While I am a huge fan of books set in the Appalachia I didn't enjoy this one. It was tough for me to get engaged with this book.

Firstly, thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book for an honest review.

I wouldn't say it was a really extraordinary, riveting, captivating tale that had my attention from the beginning to the end the same way. But then again, I doubt it was meant to be read as an exciting story that has you hooked, anxious to know what's going to happen a at very moment. Despite that, though, in my opinion, the book wasn't really able to incite my zeal towards nature and Mother Earth the way I think it was meant to.

Overall, while it wasn’t a book that stayed with me long after I finished, I enjoyed the read. It didn’t captivate me entirely, but its portrayal of friendship and the subtle interplay of mistrust and camaraderie were certainly worth noting. I’d recommend this for readers who appreciate gentle, character-driven stories with an environmental theme.

To conclude my review, I'll say that it took me 14 days to get myself to sit down to write this review, and while lack of time did play a very major role in that, I also don't think the book gave me much thoughts or feelings to express or form a proper opinion. It was an enjoyable read, not boring, by my standards, but it just didn't have any particular factor that would make me think about it after having finished reading it.

Great writing of speculative fiction, amazing storytelling and a very thought provoking message about the impact of human technological advancements and climate change. I very much enjoyed the main characters and the roles they played in the development of the plotline.

This is a fun and interesting novel at the same time. The world it's set in could very well be plausible and a reflection of our own future. There are intriguing topics, and the narrative is thought-provoking. Beyond that, the plot is also engaging and fun. Where it falls short for me is the characters; I didn’t feel any emotional attachment to them, which was unfortunate, as I wanted to like the book more than I did. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

This is an ambitious novel that just didn't quite work for me. The world the author has created is interesting and (all too) plausible; it's the characters and some of the narrative that fell short. I never really cared about any of the characters (except perhaps Brisa), which made the reading process less than fully enjoyable. The narrative was mostly good, but then it would veer off into implausible explanatory or preachy passages. (To be clear, I agree with the environmental message—I just thought the way it was conveyed lacked subtlety.)

It's possible that I'm simply not the right reader for this story. In the end, I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

This was a really exciting read. I didn't know what to expect going in, but I was really blown away by the storytelling in A Valley to Harness. This novel is outside what I normally read, but I had some touchstones to look to in the genre, and A Valley to Harness still kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages.

An intriguing exploration of innovation and environmental ethics, A Valley to Harness blends suspense, rich characters, and a speculative future to craft a thought-provoking narrative.

Bartles' writing shines through in his amazing ability to bring the world to life through imagery. The characters are well developed and you can understand their motivations very clearly. This novel is extremely thought provoking and an amazing examination of the cost of innovation.