Lights Out Book Review

            I went searching for novels written by local authors. As I perused the single bookshelf, considering the options, my eyes landed on the funky, cartoonistic cover of Lights Out by Arvada local Bradley Jarvis (2009). Jarvis describes himself on the back cover as “a writer, scientist, educator, and engineer [who] for fun, tries to predict the future of humanity.” Awesome. I picked it up, brought it home, and a few days later here I am.

            Initially, I expected some kind of amateur attempt at creating a mysterious sci-fi novel about the end of the world. Right away, however, I was bought into the quirky set of characters Jarvis has cast. Anne Gardner, a smart, spunky (and sometimes know-it-all) biologist, along with her husband Pete Gardner, a very smart, calculating (and also sometimes know-it-all) environmental engineer and astrophysicist, must help the islands of Hawaii survive after an EMP kills all batteries on the islands. There are also murderers, tree-huggers, policemen, politicians and tourists who play major roles in the story as it unfolds.

            For the most part, I just plain enjoyed reading this book. It’s a great pick for a fictional, “end of the world” mystery. I couldn’t believe how many twists in the plot there were. I was continually surprised, all the way up until the last page. Though there are moments where the dialogue could stand a bit more grace and creativity, and other moments when I considered how ridiculous the whole plot was, the overall storyline ended up being quite addictive. Also, I could tell Jarvis is a brainiac; along the way, I couldn’t help but pick up some scientific jargon. Jarvis succeeded into turning me into a little bit more of a science nerd. Props to him. Though it might not be for everyone, it’s a quirky piece of work.

            The best part of all? There’s going to be a sequel. It’s called Visitors and there’s a brief sneak-preview in the back of Lights Out. Keep your eyes open for it—Jarvis doesn’t mention an expected publication date.

So go on, get it. Support a local author, dig into your science-nerd side, and enjoy pondering what it would be like if we suddenly lost all our battery power. You can pick up a copy of Lights Out at the Tattered Cover Book Store. Happy reading!