DERT

by Kyle K. Wolfson

Experience the thrilling new dystopian fiction novel that begs the are the storms getting worse or is it just the people? “The new Department of Environmental Reclamation and Trust (or DERT) has been empowered by an authoritarian President to take control of the country in the hopes of staving off climate catastrophe. Banning fossil fuels, outlawing vehicles, and violent re-education camps are at the top of their list. In a society that has started to crumble, Kyle and Sami Harrison find themselves on the run. Dodging government agents, warring militias and deranged neighbors, they search for a safe haven in a world that punishes peace and rewards violence. Will salvation be found in the teachings of DERT’s Little Brown Book? Or is escape the only solution?” In this modern day dystopian thriller, DERT highlights the aftermath of The American Government collapse and its replacement of a totalitarian regime. In this violent political environment America has been forced under, what happens when civilization turns the power off on our own?”

Department of Environmental Reclamation and Trust (DERT) is a Political Environmental Science Fiction Thriller, following two characters and their fight to find freedom from the Totalitarian government. This book is perfect for fans of William R. Forstchen, Jack Carr, Kyla Stone, and Mark Dawson.

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2023

About the author

Kyle K Wolfson grew up in Woodstock GA, the oldest of nine children. In 2008 he moved to Las Vegas and started working in the entertainment industry. He spent over a decade working as a roadie, traveling around the country and world as an automation programmer for various bands. He wrote several novels during his free time and even sometimes during concerts.

Recently he has returned to Woodstock along with his wife and daughter to be closer to his family.

Follow Kyle on social media for book updates and his thoughts on the Atlanta Braves.

www.instagram.com/kylekwolfsonwritings/

www.facebook.com/kylekwolfsonwritings

Or reach out to him via Email. kyle at kylekwolfson.com

Reviews

[•Kaitlin T • · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dystopian near future, a world wrecked by climate change, a radical government taking control, and the people trying to survive...

Though out of my usual genre, this book was phenomenal. The writing captivating, the characters interesting, and more and more crazy every chapter! Imagine a world where your new president is so determined to please nature that houses are burned simply for having cars in the garage.

Wolfson's novel is well written and fast paced. The storylines are detailed and the wild townspeople kept me entertained. It was survival with a twist of Norman Bates and a side of rabies. I highly recommend this book!

[Amy Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new Department of Environmental Reclamation and Trust (or DERT) has been empowered by an authoritarian President to take control of the country in the hopes of staving off climate catastrophe. Banning fossil fuels, outlawing vehicles, and violent re-education camps are at the top of their list. In a society that has started to crumble, Kyle and Sami Harrison find themselves on the run. Dodging government agents, warring militias and deranged neighbors, they search for a safe haven in a world that punishes peace and rewards violence. Will salvation be found in the teachings of DERT’s Little Brown Book? Or is escape the only solution?

I do enjoy a good dystopian book and was not disappointed with DERT. It’s a dystopian future that you could imagine actually happening. There are some really imaginative ideas in the book such as why collecting rain in a bucket would be illegal and the early introduction of Kyle’s boss definitely set the scene for how the rest of the book was going to play out. It’s creepy, engaging and suspenseful.

The writing is concise and easy to read with the author setting a good scene. We mainly follow Kyle and Sami as they travel across USA but are introduced to a number of other characters with some very clever crossovers.

Would recommend to fans of dystopian fiction!

[Charlotte Mylifeinbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Fellow humans, I’ve seen the light. We are wasting our lives, and we’re wasting the planet’s life. We aren’t meant to consume like this. We must return to harmony with the Earth and it will provide everything we need. Turn off your phones, your tablets, your homes, and hear what Gaia is saying to us, before it’s too late.”

Imagine a dystopian future where climate change changes us all. An apocalyptic America where certain states are a no go area. If you drive a car, own a house, use devices the members of DERT are coming for you. To teach you the error of your ways, to make you repent for the abuse you’ve carried out on the planet, to strip you of everything you are.

The rebel gangs and the looters have their own risks, Kyle and his wife Sami aren’t prepared to pay their price either. Dodging government officials in a bid to stay alive they are doing all they can to find safety. The problem is they can’t trust anyone.

This book is going to be living rent free in my head without a doubt. It was superbly executed and gave me all the feels. I binged this book in one sitting and quite frankly I’m sad it’s over, it’s in the running for my favourite book of the year.

If you are a dystopian fan this is a MUST read!

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dystopian tale of relentless horrors.

/The system that had brought us the five stages of grief now gave us the five stages of environmental panic: surprise, terror, rage blame and revenge/

Kyle and Sami are a young American couple who become trapped in the anarchy of a crumbling society in which nobody can be trusted. A new Department of Environmental Reclamation and Trust (DERT) has become empowered by an authoritarian President whose aim is to assert authority and control in order to combat the climate crisis. In a world which bans fossil fuels, vehicles and technology, violence sadly trumps reason.

A gripping tale, reminiscent of an amalgamation of A Handmaid's Tale meets Animal Farm. This story has left me desperate to seek change in a positive way, given the hideous realisation of how believable this story is...it could so easily become a reality.
We take so much for granted and need to appreciate the beauty in the world around us and what we can do to prevent its destruction.

'Are the storms getting worse or is it just the people?'

[robyn dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent...very creepy and very believable...

...you don't want to miss this one. Excellent characters, very believable scenes, finely nuanced situations. One of the best I've read in quite a while.
Respectively,

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting apocalyptic tale; well told

There are no zombies in this novel—the nature of this apocalypse is a breakdown of society—but it’s full of action and suspense nonetheless. I rooted for the main characters all the way, and they had some truly threatening situations to get out of. I enjoyed this book and will seek out others by this author.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did really enjoy this completely mad apocalyptic world! A really enjoyable read, I liked the characters & the ideas, environmentalists using Nazi tactics to bring about the change needed! Scary! I will look for more by this writer as I did enjoy the style & the over all experience! I do recommend!

[Vix · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars for Goodreads.

This is a dark and twisted view into the minds of the masses - but I believe it's also scarily accurate.

I felt so much for Kyle and Sami - I'm a logical person, but there was no reasoning with most of the people they encountered, so I'd have been stuck in the same situation. Plus the different situations they encountered were shocking.

The mob mentality once a crowd gets going is too true - the "justification" is just a lie for destruction. I believe this is something that could easily happen (though perhaps due to other circumstances).

One thing I didn't understand was why rain was a bad thing? If it's all about the earth, then surely that's a natural and required process?

Overall, a bleak look into the belief and drives of people during a crisis - with a small ball of hope that is Kyle and Sami. Plus I liked the bonus chapter you could download at the end.

*I received a complimentary copy of the book from InstaBookTours and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Bookstarreviews_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

AD-PR PRODUCT

A very well executed dystopian fiction novel! 🔥

I had a wonderful time reading this book and it really cemented why reading is fun! I massively stepped out of my comfort zone when Wolfson reached out asking if I’d like to give this a read, and I’m so glad that I did.

The premise of the read was brilliant, and actually really scary. Imagine a place with no gas, little food, an evening curfew, being unable to collect water and groups of people abiding to a radical environmentalist President and The Department of Environmental Reclamation & Trust (DERT), punishing you when it rains because of the way you’re living with cars, generators and electricity. This book highlights the importance of looking after the planet, and then really takes it to the extreme, making it a very engaging read.

The opening was fantastic and I had no idea where Wolfson was leading this journey throughout. And trust me, it definitely takes you on an journey with the main protagonists Kyle and Sami. I really liked their characters and they just constantly found themselves in a terrible situation everywhere they went. I loved how they could still have little moments of banter and flirting with eachother, despite the hell around them. This really symbolised how things would be fine if they had eachother.

Although predominately told from Kyle’s POV, there are also a few other POVs of those abiding to the DERT. I loved the character crossovers and thought they were clever.

This book gave me The Walking Dead vibes (without the Walkers) as the duo travelled across the States to find food and shelter, faced callous groups of people, and also tried to keep hope under the totalitarian regime.

The ending felt a little rushed, however, I did really enjoy it. I’m hoping we hear from Kyle and Sami again in the future.🤞

A huge thank you @kylekwolfsonwritings for this ARC. I really enjoyed it. DERT is out now and also available on Kindle Unlimited. Go and check this out! 😍

⚠️ Please check out the trigger warnings! ⚠️

[Carlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new dystopian novel based on the effects of climate change. Not only does the story hit close to home, but it definitely makes you think about how we treat the planet. Whether this was the authors intention or not, it worked very well.

Using what is familiar to us for the premise of the story really resonates with you and makes you think how would we cope if in that scenario. As well as the frightful idea of climate change, the story has lots of types of people, and you see how they have been affected differently by what had happened. Some you really wanted to hate, but I think that indicates a good writer.

The 2 MC's are likeable characters, and it's great to see them evolving throughout the story as they take their own journey through this new world. This book is filled with lots of action and definitely makes you want to keep reading to find out the ending for Kyle and Sami.

I would definitely recommend.....go read the evidence!

[James Stolze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great dystopian novel. I hope Kyle writes a continuing novel from it about this new government and those in Alaska and elsewhere trying to fight against it. I also want to see how Lincoln fairs and also the other characters in DERT. GREAT READ!

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reads, #8. To get an important ethical disclosure out of the way immediately, let me mention that I was paid to be an editor on this book, which would make it an ethical conflict for me to try to write an "unbiased review" of it here at Goodreads. (I mean, don't get me wrong, I love this book and I think you should read it too, but my opinion in no way should be considered a dispassionate, objective one.) So instead, let me link you to an interview I did with Kyle this week about the book, which I published through my free editor newsletter I publish every Friday. I hope you find this intriguing enough to go out and buy a copy of the novel!

[Kim Layman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, Kyle!

Kyle and Sami Harrison are your typical suburbia couple. Nice house, loving marriage, safe neighborhood. Well, that last part was true until the world went to hell. You see, Kyle and Sami are now living in a climate-change-induced post-apocalyptic world, where fear and anger are now the norms. They are forced to run from their home and hope they are able to find refuge in a safe place, with safe people. Unfortunately, after their current president was elected-with grand promises of healing and restoration for the planet-authoritarian rule became the norm, and black-and-white worldview became the only way to live. Kyle and Sami must become invisible and pray that somewhere-anywhere-will provide the safety they need.

Let me start off by saying that I really liked this novel. I love a good post-apocalyptic book, especially one by bat-sh*t crazy sub-groups, and this book delivers on that front. It starts off with a bang, and doesn’t stop. Killer weather? Check. Rabid cults? Check. Norman Bateseque characters? Check. Authoritarian leaders who brainwash their followers with over-the-top promises and lies? Check, check, and double check. The book definitely personifies the “every man for himself” mantra.

I also found myself invested in Kyle and Sami and their journey to find a new normalcy. And although some of their dialogue was a bit cheesy, it actually made them more lovable, especially Kyle. Sami is a strong and resourceful character, providing a balance to Kyle’s playful nature. They bantered to keep themselves from going crazy, but came together as a well-oiled machine when it mattered most, which is a lot. Every time you think they made it through a situation ok-Bam!-they get knocked down again, and have to “MacGyver” themselves out of another terrible situation. The reader gets lulled into the comfort that Kyle and Sami are the unbreakable, and unstoppable, duo, only to have the author crush you by making you worry that one of them is going to betray the other near the end of the novel. What the heck, Kyle (the author)? How dare you do that to us? For shame. At least you left an opening at the end for a sequel. That makes up for it; please make a sequel.

This book was a hit for me. Good storyline, solid pacing, likable main characters, and crazy sub-characters. Give this one a go-you’ll thank me for it later. 4.25 solid stars.

[Katie Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband got this for me for Christmas, and I try to make a point to read any book he gets me...but I almost didn't make it through this one. This is a self-published novel, which means it did not undergo the kind of rigorous editing a book would if done professionally. Unfortunately, that made it very distracting for me to read. Kudos to Kyle Wolfson, a budding novelist, for creating a very interesting post-apocalyptic type premise and characters. I was able to finish the book because I had to find out what happened, but it was very hard to look past unnecessary chapters, characters, paragraphs, sentences, misspellings, grammatical errors, etc. There is a lot of potential here, though!

[Michael Reese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are We Really This Stupid?

Dystopian world where technology is bad, nature is good, except rain is bad. Our two heroes find themselves on their own with no food or water or shelter after the new regime passes laws and Presidential edits outlawing cars, aircraft, farming, etc. Anything that could possibly harm the earth. Being a car salesman guilty of owning a car doesn't help. A look at what happens when the Green movement takes over. A touch of the "Idiocracy" movie here.

[Janet Wolfson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outside my comfort zone and not my usual thing but I have to say I enjoyed it!

[Loretta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash

Just Maga far right propaganda painting environmentals as fascists. A boring moronic read. I fought to finish even though it is a short read.