I received an e-copy of the book for the #TWRBlogTour in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

Rise of Gaia talks about one of the most pressing problems in our planet at the moment. The narrative coming from a seventeen year old immediately gets us to think about the generations that are yet to come and face the consequences of our actions. It was similar to After the Green Withered on that context. However, the narrative didn’t really express as much  passion as Enora.

Terran never really was willing to make sacrifices that affected her directly. Her bonds with her family was not given enough breathing space. Apart from these minor things, I enjoyed the plot and the message it carried.

Characters and Conflicts

Like I said above, Terran was too occupied with her immediate surroundings that she never really thought about it in the real sense. Her actions were only abstract until the end. And so was the catastrophies she raised. Perhaps it amounts to the fact that she was only a seventeen year old. The friendship between Beth and Terran was endearing.

Gaia – the word itself is a synonym for Earth in my language. Besides, our culture always describe Earth as an entity that is capable of all encompassing love. This inherent thought makes it a little hard for me to get into the idea of the story where the Earth seeks revenge.

There is no denying about the inherent conflict of the story. It is great to see such stories which is a reminder of our everyday surroundings. However, certain things kept me from completely buying the idea. Because, even Terran and her kind kept using mobile phones and cars ( even though some were electric vehicles). It’s not just about cutting down trees. The waste we lie on this planet is deep rooted and present in our everyday lives. It would have given the book some elevation if Terran herself made some changes in her life after realising her purpose.

Conclusion

Overall, this was a page turner. Yes, some of Terran’s inner conflict seemed repeated given the fact that she was never prepared for what was to come. Other than that, the book delivers its message. There is no running away at this point. Special mention to the Tsunami scene because I have heard real life accounts of people who had been in a Tsunami. It felt too real. I would say give this one a go at least once.

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