who reveals unexpected facets to his character, and Aubrey's stepson Scott, who steps up, too. There's some violence and not everyone makes it out okay, but this was a really fun book and I'm looking forward to whatever Koepp does next.

The impressive accolades of the author (screenwriter for Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, etc.) as well as the Stephen King recommendation is what got me initially interested in reading this. I was literally on the edge of my seat this entire book, and couldn't put it down! Everything sounded totally plausible with the CME event, and the characters were very developed and interesting, and I enjoyed how the author tied them all together. Norman was the best, and I enjoyed imagining someone like Anthony Hopkins playing him in a film or television adaptation. Rusty's storyline reminded me of Stephen King's the Stand, and you just kept getting angrier and angrier for what a terrible person he was. Thom was great, because his story made you realize that it doesn't matter how rich you are-when communications go down, everyone is just trying to survive! This book even gave me a sort of Breaking Bad vibe as well (Brady reminded me of Hank). I can't wait to read more of David Koepp!

What if a massive solar flare impacted the earth and it fried all the electronic devices on the planet? No electricity, no cell phones, no computers, no internet… Welcome to Aurora. The author’s premise is frighteningly plausible. It could happen and the world would be as unprepared for it as the fictional people in Koepp’s tale. The narrative follows the lives of a handful of ordinary people as they try to survive the chaos that the total blackout creates in their own lives and the lives of people around them. The situations that the characters find themselves in are sometimes humorous and occasionally terrifying. Science fiction fans will enjoy this fast-moving story.

David Koepp's "Aurora" is a near future apocalyptic thriller that shows what might happen if all the lights go out, and power stays off.

Disaster strikes globally when a solar storm knocks out power all over the world. The author portrays a steady devolution of society - and how Aubrey Wheeler (struggling to make ends meet in Aurora, Illinois along with her ex's teen son Scott) copes with it.

It's a gripping read, especially after the author's warning at the beginning that a major Coronal mass injection 'hits the earth full force, on average, every hundred and fifty years. We are overdue.'

Aurora is a fabulous read. After a sun event that takes out all of the power in the u.s. we are taken to two responses. One is how a small community comes together to survive, the other is how a billionaire deals with it.
The characters are well rounded and the insights are deep.
I highly recommend this book.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

It is very rare that I want a book to be longer. But Koepp is such a great storyteller that I could have used a bit more here. I found the characters and situations believable and felt they often just skimmed the surface of what was possible. A solid read but it didn't bowl me over the way Cold Storage did.

2.5 stars. Disappointed in this one. Didn’t like any of the characters, the story was unexciting & slow moving, and the ending just . . . ended. Not much written about the actual astronomical event and worldwide disaster, no explanation as to what became of the luxurious, secluded, desert compound or of Phil, the helpful hippie love interest. The focus was more on the (unlikeable) family, their perfect little neighborhood, and a couple of bad guys.

𝘈 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦!

I love a good dystopian novel and this one was simply fantastic. It was a mix of everything, horror, mystery, humor, crime and excelent writing, it is one of those stories that you just can’t stop reading.

Thank you Harper Books for this gifted copy.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

I really enjoyed David Koepp's first book, Cold Storage, and happily picked up his new book - Aurora.

The first chapters recount The Carrington Event - an actual historical happening that caused a solar flare in 1859. And what would happen in our day and age you ask? "A geomagnetic storm of this magnitude occurring today would cause widespread electrical disruptions, blackouts, and damage due to extended outages of the electrical power grid"

Yup, the power grid goes down - worldwide. Oh, this premise leaves so many ways for Koepp's story to unfold!

Koepp drops us into Aurora, Illinois at the end of Cayuga Lane. Aubrey is our lead character. I quite liked her. She's real, smart (except when it comes to picking husbands), forthright and determined. Aubrey, her stepson Scott and their neighbors decide to tough out the crisis out in their homes. No one knows when the power will come back on, but they'll make the best of things. After all, it can't go on very long - can it? Thom is Aubrey's estranged billionaire brother. He's riding out the crisis in his desert bunker. The bunker has everything he and his family will need. More actually. Thom's reasoning, decision making and self assured entitlement is almost comical.

You just know there's gonna be some bad apples in the barrel. Chaos, looting and more. Koepp has created some truly awful antagonists.

Aurora is driven by the characters - their choices, actions, thoughts and deeds. And Koppe is not afraid to sacrifice players along the way. (Seriously, I was not happy about that!) Action is the name of the game. Koepp knows how to capture the reader's attention and hold it. The tension is palpable and I absolutely couldn't put the book down. And I admit - I peeked ahead a few times. Just to relieve the tension! That being said, there are some poignant moments as well.

Koepp's books read like movies. Which makes perfect sense as he is a very successful screenwriter, with some best selling movies to his name. And on that note - Aurora is being made into a film.

Who else enjoyed Aurora? Stephen King did -"Fantastic story, a real page-turner. Impossible to put down."

Aubrey Wheeler and her stepson (who stayed with her after his crappy dad took off) are trying to figure out how to live together when the lights go out around the world and their situation gets extra complicated. Aubrey’s estranged brother, Thom, a doomsday prepper billionaire tech bro has set up a super swanky bunker (fully staffed with a chef, a dentist, and a yoga instructor, among others) and by trying to help, just complicates Aubrey’s life further.

•-•-•-•

This book has everything - family dynamics, apocalyptic drama, humor, action. Much like Koepp’s first book (Cold Storage), the science behind the disaster situation feels entirely plausible, and Aubrey’s responses to everything that happened felt extremely realistic. The relationships between Aubrey and her stepson and brother and ex-husband were all complicated and real. You can tell Koepp is a screenwriter because this would make an amazing movie (in addition to already being a fantastic book). My absolute favorite thing was picturing the transformation of the suburban neighborhood into a working farm. Everyone: read this!