This is one of my favorite genres and I am grateful to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review, but this was not my favorite. Again, I recognize the effort required to write a novel but I did not personally enjoy this read, which felt like it went in all directions and could have benefitted from a serious editor. The plot itself has real potential

In 2080, on an Earth badly damaged by a nuclear mishap, the human race barely survives. A young boy who can literally feel no pain, a rare condition called analgesia, makes his way through one difficult situation after another. His journey to find his place in the world makes this book engrossing reading.

A interesting plot, an unusual post-apocalyptic world viewed from an oddly afflicted young boy's perspective, and a number of memorable characters add up to a remarkable novel.

Orphans of Canland takes place in a post-apocalyptic America, narrated from the point of view of a 12 year old named Tristan. Although the book includes some captivating imagery, the plot never really takes off and some stylistic choices end up being more distracting than anything. The book alternates between a journal style (where inexplicably quotation marks aren’t used) and more traditional first person narration. I was eager to learn more about the world, but had a hard time getting invested through a 12 year old’s journal.

Okay part of this issue is a personal thing which is that I HATE when books don't use quotation marks, but also I just found this impossible to get into.

I'm not entirely sure what it is, but this book and I didn't jive. It's a fine book. I definitely think there is an audience for it but I'm not a part of that audience. And that's okay. It was an intriguing premise, but I think something in the writing style put me off. I had a hard time coming back to it after I put it down. If someone is interested in picking it up, I say to give it a shot.

<i>Orphans of Canland</i> reminded me of Richard Powers. That’s all I can really say about this book. Granted, I wasn’t able to make it past page 20, which is why I am leaving this unfinished and without a rating. If you take a look at the other ratings for this book, people seem to be enjoying it, so… I guess… take a look around and see what others are saying? The thing that gets on my nerves (as a reader who sometimes dips his toes into sci fi) is the capitalization of ordinary words to spruce up an otherwise ordinary world that is being presented as uber dystopian. I’ll make up a little bit to give you an idea:

Joe was worried. But why? God could only tell. Or, wait, sorry - that is thinking that aligns itself with The Before. The Before did not mesh with The Currents. The Currents - a band of secular priests who dictated Thought Hour - ran the current. Feedtime was approaching, when Chobur (a mix of The Before’s “chocolate” and “burger”) was on the menu - a feast for The Rulers. “Chocolate,” thought Joe, “Burger. Huh.” Names are weird. The Currents would be on him soon.

On November 15, you can pick this book up and follow along with the adventures of our 12-year-old hero, Tristan Weekes, as he goes up against “the eco-totalitarian organization, WORLD”. And when you do, please let me know how it is.

Thanks to Strïj Publishing for the advanced review copy.

A dystopian tale with good writing and an engaging story. This feels literary, and the author has created complex characters that seem real. I'll probably remember this one for a while. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

Orphans of Canland is a novel set In a dystopian world in the near future, The story is told through the eyes of a young boy, Tristan, through his journal. In this world, climate change has radically altered society, the system and structures of government, and how people live. There are multiple references to new institutions; the novel is chockful of new terminology for extant ones. This novel offers the reader a glimpse into our own potential future.

I must confess I didn’t finish this book. The writing style is not for me and so it turned out was the plot. Not at all what I thought it was going to be.

To much psychoanalyst and too little story for me to finish. I thought this would be a dystopia novel.