This was a slow tedious read with no obvious reason for the story; the tension between Cal and Frida was weak, the tension once they arrived at The Land was uneven, and the resolution did not make sense. This was a slow as molasses read that meandered.

This book immediately swept me away. Lepucki's dystopian novel is not at all what I expected, and I loved that about it. An interesting examination of self-dependence, family, friendship, and survival.

Review: CALIFORNIA by Edan Lepucki

CALIFORNIA was the 2014 debut novel of author Edan Lepucki. Set in a very near-future Southern and Central California, the novel is Dystopian. It is post-apocalyptic in a sense, but in this case the "end" arrives almost subtly, not with a bang (no nuclear holocaust, North Korean invasion, plague, nor zombie uprising). Instead, civilization just fizzles. The novel goes into some detail about life in L.A. during postmodernity, but primarily concentrates on protagonists Frida and Cal as they make the life-changing decision to move out of the city and homestead on "found land" (emphasis mine).

Due to unexpected circumstances, I was unable to finish this selection. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity.

This book was fine but not really my usual genre (was attracted by the amazing cover!).

A dark, dystopian novel that I couldn't stick with. The storyline of Cal and Frida was engaging, but when they reached the new settlement and the reader started to get the back story of Frida and her brother, I felt that is where the author lost me. An interesting concept for a story, but the plot and backstory just wasn't strong enough to keep me interested.