Synopsis
They tell me the country looked different back then.
They talk of open borders and flowing rivers.
They say the world was green.
But drought swept across the globe and the United States of the past disappeared under a burning sky.
Enora Byrnes lives in the aftermath, a barren world where water has become the global currency. In a life dominated by duty to family and community, Enora is offered a role within an entity that controls everything from water credits to borders. But it becomes clear that not all is as it seems. From the wasted confines of her small town to the bowels of a hidden city, Enora will uncover buried secrets that hide an unthinkable reality.
As truth reveals the brutal face of what she has become, she must ask herself: how far will she go to retain her humanity?
General Information
Genre : Young Adult / Dystopian
eBook : 289 pages
ASIN : B07D2X7YSY
Publisher : Self Published
Author : Kristen Ward - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149425.Kristin_Ward
Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D2X7YSY/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07D2X7YSY&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
Triggers: Swearing | Human Experimentation | Police Brutality
Review
- SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT*
This book was provided directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cape Town has been experiencing a water shortage since 2015 due to the winters being very dry; the rain being very sporadic with long stretches of heat between each downpour.
"Day Zero" may have been just recently avoided but heavy water restrictions are still in place, hoping to ensure that our dams don't run dry.
“Day Zero” would herald the start of Level 7 water restrictions, where municipal water supplies would largely be switched off and residents would have to queue for their daily ration of water, making the City of Cape Town the first major city in the world to potentially run out of water.
However dry and short of water it's people may be, the country is still beautifully green and lush. But what if it wasn't...?
What if there was arid land everywhere the eye can see? What if people had to work for water credits instead of money? What if the water supplies were shut off entirely, worldwide, every Tuesday?
Enora Byrnes is born into such a world, where people work for water, food is exorbitantly expensive and in short supply, wearing clothes that cannot be washed... She doesn't know what it used to be like - they told her it was green, but she just can't imagine it.
About to leave high school, Enora gets drafted to work for the DMC, the pseudo-government like corporation which started implementing a plan to save water before the disaster happened and is now virtually running the world. But secrets and lies confront her at every corner, disguising horrific goings-on from the face of the world... She finds herself caught in a web of deceit and doesn't know who to turn to for help or support, trying not to endanger herself or her family, but unable to live with the lies...
After The Green Withered portrays a very believable realistic future...
Although having a bit of a slow start, with the intro bit sounding a lot like a history lesson, Kristin spins an incredibly well written story; fast paced and intriguing, keeping the reader guessing at the turn of every page. Disturbingly vivid imagery and thought provoking subjects are all meshed together beautifully.
I adore the characters that Kristin has brought to life; especially Enora - strong willed, determined, fiercely loyal to a fault & highly protective of her family. She doesn't trust easily or delude herself with false hope for too long. Her growth through the book was en pointe and I cannot wait to see who she becomes in book 2, Burden Of Truth.
The only thing I can think of that would make this book a little better is a map in the front, maybe... it would hit home all the more with a visual of what the world would look like.
I highly recommend After the Green Withered to all and sundry; it is really, really good - but remember to have a glass of water nearby, you may get really thirsty!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town_water_crisis
I cannot wait to get my hands on Burden of Truth and continue Enora's story. Have you read this? Do you want to read it? Have you ever faced water shortages? Let us know in the comments below.
As always, sharing is caring, so don't forget to like and share. Until next time...
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