After a terrible virus ravages human civilization, Ann finds herself living alone in a forest, foraging for supplies, and accompanied only by a radio that broadcasts a single transmission in French. Few animals even remain; the only survivors seem to be the roving hordes of infected creatures with a taste for human flesh. One fateful day, Ann crosses paths with two more survivors, Chris and Olivia. But after surviving on her own for so long, she struggles to relate to them and and their desire to settle down and start a new community. As Ann tells Chris, “Those who stay, die.” Though a stomach-clenching thriller, Here Alone is less about the threat itself than the people who are surviving it. For Ann, killing the infected is an easier proposition than connecting with her new companions in a world where intimacy, jealousy, and your fellow man can be just as dangerous.

—Cara Cusumano

Rod Blackhurst