Review: American Survivor - Raven's Record #1 by Debbie Hightower

 American Survivor - Raven's Record #1 

by Debbie Hightower

Smoke and ashes cover most of the North American continent. While emergency responders race against the clock to rescue survivors, government officials scramble to obscure details of the event that claimed the lives of millions. Was the calamity a volcanic super eruption? Or an unprecedented weapon unleashed by an enemy with a vendetta against the United States? After losing everything, one of the survivors hurdles red tape and false flags in an attempt to uncover--and broadcast--the real story.

My Take:

In American Survivor: Raven’s Record Book 1 by Debbie Hightower, Raven Munoz barely survives a devastating alien attack that destroys the United States in only a few minutes. The official story is that the supervolcano in Yellowstone is to blame. But Raven knows better. Her efforts are thwarted at every turn when she tries to uncover the truth. Any evidence pointing to an alien attack is removed, and those who try to speak up disappear. While Raven tries to document the truth, Rocket Lab engineers race to build a warp-capable fleet to settle a colony at Proxima Centauri. When their plans are stolen, a competitor, Space Corps, launches first. But their prototype, the Magellan, is lost with all hands. Will the ships Rocket Lab is building avoid the same fate before the aliens return to destroy the rest of mankind?

American Survivor by Debbie Hightower is a thought-provoking near-future apocalyptic thriller. The main character somehow survives an alien attack that destroys all of the continental United States, including the building she had just vacated. The official coverup story is predictably laughable. Her quest to learn the truth behind the attack makes for an interesting dive into forensic journalism. The resistance to her efforts to uncover and communicate that truth provides for a top-notch alien conspiracy yarn. I especially enjoyed the hard science overlaying references to Star Trek lore, and the seamless integration of futuristic interstellar travel with historic space exploration. Interwoven throughout is the question of whether this destruction was the vengeance of God, an alien species, or both. Perfect for lovers of hard science fiction and conspiracies.

About the Author:

Debbie Hightower is a lifelong North Carolina resident and newspaper reporter who recently made the transition to writing science fiction novels. She is an avid fan of science fiction as well as the emerging technologies that will one day take humans across the cosmos and allow them to explore the stars and planets beyond the solar system.