What do you think?
Rate this book
EAST
Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon ekes out an itinerant existence in the Pacific Northwest, in a not-too-distant future where China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland. When Job learns that the mother he’d thought had died years before had actually left to seek work in Asia, he emigrates there in hopes of finding her and finding a better life. Set to a backdrop of such issues as immigration, industrialization, and climate displacement, East offers a harrowing and all-too-possible glimpse at a post-American diaspora struggling to find a new place in the world.
260 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2019
61 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Kirk Kjeldsen
4 books50 followersKirk Kjeldsen received an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He is currently a senior lecturer at Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. Leona Schillera (the National Film School in Łódź). He was a staff and freelance reporter for a number of newspapers and magazines, and his first novel, Tomorrow City, was published by Signal 8 Press in 2013. His novel The Depths was included in the New Jersey Star-Ledger's 10 Best Books of 2018 list and was nominated for the 2019 Library of Virginia Literary Awards, and his novel East was nominated for the Dzanc Prize for Fiction. He also wrote and produced the film Gavagai, which was included in the The New Yorker's and the Los Angeles Times' “Best of 2018” lists. He currently lives in Germany with his wife and children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
December 23, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel as though I’m getting some experience with these dystopian post-apocalyptic novels and I thought this short novel was one of the better ones. In the not too distant future the US is a fractured, post-industrial wasteland and there is no official government - just some “city-states”. Most everyone is fending for himself in a bleak environment where there is no employment to speak of and no food either. Job is a 14 year old boy who thinks his mother is dead, his father is deceased, and his brother Eli is sick with some undiagnosed ailment. Eli passes, too, but before he dies he tells Job that their mother is not dead, that she left for China ten years earlier to find work. After Eli dies, Job smuggles his way into China and spends years looking for his mother. Job is the illegal immigrant in China - once he arrives he has to work for the smugglers in terrible conditions to pay off his debts to them. In a way, this book is a coming of age story about a boy on the cusp of manhood, who, against unimaginable odds, manages to eke out an existence and grow into a strong young man. There is a love interest in this story and Job’s search for his mother adds another chilling aspect to this Cli-Fi futurescape. The ending made this book worth the trip for me. I read this book for the PopSugar challenge: shortest book on my TBR.
I feel as though I’m getting some experience with these dystopian post-apocalyptic novels and I thought this short novel was one of the better ones. In the not too distant future the US is a fractured, post-industrial wasteland and there is no official government - just some “city-states”. Most everyone is fending for himself in a bleak environment where there is no employment to speak of and no food either. Job is a 14 year old boy who thinks his mother is dead, his father is deceased, and his brother Eli is sick with some undiagnosed ailment. Eli passes, too, but before he dies he tells Job that their mother is not dead, that she left for China ten years earlier to find work. After Eli dies, Job smuggles his way into China and spends years looking for his mother. Job is the illegal immigrant in China - once he arrives he has to work for the smugglers in terrible conditions to pay off his debts to them. In a way, this book is a coming of age story about a boy on the cusp of manhood, who, against unimaginable odds, manages to eke out an existence and grow into a strong young man. There is a love interest in this story and Job’s search for his mother adds another chilling aspect to this Cli-Fi futurescape. The ending made this book worth the trip for me. I read this book for the PopSugar challenge: shortest book on my TBR.
June 14, 2019
This was my third read by the author (all but his debut in fact) and by far the best. Which isn’t to say to say the other ones weren’t up to snuff, they were, Kjeldsen has an appealingly economic, Scandinavian in a way, narrative style and a positively awesome in this day and age ability to tell a standalone story succinctly. It’s mostly to say that this book just had that much more of a story. Or maybe just much more of a story for my personal preferences. The bleak setting here (Kjeldsen does those well) is a post apocalyptic world where the balance of powers has shifted definitively toward the eponymous East. Basically China took over and became the economic power, shining beacon of promise and preferred destination of countless migrants that the USA once was. US, conversely, didn’t fare so well in this time, climate changes and various political upheavals have led to the country coming undone at the seams, with some city states faring more decently than others, but none all that great. In this wasteland a 14 year old named Job is trying to survive. His dream is to get to the promised land of China to find his mother, who has abandoned their family when he was just a child. Eventually he does, only to find out dreams may not be made of this, this relentless pursuit of material success, and survival is as challenging and dangerous as it once was, only in different ways. So essentially it’s a boy meets world story, only the boy here has been brutally robbed of any semblance of childhood and the world…of any semblance of decency. It can be read as climate sci fi, in fact in many ways that portion of the book is the best or at least featuring the best writing, Once in China, the narrative becomes slightly more…not mechanical, but more event driven and events are occurring rapidly, job after job, one terrible situation after another, all in service of the quest to find the elusive mother. Mainly, though, and certainly thematically, this is a story of an immigrant experience, something thoroughly universal and yet consistently forgotten by those who have been in one place ever so slightly longer than others. So as such it is a very timely read, but without outright politicizing, it tells a great compelling story of one young man’s journey. Any way you read it, it is a very enjoyable read, albeit, obviously, bleak and depressing. Thematically, narratively and as far as character writing goes this is Kjeldsen at his best. The story is told succinctly as always (although GR page count appears to be off, it’s more along the lines of 225 or so), but has something of an epic quality to it. Or maybe more of a saga. An adventure in a way, although not a joyous or fun one for our protagonist, but what a great protagonist Job is. His story had me thoroughly immersed. Outside of the fact that the ending seemed slightly rushed and the incomprehensible desire for people to procreate in the face of the most stark privation, this was a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
August 25, 2019
Interesting ideas spoiled by uneven world-building, standardized characters, thin plot, average language use, and a wildly obvious, forced love story.
The worst part is just how boring the book manages to be. I think this was primarily do to the writing style of "1 happened and 2 happened and then 3 and 4 happened. And then five. But after 6, 7 happened but not 8. And then 9 and then 10." I felt like I was falling into a trance half the time and had to keep rereading.
Not the worst book, but I struggled to care enough to finish it and find it unlikely that I would try this author again.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The worst part is just how boring the book manages to be. I think this was primarily do to the writing style of "1 happened and 2 happened and then 3 and 4 happened. And then five. But after 6, 7 happened but not 8. And then 9 and then 10." I felt like I was falling into a trance half the time and had to keep rereading.
Not the worst book, but I struggled to care enough to finish it and find it unlikely that I would try this author again.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 28, 2020
This is the second book by this author I have read, and he is becoming one of my favorite Scandinavian authors. I don't usually like the genre of post apocalyptic tales, but this author is one of those gifted writers that can write about any subject and make it full of detail and emotion. I am looking forward to reading more books by Kirk Kjeldsen.
June 24, 2019
Fiction, but conceivable reportage…
Kirk Kjeldsen simply has it! Having worked through the hoops of preparation - an MFA from USC and serving as an assistant professor of cinematic arts at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts - Kirk lived in Shanghai, taught at Fudan University in Shanghai, the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin, and the Polish National Film School in Łódź. He adapted the poetry of Yarjei Vesaas into a feature film, and has a résumé that reads like an actor's tryout for heavy movie roles. His previous novel LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES was listed as one of the ten best books of 2017 by the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He now lives Essen, Germany with his family.
But to have all that background and then come to the literary table with a fourth novel EAST (his other novels being THE DEPTHS, TOMORROW CITY and LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES) he has become well established as a novelist of the first rank. His use of language is so appropriate and filtered free of extraneous clutter that the reader soon understands that to lose attention for a moment on a page will be like falling off a cliff!
Kirk’s poetic fluid style deserves an example for those new to his gifts: ‘Job woke while it was still dark and rose form his nest of moldy blankets, his ghost-pale fourteen-year-old body as knotty ad gnarled as a gingko root…Job froze and looked to where the jaundiced teen lay half asleep on a tarp-covered pile of bagged leaves and soggy rolls of fiberglass insulation. Eli’s brow was clenched tight and slicked with sweat, and his pale and cancer-splotched arms were wrapped around a roll of insulation like the wings of some wrecked bird trying to protect its young…’ Eloquent writing, conjuring the brutally cold atmosphere for his new book.
In this novel Kirk takes us to a terrifying ‘what if’ space where American citizens struggle against the massive erosion of this country to immigrate to China in the wake of a country near destroyed by corporate and government greed and lack of attention to mere subsistence of both nature and lost souls. As Kurt summarizes the plot, we read ‘Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon ekes out an itinerant existence in the Pacific Northwest, in a not-too-distant future where China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland. When Job learns that the mother he'd thought had died years before had actually left to seek work in Asia, he emigrates there in hopes of finding her and finding a better life. Set to a backdrop of such issues as immigration, industrialization, and climate displacement, East offers a harrowing and all-too-possible glimpse at a post-American diaspora struggling to find a new place in the world.’ Strange, but we are so close to this possibility at present.
Kirk’s ability to use this scrupulously detailed atmosphere to brew a tale of terror and mystery is equal to the finest authors. He steadily climbs toward the top of the list of important contemporary writers. Highly recommended.
Kirk Kjeldsen simply has it! Having worked through the hoops of preparation - an MFA from USC and serving as an assistant professor of cinematic arts at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts - Kirk lived in Shanghai, taught at Fudan University in Shanghai, the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin, and the Polish National Film School in Łódź. He adapted the poetry of Yarjei Vesaas into a feature film, and has a résumé that reads like an actor's tryout for heavy movie roles. His previous novel LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES was listed as one of the ten best books of 2017 by the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He now lives Essen, Germany with his family.
But to have all that background and then come to the literary table with a fourth novel EAST (his other novels being THE DEPTHS, TOMORROW CITY and LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES) he has become well established as a novelist of the first rank. His use of language is so appropriate and filtered free of extraneous clutter that the reader soon understands that to lose attention for a moment on a page will be like falling off a cliff!
Kirk’s poetic fluid style deserves an example for those new to his gifts: ‘Job woke while it was still dark and rose form his nest of moldy blankets, his ghost-pale fourteen-year-old body as knotty ad gnarled as a gingko root…Job froze and looked to where the jaundiced teen lay half asleep on a tarp-covered pile of bagged leaves and soggy rolls of fiberglass insulation. Eli’s brow was clenched tight and slicked with sweat, and his pale and cancer-splotched arms were wrapped around a roll of insulation like the wings of some wrecked bird trying to protect its young…’ Eloquent writing, conjuring the brutally cold atmosphere for his new book.
In this novel Kirk takes us to a terrifying ‘what if’ space where American citizens struggle against the massive erosion of this country to immigrate to China in the wake of a country near destroyed by corporate and government greed and lack of attention to mere subsistence of both nature and lost souls. As Kurt summarizes the plot, we read ‘Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon ekes out an itinerant existence in the Pacific Northwest, in a not-too-distant future where China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland. When Job learns that the mother he'd thought had died years before had actually left to seek work in Asia, he emigrates there in hopes of finding her and finding a better life. Set to a backdrop of such issues as immigration, industrialization, and climate displacement, East offers a harrowing and all-too-possible glimpse at a post-American diaspora struggling to find a new place in the world.’ Strange, but we are so close to this possibility at present.
Kirk’s ability to use this scrupulously detailed atmosphere to brew a tale of terror and mystery is equal to the finest authors. He steadily climbs toward the top of the list of important contemporary writers. Highly recommended.
August 9, 2019
I'm not quite sure what to make of East. The premise is strong and the intended parallels between immigrants, running from a dystopian/post-apocalyptic future US, to today's current immigration headlines are obvious but fairly well written.
The biggest problem with this novel isn't in it's execution of a story based on immigration but of the character's themselves. The main character, Job, often feels very one-dimensional. I get that it could be intended in the sense that they are so far removed from 'normality' that they're not going to hit the character progression points that you would normally expect. However, Job ages roughly 3 to 4 years in the book and you really wouldn't know without being told. For me, that was a huge part of why I just couldn't connect with these characters despite the horrific circumstances.
Things happening to characters isn't enough for me to feel empathy for them because that's usually a given. I want and need to understand how those actions make the characters feel, otherwise it's just a set piece after set piece of horrible situations. Small spoiler but by the end, Job has become a human punching bag and there is such a disconnect with what is happening to him and his thoughts and feelings.
It's not all bad and it is a short read, I just don't know how much it really adds to the ongoing conversations around migration.
Thanks to Grenzland Press and NetGalley for provinding me with a copy for review.
The biggest problem with this novel isn't in it's execution of a story based on immigration but of the character's themselves. The main character, Job, often feels very one-dimensional. I get that it could be intended in the sense that they are so far removed from 'normality' that they're not going to hit the character progression points that you would normally expect. However, Job ages roughly 3 to 4 years in the book and you really wouldn't know without being told. For me, that was a huge part of why I just couldn't connect with these characters despite the horrific circumstances.
Things happening to characters isn't enough for me to feel empathy for them because that's usually a given. I want and need to understand how those actions make the characters feel, otherwise it's just a set piece after set piece of horrible situations. Small spoiler but by the end, Job has become a human punching bag and there is such a disconnect with what is happening to him and his thoughts and feelings.
It's not all bad and it is a short read, I just don't know how much it really adds to the ongoing conversations around migration.
Thanks to Grenzland Press and NetGalley for provinding me with a copy for review.
June 24, 2019
America was once a shining example of wealth and power and prestige. Once. Or so the old folks say. It was once like China. "That was around the time they were ramping up all the fracking and mining and stuff, too, keeping the country afloat by gutting it." By slowly but steadily gutting it from the inside, they destroyed themselves. Not just the United States, but all of North America collapsed into independent states, small confederacies, and even walled-off city-states like San Francisco.
In this badly polluted America is a 14 year old boy named Job, whose mother left for better jobs in wealthy China, which had supplanted America as the world's economic leader. When Job's older brother dies, Job decides to travel to China (as an illegal immigrant) to find his mother, whom he barely remembers and has only a worn photograph for help.
Kirk Kjeldsen's book certainly places the shoe on the other foot when the illegal immigrant is, in fact, an American, but then this issue fades into the background as most of the book describes the harsh working conditions and the poor treatment he receives from his employers. Never giving up and working tirelessly in both his job and his search for his mother, this book left me frustrated, but then, that was the author's objective. Expect no Haratio Algiers story here.
An easy and interesting read, and one out of the ordinary.
In this badly polluted America is a 14 year old boy named Job, whose mother left for better jobs in wealthy China, which had supplanted America as the world's economic leader. When Job's older brother dies, Job decides to travel to China (as an illegal immigrant) to find his mother, whom he barely remembers and has only a worn photograph for help.
Kirk Kjeldsen's book certainly places the shoe on the other foot when the illegal immigrant is, in fact, an American, but then this issue fades into the background as most of the book describes the harsh working conditions and the poor treatment he receives from his employers. Never giving up and working tirelessly in both his job and his search for his mother, this book left me frustrated, but then, that was the author's objective. Expect no Haratio Algiers story here.
An easy and interesting read, and one out of the ordinary.
February 27, 2020
"They were stories of restlessness and adventure and heartbreak and regeneration, and even though Job felt like he was at the beginning of his own story somehow, he had a vague and unsettling premonition that the only difference between he and them was that he was at an earlier stage of a similar journey."
I wanted to like this more, I really did. It has an interesting cover and an interesting premise. But, unfortunately, the delivery was not one I enjoyed. It was told more like a screenplay than a novel. The characters were held at length, told from third person constantly using their names. The story felt more like a list - then Job did this, then he did this. Then Job went over there and did that. He didn't seem to feel anything or have any emotion. The sentences were long, the chapters even longer, and the use of overly dramatic words just seemed out of place in a story that seemed so bleak and confusing. Would our character really know what solvents and silica, toluene and macroglossia were (just to name a few)? I got the feeling he was young (14) and not living in a time when he is well educated....
I wanted to like it more but sadly, it just didn't work for me.
I wanted to like this more, I really did. It has an interesting cover and an interesting premise. But, unfortunately, the delivery was not one I enjoyed. It was told more like a screenplay than a novel. The characters were held at length, told from third person constantly using their names. The story felt more like a list - then Job did this, then he did this. Then Job went over there and did that. He didn't seem to feel anything or have any emotion. The sentences were long, the chapters even longer, and the use of overly dramatic words just seemed out of place in a story that seemed so bleak and confusing. Would our character really know what solvents and silica, toluene and macroglossia were (just to name a few)? I got the feeling he was young (14) and not living in a time when he is well educated....
I wanted to like it more but sadly, it just didn't work for me.
August 3, 2019
I received a free digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book has a great premise and its overall theme of migration resonated with me since my parents immigrated to the States in search of opportunities and a better life. In East, we are in a time when people are moving out of the U.S. and migrating to China. No longer a super power, the U.S. is bled dry from the irreversible impact of fracking. It all sounded eerily realistic for me and the author does a great job of creating a very bleak world. I read the entirety of this book in absolute anxiety, which however wasn't that long.
Since this book was on the shorter side, I thought there wasn't enough time for Job to develop as a character. I loved the plot, but I didn't see Job's emotional or mental growth. It seemed like events happened to him and that was that. I also wished the supporting characters were more dimensional as well. I think the book would've been more successful if it was a bit longer with more time spent developing the characters.
This book has a great premise and its overall theme of migration resonated with me since my parents immigrated to the States in search of opportunities and a better life. In East, we are in a time when people are moving out of the U.S. and migrating to China. No longer a super power, the U.S. is bled dry from the irreversible impact of fracking. It all sounded eerily realistic for me and the author does a great job of creating a very bleak world. I read the entirety of this book in absolute anxiety, which however wasn't that long.
Since this book was on the shorter side, I thought there wasn't enough time for Job to develop as a character. I loved the plot, but I didn't see Job's emotional or mental growth. It seemed like events happened to him and that was that. I also wished the supporting characters were more dimensional as well. I think the book would've been more successful if it was a bit longer with more time spent developing the characters.
June 19, 2019
I received an advance digital copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the idea and I still think it's very good. The topic of (illegal) immigration is quite up to date. Due to the change of perspective (today's industrialized nations are forced to emigrate) people may find it easer to deal with the problem.
Nevertheless, the implementation is unfortunately only mediocre. Job remains a pale figure throughout, whose fate has not touched me. That's what makes me so sad, especially because the end was really strong and a bit courageous. You notice that the book has only 260 pages, hence the story is very straightforward and has hardly an twists.
I really liked the idea and I still think it's very good. The topic of (illegal) immigration is quite up to date. Due to the change of perspective (today's industrialized nations are forced to emigrate) people may find it easer to deal with the problem.
Nevertheless, the implementation is unfortunately only mediocre. Job remains a pale figure throughout, whose fate has not touched me. That's what makes me so sad, especially because the end was really strong and a bit courageous. You notice that the book has only 260 pages, hence the story is very straightforward and has hardly an twists.
June 6, 2019
A good, fast-paced book with an interesting plot including parallel immigration situations we're experiencing in real life. This is a pretty solid story of a sad future told through a resolute Fourteen-year-old. This is a talented author who will probably get even better with time. Recommended for fans of thrillers.
I really appreciate the complimentary copy for review!!
I really appreciate the complimentary copy for review!!
March 20, 2022
Kjeldsen flips the migrant narrative in this short novel.
It follows the quest of Joe, an orphan from the collapsed nation of the USA in search of his mother and a better future, in the new Jerusalem of the great cities of China.
The tone is curiously flat and tells the story straight and true with barely a scrap of stylistic flourish. It is almost unrelentingly grim, though the sheer persistence of Joe is a wonder to behold.
There are flashes of hope in the gloom, but the reader is left with the impression that the wheel will continue to turn, grinding those who inhabit its cogs and spokes with impersonal finality.
It follows the quest of Joe, an orphan from the collapsed nation of the USA in search of his mother and a better future, in the new Jerusalem of the great cities of China.
The tone is curiously flat and tells the story straight and true with barely a scrap of stylistic flourish. It is almost unrelentingly grim, though the sheer persistence of Joe is a wonder to behold.
There are flashes of hope in the gloom, but the reader is left with the impression that the wheel will continue to turn, grinding those who inhabit its cogs and spokes with impersonal finality.
July 22, 2019
East is a harrowing tale of a teen boy (Job) who leaves the wastelands of Oregon and an America devastated by fracking and other environmental wounds in search of his mother. She had moved to China in search of work when he was four, so he follows suit. The novel traces his efforts to survive the tough life of an undocumented immigrant in China and find his mother after so many years.
The narrative is horrifyingly gritty in portraying a decimated environment, the struggles of poverty, and the squalor and injustice undocumented immigrants face, yet amidst the struggles, there are moments of humanity and hope. The author brings the dystopian landscape and its myriad of characters to life with vivid sensory details, and the protagonist changes a fair bit throughout the story's arc. Despite the overarching narrative about the consequences of thoughtless, in-the-moment living, the novel avoids both preachiness and abject despair while portraying a plausible future if we do not proactively intervene to shift the current trajectory of environmental plunder.
Kjeldsen’s writing is fluid, and the plot is gripping, even in the sections where the conflict is man vs environment. There is sufficient tension throughout the book to keep the action moving forward, even during Job’s protracted search for his mother. The author handles the repetitiveness of daily work and search well, emphasizing the dreariness of Job’s life without painting too grim a picture. What I most appreciate are the moments of human connection and the occasions where people help others in tiny ways, sometimes because they can, other times because they know they should. These moments keep the novel from being too depressing to finish.
Each chapter begins with a introspective dialogue from Job’s point of view. Although this does sometimes provide relevant background, it also walks the line (and sometimes slips over it) of too much telling. This, plus a few early references to cell phones without an indication of how they’re powered/paid for are the only parts that pulled me out of the story. Otherwise, novel kept me moving from start to finish, envisioning the settings and people described and mulling over the implications of the world described.
The world of this novel is bleak. The future is fraught with changes that Kjeldsen describes with frightening plausibility. I'd recommend the novel for fans of dystopian quests and ecological themes who can handle dark issues (incl. rape, drug use, violence, prostitution) and look for sparks of light amidst human depravity.
I'm providing this review voluntarily after having received an advanced review copy for free.
The narrative is horrifyingly gritty in portraying a decimated environment, the struggles of poverty, and the squalor and injustice undocumented immigrants face, yet amidst the struggles, there are moments of humanity and hope. The author brings the dystopian landscape and its myriad of characters to life with vivid sensory details, and the protagonist changes a fair bit throughout the story's arc. Despite the overarching narrative about the consequences of thoughtless, in-the-moment living, the novel avoids both preachiness and abject despair while portraying a plausible future if we do not proactively intervene to shift the current trajectory of environmental plunder.
Kjeldsen’s writing is fluid, and the plot is gripping, even in the sections where the conflict is man vs environment. There is sufficient tension throughout the book to keep the action moving forward, even during Job’s protracted search for his mother. The author handles the repetitiveness of daily work and search well, emphasizing the dreariness of Job’s life without painting too grim a picture. What I most appreciate are the moments of human connection and the occasions where people help others in tiny ways, sometimes because they can, other times because they know they should. These moments keep the novel from being too depressing to finish.
Each chapter begins with a introspective dialogue from Job’s point of view. Although this does sometimes provide relevant background, it also walks the line (and sometimes slips over it) of too much telling. This, plus a few early references to cell phones without an indication of how they’re powered/paid for are the only parts that pulled me out of the story. Otherwise, novel kept me moving from start to finish, envisioning the settings and people described and mulling over the implications of the world described.
The world of this novel is bleak. The future is fraught with changes that Kjeldsen describes with frightening plausibility. I'd recommend the novel for fans of dystopian quests and ecological themes who can handle dark issues (incl. rape, drug use, violence, prostitution) and look for sparks of light amidst human depravity.
I'm providing this review voluntarily after having received an advanced review copy for free.
August 20, 2019
Great nations rise and great nations fall and in ‘East’ the USA has utterly ‘fracked’ itself to a post-industrial wasteland in which people are either starving, riddled with cancers or, in many cases, both. Think Gilead without the colour-coded frocks. Job and his brother Eli are orphans, scaping a life amongst the poverty and destruction that surround them. On his deathbed, Eli tells Job that their mother is not dead; that she left for China when they were small when Job was too young to realise what was happening.
With nobody left to love or care about, Job flees for the coast to get a ship to China, indenturing himself to the trafficker in the process. After weeks at sea, he’s sent to his first job in a factory where people lose fingers frequently and nobody ever gets paid the money they are owed. He travels between cities trying to make a better life for himself and trying to find his mother.
‘East’ has the bones of a good story but is very thin on flesh and blood or character and plot development. It’s a short book that reads like the synopsis for a ‘proper’ book that hasn’t been written yet. It’ll take no more than a couple of hours to get through but you may well find that you’re just left feeling a bit disappointed that the book never takes an idea and develops it fully. The characters are one-dimensional, the abuses are predictable, and I soon grew tired of the sense of geographic reversal. Hey, look everybody! The Americans are the refugees and the Chinese are the hosts. It’s a twist on the ‘normal’ but it’s not really developed very well.
If you fancy a book about how hard life for western refugees in China could be, try Rachel deWoskin’s book ‘Someday We Will Fly’ about a family of Jewish refugees scraping a living in China during the Second World War. I guarantee you’ll feel more reading that than you ever could reading ‘East’.
As an aside, if people leave the west coast of the USA to travel west to China, how does the book get to call itself ‘East’?
With nobody left to love or care about, Job flees for the coast to get a ship to China, indenturing himself to the trafficker in the process. After weeks at sea, he’s sent to his first job in a factory where people lose fingers frequently and nobody ever gets paid the money they are owed. He travels between cities trying to make a better life for himself and trying to find his mother.
‘East’ has the bones of a good story but is very thin on flesh and blood or character and plot development. It’s a short book that reads like the synopsis for a ‘proper’ book that hasn’t been written yet. It’ll take no more than a couple of hours to get through but you may well find that you’re just left feeling a bit disappointed that the book never takes an idea and develops it fully. The characters are one-dimensional, the abuses are predictable, and I soon grew tired of the sense of geographic reversal. Hey, look everybody! The Americans are the refugees and the Chinese are the hosts. It’s a twist on the ‘normal’ but it’s not really developed very well.
If you fancy a book about how hard life for western refugees in China could be, try Rachel deWoskin’s book ‘Someday We Will Fly’ about a family of Jewish refugees scraping a living in China during the Second World War. I guarantee you’ll feel more reading that than you ever could reading ‘East’.
As an aside, if people leave the west coast of the USA to travel west to China, how does the book get to call itself ‘East’?
July 23, 2019
3 stars
You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.
Set in a future "where China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland", Job is a 14 year old boy barely surviving in the Pacific Northwest. When Job learns that his mother is alive and living in Asia, he sets on a quest to find her and hopefully improve his life. To get there, he must emigrate illegally into the country. He pays for this once he gets there by working in a factory under oppressive conditions. The rest of the story revolves around his struggle to find his mother and survive in a crumbling world with little opportunities for those without an advantage.
I'm conflicted about this book. I think the concept is good, but the execution was a bit lacking. The book needs better editing to improve sentence structure and pace. The story was uneven, but improved toward the end. There was very little world building and other than the main character Job, almost no character development. Characters came and went with no explanation, background or history. It also felt more like the author was giving a report, rather than writing a book about a young boy's journey navigating the obstacles of immigration and over-industrialization. Job experienced some horrible things on his journey, and yet robotically moved on from each situation with seemingly no adverse effects. I'm sure the author wanted to portray the numbness that can overcome a person when they've gone through too much, but that wasn't adequately conveyed to the readers.
Overall, it was an ok book with a good concept.
I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
You can read all of my reviews at https://www.NerdGirlLovesBooks.com.
Set in a future "where China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland", Job is a 14 year old boy barely surviving in the Pacific Northwest. When Job learns that his mother is alive and living in Asia, he sets on a quest to find her and hopefully improve his life. To get there, he must emigrate illegally into the country. He pays for this once he gets there by working in a factory under oppressive conditions. The rest of the story revolves around his struggle to find his mother and survive in a crumbling world with little opportunities for those without an advantage.
I'm conflicted about this book. I think the concept is good, but the execution was a bit lacking. The book needs better editing to improve sentence structure and pace. The story was uneven, but improved toward the end. There was very little world building and other than the main character Job, almost no character development. Characters came and went with no explanation, background or history. It also felt more like the author was giving a report, rather than writing a book about a young boy's journey navigating the obstacles of immigration and over-industrialization. Job experienced some horrible things on his journey, and yet robotically moved on from each situation with seemingly no adverse effects. I'm sure the author wanted to portray the numbness that can overcome a person when they've gone through too much, but that wasn't adequately conveyed to the readers.
Overall, it was an ok book with a good concept.
I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2019
I received a free Advance Reader Copy through BookSirens. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Three stars
In a dystopian future, the US has become a wasteland with a decimated economy. Fourteen year old Job lives alone with his brother, longing for the love of a mother who left them years before, seeking economic opportunity in China. When Job's brother dies, he sets off on an illegal adventure to the other side of the world, searching for his mother and his future.
East features a sparse cast of characters with Job at the center. His brother exists solely to die, and the other individuals he encounters throughout the novel are either villains or helpers without any real characterization or distinction. Job himself doesn't feel much and plods forward in time without growth.
Life in Kjeldsen's future in a bleak affair. People are afflicted with sores and diseases, presumably from pollution and negative consequences of industrialization. Job is repeatedly assaulted in one way or another by the people he encounters; while searching for his mother, he is repeatedly taken advantage of.
The language of East is sparse and unembellished, but not in a way that feels intentional or interesting. It's like the PG-13 version of "The Road."
The pacing is steady throughout, albeit with little action or plot. The 260 pages are a repetitious recitation of Job's various occupations and misfortunes, none of which are particularly engaging.
Overall, I would recommend East to readers who don't mind an unsophisticated postulation of what would happen if the US and China reversed fortunes, and the hapless individuals who just try to live their lives regardless.
Three stars
In a dystopian future, the US has become a wasteland with a decimated economy. Fourteen year old Job lives alone with his brother, longing for the love of a mother who left them years before, seeking economic opportunity in China. When Job's brother dies, he sets off on an illegal adventure to the other side of the world, searching for his mother and his future.
East features a sparse cast of characters with Job at the center. His brother exists solely to die, and the other individuals he encounters throughout the novel are either villains or helpers without any real characterization or distinction. Job himself doesn't feel much and plods forward in time without growth.
Life in Kjeldsen's future in a bleak affair. People are afflicted with sores and diseases, presumably from pollution and negative consequences of industrialization. Job is repeatedly assaulted in one way or another by the people he encounters; while searching for his mother, he is repeatedly taken advantage of.
The language of East is sparse and unembellished, but not in a way that feels intentional or interesting. It's like the PG-13 version of "The Road."
The pacing is steady throughout, albeit with little action or plot. The 260 pages are a repetitious recitation of Job's various occupations and misfortunes, none of which are particularly engaging.
Overall, I would recommend East to readers who don't mind an unsophisticated postulation of what would happen if the US and China reversed fortunes, and the hapless individuals who just try to live their lives regardless.
July 3, 2019
I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher and BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.
Welllll. I think this book had a lot of potential; very cool premise and interesting characters. But for me, it just did not live up to that potential. There was the start of some world building that was very interesting along the speculative fiction genre. This book is set in the not-too-distant future, when America has been ravaged by environmental and economic ruin, and Job, our main character, has no choice but to move to China in search of his long-lost mother and the promise of job opportunities and a better future.
But there wasn't enough of that world building for me. More tedium as Job moves from factory job to factory job, without a lot of bigger-picture observations or context. I actually think it would have been better if he hadn't been searching for a long-lost mother.
I liked the character of Job, even though he made some VERY questionable decisions. But the two main women in the book were extremely one-dimensional and I know absolutely nothing about them other than how they relate to Job's journey. Maybe that was on purpose?
A bright aspect of this book for me was the inclusion of the interlude chapters - very short, italicized between-chapter text that finally seemed like some of that context and processing from Job I was missing throughout.
Welllll. I think this book had a lot of potential; very cool premise and interesting characters. But for me, it just did not live up to that potential. There was the start of some world building that was very interesting along the speculative fiction genre. This book is set in the not-too-distant future, when America has been ravaged by environmental and economic ruin, and Job, our main character, has no choice but to move to China in search of his long-lost mother and the promise of job opportunities and a better future.
But there wasn't enough of that world building for me. More tedium as Job moves from factory job to factory job, without a lot of bigger-picture observations or context. I actually think it would have been better if he hadn't been searching for a long-lost mother.
I liked the character of Job, even though he made some VERY questionable decisions. But the two main women in the book were extremely one-dimensional and I know absolutely nothing about them other than how they relate to Job's journey. Maybe that was on purpose?
A bright aspect of this book for me was the inclusion of the interlude chapters - very short, italicized between-chapter text that finally seemed like some of that context and processing from Job I was missing throughout.
But what I do know is that we all probably came from somewhere else, and we'll all probably end up somewhere else, too. We're more like dandelion seeds or something than things with roots.
October 10, 2019
Kirk Kjeldsen is a master of the short novel. His latest book, "East," is the most literary of his four works, and one I highly recommend. Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon lives in a not-too-distant dystopian future in which America has fallen from power, replaced by industrialized nations like China and Africa. When he discovers his mother is still alive and living somewhere in China, Job decides to leave his home in the Pacific Northwest on a quest to find her.
Readers may initially be reminded of McCarthy's 2006 novel, "The Road." Kjeldsen's "East," however, bleak as it is, holds out more hope for its characters than McCarthy's does. Job weathers several months at sea in the hull of a cargo vessel before arriving on China's not-so-sultry shores. There, he ekes out a ratty existence as a slave laborer, hopping from one factory to another. The author describes China with the intimate knowledge of one who has been there, and with a keen awareness of a world that might someday be. Mr. Kjeldsen knows all too well how difficult life is for many. Few things come easily for the characters of "East" and readers alike. Many of our most fervently-pursued dreams are never realized, and those that are rarely turn out precisely as planned.
This story truly grew on me as I read it. In some ways, those are the best kinds of books. Kjeldsen's "East" shines through its ability to mirror the random vagaries of our own lives. Job's quest to find his mother may be a lifelong journey. He may in fact find her, and later wish he hadn't. But life still happens along the way--for the book's characters and for us. Five stars.
Readers may initially be reminded of McCarthy's 2006 novel, "The Road." Kjeldsen's "East," however, bleak as it is, holds out more hope for its characters than McCarthy's does. Job weathers several months at sea in the hull of a cargo vessel before arriving on China's not-so-sultry shores. There, he ekes out a ratty existence as a slave laborer, hopping from one factory to another. The author describes China with the intimate knowledge of one who has been there, and with a keen awareness of a world that might someday be. Mr. Kjeldsen knows all too well how difficult life is for many. Few things come easily for the characters of "East" and readers alike. Many of our most fervently-pursued dreams are never realized, and those that are rarely turn out precisely as planned.
This story truly grew on me as I read it. In some ways, those are the best kinds of books. Kjeldsen's "East" shines through its ability to mirror the random vagaries of our own lives. Job's quest to find his mother may be a lifelong journey. He may in fact find her, and later wish he hadn't. But life still happens along the way--for the book's characters and for us. Five stars.
August 5, 2019
America is no more. It has collapsed, politically and economically. Job, a teenager living in the Pacific Northwest with his older brother, has just learned that his mother is not dead. She abandoned her sons several years previously, and went to look for work in China, untouched by the collapse.
He gets on a train to the Free State of San Francisco. Job, and a bunch of other refugees, gets on a fishing boat for a very illegal trip across the Pacific. It is a harrowing trip, stuck in the dark, stinking hold of the boat. When they reach China, Job is handed over to a man who takes him to a factory near the city of Chongqing. It is the sort of place surrounded by a chain link fence with barbed wire on top. The hours are long and dangerous, the food is meager and the pay is mostly non-existent.
After a year, Job escapes the factory and moves from job to job. He spends every spare moment showing an old picture (the only one he has) at every factory he can find in Chongqing. He eventually gets a job as a motorbike delivery driver. The food and pay are decent, and it lets him spread out to more factories. He learns that he ought to start looking for his mother in the city's brothels and whorehouses. After several more months, he sees a woman who looks a lot like his mother. He runs after her.
This is an excellent Young Adult novel. The author does a very good job from start to finish. I wonder if this is the sort of thing experienced by Latin American refugees coming to America (before the recent refugee flood). It is very much recommended.
He gets on a train to the Free State of San Francisco. Job, and a bunch of other refugees, gets on a fishing boat for a very illegal trip across the Pacific. It is a harrowing trip, stuck in the dark, stinking hold of the boat. When they reach China, Job is handed over to a man who takes him to a factory near the city of Chongqing. It is the sort of place surrounded by a chain link fence with barbed wire on top. The hours are long and dangerous, the food is meager and the pay is mostly non-existent.
After a year, Job escapes the factory and moves from job to job. He spends every spare moment showing an old picture (the only one he has) at every factory he can find in Chongqing. He eventually gets a job as a motorbike delivery driver. The food and pay are decent, and it lets him spread out to more factories. He learns that he ought to start looking for his mother in the city's brothels and whorehouses. After several more months, he sees a woman who looks a lot like his mother. He runs after her.
This is an excellent Young Adult novel. The author does a very good job from start to finish. I wonder if this is the sort of thing experienced by Latin American refugees coming to America (before the recent refugee flood). It is very much recommended.
May 23, 2021
I have read a few post apocalyptic, future world, books recently and have found them interesting and thought provoking and strangely enjoyable! This was not one of them. I found this quite boring. It is very repetative as Job moves from factory to factory. I also found some of it just unbelievable. Yes, I know that sounds weird; it is after all fiction. But as an example, when Job manages in his weak state and as a scrawny teenager to fight off adult thugs.... really? Can't see how that would be possible. There is also no back story to explain what has actually happened in the world? We are left to make our own assumptions about that. I would've liked to know how it all happened. I did not like this book.
******************************************
This book is set in a bleak post apocalyptic world where the balance of powers has shifted definitively toward the eponymous East. Basically China took over and became the economic power, shining beacon of promise and preferred destination of countless migrants that the USA once was.
Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon ekes out an itinerant existence in the Pacific Northwest. China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland. When Job learns that the mother he’d thought had died years before had actually left to seek work in Asia, he emigrates there in hopes of finding her and finding a better life. Set to a backdrop of such issues as immigration, industrialization, and climate displacement, East offers a harrowing and all-too-possible glimpse at a post-American diaspora struggling to find a new place in the world.
******************************************
This book is set in a bleak post apocalyptic world where the balance of powers has shifted definitively toward the eponymous East. Basically China took over and became the economic power, shining beacon of promise and preferred destination of countless migrants that the USA once was.
Fourteen-year-old Job Hammon ekes out an itinerant existence in the Pacific Northwest. China and other industrial economies have become primary world powers, and the United States has become a fractured, post-industrial wasteland. When Job learns that the mother he’d thought had died years before had actually left to seek work in Asia, he emigrates there in hopes of finding her and finding a better life. Set to a backdrop of such issues as immigration, industrialization, and climate displacement, East offers a harrowing and all-too-possible glimpse at a post-American diaspora struggling to find a new place in the world.
April 21, 2022
I waffled between two and three stars. The author had a wonderful story idea, but at times it just seemed aimless. Truthfully, the blurb was better than the book. There were serious editing issues as well. I was not certain if it was because there wasn't an editor, because English was the second language of everyone involved, or because it was simply a bad translation from another language. That might be why the story seemed aimless to me. Nearly every paragraph had me jerking out of the story because of some grammar oddity.
I don't normally nitpick grammar, but there's a problem when the word "and" feels like it appears more often than "the." It felt, at times, like a six-year-old child was standing in front of me trying to explain themselves, "And... and... and... and..." This kind of repetitiveness became less prevalent toward the end of the book, as though the author were learning to write as they went. Also, the short diary entries inserted between the chapters did seem to be written better than the rest of the book. Were these actually written last as an afterthought?
The author did have two editors and a proofreader who are listed in the front of the book and thanked in the acknowledgements. I looked up the editors and they each have over a decade of experience as an editor. If me, the reader, noticed the problem, how did one or the other not see it? I wouldn't expect a proofreader to do this kind of massive editing. No one should have to.
I don't normally nitpick grammar, but there's a problem when the word "and" feels like it appears more often than "the." It felt, at times, like a six-year-old child was standing in front of me trying to explain themselves, "And... and... and... and..." This kind of repetitiveness became less prevalent toward the end of the book, as though the author were learning to write as they went. Also, the short diary entries inserted between the chapters did seem to be written better than the rest of the book. Were these actually written last as an afterthought?
The author did have two editors and a proofreader who are listed in the front of the book and thanked in the acknowledgements. I looked up the editors and they each have over a decade of experience as an editor. If me, the reader, noticed the problem, how did one or the other not see it? I wouldn't expect a proofreader to do this kind of massive editing. No one should have to.
September 18, 2020
East by Kirk Kjeldsen may be a short book but this slim volume packs a punch. Set in a future where America's economy has collapsed and the United States has fractured into a number of independent nations , it follows the adventures of Job, a fourteen year old boy who embarks on a journey across the world to China in search of the mother who went there looking for work years before. The journey is a difficult one and the challenges do not end when the ship docks, instead Job faces the harsh reality of life as an illegal immigrant, where indenture and harsh working conditions are just two of the challenges he faces.
While I liked the premise of the book, I did find the execution a little lacking. The pacing felt rushed, especially in the latter half of the book and the romantic subplot added nothing to the book, and felt very forced. There was some unevenness in the writing too, some passages were wonderfully descriptive and evocative while others seemed more like a series of bland statements designed to get the point across as succinctly as possible.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
While I liked the premise of the book, I did find the execution a little lacking. The pacing felt rushed, especially in the latter half of the book and the romantic subplot added nothing to the book, and felt very forced. There was some unevenness in the writing too, some passages were wonderfully descriptive and evocative while others seemed more like a series of bland statements designed to get the point across as succinctly as possible.
I read a review copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
June 17, 2019
Full Disclosure: I was very kindly provided a free kindle copy of this book in return for a honest review.
.
There is a definite trend in novels where the future is dramatically different due to varying factors and events (think hunger games, the handmaids tale, divergent etc) but this was one of the most realistic books in that genre. This was an eye opening twist on the current affairs on the world and shows just how easily whole countries can collapse and struggle. The premise of the USA being the ones who have collapsed and how the American citizens are finding illegal ways of entering other countries/city-states including China is ingenious especially when you look at today’s politics and see how so many people (including the current president) treat immigrants. It did take me a while to get into admittedly and I felt Job the main character slightly cold hearted but I considered what he had been through already in his short 14 years and came to the conclusion that any child would be that way in those circumstances and once I thought that way I felt the book was a lot easier to read. This book was for me a tale of survival.
.
There is a definite trend in novels where the future is dramatically different due to varying factors and events (think hunger games, the handmaids tale, divergent etc) but this was one of the most realistic books in that genre. This was an eye opening twist on the current affairs on the world and shows just how easily whole countries can collapse and struggle. The premise of the USA being the ones who have collapsed and how the American citizens are finding illegal ways of entering other countries/city-states including China is ingenious especially when you look at today’s politics and see how so many people (including the current president) treat immigrants. It did take me a while to get into admittedly and I felt Job the main character slightly cold hearted but I considered what he had been through already in his short 14 years and came to the conclusion that any child would be that way in those circumstances and once I thought that way I felt the book was a lot easier to read. This book was for me a tale of survival.
June 3, 2019
A very timely story about the rise of China and fall of the US. The story is about a family and their search for each other and a better life. A real page turner! Better said by Mr. Strafford:
By JAY STRAFFORD FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR Jun 1, 2019
"Kjeldsen, an assistant professor in the cinema program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, lived in China for four years and uses that experience to enrich his story. With spare but muscular prose, a fully realized protagonist and an unblinking eye, he provides a plausible picture of a frightening future.
Dystopian and disturbing, “East” concentrates the mind as well as the heart as it portrays a world in which the balance has shifted. A tale devoid of comfort but bristling with warning, it reaffirms Kjeldsen’s stature as a crackerjack practitioner of the literary thriller."
Jay Strafford, a retired Virginia journalist, now lives in Florida.
By JAY STRAFFORD FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR Jun 1, 2019
"Kjeldsen, an assistant professor in the cinema program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, lived in China for four years and uses that experience to enrich his story. With spare but muscular prose, a fully realized protagonist and an unblinking eye, he provides a plausible picture of a frightening future.
Dystopian and disturbing, “East” concentrates the mind as well as the heart as it portrays a world in which the balance has shifted. A tale devoid of comfort but bristling with warning, it reaffirms Kjeldsen’s stature as a crackerjack practitioner of the literary thriller."
Jay Strafford, a retired Virginia journalist, now lives in Florida.
July 31, 2019
I received East through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I was attracted to East because of the interesting concept. A world in which the United States is no longer a world power, but instead a shadow of what it once was? It definitely caught my eye. Unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations.
East may have captured my attention, but it didn't hold it. I was bored after reading the first few chapters, and it was tough to even finish the book. I couldn't develop an attachment to any of the characters no matter how hard I tried, which is surprisingly important to me when reading a book.
Even though it was a tough read, I did like East. The author is talented, and the writing was quite good. I wish I could have loved the book, but thankfully I know there are plenty of people in the world who would appreciate this read.
I was attracted to East because of the interesting concept. A world in which the United States is no longer a world power, but instead a shadow of what it once was? It definitely caught my eye. Unfortunately, it failed to meet my expectations.
East may have captured my attention, but it didn't hold it. I was bored after reading the first few chapters, and it was tough to even finish the book. I couldn't develop an attachment to any of the characters no matter how hard I tried, which is surprisingly important to me when reading a book.
Even though it was a tough read, I did like East. The author is talented, and the writing was quite good. I wish I could have loved the book, but thankfully I know there are plenty of people in the world who would appreciate this read.
July 7, 2019
The main character is Job, a fourteen year old living in a future time. Life in what had been the United States had fallen apart. When his older brother was dying, he told Job that their mother was still alive, but had gone to work in China with hope of bringing the boys after she got settled. Job goes to China without proper paperwork, and finds himself in a series of jobs which were dangerous, or the bosses kept the workers' pay, or where the supervisors beat the workers. He spent any time or money he had to search for his mother.
The other story in the book was how the United States came to be destroyed. There are hints in the book, and in the world around us right now.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, or the Book of Job in Hebrew scripture, Job was a good guy but many bad things kept making his life more difficult.
The other story in the book was how the United States came to be destroyed. There are hints in the book, and in the world around us right now.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Old Testament in the Christian Bible, or the Book of Job in Hebrew scripture, Job was a good guy but many bad things kept making his life more difficult.
July 27, 2019
This is my first by the author - as an ARC for a honest review.
The book was tough to get in to and tough to stay engaged. I felt like I was ready a story set in the 40's yet it is contemporary. The character was not likable, in my opinion, and I had a hard time coming back to reading.
That said, the story shows a migration story much different than those on the forefront today. This boy is looking for his mother and returns to China. Why China - Mom returned there because it was easier to get a job in the booming, industrializing cities. I won't spoil it, but the whole story just didn't work too well for me.
The book was tough to get in to and tough to stay engaged. I felt like I was ready a story set in the 40's yet it is contemporary. The character was not likable, in my opinion, and I had a hard time coming back to reading.
That said, the story shows a migration story much different than those on the forefront today. This boy is looking for his mother and returns to China. Why China - Mom returned there because it was easier to get a job in the booming, industrializing cities. I won't spoil it, but the whole story just didn't work too well for me.
September 9, 2019
This was my first book by Kirk Kjeldsen, and I went into it having no idea what to expect. However, after reading, I'll admit that I am a fan. East takes place in a future, post-apocalyptic world, which Kjeldsen did a great job of bringing to life. The United States is a shadow of its former self, destroyed by greed and industry. Citizens immigrate to China.
This was a quick read, and I felt the only downfall was that I didn't feel as if I could really connect with the story's main character-Job.
Thank you to Grenzland Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a quick read, and I felt the only downfall was that I didn't feel as if I could really connect with the story's main character-Job.
Thank you to Grenzland Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2019
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway. First, I must admit that I am a sucker for a good dystopian novel and I especially like them in the YA group...this story falls squarely into both categories. I found myself thinking it was like an industrialized, flipped version of The Road where survival is carved out in cities and the story is told from the POV of a teenager. Which is to say that it's not really like The Road, except that it makes you feel much of the same dread and foreboding. It will definitely linger in my memory for a while and I am sure that I will still be contemplating aspects of the telling for a long time to come. I will definitely read more by this author.
November 25, 2020
This book had a brilliant premise - set against the backdrop of a spoiled America and the new world powerhouse of China.
The book touches upon many important and very real issues of immigration, economics and climate change. I enjoyed the author's voice and the general premise. However the execution fell flat for me, and the lack of growth within the characters hindered my ability to connect.
This wasn't a bad book, nor was it a brilliant book. I think I enjoyed it slightly more as I tend to read alot of alternative history and dystopian books.
The book touches upon many important and very real issues of immigration, economics and climate change. I enjoyed the author's voice and the general premise. However the execution fell flat for me, and the lack of growth within the characters hindered my ability to connect.
This wasn't a bad book, nor was it a brilliant book. I think I enjoyed it slightly more as I tend to read alot of alternative history and dystopian books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews