Yes, I read another post-apocalyptic fiction! No, I’m NOT sorry!
This story is about Griz, a teen who lives on a small island in the Hebrides. Griz is alone except for a mum, a dad, sisters, and two beloved dogs, Jess and Jip. They are alone because they live in the years following The Gelding, an event which saw birth rates across the planet plummet and most of humanity perish (either with a whimper or a bang, depending on which outgoing philosophy the dying chose). This is more Children of Men than The Stand; there’s no virus or battles for good and evil here. Just people trying to get by and mostly keep to themselves in the shadows of a departed world.
The family survives by fishing and farming. Griz in particular loves reading the books that are found when they go a-viking (pillaging the empty houses left behind for valuables). The bond between Griz, Jess, and Jip will tug at the heartstrings of any pet owner. While a life without medical professionals, society, and social connection is not without difficulty, it is mostly peaceful.
That is, until a boat with red sails appears on the horizon and the stranger Brand comes to visit the family. He brings tales and treasures from his travels and, though the family is wary, they do dine with him. Upon waking, they realise they have been drugged and Jess, Griz’s dog, is missing.
It seems that humans were not the only ones affected by the Gelding, and having a female dog is quite an irregularity in this broken world. So Brand absconds with Jess and Griz, immediately and without hesitation, follows in pursuit. And follows. And follows.
As the owner of two dogs myself, I cannot blame Griz in the slightest. As I’d be reading this novel in the evening, snuggled up with one or both of them, my eye kept wandering to them as I questioned whether I would go to the same lengths as Griz to retrieve one if they were stolen. And every time, my answer was an emphatic ‘yes’. To the ends of the earth.
This was a beautifully written and engaging post-apocalyptic world, exploring the enduring themes of family and loyalty. The character Griz is hard not to love, and it was a pleasure to come along on the twists and turns of this journey.
Overall, 5 honey treatments out of 5.
