Book Review: California

Edan Lepucki's California is a debut novel that has received a lot of interesting and mixed press. Similar to many other books I've liked, it takes place in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. It's quite reminiscent of The Giver and Oryx and Crake. In a world torn apart by natural disaster, dwindling resources, class separation, and desperation, a couple who has isolated themselves in the wilderness trying to survive off the land begins looking for other survivors. More than simply a man-versus-wild archetype, it explores the emotions, feelings, motivations, and intentions of its two main characters in a way that is vivid and captivating without being banal or stereotyped. This is what I enjoyed most of the book, getting into the heads of the two main characters as they struggle to survive, navigate interpersonal conflicts, and confront horrors of the past. This review sounds sensational, and in a way, the book is theatrical in scope, but what I loved most about it was the raw human element. It got a lot of mixed reviews after being praised on The Colbert Report, but I think it is a beautiful first novel.

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