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Therest
300 years after losing contact with the outside world, the island nation of Therest fights for survival against monstrous creatures emerging from the sea. Three members of a poor family living near the coast play an unexpected role during a turning point in the future of humanity.
Aiden knows just how lucky he is to be at the academy. Like most families, his can’t afford access to the Hummingbird training simulators. He was only able to pass the entrance exam because his sister Lyla hacked into the academy’s servers and created a bootleg simulator for him to practice on.
Lyla had been breaking and fixing things her entire life. Computers, microwaves, plasma generators… nothing is safe from being dismantled when Lyla is around. That’s why she jumped at the opportunity to become an engineer at Caldera Power. Lyla’s new job means moving away from her Dad’s small apartment on the dangerous coast to the largest and safest place on the island, Piton City.
Steve works tirelessly to provide for his children. Juggling multiple contracts to clean buildings and homes across the island leaves him exhausted and barely pays enough for his family to live out of sight of the water. Moving inland would provide them more safety, but the cost of a small home even five miles farther from the coast is insurmountable. Watching families struggle to survive the harsh reality of beachfront life while the wealthy sit in comfort and safety miles inland is too much injustice for one person to witness. But what difference can a janitor make in a world ruled by monsters?
Aiden knows just how lucky he is to be at the academy. Like most families, his can’t afford access to the Hummingbird training simulators. He was only able to pass the entrance exam because his sister Lyla hacked into the academy’s servers and created a bootleg simulator for him to practice on.
Lyla had been breaking and fixing things her entire life. Computers, microwaves, plasma generators… nothing is safe from being dismantled when Lyla is around. That’s why she jumped at the opportunity to become an engineer at Caldera Power. Lyla’s new job means moving away from her Dad’s small apartment on the dangerous coast to the largest and safest place on the island, Piton City.
Steve works tirelessly to provide for his children. Juggling multiple contracts to clean buildings and homes across the island leaves him exhausted and barely pays enough for his family to live out of sight of the water. Moving inland would provide them more safety, but the cost of a small home even five miles farther from the coast is insurmountable. Watching families struggle to survive the harsh reality of beachfront life while the wealthy sit in comfort and safety miles inland is too much injustice for one person to witness. But what difference can a janitor make in a world ruled by monsters?
228 pages, Paperback
Published December 25, 2025
About the author
J.D.D. Elliott
1 book3 followers A free ebook copy of Therest is available on my website! therestbook.wixsite.com/therest
I've added a sign up form on my website for anyone that wants to be an early reader for my next book!
Growing up in upstate South Carolina, my summers were spent traveling between my grandparents homes. One week, my sister and I were dropped off at my dad's childhood home in the city. The next week, we would drive an hour out into the country to my Papa's small house on the lake. I was lucky. Spending that time in vastly different surroundings exposed me to people with unique points of view. I met people who chose the life they were living and I met people who had their life forced upon them.
I've added a sign up form on my website for anyone that wants to be an early reader for my next book!
Growing up in upstate South Carolina, my summers were spent traveling between my grandparents homes. One week, my sister and I were dropped off at my dad's childhood home in the city. The next week, we would drive an hour out into the country to my Papa's small house on the lake. I was lucky. Spending that time in vastly different surroundings exposed me to people with unique points of view. I met people who chose the life they were living and I met people who had their life forced upon them.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 29, 2026
I enjoyed it. The premise and setting were interesting. I wish we had more time with the characters. The biggest issue I had with it is a matter of taste: I'm not that big a fan of present tense in novels.
Other than that, the only issues were small things that probably would have been caught by a professional editor. This was self-published, so it doesn't feel right to knock the score much for that. It could have used line break symbols between paragraphs that are separated by not insignificant time.
Other than that, the only issues were small things that probably would have been caught by a professional editor. This was self-published, so it doesn't feel right to knock the score much for that. It could have used line break symbols between paragraphs that are separated by not insignificant time.
May 22, 2026
Quite literally sitting here in tears after finishing this book because I already know nothing will ever compare to experiencing it for the first time. This story completely consumed me. The immersive world-building, the epic storyline, the emotion woven into every page — it all felt so vivid and hauntingly real that I genuinely forgot I was reading at times. Every scene played in my head like a movie.
I picked this book up and could not put it down. Like genuinely. Every single chapter made me need to know what happened next. The pacing was so good that there was never a point where I got bored or felt like I had to “push through” parts to get back into it. It just kept pulling me deeper into this insane, beautiful world.
The level of imagination JDD Elliott has is actually unbelievable. The creatures in this book were so unique, eerie, beautiful, and almost creepy in a way that made everything feel so much more real. I honestly cannot comprehend the kind of imagination it takes to create something like this. The imagery was so vivid that I could see every environment and creature so clearly in my head while reading.
And somehow beneath all of the sci-fi brilliance, terrifying beauty, and massive storyline, there’s still this subtle emotional core and romance subplot that quietly destroys you in the best way. This sci-fi novel rises above every other sci-fi book I’ve read because it feels so alive. It doesn’t just tell a story — it completely transports you somewhere else.
I truly believe this book deserves a movie adaptation because the world deserves to experience the magic of Elliott’s writing and imagery. The visuals would be absolutely unreal on screen.
If I could erase this book from my memory just to experience it for the first time again, I absolutely would.
An unforgettable masterpiece. Easy five stars.
I picked this book up and could not put it down. Like genuinely. Every single chapter made me need to know what happened next. The pacing was so good that there was never a point where I got bored or felt like I had to “push through” parts to get back into it. It just kept pulling me deeper into this insane, beautiful world.
The level of imagination JDD Elliott has is actually unbelievable. The creatures in this book were so unique, eerie, beautiful, and almost creepy in a way that made everything feel so much more real. I honestly cannot comprehend the kind of imagination it takes to create something like this. The imagery was so vivid that I could see every environment and creature so clearly in my head while reading.
And somehow beneath all of the sci-fi brilliance, terrifying beauty, and massive storyline, there’s still this subtle emotional core and romance subplot that quietly destroys you in the best way. This sci-fi novel rises above every other sci-fi book I’ve read because it feels so alive. It doesn’t just tell a story — it completely transports you somewhere else.
I truly believe this book deserves a movie adaptation because the world deserves to experience the magic of Elliott’s writing and imagery. The visuals would be absolutely unreal on screen.
If I could erase this book from my memory just to experience it for the first time again, I absolutely would.
An unforgettable masterpiece. Easy five stars.
July 3, 2026
Therest is a great sci-fi book that doesnt spend too much time on the exposition. This is the world the characters live in and here is their stories. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to what else this author writes.
January 31, 2026
Really enjoyed this book! It feels like a well done mix of Project Hail Mary and The Deep with plenty of comedic relief and love
On top of that,
On top of that,
August 13, 2026
An enjoyable novel with a really neat premise. We're dropped into an on-going invasion, where alot happens in a short amount of time. While the writing style is a bit hit or miss for perspective (third-person present-ish), the world-building is great and could easily lead to more side stories.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews