Ultimate Blog Tour: After The Green Withered by Kristin Ward

Hello everyone,

I am very happy and excited to be taking part in my first ever blog tour! And it is not just any blog tour…it is the first of what we hope to be many Ultimate Blog Tours organised by the WriteReads. Thank you so much to Dave for the opportunity, and to Kristin Ward for letting us read her fabulous book!

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?

Review

The further I ventured into this story, the more gripping it became. It is an imaginative and often powerful read that brought together a detailed and well conceived dystopian setting, interesting characters, and thoughtful, descriptive writing.

It all begins by introducing an intriguing concept which provides the basis for a sinister plot that gradually gathers both pace and tension. I felt like it built in accordance with how the protagonist, Enora, develops from being a innocent child living with her parents, to learning about the horrific realities of the world in which she lives.

The prologue felt like a bit of an info-dump, but overall I was impressed by the world-building, which was vivid and well-developed, helping to give the book a very oppressive atmosphere. This is further enhanced by how the DMC is presented as a ruthless, autocratic entity where the most hardened members are described as lacking essential human traits.

The whole idea of water credits and having water as a main currency was fantastic. It was also pretty frightful to read about in some ways, especially during a time where climate change is such a relevant and pressing topic. So this is a dystopian novel, but based on an issue that could become very real.

For me, the biggest strength of the book was how Enora’s conflicting emotions were conveyed throughout. As she moves through the ranks at the DMC, she faces an ongoing battle with her conscience as she uncovers each new and disturbing secret about the corporation. The writing here is very effective, and is the aspect of the story that I connected with the most.

I quite liked Enora. She has a good storyline, and as the novel moves further along her experiences make her more determined to really stand up for what is right, which sets things up nicely for the next book in the series. It will be interesting to find out what path her rebellion will take, and also to find out more about some of the other characters in the sequel, as there seems to be much more to the likes of Springer and Bram than we have learned so far.

The writing was detailed and well structured, and I liked how metaphors and analogies were used to describe the internal battle of Enora’s thought processes. However, my main criticism is that at times there is just too much description and not enough dialogue, which made some parts of the book feel a bit long-winded.

And as for the ending, well it is quite a cliffhanger! I am truly fascinated to find out what happens next – it makes the sequel a really enticing prospect!

So on the whole, I found this an enjoyable read. The world Kristin Ward has built is superbly realised, the characters are fairly complex with extra layers still to discover, and some of the writing is very effective. It will definitely draw comparison with other YA dystopian books, but taking it on its own merits, I liked it.

The Author

Kristin Ward has loved writing since middle school but took thirty years to do something serious about it. The result is her Best Indie Book Award-winning novel, After the Green Withered, followed by the sequel, Burden of Truth.

She lives in a small town in Connecticut with her husband, three sons, and many furry and feathered friends. A SciFi geek to the core, she is fueled by dark chocolate and coffee and can be heard quoting eighties movies on a regular basis.

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Verdict

A very enjoyable dystopian read with an absorbing world that is full of great ideas. Had it contained a bit more action and less description, it would have been even better.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

• I was given a free e-copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.