4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
In the year 2038, the world (as imagined by author Kate Moschandreas) is ravaged by drought and dust, and permeated by vast networks of surveillance technology. Salt of the Earth, though technically a futuristic dystopian sci-fi novel, is terrifying in its realism and relevance to our current world. The novel’s seamless integration of technological advances with daily life 20 years from now flows logically from our current obsession with smart phones and screens, and the backdrop of climate change speaks to issues that are as likely to affect us then as they do now.
The novel’s protagonist, Jess, is a young scientist working with a new material called graphene. She receives a strange message on her Keeper (which is essentially a smart watch with advanced features) that summons her to the house of her past professor and boyfriend, David. She arrives in time to see him beaten and captured, and narrowly escapes herself. While on the run, she attempts to figure out what is happening, and meets another young man named Matteo. Though at first it appears that Matteo is simply in the right place at the right time, helping her out of the goodness of his heart, it turns out that he has also been tracking her for some time per the assignment of the surveillance firm that employs him. Nonetheless, they form a connection, and it doesn’t take long for Matteo to realign his interest and efforts to keeping Jess safe and helping her piece together the mystery of their situation.
Matteo and Jess are pursued by at least two competing entities, both of which seem to be after a new invention to desalinate ocean water and create an abundance of fresh water for farming and personal use. Jess realizes that her work with graphene is key to putting together the new technology, and that her ex, David, had been stealing her research and attempting to patent the technology himself. She and Matteo attempt to evade their pursuers but realize quickly that the only way out of this situation is through it. They must figure out a way to outsmart the greedy companies and violence-prone political powers, to save themselves, and to somehow return the desalinization solution to the general public.
Despite its futuristic fictional setting, this story is sexy, smart, and (in my opinion) most importantly, believable. The technological concepts are described in a detailed yet simple way, using actual scientific terminology, rather than just made-up terms like so many other sci-fi stories. Though typically I am not a fan of stories that include a lot of action scenes, the action within this novel is crafted beautifully. The scene descriptions are vivid and memorable, yet the violence is not gratuitous or excessive.
Furthermore, the character development is effective and well-nuanced. Jess, as our lead, is a strong and intelligent woman, employed in a very male-dominated field of study. However, she also displays a range of emotions, including vulnerability and fear, which do not take away from her rationality or self-assurance. Matteo, as her counter, also has a complex and multi-faceted emotional backstory. While he grieves the loss of his ex-wife and struggles with conflicting alliances to his employers and Jess, he exhibits a balance of tenderness and bravado that demonstrates the depth with which the author has endowed all of the characters. Even the side-characters have fascinating and rich back stories. None are painted as entirely good or evil, but are instead simply human, with all of the greed and fear and prejudice that humanity entails.
Other than a small handful of typos (primarily in the form of missing or extra words), I did not have any complaints about this book. The plot was highly enjoyable, and moved quickly from one event to the next, yet still took the time to paint an emotional progression in the protagonists. This is a novel that a wide range of readers can enjoy – those who love futuristic, dystopian, and sci-fi stories, those who enjoy works featuring strong and intelligent female leads, as well as those who enjoy fast-paced action novels (and movies). Though there is some violence, it is rendered tastefully, and therefore I believe this book would even be appropriate for teenage readers.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I would also be quite interested in a big screen adaptation of this work, as I believe the male/female duo in this book are exactly the kinds of characters that translate well into an action thriller. Due to the mix of feminine and masculine characteristics in the two main characters, the film would have a potential to reach a wide audience.
******
Salt of the Earth
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like bluegreenmarina's review? Post a comment saying so!
