Nature's Confession

by J.L. Morin

This is an updated cover edition of ISBN10: 0989596079/ ISBN13: 978098959607).

The epic tale of two teens in a fight to save a warming planet . . . the universe . . . and their love. A cli-fi quest full of romance, honor, and adventure.
LitPick 5-Star-Review Award winner
#1 Top Fiction Read (ARC) of 2014, Marinovich Books

Best of a New Genre, included in “12 Works of Climate Fiction Everyone Should Read”
Eco-Fiction Honorable Mention
5-Star Foreword review

When a smart-mouthed, mixed-race teen wonders why the work that needs to be done pays nothing compared to the busywork glorified on holovision news, the search for answers takes him on the wildest journey of anyone’s lifetime. Their planet is choked with pollution. They can’t do anything about it . . . or can they? With the girl of his dreams, he inadvertently invents living computers. Just as the human race allows corporations to pollute Earth into total desolation, institute martial law and enslave humanity, the two teens set out to save civilization. Can they thwart polluters of Earth and other fertile planets? The heroes come into their own in different kinds of relationships in this diverse, multicultural romance. Along the way, they enlist the help of female droid Any Gynoid, who uncovers cutting-edge scientific mysteries. Their quest takes them through the Big Bang and back. Will Starliament tear them from the project and unleash ‘intelligent’ life’s habitual pollution, or will youth lead the way to a new way of coexisting with Nature?

Nature’s Confession couldn’t be more timely, amidst the largest climate change march in world history when world leaders converged for an emergency UN Climate Summit in New York City. With illustrations and topics for discussion at the back of the book, JL Morin entertains questions about busywork; economic incentives to pollute; sustainable energy; exploitation; cyborgs; the sanctity of Nature; and many kinds of relationships in this diverse, multicultural romance.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Family

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2014

About the author

JL Morin grew up in inner-city Detroit. She proffered moral support while her parents sacrificed all to a failed system. Wondering what the Japanese were doing right, she decamped to Tokyo. Her debut Japan novel, Sazzae, won an eLit Gold Medal, and a Living Now Book Award. Her second novel, Travelling Light, was a USA Best Book Awards finalist, and her third, Trading Dreams, became ‘Occupy’s first bestselling novel’. Her climate fiction novel, Nature’s Confession, won first place in the Dante Rossetti Book Awards; a Readers’ Favorite Book Award; a LitPick 5-Star Review Award; and an excerpt received an Honorable Mention in the Eco-Fiction Story Contest, published in the Winds of Change anthology of eco-fiction. Her second cli-fi novel, Loveoid, is a Cygnus Sci-fi 1st place winner, among others.

Her cli-fi novels are on course syllabi at many universities. Ivy League professors have facilitated discussions with JL Morin’s writing, and it is discussed in textbooks, such as Science Fiction and Climate Change: A Sociological Approach, by Andrew Milner, ‎and J. R. Burgmann, 2020, published by Oxford University Press.

Her most recent work, Tuck-a-tuck Dragon, is a diverse rhyming children’s book illustrated by children throughout their childhood from the ages of 2–21.

JL Morin’s writing draws on a breadth of experience. She traded derivatives in New York while studying nights for her MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business; worked for the Federal Reserve Bank posted to the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center; presented the news as a TV broadcaster; and she is adjunct faculty at Boston University. Morin’s fiction has appeared in The Harvard Advocate and Harvard Yisei, and her articles and translations in The Huffington Post, Library Journal, The Detroit News, European Daily, Livonia Observer Eccentric Newspapers, The Harvard Crimson, and Agence France Presse while she worked in their Middle East Headquarters.

Reviews

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One hundred and fifty years ago, the monster began, this country had become a place of industry. Factories grew on the landscape like weeds. Trees fell, fields were up-ended, rivers blackened. The sky choked on smoke and ash, and the people did, too, spending their days coughing and itching, their eyes turned forever toward the ground. Villages grew into town, towns into cities. And people began to live on the earth rather than within it.”

----Patrick Ness, an award-winning novelist


J.L. Morin, an American author, pens her new book, Nature's Confession where the author takes p a funny side to craft a sci-fi story about giving birth to a pollution-free planet Earth, that is centered around two teenagers trying to save the nature.


Synopsis:

‘Honestly, it’s not my fault. I didn’t mean to invent them. Humans were polluting the planet to desolation. What else could I do? I had to save her.'

Their planet is choked with pollution. THEY can’t do anything about it . . . or can they? When a smart-mouthed, mixed-race teen wonders why the work that needs to be done pays nothing compared to the busywork that’s glorified on holovision news, the search for answers takes him on the wildest journey of anyone’s lifetime. Just as the human race allows corporations to pollute Earth into total desolation, institute martial law and enslave humanity, the two teens set out to save civilization. Can they thwart polluters of Earth and other fertile worlds? The heroes come into their own in different kinds of relationships. On their team, six-legged Wuhvie, and Any Gynoid, who pushes the frontier of scientific discovery through the Big Bang to reveal . . . the most intimate confessions of Nature . . . . Will Starliament tear them from the project and unleash ‘intelligent’ life’s habitual pollution, or will youth lead the way to a new way of protecting Nature?


Boy is a 14 year old mixed race teenager who has a half-sister, Kenza, who is actually a clone of his mother, father, Porter, who lies and cheats on his wife, and being fallen as a victim of emotional turmoil, the boy's mother dedicate herself to climate-related anti-planetary politics. Valentine is a 16 year old red-haired genius, who is a master of particle physics and is also the boy's dream girl and the boy doesn't even know whether she is real or not when he is hired by an underworld agency to write code for them. They all live on the planet Earth where pollution rules over everything and the government actually pays more money to make the air stale and un-breathable. But then this whole family take up the mission to save this planet by protecting nature and curbing pollution from the face of the Earth.

This is an amazing book and I believe, it's steady pace does complete justice for the readers to gradually grasp all those difficult scientific events. The writing quality is very skilled and polished and the author have intricately laid out her complex plot. The social and environmental issues over-ruled by politics and the government is layered and masked with a sense of humor which at times cracks the readers up. But the terrifying part about the nature and pollution is strikingly featured into the plot which sets a fear up into the readers mind.

The author lets us contemplate with her story through her strong and well-developed characters. Now the characters' demeanor are kept very close to realism, but each character proves brilliant imaginative mind of the author. The evocative narrative style mixed with wit and humor makes it easier for the readers to get lost and engaged into the very core of the storyline. Although the author have narrated the tale through the boy's POV, still, it feels like the readers cold easily blend in with each and every character.

There is not much romance in the book especially between the boy and Valentine, since most part of the book, he believed Valentine to be an unreal entity of his mind, but the first time meeting between them is depicted through a lot of sparks and compassion. The author have poured out a lot of deep emotions through out the story. The adrenaline rushing adventures scenes through the big bang are very vividly captured by the author, which gives a lo9t of momentum to the story.

Overall, this is a compelling climate science fiction that demands a bit of patience from the readers' side to easily comprehend with it's storyline, because the ends-result is really fruitful, terrifying as well as funny and satisfying.

Verdict: A must-read book for all YA science fiction fans who are bored of reading same style of dystopian stories.

Courtesy: I received the book for a blog tour.

[Wayne Marinovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was able to put this work down, it was with regret. I simply wanted to read it in a single stint. Zany, fantastical and a product of a clearly whimsical mind. This book however, covers some serious and important topics that are affecting the planet we live on, so very relevant.

When I did finish, it reminded me a little of Star Trek, infused with The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and a little Dr Who thrown in the wonderful mix.

Get it. Read it.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book that is weird, crazy, funny, zany but above all serious. It is like a cross between The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Make Room, Make Room with a dash of The Sheep Look Up or vice versa. It is about Man against Nature and the destruction and saving of Planets: metaphorical, allegorical, sardonic, ironic... Read it, enjoy it and care.

A solid 8 of 10 stars

[Mari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy of the novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Although I was really looking forward to reading this novel, it turned out to not be my cup of tea at all (I detest preachy prose).

Nature’s Confession is explicitly promoted as climate fiction, or “cli-fi”. On the page facing the title page “The state of the cli-fi genre” is printed in bold, followed by two quotations describing climate fiction as a recent phenomenon related to climate change. Science fictional treatments of environmental concerns have been around almost as long as science fiction itself, but I’m particularly annoyed by the manner in which the most vociferous proponents of cli-fi conveniently forget all about Gilgamesh and Noah, surely to be considered two of the earliest climate fictional protagonists.

Unfortunately the novel failed to recover from this irksome start.

I did enjoy a few things, such as the use of “homosapianity” (132) to denote an all-too-human blend of stupidity and ingenuity (according to the internet not a new coinage), as well as the use of Cuppy (a six-legged alien dog) as first-person narrator in some of the later chapters.

Nature’s Confession is packed with ideas – it potentially contains enough material for an entire series of books. Judging by the discussion questions at the end it is intended to be used in schools and I think it could work well enough in the right classroom. Nevertheless, many of those questions struck me as much more interesting than the novel itself. My impression is that the main concern had been to maintain a fast-paced storyline, and that this trumped all other considerations. I found the superficial engagement with ideas off-putting: more often than not sweeping statements stand in for argument. Even the editing seems rushed – I cannot remember when last I read a printed book containing this many errors. While some sci-fi staples (artificial intelligence, terraforming, geo- and bioengineering, time travel, space exploration, surveillance, and encounters with aliens) play an important role in the plot, I would especially have liked to have seen a more nuanced treatment of other issues pertinent to climate fiction. These include ethnicity and gender, the power relations inherent in corporatism and consumerism, the problems surrounding distinctions between human and nonhuman (animal, alien or cyborg), and questions of agency and responsibility.

Finally, as the novel is so explicitly categorised as climate fiction, a comparison with just a few recent works which deal thematically with climate and/or climate change seems justified, but Nature’s Confession comes up short in most cases. For example: the satire seems heavy-handed when compared to Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy or even Maggie Gee’s The Flood and The Ice People; the novel lacks the inventiveness of Paolo Bacigalupi’s work; details are usually skimmed over so there is none of the lyricism of Jeanette Winterson’s The Stone Gods or Doris Lessing’s Margaret and Dann novels; and there is unfortunately no sign of the poignancy of Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behaviour.

While it is perhaps slightly unfair to compare this YA novel to the work of such acclaimed writers, its deliberate marketing as a significant contribution to climate fiction seems rather ill-considered. Activism doesn't need to descend into didacticism, and the novel is not redeemed by the author's good intentions.

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Adventure-packed book that explores serious issues from an often funny angle.
Cons: Requires some suspension of disbelief. The fable-like telling may take a bit to get used to. Multiple points of view may not be everybody's cup of tea.
Will appeal to: Those who like their sci-fi peppered with humour, but also driven by a purpose. Those who can appreciate a modern fable coupled with a (not preachy) message.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. It's also my second ARC review in two years of blogging - but this didn't affect my opinion in any way.
There's something I have to warn you about straight away: don't approach this book thinking the romance will play a huge part in it, like the blurb seems to imply. Or, to be precise - the romance does play a huge part in it, but mostly offscreen, so to speak. Also, this is a book that gets better the second time around. While reading the first chapters, the unusual style - almost fable-like - threw me for a loop. Not to mention, some occurrences seemed too convenient and far-fetched at first, even for a sci-fi novel. The main characters, fourteen and sixteen respectively, are supposed to be a couple of geniuses, able to create (accidentally or on purpose) living computers. That sounded like a stretch to me, to put it mildly. Then, a few chapters in, the book finally clicked for me, and I began to really enjoy the story.
Boy is a 14 y.o. mixed-race teen (points to Morin for writing a diverse character without emphasizing his ethnicity) who doesn't have a name yet - in the distant-future society he lives in (I hesitate to label it as dystopian, since alas, it might come true for us) one can't be named until his/her fifteenth birthday. Valentine is the 16 y.o. daughter of a scientist, who keeps appearing in Boy's dreams, although he doesn't know she's real yet. Even when the two teens do finally meet, there's very little interaction between them, until much later in the story. Also, Boy has a half-sister, Kenza, who is a clone of their mother. Despite the sci-fi contest, plus a hint of magical realism (Boy's dreams), the family dynamics are somehow typical, up to a point (a father who works a lot and cheats on his wife, a mother who mainly takes care of the family), but we'll soon realise that there's a lot more than that under the surface. Every member of Boy's family (including a telepathic alien pet with six legs and an undisclosed number of tails that we are to meet later) will be given the opportunity to play a part in the rebirth of planet Earth and its new, eco-sustainable course. Some of these characters are unlikely heroes - take Porter, Boy's father, who leaves for a supposed pleasure-filled space trip with a soon-to-be lover, and ends up traveling through the Big Bang and back with a gynoid and meeting a few unexpected allies on old planet Earth. This adds humour to the story, and makes the scientific stuff easier to digest. [...]

Whole review here.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this futuristic eco-loving romance novel.

It was interesting and informative, with enjoyable adventures.

Highly recommend it to everyone.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you ready to turn the controls over to the imagination of J. L. Morin? If so, strap in and be prepared to learn about the consequences of a Big Bang, Black Holes and most importantly, when humans become an archaic commodity on what is left of Earth. Big Government, big business and the quest for the almighty dollar have ravaged Earth’s resources, killed off the animals and devalued life until it is worth no more than one grain of soot in a world traumatized. The air has been fouled and humans are virtually enslaved at their jobs. Nature’s Confession by J. L. Morin is a frightening trip into the Earth as it could become if we, as stewards do not care for it. A young boy, called Boy, because he hasn’t reached his naming time, is this a loss of identity or just the way things have evolved. Martial law is invoked, and independent thinking is discouraged. Boy knows and sees what is going on and together with a ragtag band of saviors, sets out to help save the planet, risking life and limb in the process while learning that there are other dimensions and worlds that may soon need saving from humanity’s greed. Will Boy achieve his goal before it’s too late? Computers come to life, clones and droids exist, the only thing that seems to be dying out are humans, consciences and good old Mother Earth. Are other planets next?

Geared to the imaginations of younger readers who more readily accept the fantasy aspect, there are lessons to be learned, pointed out and actually, an entire new set of words to learn as creatures and others are fancifully named. Anyone interested in saving this planet will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek references to the reality we live in.

J.L. Morin has done an excellent job of getting her message across in a way that provides moments of humor, danger and adventure for younger readers. The discussion topic at the end would provide an opportunity to raise awareness in the classroom and encourage youngsters to “go green” at every opportunity as they become aware that Earth is our home and depends on us as much as we depend on it.

I received an ARC review copy from Harvard Square Editions in exchange for my honest review. In that spirit, I must say that the random and often used blurb regarding Harvard Square was extremely poorly placed too often and distracted from the flow of the story. Which sadly, must be reflected in my rating and is not the fault of the author.

Expected Publication Date: Paperback – January 8, 2015
Publisher: Harvard Square Editions
ISBN-10: 0989596079
ISBN-13: 978-0989596077
Genre: Eco Fantasy - Speculative Fiction Middle grade/YA
Paperback: 298 pages
Amazon
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Linda Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story this planetary adventure was a wonderful treat for the imagination and a wonderful book. This book did feed the soul and the emotions as well. Brillant story very strong characters and the characters goes from being wife,mother,and then to a leader of another planet. The character named boy with a smart mouth and a brain to back it up. Boy had a reoccurring dream about agirl with auburn hair this happened until they meet. But they didn,t see eye to eye at first. Amazing story this was well thought out and goes to show you don,t have to be big to do good and step back and do for the little people. This book is one for the read again shelf and I would be delighted to recommend this wonderful book to my friends. My thanks go to the author J.L.Morin and thanks for the privilege of reading her wonderful book. So that all said keep smiling with all my love from wee me. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[David Wooddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature's Confession by J. L. Morin is a terrifically funny, and somewhat frightening look at the future. Her characters are well-thought out, and representational - Any Gynoid, for instance, is the superhero everywoman who saves humanity, using the discovery of the character Boy. The Red Haired Girl is mysterious, and haunts Boy's dreams, with good reason - she is inspiringly alluring for Boy. As for the character Porter - well, as his name implies, he carries a lot. What I enjoyed the most was the author's ability to combine serious concerns about the environment on Earth, with a sense of humor, at times almost a double-take slapstick, and obviously her wish the polluters on earth, and the policy-makers who foster those polluters could be slapped upside of the head with a dose of reality. Instead, she gives us sublime comedy, which is much better than being preached to, or crying that the sky is falling. Although, I bet she could write a pretty good version of the Sky Is Falling.

[Fred Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for supplying a free copy of this book for review

I didn't really finish the book. While the author is trying to start a new genre - CLIMATE FICTION - I'm not sure that this was the best format to do that.

Yes the issues dealt with are real but the idiosyncratic, irreverent, suspension of belief phrasing is off putting. As a genre it is mash up of Fantasy and Drugged Induced Illusion

A better way would be to incorporate the climate fiction into a genre with a wider appeal including thrillers, murder mystery or even romance. In this way the message is within a contextual format that a broad audience is already reading.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank J L Morin for sending me a copy of Nature's Confession. This book is a genre that I seldom read, but must admit to be pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed reading this eco adventure and romance book. Admittedly I did find parts a little far fetched in places, but this didn't distract from such an enjoyable read. A wonderful story for the imagination and I'm sure my grandson will enjoy reading this book as much as I did before it is placed in my library case for reading again. I recommend to all.

[Annabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature's Confession is so good you don't want to put it down. I love how if brings up so many questions and points of interest that are important to TODAY's time. The book is insightful and makes you remember how important it is to keep your planet clean. I also liked the many relationships within the book and really just the book as a whole, I definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a thrilling, science-y book.

[Louise Colclough · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventure that makes you think!

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book free from the author herself, and I have to say it's one of the best books I have ever read.

It highlights important environmental issues via a whirlwind adventure through time and space.

I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this book. Beautifully written with a story that grips you from beginning to end.

A triumph for J.L Morin!

[Manon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to recieve this book from the author in exchange of a review and I have to say I'm really glad I did.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It is an amazing story. The environmental issues are relatable which make the the story even better. The characters are well and come to life in my imagination. The book is beautifully written and it grips you from the moment you start to read.

[Paul Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

JL Morin's book, "Nature's Confession" is an exciting, well written wonderful story packed with imagination and romance. It's mission is to save our Planet Earth from self destructing.
I highly recommend this book.

Paul M. Kramer

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting mix of important topics intertwined around a Sci-fi story. I will write a review shortly.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway in 2018 and I'm embarrassed to say I just got around to reading it. This is the first thing I've read by the author.

What a delightfully strange book this was. The characters are interesting, the flow and plot are both good, the story was great but got a bit eco preachy at times. This book has aspects that reminded me of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and Dune. Because it seemed to be jumping all over the place (at least for me) it took a little bit to get into it but once I did it was very enjoyable.

[J.G. Follansbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature’s Confession is an impressive sci-fi epic with a multi-versal scope. On the one hand, it’s a young adult romance featuring a mixed-race boy named “Boy” and his infatuation with Valentine, a red-haired beauty with a talent for particle physics. On the other, it’s a speculative story of a family falling on hard emotional times as the father takes up with a female android, which leads the mother to pursue a career in interplanetary politics. Much of the action happens on an earth sickened by pollution and climate change. There’s so much going on that it’ll take two or three reads to take it all in.

The author, J.L. Morin, is fearless. She’s unafraid to cram teen love, the origin of the universe, time travel, and an unrelenting satire of modern life into 277 pages, hanging the text with digressions and neologisms like Christmas tree ornaments. My personal favorite new word is “busywork,” referring to the purposeless drudgery forced upon those of us droning along in cubicles by organizations whose leaders may acknowledge us once a year, if we’re lucky. The tone is a combination of Alice in Wonderland (complete with rabbit hole) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, with a dash of Gulliver’s Travels.

Morin falls into a few traps. The antagonist is the usual caricature of big business, an obese, greedy man with a single-minded desire to exploit earth until its resources are exhausted. Though modern legal theory has distorted the purpose of corporations as ways to spread risk (They have rights similar to a human’s? Really?), they’re today’s go-to bugaboo, and cliche is just around the corner. Furthermore, Morin presents a pre-industrial non-human race of primates as living in a state of grace, only to be corrupted by civilization. It’s an inaccurate and old-fashioned trope, as any anthropologist will tell you.

Readers tired of the constant dystopian drumbeat of recent years will find respite in Nature’s Confession. Morin presents the danger of inaction on environmental degradation, including climate change, with only a modicum of preachiness, and her sense of humor will carry you through twists and turns that rival a wormhole’s. After some head-scratching, you might find yourself reading the novel again to see what you missed the first time.

This review first appeared on Joe Follansbee's blog.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is proclaimed to be a new genre, Cli-Fi, and that intrigued me, along with the stunning cover art.

Young love blossoms on a world raped of all it’s natural resources by big business. The air is unbreathable, no flora or fauna can survive, and man is now delegated to busy work. Recent history is ever changing so children are taught about past events from censored text books. Can a group of enlightened individuals save their planet?

All of this was familiar. I’d read about similar plots, seen movies that broached these topics. So I was wondering how the author would put a new spin on it.

I’d love to reveal that spin, but it would be spoiling things for you. So I’ll begin at the beginning.

Boy, 14 years old and wiser than he even imagines. Approached by a secret organization for his hacker skills. They want to get censored books and information into everyone’s hands and they need Boy’s special skills to help with the coding.

This is where Boy meets Girl and young romance blooms. Boy dreamed about the red headed girl. In his dreams he saved her from death by horrible creatures, making himself the knight in shining armor.

Then, his dreams are played out in real life, and he’s afraid he’s not up to the task.

Now, I’m at the point where I find it difficult to share without spoilers. There are many plot twists, a fascinating view at a world very similar to ours, and issues of climate change that are real and threatening us today.

Every day I watch the news and the weather is so strange. Severe drought on the west coast and then torrential rains and mudslides. Tornado season starting earlier with more of them every year in the midwest. Killer storms on the east coast and deadlier hurricanes. The signs are there. But, what can we do about it?

This books addresses these issues in a fun, fictional way, and gives you some good ideas. Lets hope this generation puts on their thinking caps and does something for future generations.

While I’d recommend this to all ages, I sure hope the younger readers give it a go. Perhaps they will think long and hard while still enjoying some fantasy and adventure mixed with truth.

I received this book for my honest review.

[Amberle Husbands · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this novel directly from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by Nature's Confession to begin with because of the truly original cover art (I know, I know, judging books by their covers, shame on me) and by the blurb about it being a "cli-fi" novel. I'd never read anything before that called itself that, so yes, I was curious.
I will begin by admitting that this was a difficult read for me. Not because it is a difficult book on the level of its themes or what could be called its reading-level; in fact it would be an appropriate read for middle-school and up, I would say, with plenty of quality content to attract adult readers as well.
What made this a difficult read for me was that I really, really wanted to love this book. The ideas presented here are important and the story line that delivers them is nothing if not original; two things that are right-off-the-bat requirements for me, from science fiction. But those ideas seemed to be presented in a very helter-skelter manner. The story quickly became so scattered that it seemed to me to be not action-packed and quirky-erratic, but haphazard and little sloppy.
But, as I said before, there are some very pertinent issues addressed by this novel, and that kept me reading. The characters and content were as far from subtle as it’s possible to be, but I still found them compelling, and the plot itself kept taking one unforeseen twist after another.
The chapters told from the view-point of Cuppy alone made it worth finishing the novel! (Read for yourself, you’ll be forced to call in love, I promise!)
Overall, I would be thrilled to be able to rate this book higher. It touches on such a fundamental issue of our times that I feel like recommending it to everybody I pass on the street, but the style and quality of the writing itself make it a little hard to do that with a clean reviewer's conscience. So, three stars for this book that continued to grow on me from the first page to the last.
I can't wait to see what else the strange and lovely mind of this author has in store!

[Remy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This J.L. Morin novel promises an epic yarn about a pair of teenagers that struggle to save their world from global warming, opening with praise from critics that appreciated its environmental themes, the book dubbed climate fiction, or “cli-fi.” Morin, unsurprisingly, dedicates the novel to “unconquerable” Mother Nature, and gives statistics about how governments hand out nearly two trillion dollars towards polluting industries. The author further gives thanks to a scientist, Dr. Thomas Mowbray, for his research into antipatterns, although they seem to play a minimal role at best within the story.

Morin names but doesn’t number the chapters in Nature’s Confession, with each beginning with an illustration somewhat related to the title and a quote either fictional or nonfictional, the quotation aspect present in other science fiction stories such as the Dune series. Among the mentioned fictional quotes are those from the Legend of MakSym, a boy born in year two “After Corporatism.” The protagonist’s name is Boy, who dreams of saving a girl from a giant spider and is likened to the fictitious hero Tyree, whom the Emperor of Earth and Sea seeks, with Tyree being a “hacker hero,” and the reasoning behind Boy’s identity being that parents in the dystopian future don’t feel safe naming their scion.

The author occasionally injects her ideology into the novel, noting that deaths from handguns vastly outnumber those from terrorism, with the Emperor, for instance, suggesting allowing private citizens to keep firearms as a form of population control. An incident eventually drives Boy and his parents from their home on the lam into space, with occasional twists towards the end and first-person chapters narrated by an animal. Overall, this is an enjoyable science fiction novel that’s not overly-preachy about its themes, although there are some headscratchers, and this reviewer found himself unable to answer the discussion questions following the main text without going back and really giving the book another once-over.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Nature’s Confession is a powerful and thought-provoking novel from start to finish. This was my first time reading a cli-fi novel and it was incredible. The Earth as it is described is one that can be vividly imagined if we keep on the same path even a hundred years from now. The pollution, corruption and turning a blind eye to these events can be seen now and in the novel.

A novel targeted to youth, Nature’s Confession truly goes the extra mile to remind our youth that they are a powerful force. They can force change and all it takes is one person to start these changes. This is an important reminder for our youth – that they are the change that they want to see.

The novel is well written and developed at a good pace that allows you to absorb and understand the technology and ideas presented (busywork, the rules, etc). The start is slower to build as she explains more but this is something you will need to fully appreciate the book. The middle to end capture and demand every bit of your attention. The characters were brave and adventurous, a small amount of romance is included in this book but definitely does not take away from the themes of this book. As an interesting fact that was shared with me by J.L. Morin, did you know that one round trip from New York to London pollutes as much as one house in a year? Pretty crazy right?!.

This is a definite must read book for all youth and for those who want to step outside their book comfort zone.

[Lilian Flesher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written, interesting subject, had me pondering over the state of the universe and what would befall us all. I think this book will be loved by young adults, perhaps enlightening them to look further than their eyes can see!!! The imagination of this author is awesome, having to write about normal day to life things is one thing but to write about the "unknown" is definitely for someone who has a great mind and great imagination. I don't want to give any spoilers so I will just stick to the facts, this is an extremely great book, very well written, definitely not what I expected at all it was BETTER !!!! Frightening insight into what our world could become, with some really comical bits to lighten the tale up !!!

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature's Confession by J. L. Morin is an interesting science fiction read. There are a lot strong messages about our environment. I actually liked that. Many of us forget about the impact of our action on/in our environments. Pollution is one major issue that we still have not found a solution for...our cities are so polluted no one thinks of the pollution as an issue. Because they have grown so used to it. If you can't see the stars at night, there is too much pollution where one lives. J. L. Morin entertained me as I dug further into the book while bringing up these issues. I found it engaging to read. Not many fictional writers bother to address real world issues like pollution into their stories. Overall, I recommend Nature's Confession to readers everywhere.

[MartyAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the future of Planet Earth after Climate Change, All the natural resources have been stripped, and the air itself is not breathable, the land no longer fertile. Earth cannot sustain life any longer. Corporations making money on destroying the planet have bought out everything: children's learning is nothing at all and adults all have official BusyWork. The few people with active brains are a careful 5th column trying to save the human race, since Earth is unsalvageable... unless.. maybe...

[Della · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't get me started on this one. Great thought provoking read. Is it fiction? Or a reality masquerading as fiction? Or is it a picture of things to come. Or is it an amalgamation of the 3? It fits so well with thoughts of today. Loved the teachers name Dodgeswisdom. Sadly most today do. The school of the future? Is what is going on in the school system today the foundation for the schools of tomorrow? Is what corporations doing like what is happening in the book? This book hit home on so many levels.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

There is no doubt that this cli-fi (Climate Fiction) piece has a unique plot and creative characters who inhabit not only Earth, but Grod and Phira as well.

Read full review in the 2015 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Carol & Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little hard to put down.

[Thijs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is absolutely the most godaweful book I've read. The writing is terrible and the plot goed about willy nilly. The world is not explained at all, and you're expected to go along with it like all's clear and dandy.

Like, this book is so bad it's too bad to be 'so bad it's funny.'
It's not funny. It's like someone had a brainfart and instead diarrhoea spilled out on the paper.

Anyone giving this 3 stars or higher should have their mental capacities checked.

[Martin Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A load of sci-fi nonsense pretentiously sending a message about the evils of modern living