Irradiated: A Post-Apocalyptic Novel
By S. Elliot Brandis
Publisher: S. Elliot
Brandis
Published: May 12,
2014
ASIN: B00KAWN3ZM
Amazon Synopsis:
A man thrust a baby into Jade’s hands. It trembled in her
arms. The man had a message: escape from the tunnels and never return, her
parents were already dead. Jade had a sister; she was irradiated.
Thirteen years later, her sister, Pearl, is
coming of age. Rows of sucker-caps line her arms and hands. Her skin is coral
pink. Each night, her dreams fill with visions of violence, depression, and
fear.
On the surface, people have grown wild and
dangerous. They scavenge, fight, and steal. Below, in the tunnels, they're
controlled by a ruthless leader and an army of beings known only as Shadows.
When both groups come searching for Pearl, sensing the power her dreams may
hold, only Jade can stand in the way.
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Enjoy an Excerpt From
Irradiated
Birth
The man thrust a
baby into Jade’s hands. It was warm and wet and its cries were muffled. Thick
fabric covered its face and body. It trembled in her arms.
“You have to go,”
said the man. His voice was urgent and his movements were rapid. Each breath
was hot and laboured.
“I don’t
understand. Where’s Mum, where’s Dad?” Jade asked.
The tunnel was dark
but she could place him by the sound, by the heat, by the air. His panic rushed
into her, as though it was her own. He grabbed her with heavy hands and turned
her around.
“There’s no time,”
he said. “No time, child. They’re coming. The Shadows are coming. You need to
get out of here.”
“B-But, what about
my parents?” she stammered.
The man squeezed
her shoulders tightly, his fingers digging into her muscles and between her
bones.
“I’m sorry,” he
said. “They’re dead. You have to trust us. This is your only chance. This is
your sister’s only chance. You have to keep going and never turn back.”
He pushed her
onward, and other hands grabbed her. They grasped her then passed her on to the
next set. They all knew what was happening, all knew where she was
headed—everybody but her. She clutched the squealing baby in her long, thin
arms and yielded herself to their guidance.
Jade had a sister; she was irradiated.
My Thoughts:
Irradiated is the future Earth, the result of global
warming and some other catastrophe such as a nuclear war which has left the
world in a barely liveable state. Most of the surviving people live
underground, and those who have been irradiated (individuals with strange
mutations) live on the surface of the planet.
The story begins when Jade is sent away with her just-born baby
sister Pearl to live on the surface to escape the fate of irradiated offspring
born to those who are part of this underground society. Irradiated then
picks up 13 years later when Pearl has reached her 13th year. Her skin is a
vibrant pink and she has sucker caps similar to an octopus along her forearms
and hands. Eking out a living on the surface of the earth is difficult and
dangerous.
There is always danger from others who are irradiated who might
want what you have, danger of death by dehydration in the barren, dried up
landscape, starvation, and danger from the Shadows that roam the land, who will
kill you if they find you. While out trading for necessities, Jade is
approached by an individual and told that Pearl is in danger. The strange thing
is, Jade and Pearl do not know this person. Upset by this, Jade senses truth in
this mans statement and rushes back to Jade, only to find her missing. Thus
begins the exciting and dark search in this dystopian world.
Irradiated is a very bleak look at the future of our
planet. Fortunately the author did leave us with a feeling that there is
perhaps a possibility for hope for the human race. Jade and her sister Pearl
were very likeable, living their lives peaceably until they had to stand up for
themselves. I think the violence that Jade displayed is there under the surface
in some of us more than others, just as it did not surface in Pearl - it's
probably what helped make Jade the leader of the two; that and being older than
Pearl. Or maybe it was the mantel of leadership that was thrown on Jade that
developed the harshness that led to violence?
I also thought that the Queen was an excellent example of someone
who exploits others and uses control for power. The Queen maintained her power
through fear and was not above killing anyone who got in her way or was no
longer useful to her. She was a power-hungry tyrant who would have taken over
the world if she could.
The dialogue flowed and seemed quite natural. Descriptions of the
scenery were detailed enough to visualize easily without being too detailed to
be boring. I liked the addition of Mongrel. To me he seemed to be a character
that espoused hope and friendship and future.
I liked the development and growth in Pearl's character. I'm sad
at the way it happened, but I'm glad her experience will bring about good
things. I especially liked that Irradiated ended on a note of hope;
without that, it would have been a depressing novel indeed.
I did find some profanity in this novel, so that is something to
note for my readers who are offended by this. There was no graphic sexual
content.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dystopian novel. I would highly
recommend it to others who enjoy dystopian reads. I gave Irradiated 4
stars out of 5. I look forward to the sequel.
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of the novel in
exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All
thoughts are my own.
About the Author:
I live in Brisbane, Australia, and work full-time as
an engineer. I like reading books and comics, watching movies and television. I
also like sport, especially the Gold Coast Suns (Australian Football League)
and the Houston Astros (Major League Baseball), and cricket in any form.
Writing is my passion, though, and I work hard to find time
for it. I wake up at 5:15 every morning to write before work
I love being an indie author. Why? Because it’s the model
that works best for me. I have complete creative control. It gives me the
freedom to be as bold as I want when choosing what stories I want to write, how
I want to publish and promote them, and choose what editors and designers I
want to work with. I also avoid some of the more nefarious elements of the
publishing world, including poor royalties and restrictive contracts.
The result? You can be 100% sure that the story you’re
reading is the story I wanted to write.
I always love hearing from readers, writers, journalists,
bloggers, and so forth. Drop me a line.
