Montag Press Collective

Mr. Garrison’s debut novel, The End of Jack Cruz, takes us through the plague-ravaged world of Jack “Colonel” Jones. In an attempt to survive and save himself from dying a horrible death like the majority of mankind, he teams up with Jack Cruz, a formidable man of, at first, only questionable character. The book is written as a first person account of his six months of survival with the man he calls Cruz. Aside from saying Cruz is a bit touched, I’ll let you find out about him on your own.

From the very beginning, (and I do mean the first scribbled “I” at the beginning of chapter one) the book wraps you in its world. The tendrils of the tale creep under your skin and hook in and won’t let go until you’ve finished reading…and even then, the narrative lingers.

“Colonel” is a very real character thrust into extraordinary circumstances. He’s neither all angel nor all devil, a mixture of both as in life. But I found myself rooting for him and liking him more with each new characteristic he revealed in his observations, comments, and recollections.

The language of the book’s prose is lyrical yet quite accessible. I didn’t feel as though I were being held at arms length as I often do with first person accounts. It was almost as if I were having a conversation over lunch and being told all the details to make the whole situation seem more real. But let me just say this, I hope no one ever tells me anything like this story over a meal.

Mr. Garrison has penned an exciting, entertaining, and thought-provoking first novel. I look forward to reading more of his work.