Review: The Contaminants by Devin K. Smyth

The Contaminants
written by Devin K. Smyth
published by Devin K. Smyth

find it here: (affiliate links) Amazon, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: I was asked by the author to review this book. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: The story intrigued me – I was excited to read about Smyth’s scientific twist on a post-apocalyptic Earth. Plus, super-fast genetic enhancements sounded awesome!  And, you know, the story itself was good.  I finished reading this book because it was a cool story.

The rest of the book, though, wasn’t quite as cool.  The grammar and syntax were passable, but for a novel narrated by two teenagers I thought there was a distinct lack of, well, angst.  Maybe Smyth was trying to convey the characters’ sense of hopelessness – goodness knows it would be hard to be cheery when Earth’s been blown up and you’re trapped on a spaceship that’s running out of food.  But, well, I like to get emotionally invested in characters, and I just didn’t this time.  I didn’t feel like any of the characters really liked each other all that much, either.  I mean, I guess I expected a few more tears, a few more hugs, a few more… well, let’s just say that if I discovered my father whom I thought was dead alive and standing in front of me, I’d probably at least give him a hug.

Would I recommend it: If you’re a plot-person rather than a character-person, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Will I read it again: Nope.

About the book – from Goodreads: When America attempts to “purify” earth to maintain its own dominance, it sparks a worldwide nuclear holocaust. Teen friends Jessil and Soraj are among the few survivors. They escaped on a cruiser that now orbits the planet and is designed to help regenerate the earth’s ecosystem. Soraj’s father leads the regeneration process and is hopeful that he can salvage a region in North America for the cruiser’s return.

But when Jessil discovers a message indicating her own father may have survived the holocaust back on earth, she’s determined to rescue him immediately with Soraj’s aid. Can they succeed even though the planet they return to is very different from the one they left—and that their success could mean failure for the regeneration process?