Official Review: Jubilee Year by Joanne Greenberg

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 04 Mar 2021, 20:22

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Jubilee Year" by Joanne Greenberg.]

3 out of 4 stars

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With Covid-19 and the more recent ice, snow, and flooding, we have had to cope with isolation and temporary unavailability of some of the things often taken for granted. Many of us have had to survive the cold without power, heat, and even clean water to drink. How do you think we would manage if we knew the power outages and the shortage of food, water, and fuel might not be ending in a week or even a month?

Gold Flume, Colorado, was a small ski-resort town in a valley surrounded by huge mountains. In the middle of winter, half of a mountain broke off, leaving a deposit that was 500 feet high and more than a half-mile long. It buried several houses and covered the only exit from the valley. Unfortunately, this was not the only disaster that the U.S. was experiencing at that time; it also wasn’t the most critical one. Tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, drought, and wildfires had taken place in various parts of the country. Subsequently, the residents were on their own with only the most essential supplies helicoptered in every two weeks—weather permitting. Items such as cigarettes, alcohol, and non-essential medications, like anxiolytics, were no longer available. Electricity for phones, computers, heat, or cooking was inaccessible. Now, they realize the river is also blocked by the “fall.” Being currently frozen, flooding is not a problem. However, when the river thaws and the snow and ice in the mountains melt, water will engulf the town, having no way out. Will these people come together to survive or will they turn against each other?

Jubilee Year by Joanne Greenberg is an engrossing, 311-page novel that reminds the reader of how catastrophes can bring forth the best and worst in human nature. The author lives in a mountain-top home near Lookout Mountain, Colorado. Subsequently, it would be easy for her to picture the effects that this kind of disaster would cause on the area. Her writing is eloquent and easy to understand and so descriptive that I frequently shivered with the cold, even though we enjoyed a warm spell as I was reading it. The author incorporated occasional humor in the story as well. After the “fall” happened, a “fantom” began sneaking into town at night and posting poems. This entertained the residents and added to the story, frequently making me smile. This was one.

“Freeze-dried food for freeze-dried folks,
Freeze-dried water, freeze-dried jokes.
Everybody’s life’s now open—
Who does drinkin’ who does dopin’.
Secret passions large and small—
Nothing’s hid, we know it all.”

The characters in the story are based on personalities that we may have all encountered. The sheriff with his over-medicated wife, the pastor with his not-so-religious spouse, the teacher, and the mayor are merely some of the many interesting characters in the story. My favorite part of the book is how the author brought each of them to life. We get to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses and how they respond to adversity, some managing to rise above, whereas others fail.

Sadly, I encountered several grammatical and punctuation errors in the story. Although they were minor and not numerous, there were too many to ignore. It could use one more round of editing.

Because I had to take off a star due to the errors, Jubilee Year achieves a rating of three out of four stars. It certainly made me appreciate what I have. I enthusiastically recommend it to readers who enjoy fascinating, character-driven books. Sensitive readers need to be aware that occasional violence, sex, and profanities are encountered in the novel.

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Jubilee Year
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Kennedy NC · Post by **Kennedy NC** » 08 Mar 2021, 15:07

Catastrophes have a way of reminding humanity of their shared vulnerability and uniting them to come together and survive. Great review.

Drianie · Post by **Drianie** » 08 Mar 2021, 17:01

This sounds like the type of novel I will enjoy reading. I love reading natural disaster-themed stories, and this one seems intense with its combination of catastrophes the residents of this town have to deal with. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll definitely keep an eye out for this one. I appreciate your insightful review!

Joy Phill · Post by **Joy Phill** » 08 Mar 2021, 17:29

What a chilling poem. The book sounds interesting already. Thanks for a great review.

Kellinewton42 · Post by **Kellinewton42** » 08 Mar 2021, 21:19

This sounds like a great read! I love stories about survival and overcoming obstacles. Many will definitely be able to relate to this one! I'll add it to my "to read" shelf! Thank you

shreyagupta · Post by **shreyagupta** » 08 Mar 2021, 22:45

The book sounds like an interesting read. I am eager to find out how they manage under such difficult circumstances. Thanks for the review!!

Mbrooks2518 · Post by **Mbrooks2518** » 09 Mar 2021, 00:00

An interesting plot with great characters. Great review!

Jennifer Aldo · Post by **Jennifer Aldo** » 09 Mar 2021, 01:26

Too many grammatical errors always put me off a book. The storyline sounds nice, but I'd rather wait for an edited version. Thanks for your review though.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 09 Mar 2021, 09:06

Kennedy NC wrote: ↑08 Mar 2021, 15:07 Catastrophes have a way of reminding humanity of their shared vulnerability and uniting them to come together and survive. Great review.

In most cases you are correct. However, there are always people who don't care about the common good; they just worry about themselves. Thanks for reading my review and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 09 Mar 2021, 09:11

Drianie wrote: ↑08 Mar 2021, 17:01 This sounds like the type of novel I will enjoy reading. I love reading natural disaster-themed stories, and this one seems intense with its combination of catastrophes the residents of this town have to deal with. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll definitely keep an eye out for this one. I appreciate your insightful review!

Then this is the book for you. Good reading!

Naaya123 · Post by **Naaya123** » 09 Mar 2021, 09:14

This seems quite interesting and since I want to motivate myself to try out different types of books, this will be added to my list. Thank you for the detailed review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 09 Mar 2021, 09:23

Joy Phill wrote: ↑08 Mar 2021, 17:29 What a chilling poem. The book sounds interesting already. Thanks for a great review.

I found it to be a way for the poet to try to bring a little humor into the residents' lives; they already knew all of the things that were being made fun of were true. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Mtibza eM · Post by **Mtibza eM** » 09 Mar 2021, 11:09

Oh my! I should get this book. Great review.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 09 Mar 2021, 15:13

Kellinewton42 wrote: ↑08 Mar 2021, 21:19 This sounds like a great read! I love stories about survival and overcoming obstacles. Many will definitely be able to relate to this one! I'll add it to my "to read" shelf! Thank you

I think you will definitely enjoy this book then! Thanks for the comments!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 09 Mar 2021, 15:19

shreyagupta wrote: ↑08 Mar 2021, 22:45 The book sounds like an interesting read. I am eager to find out how they manage under such difficult circumstances. Thanks for the review!!

You will need to read the book then; I don't think it will disappoint you. I appreciate your remarks!