Flowertown [Formato Kindle]

When I originally read Flowertown, I had chosen to start just before bedtime, thinking 3 to 5 chapters and I would be good. What followed was 16 chapters read that night. The author's choice of words, and descriptive passages, immediately pull you in to the story, and keep you there. The surrealistic landscape painted by S.G. Redling in Flowertown, is one of a martial law, media manipulation, and conspiracy. As I devoured this book, I realized that I was holding my breath at a few points, and based on my thought process, I thought I had the book figured out. I was 100% wrong. As I neared the end of the book, I was so caught up in it, that (without adding a spoiler) when Ellie, the main character that I hoped the author based on herself, has a shocking revelation, I actually had to stop reading for a moment. This twist, this surprise, is the only time in my life, that while reading a book, I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter, read forward, just to make sure that I had read the words correctly. It was too mind numbing for me to embrace, and I could truly see the intent the author had in presenting this twist, as I mimicked the actions of the main character. I eagerly await more books from this very talented author. If you have any doubt about purchasing this book, I can promise you, you will not regret it. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would!

Every day, loads of very toxic materials travel our highways and railroads. What would happen if one of these spilled -- and permanently poisoned an entire area with all the people in it? That's the scary premise of "Flowertown." The chemical in question was supposed to be a systemic pesticide that would not only kill the targeted insect species, it would also remain in the systems of the predators that feed on that bug, so that their droppings would perpetuate the chemical in the ecosystem. Well, it did just that -- too well, because it was not only toxic to bugs, but a lot of other things as well, including people. An accidental spill released the stuff into a rural area in Iowa, where it killed most of the local population and rendered the rest so toxic that anything they shed or excrete -- such as hair, skin particles, sweat, urine, etc. -- contains the chemical. Which is why the army moved in and quarantined the area. Permanently.

It's now seven years later, and "Flowertown," as the PennCo Containment Area is euphemistically called, has become a dystopian militarized zone that is isolated from the rest of the world, a place where it is legal to sell pot, but you can be thrown in jail for littering. To make things even worse, the infrastructure is breaking down, with fewer supplies coming in, water and power systems that don't work half the time, very bad TV and Internet access, and a population that is steeped in cynicism and apathy. Among the latter is Ellie Cauley, who used to be a high-power executive before she got trapped in Flowertown while visiting her boyfriend's family at the same time as the spill. Now she works as a file clerk at a dead-end job, where she deals with life through sarcasm and getting stoned -- until some strange events make her begin to wonder if there is more going on than meets the eye. Suddenly the conspiracy theories of her paranoid co-worker, Bing, don't seem so crazy after all...

I found this to be a good read, with lots of twists and turns that kept the pages turning. One word of warning, though: It has quite a bit of profanity and sex in it, as well as graphic descriptions of various bodily functions. Given the premise of how the pesticide and the obligatory meds affect the body (including a lot of nausea) these things do fit the characters and the plot. I just thought you should know, in case you have a weak stomach...

I spent a lazy Sunday reading this book and really enjoyed it.

The idea of a community being quarantined and isolated from the rest of the world by a chemical accident wasn't too far-fetched to identify with.
Corporate greed and power turns the lives of the survivors into lives that lack hope and promise, unable to leave with many cut off from their loved ones.

Those who survived the initial accident are subjected to ongoing treatment that kills many and makes everyone strong enough to survive miserable.

As the story evolves and you get to know the characters, many of the "conditions" they deal with become suspicious and theories are formed by some of the survivors.
Some of the locals discover that every bit of news available to the residents of Flowertown is filtered and often altered to keep them in line.

When the Army disappears and the only enforcers remaining are employees of the company responsible for the accident, many suspect a conspiracy. By the time the main characters discover there really is an underground group of people in Flowertown, everyone is in danger and many are unsure who to trust.

Near the end of the book, when Ellie learns just how much she's been deceived, the author did an excellent job surprising the readers.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author.