There’s a sense of camaraderie among the survivors, not fear and distrust. There’s no need to fear other survivors like the characters do in The Walking Dead. What’s also refreshing is that Ma avoids pitting the survivors against one another. The caravan makes a few stops to stock up on supplies, and between stops, they make camp in some clearing. Outside of Candace’s memories, the group travels along roads in their caravan of vehicles to reach their destination. The majority of the recalls in the story take place in New York and its boroughs. Where Candace has no sense of direction, Bob has a clear goal and pushes the group toward it. Where Candace is areligious, Bob is a believer. This enigmatic character is the foil to Candace’s character. The antagonist, if one must be present, would be Bob. Even her attempts to fit in with other members of the group end in failure. If anything, she’s like an outsider, an observer into the world after Shen Fever. She doesn’t appear to have any clear goals, and she accepts life as it comes. Candace’s personality can be best described as passive. The story is told through Candace Chen’s perspective. Learn about the protagonist, Candace Chen, as she struggles to reconcile her current life with memories of her previous life.Ĭandace’s memories of her previous life in New York as dispersed through her journey to a safe location. Shen Fever kills most of the population of the United States (and likely, the world). Instead, readers get a story of how a first-generation child of immigrant parents has to adapt to yet another new world. It’s not often that I read a book that is so captivating that I had to force myself to put it away so that I could enjoy it throughout the week instead of finishing it in one day.īut Severance by Ling Ma manages to treat the whole post-apocalyptic zombie theme well, without focusing too much on the basic needs of the survivors.

Have a desire to learn about the fate of the rest of the world since Candace’s limited perspective doesn’t allow much for discussion about the state of rest of the world.

Want to learn more details about Shen Fever or need to know more about what caused the disease.

Enjoy relating to characters like Candace, who would be considered a millennial.Want a focus isn’t so much on the survival aspect like so many other post-apocalyptic stories (seeking protection from other people, gathering food and supplies, etc.).Want a writing style keeps you engaged, interested, and invested in Candace’s well-being.

Ma ling severance