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misterfix's review against another edition
4.0
I have a thing for dystopian books - heck, apparently so do a lot of folks. Can't imagine why? Oh yeah, look around.
This one was superior to the majority that I have read in that genre. Characters were believably sympathetic and not super heroes. Their flaws and weakness, illustrated by the motivations and decision making processes, made the story shine and left me satisfied.
That's all I have to offer - go read it.
This one was superior to the majority that I have read in that genre. Characters were believably sympathetic and not super heroes. Their flaws and weakness, illustrated by the motivations and decision making processes, made the story shine and left me satisfied.
That's all I have to offer - go read it.
mazza57's review against another edition
3.0
Atmospheric opening language which uses repetition to create stresses. Almost a modern day Noah's ark but not as convivial. The people were driven by basic needs such as hunger and shelter and violence is always there. A bit lengthy and lost its power at times.
toddtyrtle's review against another edition
3.0
Very entertaining. I didn't really like the characters but the world was so compelling I could barely put this down. I want to know more about what's happening in the world the author has created.
laneyjlala's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
prcizmadia's review against another edition
5.0
Continuing my Post Apocalyptic American Tour, this time in the Mississippi Delta, another bit of great writing about living through a punishing world. I like Smith's writing as it's sometimes how I think and hear myself-- sparing, observant, inward, and only subtly expressive. It's more of a story than it says on the cover, a deeper immersion, and I found myself pulled along by the narrative flow. It's a hard world, one that is dominated by the hard choices, and the honesty of the characters, and thus the author, is something I enjoyed.
I just love having a narrator that isn't as caught up on himself as Cohen. He's a man that does what he has to do and suffers in silence. I'm glad I got to ride along with him, even through his pain and the floods. Definitely worth reading.
I just love having a narrator that isn't as caught up on himself as Cohen. He's a man that does what he has to do and suffers in silence. I'm glad I got to ride along with him, even through his pain and the floods. Definitely worth reading.
smasler's review against another edition
5.0
Micahel Farris Smith has written an adult dystopian near-future view of the Gulf coast of the U.S. ravaged by a a never-ending series of hurricanes. Damages from the storm have so devastated the coast that the government has drawn a line, ninety miles north, below which no services or protection will be offered. Although most people choose to take government buyouts and resettlements, some cannot because of the chains of their loss or because they have become prisoners of their refusal to believe that the chaos around them is real. For Cohen, it is the weight of loss that causes him to live in an obsessive cycle of loneliness and hopeless attempts to rebuild what he has lost. His cycles continue until he is attacked by members of a strange cult run by a once-charismatic snake handler who now relies on terrorism to hold a group of women hostage to form a new world. Cohen trails the cult members back to their FEMA trailor compound where he unwitting becomes a new Moses, leading his tribe out of the drowned desert of the South.
Rivers is an allegory of Katrina, where people survived nature but were abandonded by their government. It is the story of loss...of love, of the land, of livelihoods and hope. But it is also a story of survival and redemption in a hopeless battle against man made natural disaster and man-made cultural chaos.
Smith's complex characters develop well beyond the usual single dimensions common in post-apocalyptic fiction. It is tempting to compare this book to Carmac McCarthy's "The Road," but such a comparison is a disservice to both "Rivers" and "The Road." McCarthy never gives a a reason for the disaster that has driven his characters to their dystopian nightmare and there is no way out of the destruction. Smith's world is a disaster caused by human interference with nature and by human nature which causes self-inflicted terrors beyond those thrown at the characters by the never ending storms.
Rivers is an allegory of Katrina, where people survived nature but were abandonded by their government. It is the story of loss...of love, of the land, of livelihoods and hope. But it is also a story of survival and redemption in a hopeless battle against man made natural disaster and man-made cultural chaos.
Smith's complex characters develop well beyond the usual single dimensions common in post-apocalyptic fiction. It is tempting to compare this book to Carmac McCarthy's "The Road," but such a comparison is a disservice to both "Rivers" and "The Road." McCarthy never gives a a reason for the disaster that has driven his characters to their dystopian nightmare and there is no way out of the destruction. Smith's world is a disaster caused by human interference with nature and by human nature which causes self-inflicted terrors beyond those thrown at the characters by the never ending storms.
micaela_ru's review against another edition
3.0
Full disclosure: This novel was written by a former college professor and academic adviser of mine. In fact, I remember one day in creative writing class when Dr. Smith asked us about our opinion on a tentative title for the book (it wasn't "Rivers" at the time) and we all chimed in. That being said, I'll try not to be biased.
But really, I don't think I have to be anyway. Biased, that is. This book speaks for itself and stands on its own. It's a powerful, beautifully written book. Smith has a way with words that almost seems effortless and beautiful in this bleak setting. There is a lot of skill at work here and I loved how I got to see different character's POVs, sometimes within the same scene, without the transition being jarring. I'm still trying to master that skill myself.
This isn't my usual type of book, but I'm so glad I read it. The lead characters (and even the the supporting ones) all have their own voice and are all fleshed out. The story never drags and there is never a dull moment. There is always a sense of urgency. I was surprised a bit at the ending, but it was satisfying and I have no complaints there.
The only thing I wish I could've found out at the end was what happened with a couple characters who were separated from the group (trying to avoid spoilers here). I also would've liked to find out more about life above the Line, but we only get little glimpses and hints at it, which is fine too.
I also liked that this book takes place in an area that I am from and that I readily recognize but had been ravaged so much by hurricanes that it was almost unrecognizable. Such a great concept and a great execution.
The book is worth the read, even if this isn't your usual kind of reading.
But really, I don't think I have to be anyway. Biased, that is. This book speaks for itself and stands on its own. It's a powerful, beautifully written book. Smith has a way with words that almost seems effortless and beautiful in this bleak setting. There is a lot of skill at work here and I loved how I got to see different character's POVs, sometimes within the same scene, without the transition being jarring. I'm still trying to master that skill myself.
This isn't my usual type of book, but I'm so glad I read it. The lead characters (and even the the supporting ones) all have their own voice and are all fleshed out. The story never drags and there is never a dull moment. There is always a sense of urgency. I was surprised a bit at the ending, but it was satisfying and I have no complaints there.
The only thing I wish I could've found out at the end was what happened with a couple characters who were separated from the group (trying to avoid spoilers here). I also would've liked to find out more about life above the Line, but we only get little glimpses and hints at it, which is fine too.
I also liked that this book takes place in an area that I am from and that I readily recognize but had been ravaged so much by hurricanes that it was almost unrecognizable. Such a great concept and a great execution.
The book is worth the read, even if this isn't your usual kind of reading.
patsaintsfan's review against another edition
5.0
WOOWWWWW! What an addiction this book was. I couldn't wait to get back to it. Crazy story!
atschakfoert's review against another edition
4.0
It's scary to ponder but I think part of what made Farris Smith's novel so disturbing was the reality that this could be America's future. Reminded me of The Road in its intensity and brutal truths. Great book, highly recommended to Cormac McCarthy fans.
scarpuccia's review against another edition
2.0
Gets my vote for the worst ever depiction of Venice I’ve come across in literature. I wasn’t sure what Venice was even doing in this book. But I had the feeling the author had never been there.
Rivers has been compared to The Road but I’m afraid I found none of the artistry of Cormac McCarthy’s book here. Bit like comparing Jaws 3 with the original. Lots of generic characters (the lead character is sensitive, he’s generously attentive to women and animals but he can also be relied upon to win any fight), lots of superfluous chit-chat, lots of driving through rain and gun battles, lots of plot twists that had no plausible foundation. For me this was written by an author who’s much more influenced by popular cinema than he is by literature. Nearly every plot development feels forced. Often the author resorts to making characters act out of character to achieve the necessary twists. For example, the two kids who try to kill our hero are both, it turns out, nice kids. There’s no reason on earth why they have to kill our hero. We’re told the cult leader makes them do it. But the cult leader isn’t on hand to witness what they do. They have other choices. Another plot twist relies on a character taking years to realise something only when the plot needs him to. The house where our hero lives is miraculously immune to marauding outlaws until on the same day he’s carjacked the cult also finds his home. At the end of the novel a whole town breaks off looting to attack our hero for no apparent reason. Also, there are so many coincidences that I felt the map of this novel stretched to barely a square mile.
I thought it started off well. We’re in a post-apocalyptic America. The only weather is storms of varying intensity. The lead character, a maudlin chap who can’t let go of the past, is robbed by members of a cult. He wants his stuff back. The cult and its leader had my interest but the cult is just a temporary lay-by and the author drops it almost immediately. From then on, I’m afraid I felt like I was straddling an inflatable dinghy that had sprung a slow leak. I also took exception to its depiction of women who are reduced to providing love interest and having babies. Rather than set in the future it seemed set in a distant past in this regard, as if we were back in the Wild West.
I thought Gold Fame Citrus which has a similar premise and also, like this, includes a cult, was miles better.
Apologies to my friends here who liked this! Too much testosterone and not enough artistry for me.
Rivers has been compared to The Road but I’m afraid I found none of the artistry of Cormac McCarthy’s book here. Bit like comparing Jaws 3 with the original. Lots of generic characters (the lead character is sensitive, he’s generously attentive to women and animals but he can also be relied upon to win any fight), lots of superfluous chit-chat, lots of driving through rain and gun battles, lots of plot twists that had no plausible foundation. For me this was written by an author who’s much more influenced by popular cinema than he is by literature. Nearly every plot development feels forced. Often the author resorts to making characters act out of character to achieve the necessary twists. For example, the two kids who try to kill our hero are both, it turns out, nice kids. There’s no reason on earth why they have to kill our hero. We’re told the cult leader makes them do it. But the cult leader isn’t on hand to witness what they do. They have other choices. Another plot twist relies on a character taking years to realise something only when the plot needs him to. The house where our hero lives is miraculously immune to marauding outlaws until on the same day he’s carjacked the cult also finds his home. At the end of the novel a whole town breaks off looting to attack our hero for no apparent reason. Also, there are so many coincidences that I felt the map of this novel stretched to barely a square mile.
I thought it started off well. We’re in a post-apocalyptic America. The only weather is storms of varying intensity. The lead character, a maudlin chap who can’t let go of the past, is robbed by members of a cult. He wants his stuff back. The cult and its leader had my interest but the cult is just a temporary lay-by and the author drops it almost immediately. From then on, I’m afraid I felt like I was straddling an inflatable dinghy that had sprung a slow leak. I also took exception to its depiction of women who are reduced to providing love interest and having babies. Rather than set in the future it seemed set in a distant past in this regard, as if we were back in the Wild West.
I thought Gold Fame Citrus which has a similar premise and also, like this, includes a cult, was miles better.
Apologies to my friends here who liked this! Too much testosterone and not enough artistry for me.