Unraveling Secrets in a Dystopian World: After the Fall by Ellen Parent

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the AFTER THE FALL by Ellen Parent Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: AFTER THE FALL

Author: Ellen Parent

Pub. Date: December 3, 2024

Publisher: Fitzroy Books

Formats:  Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 266

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/AFTER-THE-FALL-Parent

“A gripping, visceral, post-apocalyptic story brimming with adventure and heart.” – Kirkus Reviews

So much is forgotten in the Republic: the way the seasons used to turn like pages in a book, the technology that once made life easy for everyone, even the art of reading. For fifteen-year-old June, the forgetting goes even deeper, ever since a mysterious accident six years ago stole her mother and her memory. When a strange circus with ties to her family comes through town, she follows them without a second thought. In the outside world, June has to navigate a landscape and society pushed to the edge by the powerful forces of climate change, and to decide who she can trust in a world where everyone seems to have secrets. Can she believe the grizzled deputy who somehow knows more about her past than she does? What about the circus performers, who push her away even as they beguile her best friend? Only when she finally uncovers a truth that threatens to change the Republic forever, will she know who her true family is— and whose life is worth saving.

 

 

Why Should You Read It?

After the Fall is a mesmerizing mix of post-apocalyptic intrigue, lyrical prose, and a young heroine’s search for truth. Ellen Parent crafts a vivid world where the remnants of a lost civilization collide with the enigmatic charm of a sinister traveling circus.

June, our fiercely determined 15-year-old protagonist, is a captivating guide through this dystopian landscape. Her pursuit of the truth about her mother’s disappearance—and her own forgotten past—is both heart-wrenching and exhilarating. The sinister circus, teeming with secrets, serves as the perfect backdrop, adding an air of magical realism to the gritty reality of a society reshaped by climate collapse.

What shines most is Parent’s evocative writing; the vivid imagery and atmospheric tension pull you in and refuse to let go. The slow-burn revelations about June’s past and the Republic’s dark secrets kept me guessing, though the pacing occasionally dragged as the plot juggled multiple subplots. The secondary characters, while intriguing, could have been explored more deeply, especially the deputy whose connection to June remains tantalizingly underdeveloped.

This is a story for readers who enjoy dystopian fiction laced with mystery and a touch of magic. It’s haunting, thought-provoking, and beautifully written—a testament to resilience and the power of uncovering lost truths.

Recommended for fans of: The Night Circus, The Grace Year, and lyrical dystopian adventures.

 

 

About Ellen Parent:

Ellen Parent has been telling stories since the mid-nineties, when she started whispering them down to her sister on the bottom bunk. Her poetry has been published in Bloodroot, Vermont Magazine, Birchsong, and was shortlisted for the 2014 Vermont Writers Prize. After the Fall is her first novel. She lives in rural Vermont with her delightful husband, her precocious daughter, and two eccentric cats.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends December 17th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway