Love Gaia 

by T.L. Clark 

3 out of 5 

Synopsis 

The future is history!

To avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, Aroha and her classmates must learn harsh lessons.

Having led a sheltered life, their history is shocking. Nobody should have to endure what Dr. Rachel and her inmates were put through. Yet it was seemingly necessary.

The burden of responsibility lies heavily upon their shoulders.

Remember to maintain, “Honesty, Respect, Fortitude,” as you read this thrilling and agonizing tale of devastation, survival and hope.

– A post-nuclear war, dystopian vs. utopian, environmental romance

NB/Mature content

Not suitable for those with claustrophobia

The events in this book are supposed to be fictional 

Review 

The time has come for Aroha and her classmates to learn of the trials, sacrifices and mistakes that were made; so history won't repeat itself.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Aroha is living in a post-apocalyptic utopia, in a community of openness, courage and constant support.

In her sixteenth year, she and her classmates are about to undergo a ritual for all young adults - they are read the diary of Dr Rachel, a woman who lived through the apocalypse.

Fifty years from now, amidst growing unease around the world, Rachel is taken away from her family by military types. Along with other doctors and professionals, she is forced to live in a bunker, as the world outside is destroyed.

With a lack of information and not knowing who to trust, Rachel has to navigate her new existence with quiet fortitude.

This is the second book I've read by this author. I thought that her writing and technique were much stronger.

Love Gaia is a slow-building, character-driven story. Despite the world being at war, this is focussed solely on Dr Rachel's journey. An innocent day-to-day life that quickly becomes monotonous with the harsh restrictions posed on the bunker inhabitants. Parts of it had an Anne Frank vibe.

There's talk of unrest within the bunker. They have no idea who is in charge, and why they are there, save what they can piece together. The people in the bunker are all intelligent, leaders in their respective fields, devoid of any genetic weakness, and attractive too. It becomes clear that these people are being preserved to continue the human race when the fall-out is over.

The not-so-good.

With the focus on Rachel's thoughts and feelings throughout this trying experience, the plot takes a back seat.

I never felt I knew for sure what was going on outside the bunker. They try and blame an asteroid, to hide the fact the world is at war, with major cities getting bombed.

Nothing feels definite though. I never felt like it was a world on the brink of war, or got any idea of the why, how and who. Rachel's thoughts about pre-bunker life doesn't paint much of a picture beyond her husband and children.

During her time in the bunker, Rachel finds herself under scrutiny, that she might be rebellious and cause disruption to the master plan. It's mentioned, but nothing in Rachel's thoughts or actions promote her as such.

Rachel's diary entries are effective at getting across the emotion and monotony of her life, but fails to get across any action. Everything is written about in the past tense, and has a sense of distance to what has happened.

The most obvious being the end, where within a couple of short diary entries, they were like "oh yeah, so we did this and everything changed." I had to back-track. Despite this being Rachel's secret diary, there was no hint of what they had planned.

I wasn't a fan of Aroha's narrative. She doesn't have much to add except her reaction to Dr Rachel's story, and come to terms with her growing feelings for Gerald.

Despite them all being 16 years old, Aroha and the students all felt much younger. I can understand that perhaps in a Utopia, young adults are free of worry and can maintain a childlike innocence. But the very Middle Grade vibe of this group did clash with the explicit sex scenes.

Overall, this is an interesting character-driven story, set in a near future that feels eerily real.

Goodreads

Amazon