2097 is a transformed world. Thirty years earlier, a mysterious plague wiped out 97 percent of the male population, devastating every world system from governments to sports teams, and causing both universal and unimaginable grief. In the face of such massive despair, women were forced to take over control of the planet--and in doing so they eliminated all of Earth's most pressing issues. Poverty, crime, warfare, hunger . . . all gone.
But there's a price to pay for this new "utopia," which fourteen-year-old Kellen is all too familiar with. Every day, he deals with life as part of a tiny minority that is purposefully kept subservient and small in numbers. His career choices and relationship options are severely limited and controlled. He also lives under the threat of scattered recurrences of the plague, which seem to pop up wherever small pockets of men begin to regroup and grow in numbers.
And then one day, his mother's boss, an iconic political figure, shows up at his home. Kellen overhears something he shouldn't--another outbreak seems to be headed for Afterlight, the rural community where his father and a small group of men live separately from the female-dominated society. Along with a few other suspicious events, like the mysterious disappearances of Kellen's progressive teacher and his Aunt Paige, Kellen is starting to wonder whether the plague recurrences are even accidental. No matter what the truth is, Kellen cares only about one thing--he has to save his father.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Sure.
I think the Epitaph Road is a book for those kids that really like dystopia or post-apocalyptic books. It poses great questions. What would the world be like if women were in power? Aren't women sympathetic and caring? Can there be evil lurking in those motherly personalities?
I was interested throughout the book to find out how Dr. Mack, Keelen's mom, and Aunt Paige all played a part in the way the society functions. Patneaude does present a conflict pretty early on so that did keep me reading; however, I wouldn't say that it had me on the edge of my seat.
It's an okay book, and I'm glad I picked it up. Would I buy it for my classroom library? No.
What Bothered Me About the Book?
I learning quickly that mysterious post-apocalyptic novels need to be FULL of action for me, or I will become disengaged quickly. This was the case with Epitaph Road. I wasn't really into the book until Keelen and the girls arrived at the lab and began to unravel important information.
I also felt the book stayed very much on the surface for most of the book, and we never really delve into why these women want to stay on top, or why Kellen's dad decides to leave his son behind. I feel like if I had been given these sort of answers, I might have been more connected.
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