Finally! A refreshing take on the young adult dystopian
novel! ROOTLESS is full of colorful characters that
over-shadow the barren landscape that exists in this
wretched world where trees and plants are wiped out and we
are left with nothing but an environment that is harsh and
violent. There is nothing dull in ROOTLESS. Chris Howard
makes everything pop, from the language to the violence and
right down to the attitude of Alpha, the mohawked
punk-pirate that is a standout in a cast of notable
characters. With its underlying message of environmental
awareness, this book will make you want to step outside and
be grateful for all we have and even perhaps go hug a tree!
Even more so, you might be grateful for the human
connections that make this world worth living in.
The story revolves around seventeen year-old Banyan, a
Tree Builder in a post-apocalyptic future where real trees
no longer exist due to severe climactic changes after an
astronomical event causes the moon to shift closer to the
earth. The oceans rage with devastating tidal surges that
eat away at the coast lines and no boat can withstand. The
landscape is arid and dry, a desert full of dust storms,
suffocating heat, and intense blistering sun during the day.
The economic classes consist of the very poor and the few
rich. The only food that will grow is corn and it is
genetically engineered and controlled by global monopoly
GenTech to supposedly contain all the vital nutrients that
humans need. The corn is also engineered to withstand the
locusts that will devour anything in sight -- including humans.
As a tree builder, Banyan is hired to construct
imitation trees for those that can afford the luxury. Banyan
builds his trees out of scrap metal, old tires, and spare
electrical parts highlighted with glowing lights. He was
taught to be a tree builder by his father who has been
missing for a year since being captured by slave traders
while traveling on the dangerous roads of this devastated
land. A man named Frost hires Banyan to construct a garden
of metal trees at his home. We soon meet some other
characters that will become integral to the story. Banyan
himself comes across as older than seventeen. He's a simple
wanderer and in effect -- rootless. He has no ties to anyone
now that his father is gone, but as the story progresses a
substitute family begins to form for Banyan. Each character
is motivated by a distinct need: love, family, greed,
enlightenment, and loneliness.
Although ROOTLESS is classified as a young adult
novel, the author does not hold back the reality of this
post-apocalyptic world and the violence and horror that
consumes it. Chris Howard's writing is hauntingly beautiful
as he voices Banyan and the intriguing cast of characters
that show up in the book. As a fan of dystopian fiction,
often there is a similar undercurrent of themes that reoccurs
in these types of books, but Howard manages to create a
unique flavor that is set more by the characterization and
motivations than by the world building. I sincerely hope
that Chris Howard continues the rich adventures of Banyan
and his rag-tag crew of memorable misfits.
17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using salvaged scrap
metal, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a
reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's
never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a
century ago-his missing father used to tell him stories
about the Old World.
Everything changes when Banyan meets a mysterious woman with
a strange tattoo-a map to the last living trees on earth,
and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return.
Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape
the locusts . . . the locusts that now feed on human flesh.
But Banyan isn't the only one looking for the trees, and
he's running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he's
forced to make an alliance with Alpha, a beautiful,
dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. As they race
towards a promised land that might be a myth, Banyan makes
shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far
people will go to bring back the trees.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy