This didn’t work for me. While it was a somewhat strong start, it petered out and didn’t really hold its own in terms of the postapocalyptic/dystopian fiction out there. Also tried the audiobook and the narration was kind of terrible. DNF.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Five years ago, a microplastics storm ravaged the globe, decimating most of the the population and leaving the few survivors sick and struggling in a toxic post-apocalyptic world -- where the simple act of breathing outside air could mean death. Katie, one of those survivors, lives in isolation with her son Harry, who was born after the storm, in a flat outside London. Katie keeps them alive by foraging for food, adhering to strict decontamination procedures, and avoiding contact with the outside world as much as possible. But they are always hungry, and they are always afraid, and Katie can no longer ignore the sharp pain in her lungs.

When their safety is threatened by the arrival of a stranger, Katie is forced to do the unthinkable and flee the flat, journeying with Harry across a dangerous landscape ravaged by toxic dust. It's something she never would have risked, if it weren't for a renewed glimmer of hope that her lost fiancé, Jack, may not have died during the storm as she previously believed.

Not Alone is a meditative post-apocalyptic novel about motherhood, sacrifice, resilience, and the irreversible impacts of environmental ignorance and inaction. It's a beautiful book about a brutal reality, with a heartbreakingly vulnerable, authentic mother-child relationship at its heart. Katie is a "mama bear" in the most extreme circumstances imaginable, with her fierce love for Harry and desire to protect him motivating every risky, impossible choice she has to make. It's something all parents can relate to, as so many of us worry about the world our children are going to inherit.

Not Alone is an immersive, atmospheric reading experience with descriptions of a toxic world that are as gorgeous as they are harrowing. It reads like an adventure story that somehow manages to be both bleak and hopeful, and there is an intense immediacy to the narrative that makes it impossible to stop reading. And during the times that I wasn't reading it, my mind was still on Katie and Harry, hoping beyond hope that they were going to make it, that they were going to be okay. And I really appreciated that their story didn't end the way I thought it would. Reading Not Alone reminded me a lot of the way I felt when I read Cormac McCarthy's The Road for the first time -- that sense of being overwhelmed by beautiful desolation of it all.

Not Alone is moving and devastating, a quiet but nevertheless impassioned call to action as it gives us a glimpse of a future that isn't as fictional as we'd all like to think. Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the complimentary reading opportunity.

Allow me to start by saying that I love dystopian/apocalyptic fiction. In a time when it feels like there's a very real possibility that we could experience a life-altering, world-shattering disaster in our lifetime, I like to read novels based in the fall of society to ground me and help me prepare for the what ifs. Sarah K. Jackson's Not Alone focuses on the survival of a mother and son in a world destroyed by micro-plastics pollution.

When I started Not Alone, I was all in. This book gave off strong Emma Donoghue Room vibes, but in a dystopian world. A mother and 4-year-old son locked away in an apartment, unable to venture out in the world, having only each other for company and survival. I loved this book ... until the mom makes the bizarre decision to leave the safety of their apartment to set out on a lengthy road trip, yes, in a SUV, to track down her fiancé, whom she has not seen since before the apocalypse. This decision did not make an ounce of sense to me. First of all, it is dangerous to be outside, so what happens if the truck breaks down and they have to hoof it. Not to mention riding around in a SUV is going to make them a prime target for nefarious people. Furthermore, they do not even know if this fiancé is alive, yet they are risking their lives and leaving the safety of their home to find out. I hope that if the apocalypse ever does happen, that the survivors aren't this stupid.

As previously stated, Not Alone started off really good - I found it to be incredibly enjoyable. But once our duo set off in the car, Jackson lost me. The plot becomes muddled and confusing. I listened to this novel on audio and was afraid that I was missing information, but after reading reviews, I have discovered that it is not just me. I had a very hard time following mother and son on their road trip and understanding what was happening - the writing, which also moves very slowly, is just all over the place. Not to mention this story is incredibly bleak and depressing. I get that it is dystopian fiction, and I do not normally take issue with dark subjects, but ouch! For some reason this book really flared up some underlying anxiety in me and put me in a bad place.

So, in all, Not Alone is a decent book that could have been better with a little finesse and editing.

"Not Alone" has left me haunted. I’m worn out and haggard, as if I accompanied Katie and Harry on their trek across the post-apocalyptic wasteland.

And I’m sad, too. For these characters and for the possibility of a similar future for us.

Sarah K. Jackson’s debut novel is a dystopian tale that’s so plausible – so reachable – it’s bound to impact all who read it.

The culprit? Plastic.

A microplastic storm has destroyed civilization. Few people are left, and most who are alive are sickly, their lungs ravaged by plastic dust that rains from the sky and infiltrates the water and soil.

Katie lives in a small flat outside London, isolated with her son, Harry. She forages and hunts in order to get by, but their survival is a daily struggle. The hunger is endless, as is the fear that one or both of them will succumb to illness.

When a man suddenly appears from nowhere, Katie and Harry’s safety is threatened, giving Katie no choice but to flee with Harry across the dangerous wasteland in an impossible search for her lost fiancée, Jack. Because if Jack’s alive, he’s their only chance of survival.

"Not Alone" is as much an examination of the mother-child bond as it is a warning of impending climate disaster. Katie is a true mama bear. She loves Harry fiercely and will do anything to keep him healthy and safe. The lengths she takes are both admirable and risky, but she has no choice. She’s raising a child while the world collapses, without help and with few resources.

Yes, it’s a bleak story. And it’s harrowing and heartbreaking. But there’s also a sense of adventure to it, as well as love throughout it and hope at the end of it.

It’s the hope that is so important. It’s the reason we can survive anything.


My sincerest appreciation to Sarah K. Jackson, Doubleday, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

Dystopian novels are something I don't read as easily now that COVID has happened, but this was an interesting one. A fairly good, quick read.

For a debut novel, I felt this was well written with a great plot and interesting adventures. During reading this, I truly felt alone, much like Katie and Harry. I was rooting for Katie during the novel and I think a lot of that had to do with being a mother myself. It was a difficult read at times mainly due to the content. While reading, I felt like this reminded me a bit of the book "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.

Loved this sci fi dystopian style read which really isn’t too far from the truth. That’s what made this book scary.

I enjoyed this one and although I didn’t care for Harry (yeah I know I’m mean), I liked Sarah and understood her predicament.

This was good. Sad and interesting and kept me reading.
I Am Legend vibes. 👏🏻👏🏻

This is a great dystopian novel. I actually bought it to have a copy. I love the characters and really caredd about them.

great book and I enjoyed the characters growth. Loved the friends and how this all worked out. I enjoyed the characters journey to finding oneself and others. I hope to read more by this author again.

Sarah K. Jackson’s debut novel, Not Alone appealed to me immediately. I fell in love with the cover first, and then my interest was immediately piqued by the following phrases in the synopsis:

“𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡”
“𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧”
“𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙢”
“𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮”
“𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙢-𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚”
“𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙖𝙥𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜”

Sounds exciting, right? The beginning of this novel was SO promising. I was instantly hooked! Unfortunately, I found myself losing interest very quickly. I honestly can’t even pinpoint the exact reason(s) why, but I just felt extremely disconnected from this story. The writing was extremely choppy, and also confusing during some of the action-packed scenes. Especially when they were in the car. One minute they’re cruising along the road, bumping and crashing into things, and then BANG—they are in the water! If I remember correctly, they spent the night like that? And then just trekked along the very next day? I dunno…I was scratching my head. The scenery around them wasn’t described very well. It almost felt like sentences, or even entire scenes were missing!

What I truly DID admire about this novel was the fact that it’s a mother/son story. We don’t get those very often, and as a mother to a young boy, these types of stories are dear to me. And oh man, these two sure navigated some risky and dangerous scenarios! I will admit that I questioned the mother’s judgment at times, but then felt like an asshole about doing it, and tried harder to put myself in her shoes. Would I do things differently? We will never know.

Overall, I appreciated the uniqueness of the plot, but just felt that it wasn’t executed very well. I think more editing was needed. I was hoping for more excitement, but was a bit underwhelmed in the end. Not Alone is out now, and it gets 3/5 stars from me.

This is a post apocalyptic novel that is also climate fiction, I suppose. The air is full of micro plastics that kill people. It’s actually not hard to believe considering plastic is everywhere and already inside our bodies. This is definitely a big issue. Anyway, a mother and son are struggling to survive in this world. They leave their safe space to travel in search of mom’s fiancé (they were separated before the son was born).

The premise is pretty great with lots of potential. I just didn’t really enjoy the execution or the characters. Any of them, to be honest. So many questionable, and frankly stupid, decisions made by the main character. I didn’t understand her motivations enough to really stay interested.

Overall, great premise, just missed the mark for me!

An exhilarating debut novel, tracing the harrowing journey of a mother and son fighting for survival and a future in a world ravaged by environmental disaster • "Not Alone kept me breathless with tension… [A] gripping adventure story.” —Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of Room and Haven

Not Alone is a bleak dystopian novel and a grueling read. It is so wonderfully written but a slog to get through. Most end of the world novels are sad but there were very few happy moments at all. You know from the beginning the MC's fate. However, you feel compelled to read on to see what will happen, especially with such a resilient 4 year old. It may be a tough read but read it all, it's worth it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for letting me review this ARC.

A page turning dystopian, post-apocalyptic, environmental disaster novel, Sarah K. Jackson's "Not Alone" had me in a rush to finish. Years after a mocroplastic mega storm killed much of the population, we meet Katie, surviving in an apartment with her son Harry, who has never known a world other than the current state it is in. Being stuck inside the 1 bedroom flat, because the air outside could kill you, gave me a sense of the claustrophobia they must have felt (a bit on the nose of recent years ..ahem).
Katie ventures out in risky scouting missions for food to ensure their survival, resulting in a chance encounter with a group of survivors putting she and Harry at risk. What follows is a decision to take a life threatening journey in search of a new and better life for her son.
I appreciate that at first it felt like a love story of a mother's sacrifice for her sons survival and the bond they share,, but I also felt like it was also as much as a story about Katie making this journey to save herself as well. Difficult decisions are made throughout the book, and protection at all cost is the main goal for survival with these two and the cast of characters met along the way.
The story unfolds with a mix of flashbacks that provide a few revealing plot twists that kept me interested in how it was going to work out until the very end. I love when a book doesn't give you the ending you thought you'd get. Read this one and find out!

I think this is exactly what the future will be...
...which is scary.
Recommend this one!
Thank you to NetGalley and DoubleDay Books for the ARC.

Eco-fic is almost always bleak, so I look for authors that manage to tell such stories with moments of hope and beauty. Jackson accomplishes that here. The story feels realistic and grounded—not overly sensational. And the quiet, loving relationship between mother and son is both anxiety-inducing and heartwarming.

This was a survivalist type of thriller. Katie and her son Harry are doing their best to survive in a world devastated by environmental disaster. A stranger appears and propels Katie and Harry to leave their home in search of Katie's fiance Jack who never came home.
This book was okay but it was hard to get into and hard to keep my attention on it. It wasn't terrible but not the best book I've read either. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

It's been five years since Jack left for work at the hospital and the world turned upside down. Now, Katie, who has kept small Harry safe all that time, is pressed and desperate. She's been foraging and trapping to feed them but things are at the breaking point, especially since she's been discovered by Sim, a man who won't leave her alone. So she when she realizes there's a Land Rover that she can rehab and put on the road, she decides to go looking for Jack- to go north. This isn't as easy as it seems because any vehicle left alone for five years is going to have problems and Harry's five years old. Her journey leads her to people with good hearts and others who are less generous. This focuses on the small things- on feeding Harry, making sure the poison dust doesn't get inside- but there's also an echo of despair. You will feel Katie's pain and her struggle. There isn't much world building about how the UK got to the place but that was ok by me because this is aftermath, not the event. Katie and Jack's love for one another come through so strongly in his letters to her. And there's a twist. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Excellent read.

Review will post 5/7/23

TW at start of book: “This book contains references to suicide and sexual assault.”

Not Alone is a pretty intense book. Not in terms of action per se (though it does have some tense moments, make no mistake!) but in terms of emotions. It can be hard to read at times, because it is so dark, and lonely. You can’t help but feel for Katie, who is raising a toddler son during the actual apocalypse. There are some kind of… I don’t know, let’s call them particles, that make people sick and can kill them. Have killed most people on Earth, really. And Katie has Henry to protect. This is such a fear, right? Not just having to worry about yourself at the end of the world, but a tiny, totally dependent human as well. She’s been surviving for years, but has she been living? Not really.

But then, she miraculously finds a clue that her fiancé Jack may still be alive. And really that is all she needs to make the perilous journey in search of him. There is so little left for her and Henry, that she figures it is worth finding out the truth about Jack. And it is certainly an adventure along the way. They meet several other survivors, some of whom are decent folks trying to live through the end times, and some who have more nefarious intentions.

The story weaves through their journey, but also looks into Katie’s past, so we get a glimpse of who the important people in her life really were, including Jack. It’s nice, because you kind of understand why she is so desperate to locate him. And it’s heartbreaking to see just how alone she and Henry really are in this messed up world. It’s a lovely story, certainly heartbreaking, but absolutely with moments of hope.

Bottom Line: If the end times weren’t bad enough, imagine having a young child to keep alive. This book is, therefore, quite intense.

Some time ago chemicals invaded the ecosystem and have contaminated the water, the air, plants, and killed most living things.

Kate has been left alone with her young son Harry who is too young to fully understand the danger and protective measures Kate takes.

How they’re surviving isn’t sustainable and Kate still has hope her fiancé Jack is still out there. These factors spur on a journey to find if there’s more than its survival.