Book cover of 'When the Sky Turned Yellow: A Poisoned Sky Novel' by Karen L West, featuring a dramatic landscape with a yellow sky and smoke rising from the horizon.

When the Sky Turned Yellow

Poison Sky Novel Series • Apocalypse • War on US Soil

EARNED A BOOKY AWARD FOR BEST ALTERNATE HISTORY

The sky turned yellow. Before sunset, the world they knew was gone.

Callie is taking her ten-year-old daughter, Lucy, to a concert near San Diego when explosions tear across the horizon.

Sickly yellow clouds spread above the city, carrying chemicals capable of killing anyone caught outside.

Callie’s military training takes over. With Lucy and her retired K-9, Charlie, beside her, she races toward Willow’s Rest, a hidden mountain refuge built for the disaster everyone prayed would never come.

Hundreds of miles away, other lives are shattered.

In Rocky Mountain National Park, retirees Matt and Lizzie become stranded with two young hikers and their dogs. South of Houston, families seal themselves inside a concealed bunker. Alone in Tucson, Ruth survives behind taped windows with only her emergency supplies and determination.

But the bombs are only the beginning.

Enemy troops seize ports, military bases, farmland, and vital supply routes. Cities fall silent. Store shelves empty. Armed gangs prey on the frightened, and desperate survivors become nearly as dangerous as the invading forces.
As isolated groups rescue lost children, shelter strangers, and build new families, American veterans and civilians begin fighting back. Soon, survival will require more than stockpiled food, hidden walls, and weapons.

It will require trust.

It will require courage.

And it will require ordinary people to decide what they are willing to risk for one another.

When the Sky Turned Yellow is a sweeping post-apocalyptic survival thriller filled with hidden communities, K-9 loyalty, military resistance, found family, and the determination to rebuild after everything familiar has been destroyed.

The first novel in the A Poisoned Sky series.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

“When the Sky Turned Yellow” hooked me from the opening chapters with its chilling premise. The image of the sky turning yellow as deadly chemical clouds spread creates an immediate sense of urgency, and the story never lets up.
Once scene that really stood out was Callie relying on her military training while racing with her daughter Lucy and retired K-9, Charlie, toward Willow’s Rest. That sequence captured both the danger of the situation and the determination to protect family, making it easy to become invested in the characters.

— Seth

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. The fast-paced story, multiple perspectives, and constant sense of danger kept me turning the pages. I especially liked how the characters came together, showing courage, resilience, and hope even in the darkest moments. Charlie was one of my favorite characters, and the emotional connections made the story even stronger. This was an exciting start to the series, and I’m already looking forward to reading the second part.

— S. Dogood

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Oh Besties… if you’re into post-apocalyptic survival stories that feel a little too believable, this one is definitely worth checking out. The moment the sky turns yellow, the tension kicks in and barely lets up. I really enjoyed following the different groups of survivors because it showed so many perspectives on fear, resilience, and hope. And can we talk about Charlie, the retired K-9? That sweet pup absolutely stole a few scenes for me.

— OoLala Reads

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Coming Soon

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Coming Soon

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Coming Soon

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