ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alden Bell is the pen name of Joshua Gaylord (Hummingbirds) who lives in New York. For the past decade, he has taught high school English at an Upper East Side prep school (a modern orthodox co-educational Yeshiva). Since 2002, he has also taught literature and cultural studies courses as an adjunct professor at the New School. Prior to coming to New York, he grew up in the heart of Orange County: Anaheim, home of Disneyland. He graduated from Berkeley with a degree in English and a minor in creative writing, where his instructors included Bharati Mukherjee, Leonard Michaels and Maxine Hong Kingston. In 2000, he received his Master's and Ph.D. in English at New York University, specializing in twentieth-century American and British literature.
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; First edition (August 3, 2010) Print length: 238
Few things are scarier than a post-apocalyptic world where the dead rise from their graves and humanity struggles to survive. Alden Bell’s The Reapers Are The Angels takes readers on a journey through such a hellscape. It’s a story of survival and redemption told through the eyes of a young girl named Temple.
Bell set the novel in an undetermined future where a mysterious virus has decimated much of the world’s population and turned them into the undead. Temple, born after the apocalypse, knows nothing but this bleak existence. She’s a survivor, tough and resourceful, who has evaded the dangers of the world while traveling alone.
On her journey through the ruins of America, Temple encounters various characters, some friendly and some hostile. Her interactions with these characters shape her journey and help her understand the world around her. One of the notable characters she meets is Maury, a disabled man who becomes close to her. Their relationship is heartwarming and adds a layer of humanity to the story.
The Reapers Are The Angels explores the human condition and the meaning of life in a world where death is all around. Bell’s writing style is poetic, and his descriptions of the landscape are vivid and haunting. He captures the atmosphere of a dying world with precision and beauty.
The novel isn’t without its flaws, however. Some parts of the story feel rushed, and there are loose ends that are not tied up. These minor shortcomings, however, don’t detract from the overall experience of the novel.
The Reapers Are The Angels is a must-read for anyone who loves post-apocalyptic fiction. It’s a haunting and beautiful novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. Temple’s journey is one of survival and redemption. And the ending kicks you right in the gut.
One of my favourite books: beautifully written, great characters and a well built dystopian setting.
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