A review by sweetwritng
Radio Apocalypse by K.M. Gallagher

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Radio Apocalypse is a novel about two girls living across the world from one another in the aftermath of an apocalypse. Lota hosts a radio show where she speaks her minds to anyone who’s still alive (which, to her knowledge, is nobody else). But Rachel hears Lota’s broadcast across the ocean, and realizes she isn’t alone either. The two girls forge a strong relationship while braving a terrifying post-apocalyptic world.

There are some really interesting components of Radio Apocalypse that make it a unique read. The take on the apocalypse, which has its origins left relatively vague, leads to a bunch of cool and fearsome creatures and environments that really enhance the worldbuilding and setting. The use of perspective is also something that stands out: Rachel mostly communicates her perspective through the typical 1st-person prose, but the reader can only hear Lota’s point-of-view through her radio broadcast, which still manages to get a lot out of her personality in terms of what she says (and what she doesn’t say). This book also has good diversity (about as much as you can have when there’s not a lot of human characters left) and a WLW relationship.

So, now that the general idea of the story is covered, here are my thoughts on it:

Firstly, I want to commend Gallagher on her use of these two different perspectives. I never found myself mixing up the characters, and they had distinct voices and personalities that complemented each other. However, I think the relationship featured in the novel, while having good chemistry, went a little too fast for my liking. This might just be a personal thing, but I wished the relationship was a slower burn and included more personal setbacks or complications that blocked the characters from just instantly falling in love.

I found the setting to be really well written and the descriptions were short but moving. The entire story, actually, is very well-written and impressive. If there was one thing I’d alter, though, it would be to better clarify some of the mystical beings and their purpose/role. It’s kind of implied that some of them are angels or demons or something else divine, but they don’t really have any logic or consistency in a lot of the story. I think their concept is very strong but a little bit more fleshing out would go a long way.

This story is certainly a character-based story, not a plot-based story. This is mostly a good thing, as it strengthens the characters and makes them more well-rounded and interesting. However, it sometimes leads to troubles with pacing, especially around the middle. At the end, however, the plot rocketed ahead and it was thrilling up until the end, which—I won’t spoil—but it left me with more questions than answers. I think there could definitely be a sequel to this story, but at the same time, if it was left as a standalone, that would definitely work too.

Some other thoughts that are more personal and not really a judgment of the story or the writing:

  • I liked Rachel more than Lota. Sometimes Lota was really funny, but otherwise, she was a bit blander than Rachel. Both characters were still great though.
  • The saddest part of the story is a spoiler, but all I’ll say is that page 357 broke my heart.
  • I thought it would end up in a “two characters, one bed” type story—in some ways, I’m glad it didn’t, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t have been mad if it did.
  • Don’t let the length fool you. 500-something pages seems like a lot, but it goes by fast and also the font is larger for the radio broadcasts.
  • The cover, title, and design are all excellent
I’d definitely recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of fantastical sci-fi, apocalyptic fiction, or WLW relationships. If you are a fan of slow-burn romance, sci-fi where all the science is explained/detailed, or stories with a large cast, this might not be perfect for you (though I still recommend you give it a shot). 

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