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bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
Brutal and good. More complete review to come.
Complete review:
For a long time, I was on a YA kick. I read pretty much every dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel I could get my hands on, and I started noticing a trend after a while. Some of the initial offerings were good, and I really enjoyed them, but then the genre seemed to descend into a pit of derivative teen angst and general sameness that I found excruciatingly boring. I was aware that adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels existed, and I've read and enjoyed many of them, but availability was more of an issue. I also found a profound difference between YA and adult novels in the genre. While the YA novels could be brutal and bleak, most often there was ultimately a triumph on the part of the main characters, whereas adults novels of the genre tended to be more pessimistic, sometimes to the extent of being downright nihilistic. This novel, I'm happy to say, falls somewhere between the two. This review will be as spoiler-free as possible, because I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the stunning, stark beauty of this novel.
The novel gets off to a strong start, with an odd birth. I was a little confused because the description made this sound like a straight post-apocalyptic novel, and the beginning chapter made things sound supernatural. As I progressed with the book, more supernatural elements cropped up, though they're given something of a scientific spin. Despite its fantasy-like elements, I didn't think this book crossed over into pure fantasy. I don't know if I'd call the supernatural aspects plausible, but the book does offer up some interesting questions to which we have no real answers at this point. Given the changes to Earth in the novel, the mind does tend to start speculating about what might happen. Percy uses a fairly light hand with these elements as well, so they don't end up overwhelming the ultimate thrust of the story.
When it comes to setting, this book is superb. Each setting is distinct, but there are also distinct similarities between them, with the possible exception of the very first setting in the book, about which we don't hear much. Lewis and Clark's trek across this new America is harrowing, and though the landscape never varies far from being some version of brutal, it does change in profound and interesting ways. I can't think of a single setting in this novel that didn't fascinate me. Though what remains of St. Louis is the setting in which most of the book takes place, Percy does an excellent job of painting his other settings as well, even when no more than a page or two of the action happens in them. I had a very vivid picture in my head, enough to convince me that I'd never want to live in Percy's version of what remains of the U.S.
Make no mistake, this book is not a happy one. Various forms of brutality take place throughout the course of the novel, from humans brutalizing other humans in a variety of ways to nature brutalizing humans. None of it felt gratuitous, though there were scenes that made my toes curl, in particular one between Ella and Slade. Percy draws a lot of beautiful parallels. Man brutalizes nature, and now nature brutalizes man in return. But what's surprising about this, considering the myriad of unconscionable ways in which man brutalizes man? It's as if the land is reflecting the behavior of humanity and throwing it back at them. Yet the book never fully loses its sense of hope, and there are lovely moments in the novel. Omitting this element from books does them a severe detriment, I think, because without hope what's the point? At various times in this book characters do feel hopeless, but the spark never entirely dies, and they often recover from their hopelessness and find new purpose.
The characters are very well drawn, and I cared a great deal about them. All are very flawed in a variety of ways. Some characters, like Slade and the mayor are downright villainous, but not in a mustache-twirling way. Percy provides plausible and eminently believable reasons for their behavior. Even the "good" guys, like Clark and Lewis aren't without major flaws, and it makes them three dimensional. I alternated between liking and despising some of them, but I always cared about them, and that's crucial for any well-done book.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Percy's haunting, lyrical writing style. The way he arranges sentences is beautiful, even as it's starkly brutal. There's no flowery prose to be found in this book, yet it was some of the prettiest writing I've read in a while. Percy is adept with language.
So why four stars instead of five? Though I didn't hate the supernatural elements, as I said, they were a bit of a minus for me. This is a strong book, and I very much enjoyed it, but sometimes the supernatural bits added a little more superhero feel to the novel than I really wanted. Still, I thought the ending was left open enough to allow the possibility of a sequel, and if that does happen, I would be very interested in reading it.
Complete review:
For a long time, I was on a YA kick. I read pretty much every dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel I could get my hands on, and I started noticing a trend after a while. Some of the initial offerings were good, and I really enjoyed them, but then the genre seemed to descend into a pit of derivative teen angst and general sameness that I found excruciatingly boring. I was aware that adult dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels existed, and I've read and enjoyed many of them, but availability was more of an issue. I also found a profound difference between YA and adult novels in the genre. While the YA novels could be brutal and bleak, most often there was ultimately a triumph on the part of the main characters, whereas adults novels of the genre tended to be more pessimistic, sometimes to the extent of being downright nihilistic. This novel, I'm happy to say, falls somewhere between the two. This review will be as spoiler-free as possible, because I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the stunning, stark beauty of this novel.
The novel gets off to a strong start, with an odd birth. I was a little confused because the description made this sound like a straight post-apocalyptic novel, and the beginning chapter made things sound supernatural. As I progressed with the book, more supernatural elements cropped up, though they're given something of a scientific spin. Despite its fantasy-like elements, I didn't think this book crossed over into pure fantasy. I don't know if I'd call the supernatural aspects plausible, but the book does offer up some interesting questions to which we have no real answers at this point. Given the changes to Earth in the novel, the mind does tend to start speculating about what might happen. Percy uses a fairly light hand with these elements as well, so they don't end up overwhelming the ultimate thrust of the story.
When it comes to setting, this book is superb. Each setting is distinct, but there are also distinct similarities between them, with the possible exception of the very first setting in the book, about which we don't hear much. Lewis and Clark's trek across this new America is harrowing, and though the landscape never varies far from being some version of brutal, it does change in profound and interesting ways. I can't think of a single setting in this novel that didn't fascinate me. Though what remains of St. Louis is the setting in which most of the book takes place, Percy does an excellent job of painting his other settings as well, even when no more than a page or two of the action happens in them. I had a very vivid picture in my head, enough to convince me that I'd never want to live in Percy's version of what remains of the U.S.
Make no mistake, this book is not a happy one. Various forms of brutality take place throughout the course of the novel, from humans brutalizing other humans in a variety of ways to nature brutalizing humans. None of it felt gratuitous, though there were scenes that made my toes curl, in particular one between Ella and Slade. Percy draws a lot of beautiful parallels. Man brutalizes nature, and now nature brutalizes man in return. But what's surprising about this, considering the myriad of unconscionable ways in which man brutalizes man? It's as if the land is reflecting the behavior of humanity and throwing it back at them. Yet the book never fully loses its sense of hope, and there are lovely moments in the novel. Omitting this element from books does them a severe detriment, I think, because without hope what's the point? At various times in this book characters do feel hopeless, but the spark never entirely dies, and they often recover from their hopelessness and find new purpose.
The characters are very well drawn, and I cared a great deal about them. All are very flawed in a variety of ways. Some characters, like Slade and the mayor are downright villainous, but not in a mustache-twirling way. Percy provides plausible and eminently believable reasons for their behavior. Even the "good" guys, like Clark and Lewis aren't without major flaws, and it makes them three dimensional. I alternated between liking and despising some of them, but I always cared about them, and that's crucial for any well-done book.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Percy's haunting, lyrical writing style. The way he arranges sentences is beautiful, even as it's starkly brutal. There's no flowery prose to be found in this book, yet it was some of the prettiest writing I've read in a while. Percy is adept with language.
So why four stars instead of five? Though I didn't hate the supernatural elements, as I said, they were a bit of a minus for me. This is a strong book, and I very much enjoyed it, but sometimes the supernatural bits added a little more superhero feel to the novel than I really wanted. Still, I thought the ending was left open enough to allow the possibility of a sequel, and if that does happen, I would be very interested in reading it.
straylight's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting, and dark, but the characters somehow lacked in depth, I felt like. I didn't get as attached to them as I have with some, and that led to a difficulty in feeling very involved in the story itself. However, it does make for an interesting exploration of a post-apocalyptic America, and the use of historical names is strangely engaging.
raesock's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed most of this book very much. By about halfway through I was DYING to know what was going to happen and loving the journey I was on. The Author didn't shy away from uncomfortable outcomes and I really wasn't sure where things were going. Then the ending I had been waiting for was suddenly there and done and it felt so rushed. A big let down, what a bummer.
gatun's review against another edition
5.0
I think my love affair with apocalypse literature has to do with being a child of the cold war. I have some many favorites from the old classics. When a new entry in the genre comes up, I am always eager to see how it stands up. For those who have a preferred method of ending the world, do not despair: The Dead Lands' apocalypse has two. It creates a unique post apocalyptic world.
Two of the main characters have the surnames of Lewis and Clark. They start the story in St. Louis, but due to a series of events/circumstances, they set out for the Pacific northwest coast. They are using maps that were from the world before. They do not know what dangers they will face from the elements, mutated animals or other humans. The one character, Lewis, keeps a journal where he is recording their progress and also what they find as they travel through the apt named dead lands.
I enjoyed that the characters were not two dimensional. Even a minor character had a more robust presence than main characters in some books I have read. The descriptions of the landscapes, animals and people were terrific. I had no problems picturing what the author was seeing when he wrote those descriptions. The explanation for how the world ended was believable. The science he used in explaining the apocalypse and it's aftermath was understandable and rational.
It wasn't until approximately the last fifty pages that I had an issues. I was left with a couple of unanswered questions and wasn't madly in love with how the resolution of the story was achieved or the epilogue. Quite honestly, it may not be the author's fault. When I read a book I enjoy, I tend to gulp it down. The questions that went unanswered by the end of the book may have been answered, I just missed them. I will have to reread it again in the near future.
I would recommend The Dead Lands to anyone who enjoys good fiction. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a love affair with post apocalypse fiction. If you have read any of Mr. Percy's previous works, you will love The Dead Lands. Which reminds me, if you have not read the author's previous book, Red Moon, go buy/borrow,rent it now. Best. Werewolf. Story. Ever.
Two of the main characters have the surnames of Lewis and Clark. They start the story in St. Louis, but due to a series of events/circumstances, they set out for the Pacific northwest coast. They are using maps that were from the world before. They do not know what dangers they will face from the elements, mutated animals or other humans. The one character, Lewis, keeps a journal where he is recording their progress and also what they find as they travel through the apt named dead lands.
I enjoyed that the characters were not two dimensional. Even a minor character had a more robust presence than main characters in some books I have read. The descriptions of the landscapes, animals and people were terrific. I had no problems picturing what the author was seeing when he wrote those descriptions. The explanation for how the world ended was believable. The science he used in explaining the apocalypse and it's aftermath was understandable and rational.
It wasn't until approximately the last fifty pages that I had an issues. I was left with a couple of unanswered questions and wasn't madly in love with how the resolution of the story was achieved or the epilogue. Quite honestly, it may not be the author's fault. When I read a book I enjoy, I tend to gulp it down. The questions that went unanswered by the end of the book may have been answered, I just missed them. I will have to reread it again in the near future.
I would recommend The Dead Lands to anyone who enjoys good fiction. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has a love affair with post apocalypse fiction. If you have read any of Mr. Percy's previous works, you will love The Dead Lands. Which reminds me, if you have not read the author's previous book, Red Moon, go buy/borrow,rent it now. Best. Werewolf. Story. Ever.
literarylover37's review against another edition
5.0
This was great! I'd love to see more stories from this world. I'm definitely going to pick up Percy's other books.
shoosha's review against another edition
3.0
It's a solid read. A bit too cinematic of a style than I usually like. The premise is amazing but the follow through gets muddled by too many threads to hold onto. I liked it enough though to keep reading and was engaged throughout.
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
If man-sized, blood-sucking albino bats freak you out, The Dead Lands might not be the best book for you.
If you can handle the squickiness and enjoy alternate histories and post-apocalyptic societies, read on!
In The Dead Lands, the action begins in the Sanctuary, formerly known as St. Louis, Missouri, approximately 150 years after a global flu pandemic and subsequent nuclear warhead detonations and reactor meltdowns destroy the world as we know it. The Sanctuary is a parched, cramped little insular world, surrounded by a massive wall that keeps all the bad out -- and keeps its residents in. Water is scarce and growing scarcer. Residents of the Sanctuary are convinced that they're it, all that's left of humanity in this miserable world.
The Sanctuary is ruled with an iron fist by the mayor, an autocratic dictator who suffers no dissent and who has instituted a policy of harsh punishment, including a brutally disgusting death penalty, for anyone who dares to criticize the regime, even by so much as a drunken comment in a bar among friends.
The sole spot of peace and possible civility in this harsh settlement is in the museum, run by Lewis Meriwether, a reclusive, odd, studious man who is both feared and respected by the residents of the Sanctuary. People flock to the museum to bask in the wonders of bygone worlds, despite the curator's strangeness.
Life in the Sanctuary is disrupted when a rider appears from out of the dust -- a girl on horseback, with all black eyes, bearing a message and begging to be heard. She is shot before she can deliver the message and is immediately captured and sentenced to death -- but the message gets through all the same. She brings word of another civilization, on the Oregon coast, where there is rain and agriculture and a thriving community. The mayor wants nothing of this and tries to keep it secret, but Meriwether and a guard named Mina Clark agree to join the messenger, Gawea, and together with a few others, carry out a desperate escape from their walled city.
Do the names ring a bell? Lewis and Clark? Gawea... as in Sacagawea? The Dead Lands reimagines the Lewis & Clark expedition in this harsh, dead world, as our band of escapees flees through the barren, dry areas outside of the Sanctuary, following the dried-up bed of the Missouri River in search of water, shelter, and salvation. Along the way, they face untold horrors and dangers. Due to the high post-disaster radiation levels, all sorts of horrible mutations have taken place, so that the albino bats are but one nasty specimen that wants to eat, kill, or maim the travelers. Hazardous landscapes pose endless threats, as the oil fields continue to burn, creating micro nuclear winters, and the few signs of life they do see come with new and strange risks. And as the group travels onward, we see that animals and vegetation aren't the only forms of life that have evolved in strange ways due to radiation. Lewis exhibits weird, almost magical telekinetic abilities, and Gawea has powers of her own.
The imagery throughout The Dead Lands is horror-novel worthy. (Did I mention the albino bats already?) It's bleak, dark, and dismal. Very bad things happen. Nightmarish creatures arrive out of nowhere. As soon as one threat is dealt with, another appears to take its place. And as you might expect, people turn out to be the biggest threat of all. Because, of course, a utopian agrarian society in the Pacific Northwest is probably too good to be true, right? The other humans out there are vicious in their own way, and as happens so often in this type of book, those who can seize power do, and everyone else is forced into one form of servitude or another.
There are some very interesting concepts, including the reestablishment of city-states as small empires. The suffering of the people, in the Sanctuary as well as elsewhere, makes you marvel that anyone bothers to survive at all, given how horrible it all is. The people with power are awful and self-aggrandizing and unbelievably decadent, reminding me of the worst of the Roman emperors, perhaps, indulging in wasteful, steamy hot baths while the common folks quench their thirst via animal blood, sucking rocks, and worse.
Setting the story in the future, yet including characters from American history, makes everything feel very circular. Is slavery inevitable in human societies? Is the impulse for the strong to dehumanize the weak somehow hardwired into our DNA? In The Dead Lands, it certainly seems that way. Does a totalitarian society encourage those with sadistic tendencies to rise to power? If the Sheriff of the Sanctuary is any indication, that would be a yes.
The writing in The Dead Lands is wildly disturbing and imaginative. While the explorers push forward, even when it seems pointless and impossible, it's not from a true sense of hope, but rather because there simply is no alternative but to keep going.
Do I recommend The Dead Lands? Yes, but only for those with a strong stomach and a willingness to read a book that is terribly unpleasant and often horrific. It's disturbing and sometimes icky, and I'd be scared to death to read this on a camping trip with only a campfire to ward off all the nightmares waiting in the dark. The world of The Dead Lands is as awful as the title promises, so don't expect moments of grace or redemption along the way. Most of all, don't get too attached to any of the characters. Bad things happen. To lots of people.
Have I scared you away from this book yet? I'm glad I read it, really, I am! But it's heavy and morbid, and you should know that before you start. As for me, I think I'll track down a copy of the author's previous novel, Red Moon, which also sounds quite disturbing. (I think I'd better read some books about kitties and unicorns first.)
The full version of this review appears at Bookshelf Fantasies. Review copy via NetGalley.
If you can handle the squickiness and enjoy alternate histories and post-apocalyptic societies, read on!
In The Dead Lands, the action begins in the Sanctuary, formerly known as St. Louis, Missouri, approximately 150 years after a global flu pandemic and subsequent nuclear warhead detonations and reactor meltdowns destroy the world as we know it. The Sanctuary is a parched, cramped little insular world, surrounded by a massive wall that keeps all the bad out -- and keeps its residents in. Water is scarce and growing scarcer. Residents of the Sanctuary are convinced that they're it, all that's left of humanity in this miserable world.
The Sanctuary is ruled with an iron fist by the mayor, an autocratic dictator who suffers no dissent and who has instituted a policy of harsh punishment, including a brutally disgusting death penalty, for anyone who dares to criticize the regime, even by so much as a drunken comment in a bar among friends.
The sole spot of peace and possible civility in this harsh settlement is in the museum, run by Lewis Meriwether, a reclusive, odd, studious man who is both feared and respected by the residents of the Sanctuary. People flock to the museum to bask in the wonders of bygone worlds, despite the curator's strangeness.
Life in the Sanctuary is disrupted when a rider appears from out of the dust -- a girl on horseback, with all black eyes, bearing a message and begging to be heard. She is shot before she can deliver the message and is immediately captured and sentenced to death -- but the message gets through all the same. She brings word of another civilization, on the Oregon coast, where there is rain and agriculture and a thriving community. The mayor wants nothing of this and tries to keep it secret, but Meriwether and a guard named Mina Clark agree to join the messenger, Gawea, and together with a few others, carry out a desperate escape from their walled city.
Do the names ring a bell? Lewis and Clark? Gawea... as in Sacagawea? The Dead Lands reimagines the Lewis & Clark expedition in this harsh, dead world, as our band of escapees flees through the barren, dry areas outside of the Sanctuary, following the dried-up bed of the Missouri River in search of water, shelter, and salvation. Along the way, they face untold horrors and dangers. Due to the high post-disaster radiation levels, all sorts of horrible mutations have taken place, so that the albino bats are but one nasty specimen that wants to eat, kill, or maim the travelers. Hazardous landscapes pose endless threats, as the oil fields continue to burn, creating micro nuclear winters, and the few signs of life they do see come with new and strange risks. And as the group travels onward, we see that animals and vegetation aren't the only forms of life that have evolved in strange ways due to radiation. Lewis exhibits weird, almost magical telekinetic abilities, and Gawea has powers of her own.
The imagery throughout The Dead Lands is horror-novel worthy. (Did I mention the albino bats already?) It's bleak, dark, and dismal. Very bad things happen. Nightmarish creatures arrive out of nowhere. As soon as one threat is dealt with, another appears to take its place. And as you might expect, people turn out to be the biggest threat of all. Because, of course, a utopian agrarian society in the Pacific Northwest is probably too good to be true, right? The other humans out there are vicious in their own way, and as happens so often in this type of book, those who can seize power do, and everyone else is forced into one form of servitude or another.
There are some very interesting concepts, including the reestablishment of city-states as small empires. The suffering of the people, in the Sanctuary as well as elsewhere, makes you marvel that anyone bothers to survive at all, given how horrible it all is. The people with power are awful and self-aggrandizing and unbelievably decadent, reminding me of the worst of the Roman emperors, perhaps, indulging in wasteful, steamy hot baths while the common folks quench their thirst via animal blood, sucking rocks, and worse.
Setting the story in the future, yet including characters from American history, makes everything feel very circular. Is slavery inevitable in human societies? Is the impulse for the strong to dehumanize the weak somehow hardwired into our DNA? In The Dead Lands, it certainly seems that way. Does a totalitarian society encourage those with sadistic tendencies to rise to power? If the Sheriff of the Sanctuary is any indication, that would be a yes.
The writing in The Dead Lands is wildly disturbing and imaginative. While the explorers push forward, even when it seems pointless and impossible, it's not from a true sense of hope, but rather because there simply is no alternative but to keep going.
Not so long ago Lewis believed in the end of the rainbow. A shire. An emerald city. Elysian fields. What his childhood storybooks promised. He believed, back when they first set out from the Sanctuary, that something arcadian awaited them. Not anymore. Now now. Not when he sees the bone-riddled ruins of Bozeman. It is not only the landscape that disappoints. It is humankind. Inside and outside the wall, humans remain the same, capable of wonderful things, yes, but more often excelling in ruin.
Do I recommend The Dead Lands? Yes, but only for those with a strong stomach and a willingness to read a book that is terribly unpleasant and often horrific. It's disturbing and sometimes icky, and I'd be scared to death to read this on a camping trip with only a campfire to ward off all the nightmares waiting in the dark. The world of The Dead Lands is as awful as the title promises, so don't expect moments of grace or redemption along the way. Most of all, don't get too attached to any of the characters. Bad things happen. To lots of people.
Have I scared you away from this book yet? I'm glad I read it, really, I am! But it's heavy and morbid, and you should know that before you start. As for me, I think I'll track down a copy of the author's previous novel, Red Moon, which also sounds quite disturbing. (I think I'd better read some books about kitties and unicorns first.)
The full version of this review appears at Bookshelf Fantasies. Review copy via NetGalley.
matosapa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lckrgr's review against another edition
4.0
So I received this book as a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. Now that that is out of the way. I really enjoyed this book. I have somehow ended up reading a lot of post-apocalyptic killer flu remaking of society books this past year and this was no exception.
Percy does a great job with characterization making characters that are unique, passionate, and flawed. I appreciated that Lewis and Clark were not saintly protagonists. I like that the evil characters were really perverse yet always believe that they were doing what was "best."
But the biggest achievement of this novel was creating such an amazing and vivid universe for these characters to exist within. I wish I could explain this more coherently, but it was both astounding and frightening. His imagery was smart and as much as one can believe it to be true, a reasonable rendition of what a post-apocalyptic America would resemble.
On top of everything, I also just really liked that it was built around the Lewis and Clark explorations, that became very satisfyingly full circle by the end of the book.
Percy does a great job with characterization making characters that are unique, passionate, and flawed. I appreciated that Lewis and Clark were not saintly protagonists. I like that the evil characters were really perverse yet always believe that they were doing what was "best."
But the biggest achievement of this novel was creating such an amazing and vivid universe for these characters to exist within. I wish I could explain this more coherently, but it was both astounding and frightening. His imagery was smart and as much as one can believe it to be true, a reasonable rendition of what a post-apocalyptic America would resemble.
On top of everything, I also just really liked that it was built around the Lewis and Clark explorations, that became very satisfyingly full circle by the end of the book.