OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Cloud Seeders" by James Zerndt.]

“The Cloud Seeders” is a sci-fi/fantasy novel by James Zerndt. James in 2014 won the Cygnus Award for New Adult Dystopian Fiction and was a finalist in the Reader’ Favorite Awards. He also was chosen as an Editor’s Pick in Amazon’s Kindle Singles store for his short story “This Jerkwater Life”. “The Cloud Seeders” was set in a future world after twelve months without rain. The story focuses on two brothers, Thomas and his younger brother Dustin. The story begins with Thomas and Dustin being two very active and stubborn water cops who punish those who waste and misuse water, as they say: “Serve Your Country, Conserve Your Water, Observe Your Neighbor”, or “Serve, Conserve, Observe”. Thomas soon realizes that Dustin is starting to take his job too seriously and losing his empathy for humans, seeing them as the leftovers the government labels them being the equivalent of present day hippies or hobos. Thomas and his girlfriend, Jerusha decide it best to take a trip to escape the structured way of the now manipulative world to try and remain as human as possible. Along their journey truths are uncovered and the world as they knew it changes.

The plot was consistently enthralling, it never ceased to add a new twist or turn and it executed them beautifully. It held the perfect structure by taking the time to go into depth with each new scenario that presented itself and yet didn’t feel rushed to a conclusion and to fit everything in. I knew it was going to be a good book when I set it down the first time and felt parched and dry as if I was living in the book. I love when books become so engrossing that you blur reality with fiction.

My only downfall was I don’t know when I started to envision the characters, but for some reason I pictured the younger brother a lot younger than he was, which screwed with my mind a few times when it mentions the possibility of him thinking sexually or being dreamed up of being sexually active with Jerusha. It was constantly referencing how his child-like innocence might be stripped with how fast the reality of life was coming down on them.

I love stories that hold a continuous theme, and this story held multiple. It shows how well planned and put together this story was and to me these extra details show the connection and devotion the author had for their story, which makes it more enjoyable for me to read. Two of my favorite details were the poems and the “would you rather” game played. The poems showed up after every chapter and I enjoyed how well they complemented the chapter as if a complimentary brief epilogue to accent each chapter. The game played between brothers was explained in the first chapter and was played between brothers in good and bad times as a reminder of their bond as if an anchor of the one thing they had that remained the same.

I would recommend this to not only sci-fi or fantasy lovers but also to readers who enjoy mystery and adventure books. It held some environmental happens, but nothing so far-fetched that it would turn off people who don’t usually read the fantasy genre. I would rate this four out of four stars and want to thank the author for the great read and chance to read his book.

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The Cloud Seeders
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Thanks so much for the review! I should mention that the book is set as perma-free on Amazon and Smashwords. Also, a sequel is the works called The Hinges Of The World which should be out next year.

Thanks again. So glad you enjoyed it...

Jamie

I enjoyed your review @bookfix_blog you gave such detail, without sounding stuffy. I felt like you were sitting here giving your thoughts, not writing a critique for the Daily Planet Those are the kind of reviews I like. I love dystopian fiction, and thanks to you, and the author, I will go to Amazon and pick this up.

Sounds like a very interesting book. I read another book by the same author, The Korean Word for Butterfly and it was great. Congratulations to James Zerndt for such a wonderful book!

Excellent review, @bookfix_blog! This sounds like an enthralling book and I look forward to reading it (picked it up on Amazon before I even came down here to comment haha). This sounds like a refreshingly different dystopian novel and I love the idea of both the poetry after each chapter (I'm a sucker for such things) and the "would you rather" games - what an interesting way to perhaps reveal character quirks or other details of the characters that might not be mentioned in any other way!

Congrats again, to both reviewer and author.

I ran across this review a few days ago while looking for more dystopian novels. I consumed it in two nights. I really enjoyed it although it clearly IS a YA novel (which I don't mind, but some just seem a little more adult than others).

I agree about the little brother (Dustin). Sometimes he acted like he was about 6 and other times like he was 15. Which pretty much averages out to 10 which I believe was his age. It was at times hard to reconcile the swings, but it also made him an interesting character.

The plot was not a rehashed version of something else I have read, so that made it refreshing. I am happy to hear there is a sequel coming out, I will definitely be reading it.

I have a weakness for dystopian novels. I love it when authors make a resource we take for granted and push it to the logical conclusion. How much our society breaks down and how quickly without one essential piece. With the drought going on in California right now this book feels extremely topical. I am going to grab a free copy.