Mark Smith (35)

A road quite well walked

A dystopian future book for YA readers that rattles along at a good pace. The characterisation is credible, the story convincing and the setting very much part of the reader's enjoyment. The author is a keen surfer & so is the main character, Finn; indeed his relationship with surfing is almost religious. Ramage, the villain of the novel, is perhaps not so well realised as he might be, functioning I suppose purely as the great evil against which our protagonists show more contest. Overall a quick and enjoyable read that offers us some provocative thought on what it means to be genuinely, bone-deep civilised in our dealings with others. show less

This dystopian YA novel feels very close to reality. It is reminiscent of both Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road', and also Peter Heller's 'The Dog Stars' - both if which I loved. This is a similar story, written for young adults.
The action appears to be set in SW Victoria, Australia, and evokes clearly the somewhat desolate but altogether amazing beauty of the area. Our protagonist Finn is likeable and solid, and the characters around him all too believable. I'm SO pleased to see that this book show more is marked 'Winter #1', because I would very much like to read more of this story. What will happen to Finn, Kas and Willow? Can Rowdy survive this era - I'm not sure I'd want my dog to be around when there are such hungry, violent gangs about.
The prose is spare and compelling. A very worthy finalist in the Readings 2017 YA award. Great stuff, keep it coming please! show less

Set in Australia in the not too distant future where Asylum seekers or Sileys were brought in to the country to work ( almost like slaves) and coincidentally a virus has come and killed nearly everyone but more women than men.
Finn has been spared thanks to his father’s careful planning, isolation in a coastal town , and the help of an old man called Ray. Finn fishes and traps rabbits and trades with Ray for vegies and fruit, while surfing for fun and keeping a watch out for the Wilders ; show more gangs of men who take what they want.
There is only him and his dog Rowdy until he stumbles across a girl called Rose who is running from the Wilders. Will he take her in and help her find her sister Kas, or will he let her go?
Great story which really evokes the area around Lorne for me and is so believable….enclaves of people hanging on and they are mainly rural folk who have the knowledge and resources to survive. Oh and I was super glad he didn’t kill the dog either! show less

Final in trilogy set on the surf coast of Victoria. Read as an e-book for Netgalley but had already purchased a copy to complete this great series.
Publisher's Plot summary :
" There are lights on the horizon. Electricity. Order. A return to civilisation.
After three years cut off, living by their wits in the bush, Finn and Kas might at last find a life without danger and threat.
But the tracking device beneath Kas’s skin begins to buzz—she can’t ignore that she is a Siley, a slave, and show more will never be free. And when the search parties arrive, with brutal force, Finn and Kas face a new reality—a world divided by fences, a world where they can’t be together.
But after everything they’ve been through, they’re not about to play by the rules."

Loved how Smith turns the usual Dystopian plot line slightly on its head by giving Finn an "out", as a possible return to his previous life. show less