Official Review: A Girl Called Badger by Stephen Colegrove
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Tigania
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Official Review: A Girl Called Badger by Stephen Colegrove
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Girl Called Badger" by Stephen Colegrove.]
"A Girl Called Badger," by Stephen Colegrove takes place three hundred years after an influenza pandemic and a nuclear attack have devastated the world. Colorado has been over-taken by rusting and broken machinery, forests, and wild animals. Diverse groups of survivors are scattered throughout the rough terrain. In one such enclave, Wilson, a young apprentice priest falls in love with Badger. Badger begins to have frighteningly sudden, short seizures, stemming from an implant she received on her "naming-day." Wilson, determined to find a cure for her, yet forbidden to leave Station, follows behind the team that has been sent. Once in the wilds, they find themselves embroiled in violence between warring tribal villages, where the choices they make can change their world forever.
This science-fiction, post-apocalyptic novel is a fast paced adventure, that is filled with challenges for the characters to resolve. Both romantic, and full of suspense, this book will keep the reader turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. The dialogue between characters had appropriately witty moments, and was smoothly integrated between passages of well-written descriptions of the wild wooded areas, peppered with decaying remnants of the past and the trials of everyday survival.
I found this novel to be both an enjoyable reading experience and an interesting look at the post-apocalyptic world. Fresh technological concepts were introduced throughout, and kept me intrigued. Although the story is told from Wilson's point of view, I enjoyed Badger's character immensely. She was portrayed as a formidable woman with fantastic survival skills, and who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Yet, there was still an endearing quality to her personality which made this character full-rounded.
Secondary plot-lines also contributed to the pleasure of reading this novel. The relationship between Wilson and his mentor was an interesting blend of tension and mutual, yet grudging, respect. The skirmishes between opposing tribal villages, and the morality of the decisions each group made to ensure their existence was fascinating. This was a well-written, full-bodied tale of blooming love, a search for knowledge and the struggle of diverse societies to survive a threateningly realistic future.
The only issue I had with this book was the seemingly random insertion in the middle of the story which explains what happened in the past to create the version of the world described in this tale. Suddenly, the story was being told by a person from the past. Although this section was also well-written and answered a lot of questions for me about previous elements in the story, the placement of this segment bewildered me momentarily. Personally, I think a better placement for this section might have been as a prologue.
As a whole, this was an exciting, well-told story that tied up nicely. I give "A Girl Called Badger," by Stephen Colegrove a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "A Girl Called Badger" on Amazon
"A Girl Called Badger," by Stephen Colegrove takes place three hundred years after an influenza pandemic and a nuclear attack have devastated the world. Colorado has been over-taken by rusting and broken machinery, forests, and wild animals. Diverse groups of survivors are scattered throughout the rough terrain. In one such enclave, Wilson, a young apprentice priest falls in love with Badger. Badger begins to have frighteningly sudden, short seizures, stemming from an implant she received on her "naming-day." Wilson, determined to find a cure for her, yet forbidden to leave Station, follows behind the team that has been sent. Once in the wilds, they find themselves embroiled in violence between warring tribal villages, where the choices they make can change their world forever.
This science-fiction, post-apocalyptic novel is a fast paced adventure, that is filled with challenges for the characters to resolve. Both romantic, and full of suspense, this book will keep the reader turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. The dialogue between characters had appropriately witty moments, and was smoothly integrated between passages of well-written descriptions of the wild wooded areas, peppered with decaying remnants of the past and the trials of everyday survival.
I found this novel to be both an enjoyable reading experience and an interesting look at the post-apocalyptic world. Fresh technological concepts were introduced throughout, and kept me intrigued. Although the story is told from Wilson's point of view, I enjoyed Badger's character immensely. She was portrayed as a formidable woman with fantastic survival skills, and who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Yet, there was still an endearing quality to her personality which made this character full-rounded.
Secondary plot-lines also contributed to the pleasure of reading this novel. The relationship between Wilson and his mentor was an interesting blend of tension and mutual, yet grudging, respect. The skirmishes between opposing tribal villages, and the morality of the decisions each group made to ensure their existence was fascinating. This was a well-written, full-bodied tale of blooming love, a search for knowledge and the struggle of diverse societies to survive a threateningly realistic future.
The only issue I had with this book was the seemingly random insertion in the middle of the story which explains what happened in the past to create the version of the world described in this tale. Suddenly, the story was being told by a person from the past. Although this section was also well-written and answered a lot of questions for me about previous elements in the story, the placement of this segment bewildered me momentarily. Personally, I think a better placement for this section might have been as a prologue.
As a whole, this was an exciting, well-told story that tied up nicely. I give "A Girl Called Badger," by Stephen Colegrove a rating of 3 out of 4 stars.
***
Buy "A Girl Called Badger" on Amazon
Latest Review: "The Boy who Lived with Ghosts" by John Mitchell
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connorjaycolebrook
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Even though the post apocalyptic future thing seems played out, this looks pretty grounded and good. I have a soft spot for sci-fi, but yeah I'll read a sample of this for sure. Maybe get the book.
