Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Summer Reading 2016 After the Red Rain

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Imagine a world with only weak sunshine for an hour each morning, if you're lucky enough to get that much. A world where the air and the water are full of toxins. A place where nothing grows and everything is covered by the crumbling remains of great cities that cover everything with concrete. That is the world Deedra lives in, the world after the red rain. No one knows what caused the rain that ended the world from the past. There are theories, of course. Some say it was aliens. Some claim it was the wrath of God. Some say the world itself turned against humanity. Now citizens live in Territories governed by magistrates who report to the City rulers, who consult with each other. Everyone is branded with the mark of their Territory and mandated to work for the good of all. Work earns rations of genetically engineered food, made from the DNA of extinct species. Air masks are worn and water is filtered before use.

Rose comes into this world. He is like no other boy Deedra has ever met, and not just because of his name. He has no brand. He shrugs off rules like curfew. He is openly curious about everything. Who is he? Where did he come from? When a murder is committed, a stranger can become an easy scapegoat. How far will Deedra go to help him? And how far will the powers that be go to maintain control?

This story evokes the dreary setting and the mind-numbing drudgery of working an assembly line for days on end. The way information is controlled and used to manipulate the citizens has hints of Bog Brother to it, and should make readers question their own habit of accepting what is presented to them without questioning it. Other stories with similar characters or themes include: Stranger in a Strange LandDivergent, and "Soylent Green." 

If you enjoy post-apocalyptic/dystopian type stories, characters that are resilient and determined, or futuristic SciFi in general, then you should give this a try.

P.S. Did you notice that Robert Facinelli, the actor from the Twilight movies (among other film credits), is one of the writers?

I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

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