Review of A Diary in the Age of Water

[Michael Jerry_]

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

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2 out of 4 stars

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Nina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist and novelist who has authored several books. She is passionate about her work, and it is evident in A Diary in the Age of Water. This book is about 304 pages, and it is set mostly in Canada several years into the future, where humanity is at risk of going extinct.

It begins with Kyo, who keeps seeing visions from the age of water, and she doesn’t know why. Her search for answers leads her to Lynna’s diary. This diary begins in the year 2045, during the age of water, and revolves around the life of Lynna and her daughter, Hildegard. As Kyo reads, she learns about life in the past and how Lynna survived a harsh, dying world where water was gradually becoming a scarce commodity that only the wealthy could afford. Kyo needs to know how humanity fell from grace and how the world became what it is now. She needs to know why the water twins did what they did to the world.

From the moment I picked this book, I was excited to read it because of how well-presented it was, and I was expecting to enjoy it. The book has an interesting storyline and is mostly from a first-person perspective because the majority of what you read is written by Lynna in her diary. I like that the author used scientific facts to paint a realistic picture of what a world with limited water would be like. A good example is how the death of plankton contributed to the harsh climates. The Canadian government’s reaction to water hoarders and the references to Google Nestlé, COVID-19, and the Trump administration made the plot feel more true to life. Daniel was my favorite character because he was always onto something. A great example is how he predicted the water quota on the wTaps and figured out who really owned CanadaCorp.

However, this book didn’t do a great job holding my attention. The author focused on limnology and the science of climate change so much that it made the book feel too technical. And when coupled with how slow-paced the plot was, the urgency of an ending world was lost. I would also have loved more suspense and plot twists because the book felt a bit predictable to me. Also, the author didn’t describe Hildegard or Orvil, so till the end of the book, I didn’t know how some of the most important characters looked.

I rate this book 2 out of 4 stars because the slow pace, lack of suspense, predictability, and lack of character description affected my reading experience and made it hard for me to enjoy the story. I didn’t rate it lower because it raises awareness for climate change, and it has a moral lesson that we should not ignore. I didn’t come across any errors, so I believe this book was exceptionally well edited. I recommend this book for adults over the age of 18 who are interested in post-apocalyptic stories, climate change, or the safety of our environment. Teenagers may also benefit from the moral lesson in this book.

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A Diary in the Age of Water
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[Ashley-Osuna]

The idea of this book sounds promising, since the plot seems to be deeply related to our related and our possible future. It is sad to hear that the plot was slow, especially for a science fiction book. Thank you for the review!

[Ramra]

As a fan of SciFi this book could be one of the best.It sounds so real , like the real coming future.I just imagine a world of AI, so advanced but lacking water.Good review a must read

[SpicyKiwi]

The premise sounds interesting, especially since it closely resembles our current day world and the corruption in it. It's sad to hear that it's a bit slow and too technical at times, especially for a sci-fi story which tend to open the imagination for its readers. Good review!

[NetMassimo]

I read some short stories written by Nina Munteanu and I liked the mix of science and fiction. A novel is a very different kind of work, as it requires a different level of development. I didn't pick this novel for review because there was no ebook available but maybe I was lucky. Thank you for your honest review!

[viczboy16]

The thought of humans going extinct makes me shiver and sounds impossible as i never thought of it although climate change and pollution makes it more understandable. I hope this book addresses the dangers of man made decisions that can have negative impact on human existence on earth.

[Uchechukwu Okereke]

Right from the gate, the cover image of the book jumped out at me but, after reading the review I do not think I can follow through with it. A book where the characters have no physical description will mess with my ability to concentrate long enough to finish the book. I wouldn't have known this without your review, though, so, thank you for your insightful review.