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A review by tanyamariereads
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
4.0
I cannot believe this is Kassandra Montag’s first novel. I was engaged from start to finish. It’s been a while since I’ve read a dystopian novel and this will go amongst my top recommendations for the genre.
The story is set 100 years in the future when the Earth has been mostly flooded and the human race has to cling to the small amounts of land and resources left. Readers follow Myra and her daughter Pearl on their journey to reunite with Row, Myra’s other daughter who was taken by her father Jacob years ago. After an encounter with a raider, Myra is led to believe that Row is in the Valley, which is the remains of Greenland. Myra is determined to make her way from the Pacific coastline all the way north to reunite with her daughter.
I will admit that this is a bleak story. I’ve seen some reviews saying that was their main gripe with the novel, but I suppose I wasn’t too phased by it since it’s what I would expect out of a dystopian novel. Despite its bleakness, my favorite thing about this story was having a flawed mother as the main character. I’m not saying flawed in a judgmental way, I mean it in the best way possible. Motherhood is so complicated and complex and I think too often we find women that are either deemed perfect or horrible in that role in literature. Myra has many layers to her. She has self-doubt about being a good mother to Pearl, she’s relentless in her journey to reunite with Row, and she’s a natural leader during times of trouble. I’m excited to read any novels that Kassandra Montag publishes in the future.
The story is set 100 years in the future when the Earth has been mostly flooded and the human race has to cling to the small amounts of land and resources left. Readers follow Myra and her daughter Pearl on their journey to reunite with Row, Myra’s other daughter who was taken by her father Jacob years ago. After an encounter with a raider, Myra is led to believe that Row is in the Valley, which is the remains of Greenland. Myra is determined to make her way from the Pacific coastline all the way north to reunite with her daughter.
I will admit that this is a bleak story. I’ve seen some reviews saying that was their main gripe with the novel, but I suppose I wasn’t too phased by it since it’s what I would expect out of a dystopian novel. Despite its bleakness, my favorite thing about this story was having a flawed mother as the main character. I’m not saying flawed in a judgmental way, I mean it in the best way possible. Motherhood is so complicated and complex and I think too often we find women that are either deemed perfect or horrible in that role in literature. Myra has many layers to her. She has self-doubt about being a good mother to Pearl, she’s relentless in her journey to reunite with Row, and she’s a natural leader during times of trouble. I’m excited to read any novels that Kassandra Montag publishes in the future.