The Pit is a work of fiction and completely psychological. Any post-apocalyptic or dystopian fiction about how the world falls into chaos is going to be different because each author will have varying ways to identify with how they would handle life after a major crisis. Psychological aspects of every scenario may overtly share the same common denominator, like a world depleted of life save for very few who were able to be spared while everyone else turns into zombies or undead. But, for most, this isn’t the actual grit of the story. It is the living that makes all of the difference from how the story carries on. This second In the Valley installment digs into these aspects quite well and makes the reader get a sense of what it really feels like to be alive in this type of world.

Sam is still the main character in this installment, but she is far from that happily married, healthy person who only wanted to help people. Now she is wracked with guilt and barely surviving. She is on the cusp of an emotional breakdown and has taken Jason away from the only thing that truly matters to him. Pulling him away from his wife on a mission that is futile, she has yet to tell him the person who she was so desperately searching for is gone. She is faced with making a decision, one that may haunt her until the day she dies...which may be quick in this post-apocalypse. Sam can either choose to stay as a third wheel, constantly allowing the love that Jason has for his wife consume her with sadness over her own loss or she can move on...alone. She decides on a third decision, to lie and ask him to continue their journey. Halfway through, she breaks down and lets it slip that her husband was killed in the raid before Flagstaff. Sam and Jason eventually part ways after a painful goodbye and Sam heads back to Oklahoma to find Luis. What she finds there could completely change her forever, even more so than the dead.

The Pit by Stephen Kennedy is an extreme, fictional work of art. Beautifully written, it is a direct continuance of the first installment, Among the Dead. While the first installment laid out how everything happened and the plan of action, this installment really dives into the psychology. There has been a lot of loss and fear, not just of the dead but of the remaining who are still alive. The scenes are vivid, the story creative, and the characters' personalities have warped from how they used to be. The change is evident and the strain palpable. At times, the reader may find it hard to breathe because the words suck you in, making you feel like you are right there alongside their trek, and not just watching from the sidelines. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors, but this should not hinder enjoyment of the novel. Overall, the pace is steady and the psychological aspect of the story is credible. If you are a reader of science fiction, post-apocalyptic and psychological fiction, this may be exactly what you are looking for. This is the second installment of the In the Valley series. It is recommended for readers to start with book one since this is a direct continuance, and does often cross-reference information from prior scenes in Among the Dead.

An electronic copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by Reedsy Discovery and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a five-star rating to The Pit by Stephen Kennedy.