The Hole

By: Aaron Ross Powell

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

The world, as Elliot Bishop and Evajean Rhodes know it, is gone. Destroyed. In just two weeks, a horrific plague raged across the planet - driving its victims insane before killing them.The two survivors set out on an unimaginable journey, driven by a cryptic message from Evajean's husband: If anything terrible happens, you must get to Salt Lake City. But the pair soon discover they are not alone, and that the plague has done more than kill.

The countryside between Virginia and Utah now crawls with victims who have been driven mad - violent lunatics fueled with definite yet unknown purpose. To survive, Elliot and Evajean must fight for their lives - against the crazies, against sinister forces who would stop their quest, against long-ago hidden menaces - and uncover the deeply guarded secret of those driven mad and the plague that spawned them. It's the secret of a destructive force unleashed on the world by one of America's most powerful religious sects.

©2011 Aaron Ross Powell (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Seamlessly combines apocalyptic horror, religious elements, and grotesque monsters into one undeniably original read." (Eloise J. Knapp, author of The Undead Situation)

Zombie travelogue!

Escaping the zombie-like death and traveling 3/4" of the way across America our heros face amazing encounters with friends, not-friends and everything in between. Not the best story but good enough to enjoy for a couple of hours. If you are sensitive to the criticism of religion you should avoid this book, The narrator flawlessly contributes his talent to this production.

Ugh. Did I miss that this was about Mormons?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I don't see how you would improve this story for me. You get about half way through and suddenly there are Mormon zombies everywhere.

Not what I expected but interesting

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The time listening was well-spent. Simply because the story was interesting. Although the story was a little on the slow side there was a lot going on and it definitely had a sense of mystery. You didn't know exactly what would happen and when you thought you did, the unexpected happened. The wrap-up at the end of the book took me by surprise because the explanation about the whole mystery wasn't at all expected, but at least the conclusion made sense.

Would you recommend The Hole to your friends? Why or why not?

No I would not recommend it. While the story was interesting, it did not have me at the edge of my seat. I continued to listen once I started because I did want to know how it ended. The conclusion might not be agreeable with some; hence the reason I would not recommend it.

Which scene was your favorite?

Although a little rushed, the ending scene was my favorite because of what it represented. (Being cryptic here so as not to inadvertently give spoilers.)

Do you think The Hole needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

There is room for a follow-up and the ending would allow that. For those people who really enjoyed the story, I'm sure they'd want a follow-up book. More answers could be provided and as mentioned, the story was interesting so there is the potential for more material that could hold one's attention.

Confusing, Hard to Follow, and Lame Zombies

What would have made The Hole better?

SPOILER........I did not mind the inclusion of the twisted Mormon influence in the story, this was in fact the only interesting twist in the book. I did not mind the mythological storyline of how the people became possessed (NOT ZOMBIES). What I hated about the story was the character's dialog, the lack of character building, and the LAME and UNREALISTIC decisions they made during their journey. The ending was abrupt and made zero sense. Not enough action. Confusing story.

Would you ever listen to anything by Aaron Ross Powell again?

Depends on the topic

What character would you cut from The Hole?

The two main characters

Any additional comments?

Should have saved my credit!

Better than I expected

This entire sub-genre of apocalyptic fiction is extremely hit or miss so I approach each book with very low expectations. This book is one of the better recent examples of a good apocalyptic tale that pulls from many inspirations (The Cell, I Am Legend, George Romero's The Crazies, etc) without being derivative or amateurish. I found it to be a compelling read start to finish. Thankfully the author does not feel compelled to inflate his word count. For this sub-genre of apocalyptic fiction it seems many authors are compelled to write 800 pages to tell a 300 page story. The book is short and well paced. A good quick read that covers a lot of territory.