Review: Tomorrow War: The Chronicles of Max [Redacted] by J. L. Bourne

Max {last name redacted} is a government operative. Having participated in a number of  SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) classes and advanced training, he's sent to Syria on his first mission. As with many of the tasks he's asked to perform, he doesn't know the large scope of the plan, merely the singular task he has to complete. Unknowingly, this first mission triggers a cyber attack that unleashes a complete breakdown of the international marketplace.  Within one week, society as we know ceases to exist. Using the training he received and, having the wherewithal to gather supplies when he saw the beginnings of the attack, Max embarks on a mission, lone at first, to survive the after affects of his devastating mission.

Let it be known that I’m typically not into military thrillers of any shape or form.  Yet, something about this title compelled me to read it. It opens with Max’s orientation as government operative and follows him, through journal entries, through the devastating culmination of events that followed.

While there is a great deal of military and munitions jargon, what kept my attention rapt was the intensity that carried through the duration of this novel.  Additionally, the real-world implications of such an event? Completely plausible and terrifying.  Just a few weeks ago the NYSE stopped trading and United Airlines halted operations. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that a singular action could cause the downfall of our nation, and the world.

Though this novel did start out slow and I began to question whether or not I could/would finish, the pacing picked up quickly and was unrelenting to the final pages. Though dark and foreboding, Max’s personality, and his interaction with other “survivors” certainly lightened the mood.

Bourne doesn’t relay much about the full scale attack; the reader only knows what Max is willing and able to share.  We follow Max as he attempts to survive society as it’s weakest, and most terrifying.

Bourne has over 20 years of active military and intelligence community service. It shows in this truly unique and terrifying novel. Having just discovered he started out writing zombie thrillers (totally in my wheelhouse!), I can’t wait to sample those next.

All in all, Tomorrow War is an incredibly haunting glimpse at a complete and total breakdown of society. Completely plausibly. Incredibly terrifying. Highly, highly recommended.