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The Tide Will Erase All: Singularity Playtime Saga, Book One
Wreathed in celestial cataclysm and child-like grandeur, The Tide Will Erase All hijacks your imagination to calculate the speed of light inside a dream. A transreality phenomenon known as the Mouth of God foams with star saliva as it eats myth and constellation alike to corrode our laws of nature and steal away the night sky. Dreams from spacetimes unknown prowl toxic and deranged while beings sent from the Mouth of God plumb an unseen treasure from a helpless, traumatized earth. The imagination of an eleven-year-old girl named Robot remains unphased by the astrocatastrophe. Having survived the emergence of the Mouth of God, Robot forms an expedition with a few surviving children and a lone astronomer to contact the world's last remaining telescope-an orbital observatory which they hope can puncture the exo-cosmic firmament and expose the core of all truth. But navigating a landscape of miracles and gore threatens to devastate the fabric of reality and their hearts all the same. As the Mouth of God descends upon the galaxy and its emissaries embolden, Robot uncovers a rationale for the calamity that transcends all material fortune and dominance. A glimpse of emotional floodsurf where monsters from pre-existence sleep in tropic swells, waiting to be released. Waiting to drown the Mouth of God. Waiting to drown everything. Balanced on the lip of extinction, Robot narrates her adventure through a walkie-talkie to astronauts aboard the orbital telescope, a story both contemplative and heartbreaking while soaked in the action influence of the best manga and anime. With wide-eyed lyricism and hyper optic imagery- The Tide Will Erase All curates the surreal annihilation of a dream apocalypse with all the sadness, hope, and wonder of a teardrop falling in reverse. The start of a saga which unfolds as a Miyazaki film at the end of the world, a science fiction that seeks to become aflame in your hands and return to the stars.
- GenresScience Fiction
306 pages, Paperback
Published July 13, 2021
19 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 8, 2021
A maaaassive shoutout to the author Justin for sending me a copy of this book and blessing it with a personalised message inside. It’s my favourite book I own now for that reason.
I thought this was going to be a bit like Welcome to Nightvale but in space and I was half right, half completely wrong. It gave me the same vibes in the sense that you have to suspend your belief for a while and it’s a tad chaotic and just pleasantly a bit insane, but other than that it was a completely unique experience. I can honestly say I’ve never come across anything like this and don’t think I ever will.
What starts of as a pretty upbeat narrative with chaotic writing and sporadic insanity, quickly gets quite brutal on the topic of mortality and honestly this whole book has such a melancholic undertone to it. Especially being told from the perspective of a child, when you actually take this book at face value it was devastating. Saying that, I would’ve loved for the writing style to be a bit less hectic to really get that wave of emotion that couldn’t quite surface for me. Because it was such a distinct style of writing, I did get confused sometimes as to what was actually going on. Coupled with the fact I’m not sure how reliable our narrator was, it was pretty mind boggling for the entirety of it. Because of this, while I can recall the overarching plot of the book and the themes, I know the details will be so hazy to me soon as a lot was going on.
In summary, I liked it but my brain was fried.
Definitely the kind of book you have to read for yourself. I think everyone will have their own perceptions of the story and their own thoughts and feelings on it. It’s very weird and wonderful, and honestly the prettiest book to ever grace my shelves.
I thought this was going to be a bit like Welcome to Nightvale but in space and I was half right, half completely wrong. It gave me the same vibes in the sense that you have to suspend your belief for a while and it’s a tad chaotic and just pleasantly a bit insane, but other than that it was a completely unique experience. I can honestly say I’ve never come across anything like this and don’t think I ever will.
What starts of as a pretty upbeat narrative with chaotic writing and sporadic insanity, quickly gets quite brutal on the topic of mortality and honestly this whole book has such a melancholic undertone to it. Especially being told from the perspective of a child, when you actually take this book at face value it was devastating. Saying that, I would’ve loved for the writing style to be a bit less hectic to really get that wave of emotion that couldn’t quite surface for me. Because it was such a distinct style of writing, I did get confused sometimes as to what was actually going on. Coupled with the fact I’m not sure how reliable our narrator was, it was pretty mind boggling for the entirety of it. Because of this, while I can recall the overarching plot of the book and the themes, I know the details will be so hazy to me soon as a lot was going on.
In summary, I liked it but my brain was fried.
Definitely the kind of book you have to read for yourself. I think everyone will have their own perceptions of the story and their own thoughts and feelings on it. It’s very weird and wonderful, and honestly the prettiest book to ever grace my shelves.
July 26, 2021
It's hard to know what to say about this book; it has elements from other kinds of stories I've loved, but puts them together in ways I've never seen done before, and which I wouldn't expect to work together, and yet it's brilliant. In a way this book does for dystopian science-fiction/fantasy what "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie does for pop songs, combining things that no one would ever think to combine in ways that make no sense at all, and yet the result is amazing.
This book felt like it was an odd mash-up of a Doctor Who storyline about the world/universe ending, mixed with elements that reminded me both of the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle and Lovecraftian horrors. The story is very surreal and has so many plot twists with bizarre things unfolding that it can be hard to keep track of where you are or what the hell just happened.
One of the most unique aspects of the story for me is that the main characters are children, and while they are brilliant as heroes in terms of their uncanny perception to see what's happening and how their imaginations help them to respond in ways no adult would have come up with, they are also very much children; they goof off, play video games, carry stuffed animals, tell stupid jokes, and they express the range of emotions that kids their age (basically elementary or *very* early middle-school aged) would do, in exactly the ways you'd expect them to do so. The way they were written felt very authentic, in spite of the bizarre scenario of these kids surviving and navigating the (literal) end of the world as we know it.
It was also interesting to see how the adult characters were written and they way they interacted with the child protagonists. First, unlike many stories, this wasn't a case where the children were the smart ones who knew what was really happening with the adults being obtuse or even obstacles to doing what the kids knew needed to be done. The adults seem to recognize that these kids are, while still kids, also brilliant and that their innocence and imagination may be the only way to survive and fight back against the horrors they are facing. They also don't talk down to the kids or patronize them, but interact with them as honestly as they can, while still being able to talk to them at their level (i.e. when they kids play and goof off, most of the adults are wise enough to goof off with them).
Overall, this was a wild and surreal ride, which I also found had several moments of deep and penetrating insight into how we face and respond to terrors that we couldn't imagine when they disrupt everything we knew about life. And it's funny.
This book felt like it was an odd mash-up of a Doctor Who storyline about the world/universe ending, mixed with elements that reminded me both of the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L'Engle and Lovecraftian horrors. The story is very surreal and has so many plot twists with bizarre things unfolding that it can be hard to keep track of where you are or what the hell just happened.
One of the most unique aspects of the story for me is that the main characters are children, and while they are brilliant as heroes in terms of their uncanny perception to see what's happening and how their imaginations help them to respond in ways no adult would have come up with, they are also very much children; they goof off, play video games, carry stuffed animals, tell stupid jokes, and they express the range of emotions that kids their age (basically elementary or *very* early middle-school aged) would do, in exactly the ways you'd expect them to do so. The way they were written felt very authentic, in spite of the bizarre scenario of these kids surviving and navigating the (literal) end of the world as we know it.
It was also interesting to see how the adult characters were written and they way they interacted with the child protagonists. First, unlike many stories, this wasn't a case where the children were the smart ones who knew what was really happening with the adults being obtuse or even obstacles to doing what the kids knew needed to be done. The adults seem to recognize that these kids are, while still kids, also brilliant and that their innocence and imagination may be the only way to survive and fight back against the horrors they are facing. They also don't talk down to the kids or patronize them, but interact with them as honestly as they can, while still being able to talk to them at their level (i.e. when they kids play and goof off, most of the adults are wise enough to goof off with them).
Overall, this was a wild and surreal ride, which I also found had several moments of deep and penetrating insight into how we face and respond to terrors that we couldn't imagine when they disrupt everything we knew about life. And it's funny.
March 14, 2025
following the hyper-imaginative reality experienced by an 11 year old girl trying to survive the collide of universes is no easy feat. i’ll admit, it was difficult for me to discern what was exactly happening as i was reading. but as the story builds, and the traumatic events she (Robot) has gone through are revealed and continue to unfold, i understand. i understand her mind, her imagination, and her divine dream connection to the very fabric of reality. i’m so insanely impressed by how astrophysics and cosmology are tied into this fantastical story to consider what could happen if all physics that we know is just the smallest window into everything and anything that could actually happen. this story was about being open minded, living creatively and imaginatively, and how by doing so, anything is possible (and getting through anything is possible too). life is hard, but it doesn’t always have to be so serious. and children are stronger than we know - in fact our inner child never leaves if we take care of it. and it’s easy to forget that, to get caught up being an adult. there’s no real adulthood, and there does not have to be a loss of childlike curiosity as we grow and move through life. this book was beautifully chaotic, masterfully tied together at the end, and contained some of the most creative, absurd, and surreal imagery i’ve ever encountered in a piece of art. absolutely worth the patience, to take the time to visualize the intricate dreamscapes and altered reality. child zoe loved everything about this book, and saw herself in Robot.
September 3, 2021
Have you read absurdist existential novels? This is the closest I've ever come to the French 1967 classic Boris Vian's Froth on the Daydream. There is sense, there is philosophical questions, there is a plot, there is a whole bunch of strong emotions, but all of it is wrapped up in a strange distorted world where no rational rules apply. The rules are different and make the world bloom into strange colours and shapes. All of it is accentuated by the sci-fi element of course. You have to take it nice and slow, peel back the layers, appreciate the wry humour of a broken child genius in a drastic apocalyptic world. There is a little of Kurt Vonnegut, a little of Interstellar, pretty image-loaded language, strange hallucinogenic creations. magical realism, imagination, nonsense. Do not pick up this book if you have little brain space, this is one for a trip and decoding and imagining. It will certainly not fit everyone, but those it speaks to will cherish this odd creation.
January 28, 2022
new favorite. unbelievable. no other words.
June 13, 2021
**An e-ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
The Mouth of God appears, a universal event wherein stars and galaxies begin to explode and the proverbial apocalypse begins to take place on Earth. You follow the adventures of one Avery Lucille White, affectionately known as ‘Robot’, an eleven year old girl who witnesses it all and narrates her life through a walkie-talkie to an unfortunate group of astronauts orbiting the earth.
Having never been on an acid trip, this book reads like what I would assume an acid trip would be like. It’s eclectic and weird and the tone is all over the place. It’s simultaneously ‘look how smart I am’ and ‘how do you do my fellow kids’, which I can only assume is the side effect of having an eleven year old narrate what is a very existential book.
You know in NBC’s ‘The Good Place’, when Chidi makes that terrible chilli with the marshmallow peeps on top and it looks like a child tried to make an adult meal, realized it was terrible, and tried to distract everyone by adding candy on top. It’s a fun book but it just takes on too much. I like chili and I like marshmallow peeps but both of them together are just a little unsettling.
Here’s an example:
Robot says this,
“The other group huddled together in a single pile of wobbly arms and legs. Just a big awkward yarn ball of shivering scaredy-cats, which you couldn’t blame them for. Captain Frumpy Butt rubbed the fanny of someone trying to burrow deeper into the huddle. Took out one of his little plastic dinos and tucked ‘em in for a pants-pocket nap”
But she also says this,
“I want to hear the bedtime story that tucks God in for sleep, swaddled and warm. Then sets its bedroom on fire. I want to hear the last breath of a sea-monster prince. A song that pulls the arms off starfish. Tigers paddling through sunken temples. All clocks on fire. Starship fleets colliding. Give me the lone knight atop a tower, the eyeless giant biting cannon balls and castle walls. Blood prayer summon a dinosaur extinction.”
Like. An eleven year old is saying this. Robot is pretentious in a way that says “I’m not like other kids because I am smart but also I say things like, level-nine derptron and goober”. It’s written like how a millennial thinks kids talk.
In conclusion, I think this book had some really beautiful quotes. I think there were parts of it that were exceptionally poignant. But I also think the tone gave me major whiplash, the childlike perspective starkly contrasted when discussing more serious topics. Sometimes it felt like there were multiple narrators. Robot, the one who gets to be a kid and a nameless other, when the authour dreams up a fun quote and wants to insert it into their book without considering the tone already established literal pages ago.
The Mouth of God appears, a universal event wherein stars and galaxies begin to explode and the proverbial apocalypse begins to take place on Earth. You follow the adventures of one Avery Lucille White, affectionately known as ‘Robot’, an eleven year old girl who witnesses it all and narrates her life through a walkie-talkie to an unfortunate group of astronauts orbiting the earth.
Having never been on an acid trip, this book reads like what I would assume an acid trip would be like. It’s eclectic and weird and the tone is all over the place. It’s simultaneously ‘look how smart I am’ and ‘how do you do my fellow kids’, which I can only assume is the side effect of having an eleven year old narrate what is a very existential book.
You know in NBC’s ‘The Good Place’, when Chidi makes that terrible chilli with the marshmallow peeps on top and it looks like a child tried to make an adult meal, realized it was terrible, and tried to distract everyone by adding candy on top. It’s a fun book but it just takes on too much. I like chili and I like marshmallow peeps but both of them together are just a little unsettling.
Here’s an example:
Robot says this,
“The other group huddled together in a single pile of wobbly arms and legs. Just a big awkward yarn ball of shivering scaredy-cats, which you couldn’t blame them for. Captain Frumpy Butt rubbed the fanny of someone trying to burrow deeper into the huddle. Took out one of his little plastic dinos and tucked ‘em in for a pants-pocket nap”
But she also says this,
“I want to hear the bedtime story that tucks God in for sleep, swaddled and warm. Then sets its bedroom on fire. I want to hear the last breath of a sea-monster prince. A song that pulls the arms off starfish. Tigers paddling through sunken temples. All clocks on fire. Starship fleets colliding. Give me the lone knight atop a tower, the eyeless giant biting cannon balls and castle walls. Blood prayer summon a dinosaur extinction.”
Like. An eleven year old is saying this. Robot is pretentious in a way that says “I’m not like other kids because I am smart but also I say things like, level-nine derptron and goober”. It’s written like how a millennial thinks kids talk.
In conclusion, I think this book had some really beautiful quotes. I think there were parts of it that were exceptionally poignant. But I also think the tone gave me major whiplash, the childlike perspective starkly contrasted when discussing more serious topics. Sometimes it felt like there were multiple narrators. Robot, the one who gets to be a kid and a nameless other, when the authour dreams up a fun quote and wants to insert it into their book without considering the tone already established literal pages ago.
October 27, 2024
Persons attempting to find a plot in this novel will be disappointed. Persons attempting to determine a theme in this novel will be perplexed. Some philosophical novels of ideas can work well despite the absence of meaningful development and compelling characters. This is not one of those novels.
December 24, 2025
Wild. Haven’t read anything like this one before; while I’m not quite sure all that occurred I loved it for that reason
August 23, 2024
the ideas were good but justin baby you deserved a better editor. too meta too many adjectives. the ending was bad. i didn’t really like this book except for the dream parts.
July 11, 2022
ever platypus for themself!!!!!!!!
November 22, 2023
Incredible. perfectly insane in every way. One of my favorite books ever.
December 19, 2023
Wow wow wow wow wait what OMG WOW! Basically how I felt after every page. Creativity bursts forth line after line in this exceptionally woven masterpiece of art. It is unique and inspiring and challenging and avoidant and if you are looking to read just an all around out of this world novel well here is the perfect match for you. I jumped out of my comfort zone picking this little guy up and now I feel as if theres a whole new me ready to be unlocked. Pure childlike wonder. Don't take anything to seriously but if you also happen too well thats great too because get ready to eat a mouth full of overlooked truths.
August 26, 2022
felt like watching adventure time, gravity falls, and the midnight gospel. very whimsical, absurdist, and a fun adventure
September 22, 2021
DNFed at 60%
I feel really bad about both the rating and the DNFing of this book but I just couldn't do it anymore. I quite enjoyed the writing style to be honest and the whimsical style of the beginning really made me think I was going to love this but, gun to my head, I could not tell you what the plot was after reading 60% of it.
The general story is an apocalyptic one told through the eyes of an imaginative 11 year old girl and chronicling what she gets up to with her band of misfits as they try to figure out what happened and how to survive. Who is in this band of misfits? Well, there's one character named Seven who's an astronomer and whole lot of other characters that are never introduced properly and so I don't even know if they're human or not. At one point, a death happens and I had no idea if the name belonged to a cat or a person; I was completely devoid of emotions and detached from all the events in the story. I was not distracted, it's just extremely difficult to piece together the jumble of sentences.
One other major flaw I felt the book had that made me unable to connect with it was the decision to narrate everything from the eyes of a child and then randomly pick and choose the childishness of the narrator's voice. The tone was so inconsistent that at some point, I was wondering whether this child was actually a robot masquerading as a kid or not. Your character can't be super wise and extremely naive about everything at the exact same time, it gives hints that lead the audience to think they're not as they say they are when in reality, it's just a wrong choice of narrator.
Overall, it's a shame, really, because I do feel like the concept is a good one and the writer definitely has a way with words, but this story is in desperate need of some editing (or, some hallucinogens to take you on the trip with the characters tbh). The book feels very much like what the cover looks like, super colorful and pretty and eye-catching but lacking any cohesive substance. I wouldn't say it's a bad book though, I'm intrigued in reading future works by the writer and I'd even recommend this if you really really like science fiction books and want to literally feel like you're being sucked into a vortex because hey, at least the vortex is filled with nice writing and interesting quotes.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book
It was like the stars had always been guiding our fates, and with them gone all our souls were exposed.
I feel really bad about both the rating and the DNFing of this book but I just couldn't do it anymore. I quite enjoyed the writing style to be honest and the whimsical style of the beginning really made me think I was going to love this but, gun to my head, I could not tell you what the plot was after reading 60% of it.
The general story is an apocalyptic one told through the eyes of an imaginative 11 year old girl and chronicling what she gets up to with her band of misfits as they try to figure out what happened and how to survive. Who is in this band of misfits? Well, there's one character named Seven who's an astronomer and whole lot of other characters that are never introduced properly and so I don't even know if they're human or not. At one point, a death happens and I had no idea if the name belonged to a cat or a person; I was completely devoid of emotions and detached from all the events in the story. I was not distracted, it's just extremely difficult to piece together the jumble of sentences.
One other major flaw I felt the book had that made me unable to connect with it was the decision to narrate everything from the eyes of a child and then randomly pick and choose the childishness of the narrator's voice. The tone was so inconsistent that at some point, I was wondering whether this child was actually a robot masquerading as a kid or not. Your character can't be super wise and extremely naive about everything at the exact same time, it gives hints that lead the audience to think they're not as they say they are when in reality, it's just a wrong choice of narrator.
Overall, it's a shame, really, because I do feel like the concept is a good one and the writer definitely has a way with words, but this story is in desperate need of some editing (or, some hallucinogens to take you on the trip with the characters tbh). The book feels very much like what the cover looks like, super colorful and pretty and eye-catching but lacking any cohesive substance. I wouldn't say it's a bad book though, I'm intrigued in reading future works by the writer and I'd even recommend this if you really really like science fiction books and want to literally feel like you're being sucked into a vortex because hey, at least the vortex is filled with nice writing and interesting quotes.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book
March 6, 2022
Cosmic horror at its finest, "The Tide Will Erase All" lends the reader an idea of what the apocalypse might look like through a child's eyes. This is a unique, brightly-colored end of days story that you don't want to miss out on. The writing style was addictive and although sometimes I had a hard time following specific character motives or plot points, I was satisfied with the end of the novel and its overarching narrative.
Don't read this if you have a hard time with gore, parent death, or animal death - if you can deal with all of these and you're interested in a trippy apocalyptic read, go for it! I found the contents of the book just as vibrant as the cover.
Don't read this if you have a hard time with gore, parent death, or animal death - if you can deal with all of these and you're interested in a trippy apocalyptic read, go for it! I found the contents of the book just as vibrant as the cover.
May 7, 2024
Adventure Time vibes in novel form, so yeah this perfect for me. The characters were so quirky and funny. The plot was a trip and the visualizations and metaphors were top notch. Really fun read.
October 25, 2024
This was a hard DNF for me at 33%
I bought this as a physical copy (which I don’t usually do), I loved the cover, the summary sounded so intriguing. I even read the first couple pages to make sure I liked the writing style.
My disappointment when I realized the rest of the book wasn’t written in the same pov or following the same characters as the prologue was crushing (btw it wasn’t labeled as the prologue or I would have flipped to the actual start of the book to read that). The book is told
In first person pov by a child named Robot. She’s annoying and unreliable as children tend to be. The writing is in keeping with a child narrator but totally different from the apparent prologue. I found it basically unreadable.
Others have talked about a need for further editing, and I don’t know if that would have helped because that’s clearly how Hellstrom wants Robot to talk and think. Too many adjectives, very meandering. The concept is confusing, which is fine for sci-fi, you pick it up as you go, but having a child tell it is exhausting and does not lend to the reader picking it up. The other characters ALL have confusing names, it was hard to keep track of who was who and why I should care about any of them.
I put off reading this for months because I was having such a bad time. Then I put off reading any of my physical books because I felt like I should finish this. When I finally picked it back up I read 10 more pages, got to page 95 and decided I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry, but I did not find an ounce of enjoyment in this book once it was open. The cover remains cool as hell.
I bought this as a physical copy (which I don’t usually do), I loved the cover, the summary sounded so intriguing. I even read the first couple pages to make sure I liked the writing style.
My disappointment when I realized the rest of the book wasn’t written in the same pov or following the same characters as the prologue was crushing (btw it wasn’t labeled as the prologue or I would have flipped to the actual start of the book to read that). The book is told
In first person pov by a child named Robot. She’s annoying and unreliable as children tend to be. The writing is in keeping with a child narrator but totally different from the apparent prologue. I found it basically unreadable.
Others have talked about a need for further editing, and I don’t know if that would have helped because that’s clearly how Hellstrom wants Robot to talk and think. Too many adjectives, very meandering. The concept is confusing, which is fine for sci-fi, you pick it up as you go, but having a child tell it is exhausting and does not lend to the reader picking it up. The other characters ALL have confusing names, it was hard to keep track of who was who and why I should care about any of them.
I put off reading this for months because I was having such a bad time. Then I put off reading any of my physical books because I felt like I should finish this. When I finally picked it back up I read 10 more pages, got to page 95 and decided I just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry, but I did not find an ounce of enjoyment in this book once it was open. The cover remains cool as hell.
September 24, 2022
this book is not for everybody
the tide will erase all is a surreal, wonderful experience of wonder and despair, it’s a beautifully told story with witty humor that drags you into the tale and leaves you hooked.
i absolutely adore this book, it’s probably one of the best books i’ve ever read in my opinion, BUT its a very particular book for a very particular kind of person
i can understand how this book gets so many bad reviews completely, the writing is confusing sometimes, i don’t honestly read that much, there are a few pages i’ve had to go over multiple times just to understand what the hell was going on. i can completely understand why people drop this book.
but please PLEASE give this book a chance, maybe it will effect you the way it has effected me!
the tide will erase all is a surreal, wonderful experience of wonder and despair, it’s a beautifully told story with witty humor that drags you into the tale and leaves you hooked.
i absolutely adore this book, it’s probably one of the best books i’ve ever read in my opinion, BUT its a very particular book for a very particular kind of person
i can understand how this book gets so many bad reviews completely, the writing is confusing sometimes, i don’t honestly read that much, there are a few pages i’ve had to go over multiple times just to understand what the hell was going on. i can completely understand why people drop this book.
but please PLEASE give this book a chance, maybe it will effect you the way it has effected me!
August 12, 2021
The Art of Space Travel and Other Stories
[Blurb goes here]
Man kind is on its way to oblivion, narrated by a kid, a kid that has a gifted vocabulary most adults now a days don't posses. Unfortunately for the reader, this does nothing to hide the fact that the story turns too convoluted at by the end you will wonder 'what have I just read?' You won't be alone when asking yourself this question, since the poetic ramblings of the small girl obscure the story to a point where the story stops making sense.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
[Blurb goes here]
Man kind is on its way to oblivion, narrated by a kid, a kid that has a gifted vocabulary most adults now a days don't posses. Unfortunately for the reader, this does nothing to hide the fact that the story turns too convoluted at by the end you will wonder 'what have I just read?' You won't be alone when asking yourself this question, since the poetic ramblings of the small girl obscure the story to a point where the story stops making sense.
Thank you for the advanced copy!
April 2, 2023
A surrealist, exhausting mess. The relentless dystopian perspective and the unmoored collage of phrases, animals, objects made it difficult to follow, keeping a distance from most of the characters and obscuring the story beats. I liked the epilogue, but this was so close to a DNF. Having the child Avery as the point of view character impairs the story as well, with all the children often acting either age-inappropriate or child-appropriate.
October 15, 2021
The author can turn a phrase well (at least sometimes), but the constant one note surrealism + grotesque + cutesy is grating and there doesn’t seem to be much story to pin it on. It actually takes less talent than the author thinks. Even I can do it: “‘Rotting celestial whale meat ain’t my cup of turpentine!,’ shouted Fuzzybutt Sweetcheeks.” It’s like 200 pages of that. I’ll pass on the sequel.
September 20, 2021
The writing isn't as clever as it thinks it is. It's so wordy that I had a hard time visualizing in my head what the hell is even going on. The characters aren't introduced properly either. Cover art is beautiful and the concept is certainly unique.
May 8, 2024
i bought this because the cover was cool, but didn’t really enjoy it. there was not a single point where i understood what was going on (because not a single thing made any sense). maybe it would have been better if i was on psychedelics like the author definitely was while writing this.
September 14, 2021
It's surreal and horrific, and I appreciate the emphasis on found families.... but ultimately, this one dragged a bit too much for me.
September 21, 2022
DNF’d. Couldn’t handle the inconsistent tone throughout the book and something about a grown white man writing in the perspective of an 11 year old Asian girl puts a bad taste in my mouth.
October 15, 2024
Wow, what.
May 18, 2022
'The Tide Will Erase All' by Justin Hellstrom is a futuristic fantasy where the earth is facing an apocalyptical situation, The Hand of God. As the planet slowly crumbles, an 11 year old girl lives through it and witnesses the utter destruction. The book is told from the point of view of that 11 year old, Avery, also known as Robot.
The writing style of the author is absolutely whimsy, beautiful at times and at times made little sense. The plot is action-packed with much happening in each chapter that it was really hard to keep up. As the story progressed, the absurdity of it all made the book more quirky and unsettling. In a few words it can be said that this book was astonishingly wild.
The storyline aside, the colorful illustrations in this book were beautiful and fit the style of this book perfectly.
The writing style of the author is absolutely whimsy, beautiful at times and at times made little sense. The plot is action-packed with much happening in each chapter that it was really hard to keep up. As the story progressed, the absurdity of it all made the book more quirky and unsettling. In a few words it can be said that this book was astonishingly wild.
The storyline aside, the colorful illustrations in this book were beautiful and fit the style of this book perfectly.
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