Review - The Harvest

The Harvest (Eridu #0)
by Alanah Andrews
Date: 2019
Publisher: Deadset Press
Reading level: YA
Book type: short story
Pages: 55
Format: e-book
Source: Kobo

ONLY THE WORTHY PASS THE HARVEST

Ever since WWIII devastated the surface of the Earth, emotions have been strictly forbidden. Childhood friends, Eve and Hana, have grown up in an underground compound, their emotional control monitored at all times.

But the harvest is approaching . . .

In two days, the low-ranked students will be culled and the worthy assigned to their permanent positions in society.

Eve is a high-ranked student, but harbours secret concerns about her brother leaving—feelings that she must conceal from her monitor if she wishes to succeed. Hana has always struggled to control her emotions, and she fears that this harvest will be her last.

Both know there's no place for friendship when they're competing for their lives.

The harvest is coming, and only the worthy will remain.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't read nearly as much YA as I should. For some reason, it's my favourite age category.

I picked up this freebie and thought I'd give it a try. I was actually pleasantly surprised. Even though this is a prequel story, I didn't have any trouble getting immersed in the story and the world. It's a kind of standard dystopian with an underground society and people who are forbidden from having emotions. This particular story is told from the points of view of two girls: Eve, whose sections are narrated in the first person, and Hana, whose sections are narrated in the third person. I'm not really sure why this was done, as the first book in the series, Eve of Eridu, appears to be all from Eve's point of view.

Anyway, it's a tantalizing glimpse of a really screwed-up society. I'm curious about what happens to some of the characters now. The story itself is written fairly well, although the present-tense narration does have a few lapses into past tense. The author also repeatedly uses some odd turns of phrase (things like "up the front" rather than "up at the front"), though I'm not sure if this is a regional thing, as the author lives in Australia.

I haven't yet decided if I'll move on and read the actual first book in the series, but it's not because this one didn't pique my interest. If you're looking for a strong dystopian read, give this story a try and see if the world of Eridu might be your cup of tea.

Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Writing & Editing: 4/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.57 out of 5 ladybugs