Review: The Gaia Effect

The Gaia Effect by Claire Buss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Gaia Effect is a wonderful quick story. It has all the elements of a great dystopian novel whilst maintain originality in the current trend that is leading to a lot of repetitive notions.

Truthfully, I’m always a bit nervous when entering a new dystopian novel. I love dystopian stories, yet I feel as though I’ve read them all. I feel as though things are becoming far too repetitive; I feel as though the something different we’re all searching for is appearing less and less frequently. Thus, when I enter new dystopian novels I do so with a bit of tentatively – it’s a case of hoping for the best whilst expecting the worst (well, not the worst exactly, but I do not expect a mind blowing read just the kind that will happily pass the time). Fortunately, The Gaia Effect did give something different – it gave me that something more.

All dystopian novels have trademarks that are a necessary aspect of the story. The corruption; the darkness; the need for change. I could write a massive list, but everyone knows what to expect by now. The first big hurdle any author of the genre faces is to ensure all of these elements are given ample attention. Side-by-side with creating a new world, The Gaia Effect manages to deliver all of the necessary aspects. The world is unique and intriguing, the way of life compelling and in need of change, and the characters pull us into their lives.

In fact, I was so pulled into the world that I worked my way through this one in a single sitting. The first couple of chapters I was a little bit unsure, I was wrapping my head around the world building, yet once the momentum got going I found I could not put the story down. I was curious as to what would happen next, I was in drastic need of answers. You know there are secrets to be uncovered, and I found myself eager to see how the reveals would come about. Without a doubt, the world gripped me throughout.

The entire story was original, giving us something different in a plagued world. I do not wish to say too much, but this one takes a very simple notion and turns the story into something wonderful. There is more depth to the story than the synopsis initially had me believing, the story has more elements that quite a few of the dystopian novels out there. There are more elements brought into this one than a simple corrupt future.

Honestly, it was a wonderful read. I would have liked for the story to be a bit longer, I would have liked to spend more time in the world than I did, but as it was the story made a very enjoyable quick read. If you’re a fan of dystopian novels and you’re looking for something a bit different to the current trend of teenagers and their life or death situations, then this book is very much for you.

A wonderful read, one I’m pleased to have won in a blog tour giveaway.

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