A somewhat interesting, relentlessly bleak depiction of post-apocalyptic North America, from the POV of one especially damaged loner of a man. The writing was fine; very atmospheric. But I didn't really buy the world building (how are there still so many people left after that kind of nuclear holocaust? why did the people in beforetimes decide to have a nuclear holocaust?!) The plot was okay, overall, thought a big reveal at the end had me rolling my eyes.

Cavalo's character progression, such as it is, seemed confusing to me, even more so than one would expect from a character with his past as well as his mental and physical symptoms. I just couldn't bring myself to care about his human connections, old or new. The best thing about this book was the robot, and the interactions between the robot and the dog (who may or may not be talking telepathically to Cavalo). That was gold.

This was such a different kind of book for this author and I really enjoyed it! Not the usual book for me at all but extremely well written and the characters had so much depth to them. The plot captivated me and I wanted more.