SIRENS

When emergency sirens start sounding in the night, Joel sets out to rescue his mother and sister.

After staying home from the family trip to the movies because of a headache, college student Joel awakens to a series of distressing voicemails from his mom. His drive into the city reveals deserted neighborhoods; soon, abandoned cars blocking the roads force him to continue on foot. He’s dragged into a house by a young woman named Emily who explains the danger he’s in and describes the chaos of the previous night. They shelter in a basement, waiting out the sirens that begin when the moon rises. Journeying toward the city together, the pair encounter disturbed survivors and gruesome signs of violence. They meet a larger group of people who are working together, but Emily is suspicious of their leader, and Joel starts to hear voices alongside the sirens broadcasting an announcement for everyone to evacuate. Though the central mystery offers a good hook, the utilitarian writing style impedes the development of any true atmosphere. The few intriguing details get lost as the action moves the narrative along at a steady jog, smoothing over any chance for real emotional attachment to the characters. By the time readers reach what should have been an emotional ending, only surface-level questions have been answered, leaving the “why” behind all the preceding events unsatisfyingly lacking in resolution. Main characters are cued white.

An interesting premise undermined by bland characterization and incomplete catharsis.