Word Out 2014

Parched by Georgia Clark

Reviewed by Crystal

Okay, now that I have your attention, I would like to point it into the direction of Parched by Georgia Clark. Set in a futuristic world, the book takes place at a time when the scarcity of resources left on Earth is divided unevenly between Eden, the “powerful city of shining abundance” where citizens live a life of luxury, and Badlands, a city in which civilians fight tooth and nail for scraps and water. Tessendra Rockwood, a born-Edenite, escapes into the Badlands following feelings of guilt over her mother’s death, and then barely scrapes by before being smuggled back into Eden. Upon uncovering government plans to exterminate all life in the Badlands, Tess joins arms with Kudzu, a quiet revolutionary against Truth. Faced with impossible decisions, Tess’ loyalty is tested between the one she loves and the destitute of the Badlands.

Dystopian is on the rise as far as book genres go. With already popular best-sellers like the The Giver, The Hunger Games (obviously), Divergent, The Maze Runner, Uglies, Fahrenheit 451, etc. (need I go on?), competition in this area is, as one might say, tight. Personally I cannot stand romance-centred novels in this genre, which is probably one of the reasons Parched attracted me more than most novels like Wither. Though romance was an important element in this book, it did not overwhelm me with awkwardness. The book was paced slowly in the beginning but it picked up speed as the story progressed and ended quite abruptly. Though this was part of why it was memorable for me, it was the plot twists that really got me going. I pride myself in predicting oncoming plot twists a mile away, yet it still managed to blindside me. If you are a dystopian fan then definitely this is one book you should check out.