Published By: Neem Tree Press
Pages: 334
Released On: 05/10/2023
It’s the year 2123, and 16-year-old Adina has just accidentally killed 14,756 people. Raised in the eco-bubble of Eden Five, Adina has always believed that the Amonston Corporation’s giant greenhouse would keep her safe forever. But when her own careless mistake leads to an explosion that incinerates Eden Five, she and a small group of survivors must brave the barren wastelands outside the ruined Dome to reach the Sanctuary before their biofilters give out and their DNA threatens to mutate in the toxic air.
They soon discover that the outside isn’t as deserted as they were made to believe, and the truth is unearthed on their dangerous expedition. As time runs out, Adina must tackle her guilty conscience and find the courage to get everyone to safety. Will she make it alive, or will the Nomalies get to her first?
*****
Thanks to TheWriteReads for my gifted copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I’ve only recently started reading dystopian sci-fi type books, so I was almost going into this blind. But the ones I’ve read recently have really impressed me so I was happy to give this a read.
It is very much a YA book – and that’s not a negative. If I’m right, this is her first YA book. Now I’ve never read any of her others and so I can’t say how it compares to her other work, but it’s a strong start.
Whilst I’m 32 and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I think it’s strengths definitely lie with the younger reader – mid teens, I’d say. I think it would speak to them more than the average older reader. But having said that, I did find a lot about it I liked.
Her storytelling and work building is very good. It’s very visual but there’s a good balance, you don’t get bogged down in the detail or descriptions of things.
I am not a fan of first person narrative in general, unless it’s a thriller. And I was unsure how I’d feel about it in this but it works, it helps you keep your focus and you find yourself really taken in.
I liked the main character of Adina. She was very real, flawed. At times she was a bit annoying and naïve but she’s young so I don’t hold it against her. She tries to be everything for everyone, and I think it does work on the whole.
There are a lot of other characters, some big and some small, and they all work out quite well for the whole story. None of them stood out quite as much as Adina but none of them felt surplus.
It is very character driven. Yes there’s a plot but it’s very character heavy and I enjoyed that style of writing, it felt more personal.
I think there was meant to be a sort of romance, but obviously a PG one. I didn’t find myself completely convinced by it, and wasn’t sure it was completely necessary, but it didn’t take anything away from the story.
Victoria hooks you in straight away and you immediately want to know more. There’s real peril here, and frighteningly, it may be closer to reality than we would care to think about.
It’s not necessarily the happiest of stories, but dystopian generally aren’t. There is death and trauma. The young characters really have to deal with stuff they shouldn’t have to at their age. But it doesn’t get too heavy or morose.
Whilst it ended satisfyingly, I believe this is the first book in a planned trilogy, and whilst it wasn’t a perfect read for me, I did enjoy it and it’ll be interesting to see where she takes it next.
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