Scan barcode
literarylover37's review
4.0
I received this book through a goodreads first-reads giveaway.
The basic premise is that our main character, Cohen, is living behind a boundary line drawn by the U.S. after most of the gulf has flooded. This boundary line territory is given up by the U.S. and those who still live beneath it are stragglers, bandits, or in Cohen's case an obstinate romantic. Having lost his wife and unborn child before the line was drawn, Cohen is determined to stay on the family homestead and continue rebuilding, despite the never-ending rain. This futility is derailed when Cohen is highjacked by a young boy and girl. Unknown to him, these teenagers are themselves prisons of a man whose prophetic vision of a new world is delusional at best. Once Cohen stumbles into this camp all bets are off and Cohen begins to learn how to move on in the harshest of circumstances.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing had enough detail to really give the reader a sense of this new world but it is also written in a poetic, fluid way that keeps the story moving. I really believed that all of the characters were possible as well which is a key point in any dystopian. I have read so many of them that I know it is easy to turn to the stereotype which didn't happen here. You could definitely see how some people would come to the line to take advantage of others, others would be doomsday prophets, and still others (as we've witnessed in many natural disasters) would just refuse to leave the homes they have worked so hard for. Even the premise of the increased rate of hurricanes and rising floods was believable with all of the weather phenomena that has been witnessed in recent years. All of this believability combined with the beautiful writing style, made this a book that was both entertaining and thought-provoking.
I would recommend this book for any who likes a well-written novel, or a good dystopian work. I will certainly be looking to see what Mr. Smith writes next.
The basic premise is that our main character, Cohen, is living behind a boundary line drawn by the U.S. after most of the gulf has flooded. This boundary line territory is given up by the U.S. and those who still live beneath it are stragglers, bandits, or in Cohen's case an obstinate romantic. Having lost his wife and unborn child before the line was drawn, Cohen is determined to stay on the family homestead and continue rebuilding, despite the never-ending rain. This futility is derailed when Cohen is highjacked by a young boy and girl. Unknown to him, these teenagers are themselves prisons of a man whose prophetic vision of a new world is delusional at best. Once Cohen stumbles into this camp all bets are off and Cohen begins to learn how to move on in the harshest of circumstances.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing had enough detail to really give the reader a sense of this new world but it is also written in a poetic, fluid way that keeps the story moving. I really believed that all of the characters were possible as well which is a key point in any dystopian. I have read so many of them that I know it is easy to turn to the stereotype which didn't happen here. You could definitely see how some people would come to the line to take advantage of others, others would be doomsday prophets, and still others (as we've witnessed in many natural disasters) would just refuse to leave the homes they have worked so hard for. Even the premise of the increased rate of hurricanes and rising floods was believable with all of the weather phenomena that has been witnessed in recent years. All of this believability combined with the beautiful writing style, made this a book that was both entertaining and thought-provoking.
I would recommend this book for any who likes a well-written novel, or a good dystopian work. I will certainly be looking to see what Mr. Smith writes next.
brooke_review's review
3.0
Living in Louisiana, near the Gulf, we are often asked, “Why do you stay down there, in a place where you know you’re going to get hit by hurricanes?” It’s difficult to explain to a non-native what keeps us staying in our low-lying, swampy region, prone to the destruction of hurricanes and flooding. There’s just something about our state that you can’t get anywhere else. Anyone who has ever had to defend his reasons for living along the Gulf and maintaining a certain way of life here, will enjoy Michael Farris Smith’s novel, Rivers, a book that explores one man’s life below “The Line,” a boundary created by the U.S. government, dividing the Gulf Coast from the rest of the United States.
Rivers takes place in the near-future, in a time when the United States Gulf Coast is continuously ravished by hurricanes that make Katrina look like a walk on the beach. When the Government decides that they can no longer continue to provide services and relief to the Gulf Coast region, they draw a new United States boundary, called “The Line,” ninety miles north of the Gulf Coast. Everything from western Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle is now below The Line, an area that has no services, no resources, and no electricity. A place where those who stay behind, make their own rules.
Cohen is one of those people who decided to stay in southern Mississippi when The Line was drawn. He stays because he just can’t leave behind his home and the memories created there. However, things go horribly wrong for Cohen when he is robbed, and his Jeep and supplies are taken from him. Pretty soon, the thieves return to ransack his home and memories, which sets Cohen off on a quest to get his life back and bring those who took it from him to justice.
Rivers is a haunting tale about one man holding on to a way of life that is rapidly slipping through his fingers. This book is one part thrilling adventure, one part sentimental romance, all told beautifully in one apocalyptic package. Fans of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road will likely enjoy the lesser-known, Rivers as well, as they have a similar feel. The novel will also appeal to readers who enjoy a love story at the heart of a dystopian thriller.
NOVELIST APPEALS:
Genre: Apocalyptic fiction
Tone: Atmospheric; Bleak; Haunting
Writing Style: Compelling
Rivers takes place in the near-future, in a time when the United States Gulf Coast is continuously ravished by hurricanes that make Katrina look like a walk on the beach. When the Government decides that they can no longer continue to provide services and relief to the Gulf Coast region, they draw a new United States boundary, called “The Line,” ninety miles north of the Gulf Coast. Everything from western Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle is now below The Line, an area that has no services, no resources, and no electricity. A place where those who stay behind, make their own rules.
Cohen is one of those people who decided to stay in southern Mississippi when The Line was drawn. He stays because he just can’t leave behind his home and the memories created there. However, things go horribly wrong for Cohen when he is robbed, and his Jeep and supplies are taken from him. Pretty soon, the thieves return to ransack his home and memories, which sets Cohen off on a quest to get his life back and bring those who took it from him to justice.
Rivers is a haunting tale about one man holding on to a way of life that is rapidly slipping through his fingers. This book is one part thrilling adventure, one part sentimental romance, all told beautifully in one apocalyptic package. Fans of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road will likely enjoy the lesser-known, Rivers as well, as they have a similar feel. The novel will also appeal to readers who enjoy a love story at the heart of a dystopian thriller.
NOVELIST APPEALS:
Genre: Apocalyptic fiction
Tone: Atmospheric; Bleak; Haunting
Writing Style: Compelling
sci_mom's review
4.0
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. While there was a lot of sadness and despair in the telling, I felt the overarching theme was hope. The character development was solid and the interactions were very human. The landscape and weather should have played as big a part as the characters themselves and in earlier chapters I thought this was done well. As the book progressed, though, it seemed that there was less description, or at least it was not as vivid as it was initially, about the brutality of the weather and it took a backseat to other facts of the story. That would be my biggest criticism and the one thing that I think could've strengthened it. Overall, it is a good book and well worth reading.
sorman0110's review
5.0
Amazing writing! I love his depictions of flawed characters, full of love, anguish, desperation, and hope! Set in a post apocalyptic world where the government has decided to create “the line.” Anyone living along the coastlines of gulf coast communities from Texas to Florida, will have no law, electricity, running water, support, or help in anyway. Post Hurricane Katrina, the hurricanes have continued to ravage the area and it has been raining nonstop for over 600 days, so evacuation becomes mandatory or deal with life that is lawless.
The ending is hopeful and I cared about his characters immensely. Fast paced and action filled! Highly recommend!
The ending is hopeful and I cared about his characters immensely. Fast paced and action filled! Highly recommend!
rissaleighs's review
4.0
It's like As I Lay Dying meets Cormac McCarthy. One drawn out, absorbing gut punch. I'm very familiar with the setting of this book, know all the towns mentioned, have driven the roads described. So to see the author's apocalyptic vision layered over real places that I know was extra compelling. I'm not sure if the book would have had quite the same impact if I had not spent a couple years of my life driving on Hwy 49 every day....I didn't really love the characters, to be honest, so I was a little surprised to find myself feeling so invested in their journey and rooting for them to make it to safety. Hats off to the author.
reneesuz's review
2.0
I requested this book from the Amazon Vine program since it was written by a professor at my dd's college and is the common reading initiative for this coming school year. I tried; I really tried but it didn't hold my attention. It's not a bad book it's just not a genre that works for me.
danchrist's review
3.0
An above average yarn, but nothing on the level of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." I wanted to give it a four, and maybe it deserved the fourth star for the characters, but the prose was so flat I just couldn't. Decent yarn, and little else.
misterfix's review
4.0
I have a thing for dystopian books - heck, apparently so do a lot of folks. Can't imagine why? Oh yeah, look around.
This one was superior to the majority that I have read in that genre. Characters were believably sympathetic and not super heroes. Their flaws and weakness, illustrated by the motivations and decision making processes, made the story shine and left me satisfied.
That's all I have to offer - go read it.
This one was superior to the majority that I have read in that genre. Characters were believably sympathetic and not super heroes. Their flaws and weakness, illustrated by the motivations and decision making processes, made the story shine and left me satisfied.
That's all I have to offer - go read it.
mazza57's review
3.0
Atmospheric opening language which uses repetition to create stresses. Almost a modern day Noah's ark but not as convivial. The people were driven by basic needs such as hunger and shelter and violence is always there. A bit lengthy and lost its power at times.