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A review by diz_tn
Botanicaust by Tam Linsey, Tamsin Ley
5.0
First off, let me just say that if I had realized there was a big religious undertone to this book I probably wouldn't have picked it. Let me tell you why this book is different from any other one you've read though.
Botanicaust is a post-apocalyptic thriller that is unlike any others. It starts off a little slow and, frankly, is hard to connect to because the reader is not told what actually happened to destroy civilization until halfway through the book. The tension the "not knowing" created is what kept me reading though.
The Holdout is an old religious order (Christian based) that survived the Botanicaust. They are mostly cast as the "good guys" even though the protagonist, Levi, a resident of the Holdout, begins the story by defying the order of his leaders to stay within the fence of their compound. During his journey and subsequent trials in the outside world to find a cure for his son, who has cystic fibrosis, he constantly questions his religious beliefs. Yet even until the end of the book, the Holdout members are portrayed as good. Meanwhile, there are 3 forms of "bad guys" - cannibals, people who genetically altered themselves with plant DNA so that they could photosynthesize, and people who genetically altered themselves to stop aging. As each of the characters reveals their true selves through their actions and behavior, the lines between good and bad begin to blur for the reader just as they do for Levi.
The arguments Levi makes to himself and to others about the place of religion in society were thought-provoking and powerful. This was not your usual uninspired and conventional arguments for or against religion. Neither were they out of context or preachy. All the religious talk was done strictly within the context and confines of the plot. It was refreshing to be able to read a Christian(ish?) book that didn't sound like a moral judgment on me personally.
There were a couple of other things that set this book apart from other post-apocalyptic ones. First, this one is set several hundred years AFTER the created apocalypse. This setting changes the tone of the book from one of basic survival to one of creating a BETTER world. Second, the stated apocalypse is totally unique from anything else I've ever read, and thus the societies and characters are new and interesting. Third, there aren't really any stereotypes or flat characters like you often see in this genre. As I mentioned, each character shows growth or reveals hidden motives that make them real.
All of these things make for a great book. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. Also recommended for adult Christian readers who are looking for something a little different (warning though - there is a little bit of sex and cursing in the book).
Botanicaust is a post-apocalyptic thriller that is unlike any others. It starts off a little slow and, frankly, is hard to connect to because the reader is not told what actually happened to destroy civilization until halfway through the book. The tension the "not knowing" created is what kept me reading though.
The Holdout is an old religious order (Christian based) that survived the Botanicaust. They are mostly cast as the "good guys" even though the protagonist, Levi, a resident of the Holdout, begins the story by defying the order of his leaders to stay within the fence of their compound. During his journey and subsequent trials in the outside world to find a cure for his son, who has cystic fibrosis, he constantly questions his religious beliefs. Yet even until the end of the book, the Holdout members are portrayed as good. Meanwhile, there are 3 forms of "bad guys" - cannibals, people who genetically altered themselves with plant DNA so that they could photosynthesize, and people who genetically altered themselves to stop aging. As each of the characters reveals their true selves through their actions and behavior, the lines between good and bad begin to blur for the reader just as they do for Levi.
The arguments Levi makes to himself and to others about the place of religion in society were thought-provoking and powerful. This was not your usual uninspired and conventional arguments for or against religion. Neither were they out of context or preachy. All the religious talk was done strictly within the context and confines of the plot. It was refreshing to be able to read a Christian(ish?) book that didn't sound like a moral judgment on me personally.
There were a couple of other things that set this book apart from other post-apocalyptic ones. First, this one is set several hundred years AFTER the created apocalypse. This setting changes the tone of the book from one of basic survival to one of creating a BETTER world. Second, the stated apocalypse is totally unique from anything else I've ever read, and thus the societies and characters are new and interesting. Third, there aren't really any stereotypes or flat characters like you often see in this genre. As I mentioned, each character shows growth or reveals hidden motives that make them real.
All of these things make for a great book. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy post-apocalyptic stories. Also recommended for adult Christian readers who are looking for something a little different (warning though - there is a little bit of sex and cursing in the book).