Matt Ritter

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In his book “Something Wonderful,” Matt Ritter narrates a beautiful story about a fig tree in a tropical rainforest. Starting as a tiny seed, it eventually develops into a magnificent tree. With the assistance of a group of wasps and a chestnut-mandibled toucan, it then proceeds to produce more fig trees. This cycle of life and death maintains the perpetuity of the forest.
The illustrations by Nayl Gonzalez do more than show more providing a mere backdrop to the story. The readers feel they are present in the scene, witnessing the life cycle of the fig tree and the wasps. The extremely detailed pictures tell many stories, should you be observant enough to perceive them. I do not want to spoil anything for the prospective readers, but keep an eye out for the frog, will you? In addition to the aesthetic beauty, I was amazed by the way Gonzalez scales the pictures up or down. This provides a magnified view or a birds’ eye view, as required.
The topic of the book represents a textbook example of mutualism that renders the fig tree and the wasp partners for life. Incredibly, Ritter could describe this ninety-million-years-old phenomenon in a way that would appeal to children and teenagers, not to mention the adults. This book will enlighten the readers about the intricately entwined life stories and interdependence of different life-forms. The glimpses of biodiversity in a tropical rainforest will not only educate them but also help them appreciate the natural resources our earth so generously provides.
Children of the age group of 8 to 12 years will be able to read this work on their own. Additionally, the parents might consider reading the book aloud to younger children. However, adults will also enjoy the book, especially if they are interested in the biological world. This book is, true to its title, something wonderful. show less

A great book for teaching how nature is connected and how different plants and animals depend on each other. The artwork is stunning in its detail. The text is sparse making it great for younger readers.

I really liked the premise and storyline of this novel. It’s a cautionary tale for today’s world. It warns that if we do not change our treatment of the earth we will find ourselves in a dystopian future the likes of which will rival our worst nightmares.
The story opens onto a future world where rain, the life giving force necessary to maintain life on earth, has turned deadly to all living creatures. This is a man made disaster. In the distant past there was the hundred years drought. show more Scientists seeded the clouds with a bacteria and the rains came causing the land in the valley to become fertile and productive again. But soon the bacteria mutates causing any creature caught out in it to die. To complicate matters a war broke out against their neighbors years ago and continues to the present with no end in sight. Additionally the Administration of “The Valley” is becoming increasingly hawkish and paranoid about their neighbors and scared because the rains seem to becoming more frequent and deadlier. There are rumors that people are now dying while dry. Is just inhaling the foul odors that come with the rains enough to kill someone?
Our protagonist is Willie Taft a decorated war veteran who along with his wife has escaped from a government forced labor camp where they were raising crops for the war effort. They had committed no crime and were not rebels. Willie’s wife dies in the attempt to flee. Despite his grief, Willie is frantic to reunite with his daughter Helen who was left behind at her school with all the children whose parents had also been “collected”. Willie has become aware that the government has begun leaving children out in the rain to find rainwalkers, people who are rumored to be able to survive the rains.
So you see, it’s a great story. Unfortunately it’s also one that has plot holes big enough to drive a truck through. I cannot go into the holes further without adding spoilers that can ruin the story. Despite this flaw I was able to suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy the book.
I “read” this book as an audiobook. I don’t think this was the best choice for me. The audiobook is narrated by the author. I think this was a mistake on the publisher’s part. Mr. Ritter though an inventive writer is not an actor. The result was a narrative delivered in a flat monotone With very little voice differentiation between characters. With little excitement reflected in the narrator’s voice much of the tension that builds as we head to the climax is lost.
Despite the flaws I did enjoy the story. I would recommend this novel to those who like Dystopian Fiction or anyone who just enjoys a good story. I do recommend you get a print version though!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Netgalley. This fact in no way influenced my review. show less

A very interesting book with full color photos of common plants, native and not, throughout California. It informed me that my family has been wrong for a full century in how we identified a favorite flower, so that was rather amusing.