The Chaos That is, Well, Chaos

     A New World #1: Chaos by John O'Brien is a dystopian apocalyptic novel that follows the main character, Jack Walker, and his family through this strange world. He has to deal with what are essentially genetically modified humans who became feral and cannibalistic, but have an odd aversion to light, these are later dubbed as Night-runners (I don't remember if they were dubbed that in this book or if that was a name given later on in the series, but regardless I will use it for convenience). This happened as an adverse effect of a vaccine for a highly contagious and deadly virus. Because he refused to get the vaccine he was safe from this mutation. Due to the fact that military officers got their vaccinations first they are left without defense from the Night-runners.

    This book is very well written and it has very thoughtful word choice, as well as repeating themes that can foreshadow events. Because of this, John O'Brien is easily one of my favorite authors. (Fun fact: My mom happens to know the author through Facebook and is pretty good friends with him) It is incredibly fun to notice the pattern between certain word choices and events that transpire. In addition to these repetitive pop up themes there are also themes that stay constant throughout the whole book.

    One theme I have noticed while reading this book is that whenever they are about to encounter Night-runners, it is described as a dead silence, with only the sound of breathing/panting. As they spring into action it is described as a sudden burst of nearly overwhelming noise. It is very descriptive and I feel as if I am actually living in the moment, watching through the eyes of Jack.

An underlying theme throughout the whole book is family. Jack is always worrying about the family with him, often telling them to stay back when he is about to explore a dangerous place. He also worries about his loved one Lynn, stranded in the Middle East due to a travel ban relating to the virus. Jack wishes for nothing more than the safety of his family, putting them over himself at all times. It is also very easy to tell connections between other characters through the eyes of Jack. Such as Nicole and Brianna, Jack's daughters. They are always there for each other and comforting each other even if the other is just as scared.