The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy

The Dead Lands is set in what was once St. Louis, now a strictly governed walled community called The Sanctuary. It is one hundred and fifty years after a flu epidemic and nuclear war destroyed almost everything and everyone. It is also a re-imagining of the Lewis and Clark saga. I'll be honest and say I'd never heard of them before and I'm not sure if this made a difference to my enjoyment of the story. I don't think it did though as it's obviously set in a completely fictional world.

One day a rider from outside the wall arrives and tells them that there are other people living  beyond their community; something the inhabitants never thought possible. A small group, including Lewis and Clark, decide to escape and make the long journey to this supposed better place. But this is of course not without its dangers.

I'm a big fan of post apocalyptic books so was really pleased to get an ARC copy via Bookbridgr and the publisher. It took me a little while to get into but once I did there was a section of the book that I really enjoyed. Unfortunately though the story hasn't kept at this pace or held my interest and I've given up before the end. I don't care about the characters and therefore have no interest in what happens to them. Also there's not enough detail or back story which made it feel disjointed and confusing,  which is a real shame as on paper this should be exactly my kind of novel. I'm sure others will like it but unfortunately it's not for me.  Maybe I've read so many of these novels that they have to be of a very high standard; such as The Road, The Passage and of course Stephen King's The Stand, otherwise for me they'll fall short.