Official Review: A Diary in the Age of Water

[Nwaogazie Goodness]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Diary in the Age of Water" by Nina Munteanu.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Categorized as other fiction, A Diary in the Age of Water is a book of about 329 pages written by Nina Muteanu, a Canadian ecologist and novelist.

This novel began as Kyo runs through the dying forest of the north. Kyo is the protagonist, and like her sisters, the Kyos, she is a blue being in small enclaves scattered all over the world. As she explores the forest, she thinks about the discussions she had with certain people. One of which is her mentor, Nam, who, unlike her, has two arms and flesh like the color of the sand. She also remembers the conversation she had with Ho, the librarian, and finally, that of Renge and Myo, in no particular order.

As a child of the forest, Kyo is troubled with the way she looks, and as a result, she tries to find answers regarding her physical appearance. Fortunately, she had been plagued with vivid dreams about those she presumes are responsible; the Villainous Water Twins. They destroyed humanity because of their hatred for their kind. Additionally, the Water Twins were the first and only ones from the Water Age, who had the power to instruct water, and they carried this out before the new children of the forest discovered the mystery. As much as Kyo knew about the Water Twins, some pertinent questions were still answered. Hence, she discovers a personal journal of Hilde's mother written in the time of the Water Twins. (Hilde is disclosed as one of the Water Twins). As the preceding chapters unveil the contents of the diary, will Kyo find the answers she seeks?

While reading this book, I came across authentic descriptions and figurative languages. I must commend the author for this. However, what I loved most was the contents of the personal journal dated October 13, 2045. This is because of the relatable and realistic quotes incorporated in it. Here's one by Albert Szent-Györgyi, “a discovery is an accident meeting a prepared mind.” I understood this more like the popular quote by Charlie Munger, “opportunity comes to the prepared mind.” I also loved that the author provided definitions for difficult terms. I never knew that the lovely smell that usually goes along with the first rain after an extended period of warm, dry weather had a name until Nina Muteanu defined it as 'Petrichor.' Conversely, what I disliked was the confusing introduction of the character, Myo. It was abrupt, and at first, I thought the author meant to write Kyo instead of Myo. I only realized that Myo is a distinct character in the next few pages.

Even though topics like reproduction and sex were explored, there was no instance of erotic scenes. Nevertheless, I discovered some profane words.

This book was professionally edited, as I did not come across any errors. On the other hand, A Diary in the Age of Water will appeal to those that love topics about climate change, nature, and the environment, and as such, I recommend it to them.

Overall, since the core premise of this book is calling the attention of humans to save the water, and subsequently, for our benefit, I will rate it a 4 out of 4 stars because the author did a great job passing this message in the most realistic way as possible.

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A Diary in the Age of Water
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[Goral]

That sounds great! It's certainly refreshing to read about nature and it's elements, and I will definitely enjoy reading this book! Thanks for the review!

[Sou Hi]

Thanks for your meaningful review. It sounds to me that the Water Twins represent Mother Earth who will one day destroy mankind for their abuse of the environment.

[Justine Ocsebio]

This book has a great premise and coveys a powerful message. Thanks for your insightful review!

[Faithy_Goody_Star]

This is a great review. It tells the reader what to expect in the book.