I really enjoyed this dystopian novel set in early 2100s Ontario. Decades after the world was destroyed by the effects of human-driven climate change, the remnants of humanity are slowly coming back together. Birch and Jay are a young couple living in a quaint little community away from the ruins of one Toronto.

Jay has just graduated as a Knowledge Seeker and Jay must leave Birch and their community to go on his first mission. He is headed out alone with his bike towards the former city of Kingston to gather pieces of old wisdom from the remains of the educational buildings that were once there. Along the way, meets a mysterious elderly woman who offers to travel with him. She will pass on knowledge to him and reveal things about his town’s founding. She fills in gaps in his education to help him survive in their lawless world.

Birch is restless craving adventure, but also to be by Jay's side. She decides to go after him. It's way more dangerous than she ever imagined though. Will they find each other in the chaos and brutality of the new community developing over what was once Toronto, and hopefully survive to tell the tale.

Thanks @NetGalley and @Lat46publishing for a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Birch and Jay is a dystopian tale set in a future where climate change has had devastating affects, not only on the planet but on the people too.
Jay is a Seeker, he has been sent out on his first mission to look for information that can be of use to Norbay, his home. Norbay is a town with people who are trying a different path from what caused the catastrophic destruction in the past.
Birch is Jay's promised. She has not decided what she wants to do or be, but she knows that she has to follow Jay.
What follows are the adventures that they both have before they join up to return home to give a warning to their friends.
A cautionary tale of what could happen.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this interesting adventure.

I would like to sincerely thank NetGalley and Literary Press Group of Canada for the ARC of Birch and Jay. An eye opening story of what life in Ontario, Canada could look like if our nations don’t work together to be mindful of our planet. A coming of age journey for both Birch and Jay, takes them to new places and brings them into full awareness of what happens outside of their community. The thought provoking themes of the book have so much bearing on the past, present and future for the characters but also the reader to be conscious of. A great book for those of open minds who are willing to see life through a different lens.
“What we do affects all life on Earth.” - from Birch and Jay - Allister Thompson

I have read Birch and Jay as an advanced reader copy, thank you to the publisher for sharing.

Birch and Jay is set in a dystopian future after a climate apocalypse befell our world. It relates the adventure of two descendants of survivors, Jay, a Knowledge Seeker and his promised, Birch. Knowledge Seekers roam the world in search of lost artefacts, aiming to explain what led to the fall of society as we know it. It is told in a narrative past, by Birch and Jay in an alternating point of view.

I enjoyed the writing style, as I could feel I was right in the head of the main characters. The descriptions of the settings were vivid, and I felt I was going on their adventures myself. The dialogue flowed easily, but could be repetitive at times. There are many long speeches at the start, which could have been cut down in order to get to the action faster. The pacing of the story was adequate despite this. Also I would have preferred if the relationship between Birch and Jay had been more established in the beginning of the story.

The sudden violence in the second half of the novel was unexpected. To be fair I do not enjoy graphic violence and nothing up to that point led me to believe the story would take this grim turn.

Overall, Birch and Jay will satisfy the post-apocalyptic fan, especially those sensitive to the cause of climate change. I did enjoy the Canadian nods throughout the story. I would have liked a clearer conclusion to the first quest of Jay and how useful were his findings, but I will have to wait for the second novel.