Review: The Chaos Grid by Lyndsey Lewellen
Blurb:
Cross the grid. Survive the storms. Let your destiny burn.
When mankind’s attempts to control nature backfire, Texas descends into a wasteland. Storms rage and ravenous beasts roam the Outer Grid. The only safe havens rest inside the tech-obsessed domed cities. But when her parents are murdered inside the Plex City dome, seventeen-year-old Juniper Conway wants revenge.
Ties to her extended family threaten to pull her back as she runs from city to city. The Plex is endangering its citizens by legalizing a deadly nano drug, and Juniper’s family needs her help to deliver the counteragent. Saving the city who orphaned her goes against everything she stands for. The only way out is to brave the wasteland.
Juniper joins a shipping crew fearless enough to transport food across the Outer Grid. But when a string of bad luck turns lethal, she fears something, or someone, is dragging her back to the Plex. As her world sinks into chaos, Juniper must decide if revenge is worth the lives of the crew she has come to love.
Review:
Chaos seems to follow Juniper, but when she signs up to travel through the wastelands of Texas to escape her family’s plan of bringing her back to Plex City where her parents were murdered, she may not be able to outrun it any longer. Facing the Outer Grid would be hard enough, but with the Qwell breathing down her neck, rebels arming themselves for a revolution, and pushers smuggling a powerful drug across the grid, she’s going to need to learn who to trust… and hang on for dear life.
Set in Earth's post apocalyptic future, after mankind's attempts to correct a climate crisis backfires catastrophically, we’re met with a really interesting alternate Texas. Living outside the dome protected cities is suicide, and the truckers who work the Outer Grid have a dangerous job battling the colossal beasts and unnatural storms as they provide food between the dome cities and the farming facilities that grow their food. I really enjoyed the societal landscape we got to navigate, especially after they leave the safety of the city and dive into the world beyond. The worldbuilding felt natural as my understanding of their world unfolded. The vehicles, facilities, and ruins were all really fun to explore, and I loved the mutated creatures we got to meet. Our main characters face rebels, drug smugglers, and whalers that hunt the monster beasts that live under the sand. The human synth upgrades are really cool, and the prejudice against basics adds some interesting tension, especially for our main character, whose family doesn’t allow upgrades.
“The day Plex City burns to ash will be the best day of my life.”
Juniper is a very relatable teenage character. A lot of her choices are rash, but also that’s being seventeen. I loved her hacking and agility abilities. Even if some were a little convenient, she was a fish out of water when faced with new situations, lending to a more believable character. Dax, the stoic, mysterious, tough guy who’s teaching the newbie the ropes was done well and his culinary genius was hilarious. The crew of side characters were a mixed bag for me, some feeling unique and developed and others feeling like a caricature rather than a character. I couldn’t always keep track of who was who, but it also didn’t really matter, which I think was a missed opportunity. That said, I loved the dynamics as they set out to overcome their dangerous mission and unexpected side quests. The mutant creatures were a big highlight, and the superstitions behind them created a great obstacle when one particular bird-like creature dedicated itself to Juna.
“Dreams and goals are nice to have… but they don’t define you.”
With the nano drug smuggling ring and the government's involvement, the rebels with their seriously creepy leader Kazi, and the vulnerability of not knowing what you’ll face at every stop all made for a really entertaining ride. The parallels to the story of Jonah were subtle, I didn’t know it was an allegory until the very end of the book, but looking back it all made so much sense. Under the layers of entertaining chaos through their crumbling world there were deeper themes of finding purpose, learning to trust, and battling fear. I do wish, as the conflicts snowballed into an avalanche by the end, that we had a breath or two to hang there in those moments instead of it all feeling a bit rushed. It was a worthwhile one, but I did get a bit of whiplash.
“When you can’t stop seeing what you should have done. Hearing every word you should have said. Playing out every move you should have made. The more those should-haves play in your mind, the more they trick you into thinking you can change what happened.”
That said, I really liked Lewellen’s writing. The first person single POV made for a very appropriately YA feel. Though I did wish we slowed down a breath before the very end, I liked the quick pacing throughout the book. I listened to the audio version and the voice acting was also great. At the moment it stands alone, but the ending was left more open ended then most. Just when Juniper realizes her true mission, the frenemies become almost something more and the unrest of their world is about to culminate, our journey ends. I really hope there is a sequel, I for one will be the first in line.
The Chaos Grid was an easy read that kept me on the edge of my seat. This YA Sci-Fi gives you a pretty fun ride with its cyberpunk feel, post apocalyptic elements and degrading dystopian society. With a unique animal companion, cool tech, and perilous adventure, it makes for a great summer read!
