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A review by razz_otter
Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson
4.0
In what we now think of as Appalachia, Leiodare is a jungle due to pharma companies destroying the climate. Twenty-five years ago, an epidemic hit Leiodare called 'The Crumble,' and even though the quarantine of the city has been lifted, it's still not the same. Birds were blamed for the epidemic, and thus have been banned - with a sonic wall guarding the city and check-points at all entrances and exits. Anna is there awaiting her love's return when she re-discovers her power to make drawings that come to life by drawing a pair of swans that become real. But did birds really cause The Crumble?
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I loved reading this book. It had just enough world building and drew out all of the various groups and coping mechanisms for this society left behind after the epidemic. It's filled with small details about the different neighborhoods and how they interact - there's even an insect problem due to the lack of birds. There's a wild twist in the middle that... I'm not sure how I feel about? But enjoyed this tale nonetheless.
.
I loved reading this book. It had just enough world building and drew out all of the various groups and coping mechanisms for this society left behind after the epidemic. It's filled with small details about the different neighborhoods and how they interact - there's even an insect problem due to the lack of birds. There's a wild twist in the middle that... I'm not sure how I feel about? But enjoyed this tale nonetheless.