By Owen L.
Z for Zachariah is an apocalyptic science-fiction novel written by Robert C. O'Brien. The story is written from the first-person point of view from Ann Burden, who is a young girl that survived a massive nuclear war.
Ann Burden is one of the last survivors of a nuclear war and she lives in a small isolated farm. However, the outside radiation levels are still too high to risk venturing out. After a year, a second character named John Loomis approaches Ann's valley with a radiation resistant suit. Ann is still suspicious of John so she watches every move that John does from a distance. Ann's ignorance eventually leads to John mistakenly poisoning himself when he bathes in a radioactive stream. Ann reveals herself to John with the fear of being alone forever. After the first encounter, John Loomis reveals he was a chemist from Cornwell University who worked on a radiation free suit and their relationship flourishes.
Robert C. O'Brien's writing is consistent throughout the novel and the sensory details engage the reader to keep on reading. The plot of the story unfolds beautifully, but the ending was cut short in my opinion. While the characters were well thought out and realistic, the pacing was slow at times as the novel took place over a few years.
Previously, I had never read any of Robert C. O'Brien's novels but I was satisfied by this novel. Overall, I would recommend Z for Zachariah to a wide range of audiences. Not everyone is into science fiction including me, but the intricate detail of the plot drew me in and it will probably draw you in too.
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