"All Things Now Living" by Rondi Bauer Olson

As a fan of science fiction and some dystopian, I was interested in trying out this story. The premise is that once upon a time some humans felt the need to escape a worldwide pandemic by introducing pig genes into their own genetic makeup. They then further cut themselves off from the rest of the world by building an electromagnetic aegis, except now the aegis is beginning to collapse and only a few are paying attention to the problem.

Sixteen-year-old Amy grew up outside the aegis, and has been taught all her life that the people of New Lithisle are soulless abominations who deserve the fiery death which will soon rain down upon them. One day when she's scavenging with her father he does something she cannot understand - he pushes her through the aegis, into New Lithisle, and she is trapped.

Uncertain what to do, Amy does her best to figure out why her father has sent her to this place. Especially since she's somewhat of a celebrity there, as she's the missing biological daughter of the woman behind the scientific modifications. Amy is scrappy and determined that no matter who captures her or tries to turn her in to the authorities, she will find a way to make it home.

I wanted to like this story more than I actually did. The plot was extremely scattered. For instance, I couldn't understand how New Lithisle was so huge and travel so inconvenient, yet Amy and company were able to travel all over the place for the whole of the book. Characters did things just for the sake of doing them, not because it was consistent with who they were or pertinent to the story. Sometimes characters who had seemed important disappeared so suddenly that I had to go back later to find their exit because I'd actually missed it on the first pass. There was way too much romance for a teen book, and more violence than I was expecting, though it was not gory. 

I could not see this story being interesting to its intended audience. I have teenage siblings and I teach teenagers every day, and I could not picture very many of them reading this. Nor could I recommend it to them. I feel that if you already like dystopian you'd enjoy it, but in general I would have other recommendations before this one, such as Krista McGee's Anomaly.





I received my copy of the book from LitFuse Publicity. All opinions in this review are my own. If you would like to see what other people are saying about "All Things Now Living," click here.