Scan barcode
A review by alongreader
Where the River Runs Gold by Sita Brahmachari
3.0
3.5 rounded up. Years after a devastating hurricane, Kairos City is divided into three strata; Paragons, Freedoms and Foragers. Freedom children labour on Freedom Farms, hand pollinating the plants that feed everyone. Shifa is determined that she and her brother Themba will not wither away there. She hatches a plan to run for it and expose the Farms.
I want to rate this higher, as it's fabulously written, looks at a very possible future for our planet, and covers a lot of good topics. However, two small things prevented me. Even after reading it, I'm not sure how the divisions came into play or how they're enforced. I think Shifa and Themba are Freedoms with a carer, so they don't have Freedom as a surname, but I'm not sure, and I don't know what Lottie is.
The other problem is that it doesn't seem to occur to anyone to wonder why a company whose mandate is to feed as many people as possible is wasting space and workers' time on lilies, roses and bird of paradise flowers. Sunflowers I can understand, as the seeds are a food source, but as far as I know the others just look pretty. Shifa evens notes that the smell has been bred out of them.
However, apart from those two things, this is an amazing book with a wonderful heroine and I recommend it to everyone. Even if I did cry a lot at the end.
Receiving a proof copy did not affect my review in any way.
"That's it then! You lot had better get your acts together when we're gone. You're on your own now with the bad apples!" Chirelle sighed. When they went off to shower, Shifa hovered by the door, listening.
Ailish's voice drifted through the shower water's flow. "I feel like we're abandoning a sinking ship. It was nothing like this when we got here. It's only when I see it though Shifa's eyes that I realise how bad it's got. It's like a whole new regime. I don't know how we survived it."
"We had each other! Shifa's not our problem now. We're out of here!" Chirelle said as the shower water cut out.
I want to rate this higher, as it's fabulously written, looks at a very possible future for our planet, and covers a lot of good topics. However, two small things prevented me. Even after reading it, I'm not sure how the divisions came into play or how they're enforced. I think Shifa and Themba are Freedoms with a carer, so they don't have Freedom as a surname, but I'm not sure, and I don't know what Lottie is.
The other problem is that it doesn't seem to occur to anyone to wonder why a company whose mandate is to feed as many people as possible is wasting space and workers' time on lilies, roses and bird of paradise flowers. Sunflowers I can understand, as the seeds are a food source, but as far as I know the others just look pretty. Shifa evens notes that the smell has been bred out of them.
However, apart from those two things, this is an amazing book with a wonderful heroine and I recommend it to everyone. Even if I did cry a lot at the end.
Receiving a proof copy did not affect my review in any way.
"That's it then! You lot had better get your acts together when we're gone. You're on your own now with the bad apples!" Chirelle sighed. When they went off to shower, Shifa hovered by the door, listening.
Ailish's voice drifted through the shower water's flow. "I feel like we're abandoning a sinking ship. It was nothing like this when we got here. It's only when I see it though Shifa's eyes that I realise how bad it's got. It's like a whole new regime. I don't know how we survived it."
"We had each other! Shifa's not our problem now. We're out of here!" Chirelle said as the shower water cut out.