The Hillside by Jane Smiley
Series: Warmer #7
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Pages: 16
Published By: Amazon Original Stories on 30th October, 2018
Format: Ebook
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon (not affiliated)
Book Synopsis:
Now the Congress of Animals is in control, unforgiving, and debating the fate of the planetβs most reviled species. The popular ruling: exterminate humankind without exception. But a curious mare, coming of age, is making a case for a seemingly gentleΒ personΒ she longs to saveβa wish for mercy that could once again unbalance the new and righteous nature of the world.
Book Review
As part of my “Amazon Originals” Summer Project, I am reading through short stories published by Amazon. Β A spin wheel picked them at random, and I ended up with getting the last book in the ‘Warmer’ series. I hadn’t heard of this author before, so I was intrigued to find out what I would think of their writing… Because I have Amazon Prime, the eBook was included, so I didn’t have to pay for it either.
I’ll start by saying that I don’t think I’ve ever read a dystopian book. Therefore, I was very apprehensive going into this one… However, this book pleasantly surprised me. I went into this not knowing anything about the plot and I actually think that helped. I find the dystopian genre intimidating (not sure why) so I’m glad I went into this with 0 expectations.
The author tells this story from a horse’s perspective, which initially made me unsure how the story would unfold. That being said, this short novella delivered a surprisingly thought-provoking story!
The idea is that the future of the world is in control by animals and they debate about whether humans are worthy of existence. I found myself highlighting quite a few quotes whilst reading. It focuses on the impact of climate change caused by humans but experienced from an animals perspective. Very interesting. I will say that this book doesn’t have the ‘perfect’ ending. However, I think this was a great choice from the author for this storyline.
Due to how short the book was, there wasn’t a lot of room for giving backstory/background to some of the characters. I personally would have liked a little more, but I understand the author couldn’t do that within the limits of such a short story.
I think if you’re after a quick read or if dystopian books appeal to you then maybe give this one a go. Considering I’ve not read from this genre before, I had a surprisingly decent time overall reading this. I’m eager to see what the rest of this series has to offer! However, I don’t think I’ll be rushing to read another book from Jane Smiley any time soon.
Leave a Reply