“Tomorrow” by Merilyn Ruth Lidell (2018)
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Page Length: 288 pages (electronic review edition)
Synopsis:
A misguided experiment. A devastated world. A chance for rebirth.
In a world decimated by a killer virus, an isolated mountain community is left more dysfunctional than dystopian.
Small town. Big secrets.
It’s a place where…
…neighbors still look out for neighbors,
…a feisty senior sasses the man who controls the town,
…a doctor finds a unique use for local bullies.
and the lives of three strangers unexpectedly intertwine…
…Martha, a reclusive doctor seeking a solution to the mystery of the pandemic,
…Jake, a cab driver seeking his birth mother,
…Sophie, a young, desperate pregnant woman seeking safe haven from abuse.
Brought together by violence, these unlikely friends forge an alliance that may help reshape the world. (description from Goodreads)
Review:
Tomorrow is a novel that is fast paced, but slow-moving. The dystopian story follows three strangers who are connected by one experience. The story focuses on the multiple povs of Jake, Sophie, and Martha. Martha keeps to her self and lives in a home that is built like one giant science lab, she feels extreme guilt for what he dad did (revealed later in the story). Sophie, is a city girl who ended in a small town and is trapped in an abusive relationship and is desperately trying to escape. Jake, is a cab driver who is observant and curious. He’s trying to make a living, but struggles due to the power structure in the town.
From the beginning of the novel had so many questions in my mind: What happened to this town, Who are these people, and What does the future hold for them. The reader is given very little clues leaving them with a lot of focus. There is an overall aura of suspense due to the multilayered secrets and the added element of multiple povs keeps the reader engaged in the story. When one perspective starts to get interesting we cut to the next scene, which gives a cliffhanger feeling to many of the chapters.
Throughout the book lies a constant somber tone. You can really feel this in the characters minds and feelings. They are all grieving in some sort of way and with how desolate the town has become is gives them a heavy feeling. While Sophie and Jake are easy to open up Martha is a brick wall. She trusts them to provide a safe haven for her in her home but is reluctant to share her secrets and what the lab can do, what experiment is she trying to hide?
It’s hard to talk about the story without giving too much of the plot away, but I did think it had an interesting dystopian concept. My main problem with the book is that at many points in the story I had a very vague sense of what is happening. And even by the end of the book when everything was revealed, I still felt there were so many questions unanswered and I was puzzled. I liked the attention to detail and I felt the characters were very well-written. I was invested in their stories, and wanted them prosper in their difficult lives.
If you enjoy dystopian stories, this book might be for you!
*Trigger warnings: Physical Abuse, Violence (some graphic imagery)
Final Verdict:
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book in a giveaway from Library Thing in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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