Nebulous: The Last Hurrah
The Dark Cloud Trilogy Book 1
In Hannes Barnard’s dynamic coming-of-age novel Nebulous: The Last Hurrah, teenagers seek refuge from an ominous storm cloud.
Best friends Xandr and Rufus sneak out of their South African homes for a last chance at losing their virginity before Rufus moves to Australia with her family. Hiding in a national park, they notice a large, dark cloud on the horizon. They make the hard decision to hide in an underground hole for days, waiting out the strange, relentless storm.
The plot is rich with suspense that’s created over multiple scenes. When Rufus and Xandr are on the verge of having sex for the first time, the chapters move with speed, showing how they mirror each other’s apprehensions and excitement. However, as the storm cloud rolls in, their desperation becomes more central. Rufus’s psyche begins to crumble, and she tries to escape, stopped only by Xandr’s knowledge of her love for Tori Amos. And though the teenagers’ conversations are sometimes stiff, their use of slang is grounding.
Sensory details enhance the story, as when Xandr and Rufus are about to have a run-in with a dangerous man at a motel and Xandr describes Rufus’s face as “that about-to-puke shade of grey.” Action scenes trade well with moments of quiet, as when the friends first make it to the national park and Xandr muses on its natural beauty. And as the novel moves toward its close, and Xandr and Rufus’s friendship is strengthened as a sense of curiosity is restored after the bleakness of the storm, it proves satisfying.
Nebulous: The Last Hurrah is a gripping coming-of-age novel about friends outlasting an apocalyptic storm.
Reviewed by
Jennifer Maveety
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
