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Barren Waters
WINNER!!! 2017 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) - Silver Medal National Winner for Best Science Fiction Novel of 2017
NOMINATED! 2017 Global Ebook Awards! Best Science Fiction Novel Winner to be announced August 13, 2017
It happened once before...
It was called the Permian Extinction...
All life in the oceans died...
And now it's happening again...
Sometimes life ends with a bang. Other times it ends with a slow strangulation. The oceans are extinct. Empty. Stagnant. Only the slow passage of time can reverse the effects. But what does that mean for the rest of the planet? What does that mean for those who remain?
Enter the world as it exists in the twenty-second century. Follow Jeremy Colt and his family, as they race across the continent to survive. What waits for them in San Diego? Why do they need to get there? The clock is ticking. Can they get there fast enough? And if they do, will it even save her?
NOMINATED! 2017 Global Ebook Awards! Best Science Fiction Novel Winner to be announced August 13, 2017
It happened once before...
It was called the Permian Extinction...
All life in the oceans died...
And now it's happening again...
Sometimes life ends with a bang. Other times it ends with a slow strangulation. The oceans are extinct. Empty. Stagnant. Only the slow passage of time can reverse the effects. But what does that mean for the rest of the planet? What does that mean for those who remain?
Enter the world as it exists in the twenty-second century. Follow Jeremy Colt and his family, as they race across the continent to survive. What waits for them in San Diego? Why do they need to get there? The clock is ticking. Can they get there fast enough? And if they do, will it even save her?
379 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 22, 2016
128 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 20, 2017
Book 13 in the 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge is Barren Waters, a post-apocalyptic tale of survival in a dystopian future where the world’s oceans have become barren and stagnant due to mankind’s pollution of their environment. As the human race continues to pump toxic chemicals into rivers, streams and waterways across the world it is not difficult to imagine the possible effects that Julia Shupe presents in this novel, and the scary thought is that it could come true.
In the 22nd century the pollution has reached intolerable levels, and the efforts of mankind to clean up their act and attempt to preserve their home, is too little too late. Plankton in the deep oceans have died out, leaving a wide variety of aquatic animals without food. Starvation becomes rife and mass extinctions leave the oceans dead. Shrinking levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, further restricts the survival of both plant and animal life, including those of human kind.
Julia recounts the lives of two scientists with the foresight to prepare for the coming disaster, and the trials of their surviving family, a son and grand-daughter 50 years later, struggling with daily life in their harsh, unfortunate circumstances.
The author, Julia Shupe kindly offered me a free copy of her novel, Barren Waters in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative jumps back and forth quite a lot between its descriptions of the unfolding apocalypse and of the resulting consequences, and the dates of the events don’t run consecutively, instead forming part of the story at the necessary time. It does not detract or confuse the story too much, but for those who attempt to follow the proper timeline from beginning to end will find this incredibly difficult and somewhat confusing.
However, Julia has crafted a well thought-out and imaginative tale, which both intrigues and entertains the reader, while also provoking thoughtful scientific stimulation.
My only other niggle is the usual issue which pertains to most self-published books, the high number of annoying spelling mistakes within the Kindle copy. However, don’t let those put you off from enjoying this otherwise wonderful tale of human survival.
I may now be tempted to delve deeper into this author’s world, by reading her fantasy series ‘The Sentinels of Kiln’.
In the 22nd century the pollution has reached intolerable levels, and the efforts of mankind to clean up their act and attempt to preserve their home, is too little too late. Plankton in the deep oceans have died out, leaving a wide variety of aquatic animals without food. Starvation becomes rife and mass extinctions leave the oceans dead. Shrinking levels of oxygen in the atmosphere, further restricts the survival of both plant and animal life, including those of human kind.
Julia recounts the lives of two scientists with the foresight to prepare for the coming disaster, and the trials of their surviving family, a son and grand-daughter 50 years later, struggling with daily life in their harsh, unfortunate circumstances.
The author, Julia Shupe kindly offered me a free copy of her novel, Barren Waters in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative jumps back and forth quite a lot between its descriptions of the unfolding apocalypse and of the resulting consequences, and the dates of the events don’t run consecutively, instead forming part of the story at the necessary time. It does not detract or confuse the story too much, but for those who attempt to follow the proper timeline from beginning to end will find this incredibly difficult and somewhat confusing.
However, Julia has crafted a well thought-out and imaginative tale, which both intrigues and entertains the reader, while also provoking thoughtful scientific stimulation.
My only other niggle is the usual issue which pertains to most self-published books, the high number of annoying spelling mistakes within the Kindle copy. However, don’t let those put you off from enjoying this otherwise wonderful tale of human survival.
I may now be tempted to delve deeper into this author’s world, by reading her fantasy series ‘The Sentinels of Kiln’.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2025
Tense and poignant
Barren Waters is a post apocalyptic survival thriller, reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece The Road. The book revolves around the survival of one family after pollution rendered life in the oceans extinct. The book is intense and poignant, with well rounded characters who sacrifice for each other and show actual growth as characters. Characters also make absolutely heart wrenching choices to protect their loved ones, even at a steep cost to others. There are more than one timeline with the story told non-linearly, but its easy to follow. This is the most moving apocalyptic book I've read all year, I can't recommend it highly enough, to just about any audience from older kids to adults. 5/5 remarkably well earned stars! Don't miss out on this outstanding book!!!
Barren Waters is a post apocalyptic survival thriller, reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece The Road. The book revolves around the survival of one family after pollution rendered life in the oceans extinct. The book is intense and poignant, with well rounded characters who sacrifice for each other and show actual growth as characters. Characters also make absolutely heart wrenching choices to protect their loved ones, even at a steep cost to others. There are more than one timeline with the story told non-linearly, but its easy to follow. This is the most moving apocalyptic book I've read all year, I can't recommend it highly enough, to just about any audience from older kids to adults. 5/5 remarkably well earned stars! Don't miss out on this outstanding book!!!
March 24, 2017
Alarming, gripping, intense, a look at our possible future.
This book was amazing, I absolutely loved it. I can't get enough of dystopic stories like this one, stories that are a genuine future possibility because of the existence and negligence of the human race. This is the first book I've read about societal collapse due to the death of the oceans. Overfishing, trash, chemicals and pollution have destroyed every living thing in the water which has devastating effects on all other aspects of nature.
This story follows Liam and Olivia, who are preppers, shortly before and through the collapse, and Jeremy and Sam, their son and granddaughter, 50 years after. It's interesting to get both perspectives as the story moves back and forth between each pair. We get to experience the buildup to the crash and go through it while simultaneously seeing the effects, short and long term.
There are some extremely hard decisions made along the way, some that are dangerous and some that are heartbreaking. Seeing what they go through dealing with survival, scavenging, diabetes, severe medical issues, and really bad people make for some pretty intense scenes that had me fully immersed. I love the stories that make the world around you disappear for awhile.
If you like survival stories, teotwawki, or are interested in being prepared then you will want to read this book. It is unputdownable more often than not.
This book was amazing, I absolutely loved it. I can't get enough of dystopic stories like this one, stories that are a genuine future possibility because of the existence and negligence of the human race. This is the first book I've read about societal collapse due to the death of the oceans. Overfishing, trash, chemicals and pollution have destroyed every living thing in the water which has devastating effects on all other aspects of nature.
This story follows Liam and Olivia, who are preppers, shortly before and through the collapse, and Jeremy and Sam, their son and granddaughter, 50 years after. It's interesting to get both perspectives as the story moves back and forth between each pair. We get to experience the buildup to the crash and go through it while simultaneously seeing the effects, short and long term.
There are some extremely hard decisions made along the way, some that are dangerous and some that are heartbreaking. Seeing what they go through dealing with survival, scavenging, diabetes, severe medical issues, and really bad people make for some pretty intense scenes that had me fully immersed. I love the stories that make the world around you disappear for awhile.
If you like survival stories, teotwawki, or are interested in being prepared then you will want to read this book. It is unputdownable more often than not.
January 21, 2023
three generations
I really liked the three generations of one family. The characters were interesting, kind, sometimes tough, and fought hard for their loved one’s survival. Diabetes threads its way through the family. And the story is about finding what the diabetic needs. I also liked that the generations could adopt a child with no home or family. The entire story was well written but I was put off a bit by the regression to earlier years. A personal choice.
I really liked the three generations of one family. The characters were interesting, kind, sometimes tough, and fought hard for their loved one’s survival. Diabetes threads its way through the family. And the story is about finding what the diabetic needs. I also liked that the generations could adopt a child with no home or family. The entire story was well written but I was put off a bit by the regression to earlier years. A personal choice.
February 21, 2018
A Feast of Images
Excellent book. A haunting, realistic tale of struggle, devotion, and just plain good sense. Characters so well defined that the reader forgets they are characters in a book.
Excellent book. A haunting, realistic tale of struggle, devotion, and just plain good sense. Characters so well defined that the reader forgets they are characters in a book.
September 21, 2025
barren waters review
Very moving, characters very believable, explanations of life not overdone. Could picture people and scenes vividly. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you for your creative effort.
Very moving, characters very believable, explanations of life not overdone. Could picture people and scenes vividly. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you for your creative effort.
September 29, 2018
Great read
Good writing great plot didn’t want to stop reading also a scary concept that this disaster could some day b possible
Good writing great plot didn’t want to stop reading also a scary concept that this disaster could some day b possible
August 8, 2018
The earth's oceans are toxic. Marinelife is all but extinct and the human population is slowly following. Part one of Barren Waters alternates between the story of two scientists studying the devastation taking place in the ocean, dismayed by the lack of results from the government's desperate attempts to revive marine life. The conversations between the scientists sometimes got a little preachy. There's a clear message being delivered about the damage being inflicted by humans on the planet.
The other storyline follows a father and daughter making their way across the country to get needed treatment for the daughter. This storyline includes some flashbacks that also include the mother. The relationships here were heartwarming and there were strong emotions that were absolutely relatable. I totally missed the obvious connection between the two storyline until it was right in my face! Pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter!
After reading book 1, I went ahead and bought the full novel and I was greatly rewarded. The characters were awesome! They were very well fleshed out and felt like real people. Hard decisions gad to be made along trek cross country trek, and the characters' anguish over the decisions was one of the best parts of the book. The author has a way with words. Her descriptions of the scenery were beautiful and her expression of her characters' thoughts and feelings was top flight. I particularly enjoyed how conversations between characters often led to flashbacks to the precise moment that spurred the original conversation. That was a great storytelling technique.
This is a character driven novel, but it is in no way lacking in suspenseful moments. When the main characters did encounter others, the moments were always filled with anticipation of what was going to happen.
It's hard for me to find anything negative to say about Barren Waters.
The other storyline follows a father and daughter making their way across the country to get needed treatment for the daughter. This storyline includes some flashbacks that also include the mother. The relationships here were heartwarming and there were strong emotions that were absolutely relatable. I totally missed the obvious connection between the two storyline until it was right in my face! Pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter!
After reading book 1, I went ahead and bought the full novel and I was greatly rewarded. The characters were awesome! They were very well fleshed out and felt like real people. Hard decisions gad to be made along trek cross country trek, and the characters' anguish over the decisions was one of the best parts of the book. The author has a way with words. Her descriptions of the scenery were beautiful and her expression of her characters' thoughts and feelings was top flight. I particularly enjoyed how conversations between characters often led to flashbacks to the precise moment that spurred the original conversation. That was a great storytelling technique.
This is a character driven novel, but it is in no way lacking in suspenseful moments. When the main characters did encounter others, the moments were always filled with anticipation of what was going to happen.
It's hard for me to find anything negative to say about Barren Waters.
October 15, 2016
This book is that rarest thing in post-apocalyptic fiction: a deep, carefully-crafted exploration of a small group of people as they work to forge new lives in a drastically changed world.
If you're looking for the more typical post-apocalyptic story, with our noble hero mowing down zombies, surviving against all odds, and generally saving the day, then this book may not satisfy you.
Instead, this book is full of real people. They make mistakes as well as winning small victories. They make poor choices as well as good ones. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes one tragedy piles upon the next until you don't really see how people can go on.
The story follows three generations of a family as environmental damage finally brings the earth to a point where it can no longer nurture the lives of the people, and creatures, that inhabit it. As society begins to collapse, the family we're following finds itself better off than most, though life is harsh for everyone. And when everyone is living on the edge of disaster, mistakes can have deadly consequences. Through all the ups and downs and across decades of continued decline, the author lets you feel every nuanced doubt and hope nurtured inside the heads of the central characters.
That nuance, that ability to get the reader to truly feel what the characters are feeling, as well as to paint a realistic environment for the characters to live in, is another thing that sets this book apart. The reader can feel all the pain, the joy, the guilt, and the fear that makes up life after the apocalypse.
So no, this isn't the slash-and-burn action fest that readers in this genre might be expecting. It's something with much more depth and, ultimately, more meaning. And that makes it worth every page.
If you're looking for the more typical post-apocalyptic story, with our noble hero mowing down zombies, surviving against all odds, and generally saving the day, then this book may not satisfy you.
Instead, this book is full of real people. They make mistakes as well as winning small victories. They make poor choices as well as good ones. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes one tragedy piles upon the next until you don't really see how people can go on.
The story follows three generations of a family as environmental damage finally brings the earth to a point where it can no longer nurture the lives of the people, and creatures, that inhabit it. As society begins to collapse, the family we're following finds itself better off than most, though life is harsh for everyone. And when everyone is living on the edge of disaster, mistakes can have deadly consequences. Through all the ups and downs and across decades of continued decline, the author lets you feel every nuanced doubt and hope nurtured inside the heads of the central characters.
That nuance, that ability to get the reader to truly feel what the characters are feeling, as well as to paint a realistic environment for the characters to live in, is another thing that sets this book apart. The reader can feel all the pain, the joy, the guilt, and the fear that makes up life after the apocalypse.
So no, this isn't the slash-and-burn action fest that readers in this genre might be expecting. It's something with much more depth and, ultimately, more meaning. And that makes it worth every page.
October 16, 2016
Barren Waters by Julia Shupe is an extraordinary dystopian tale. One that contains an acolpyse that will send chills down a reader's spine. It was absolutely terrorifying to think that one day the world could be like the one pictured in this tale. I realized the importance of survival not just for us humans for the other life living on our planet. Water ecosystems being destroyed is saddening. It is to some scientists belief that all organisms once lived in water before starting out as land creatures. From there creatures and us humans were created.. If life can't survive in the water what does that mean for all of humanity? Following the characters' journey to survival was harsh, critical and believable. Julia Shupe created a masterpiece that brings out major issues we need to deal with as well as brining out an entertaining story. Readers will instantly be captivated by this novel. I definitely was hooked. Barren Waters is a deep, thought provoking yet stunning piece of fiction. Overall, I highly recommend to readers worldwide.
April 15, 2017
Sad but interesting
An interesting take on the damage we do to our environment & the results. Yet somehow life finds a way.
An interesting take on the damage we do to our environment & the results. Yet somehow life finds a way.
April 17, 2017
Loved it!
A great story of a diabetic child in a post apocalyptic world and her dad and her journey to acquire insulin.
A great story of a diabetic child in a post apocalyptic world and her dad and her journey to acquire insulin.
April 26, 2017
Loved this - I read it in one sitting.
Reminiscent of ' The Road ' ; a tale of survival against the odds. Ultimately feel-good but with lots of drama and sorrow on the way and based on a too real premise - the abuse we humans have unleashed on the seas and oceans. Recommended.
Reminiscent of ' The Road ' ; a tale of survival against the odds. Ultimately feel-good but with lots of drama and sorrow on the way and based on a too real premise - the abuse we humans have unleashed on the seas and oceans. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews