A Bowl For the Soul

 AGE WARFARE: A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

I'm sure that most of you have at least one or two dystopian-themed books in your shelves. Aside from vampires and werewolves, dystopian seems to be the rage these days. How can you not love this literary genre? It has all the suspense of an impending future that people are always curious to find out  about. With these stories, you can imagine the future of the world along with the author. I started reading Age Warfare with excitement because I'm a major fan of dystopian novels. Add science fiction to it, and then this story becomes the perfect package. This is the debut novel of Juan Carlos Cantu and we are very pleased that he approached us to review it. 

Synopsis:

A social movement pushing for change brews in the United States. The crushing difference between the appalling conditions the younger generation (called limiters) have to endure and the opulent lifestyles of the older folks (called precollapsers) is increasingly unsustainable. The year is 2053, and the compulsive use of technology has molded human interaction, behavior, and learning capabilities, degrading them to a level which decades earlier would have been thought of as pathological. The world is mired in ecological crisis, as the governments around the world intrusively impose regulations aimed at moderating energy consumption growth in an increasingly strained planet. 

This is the world in which Ethan Maxwell is born: a world of harsh conditions; one that apparently no other youth around him seems to have a problem with. His story is one of transformation, one of survival –and one of hope. Accompany Ethan in the journey that takes him from an inconspicuous high school in Boston, Massachusetts, to the zenith of a worldwide social movement that threatens to rock the very structures that keep his generation oppressed and neglected. Age Warfare is the tale of a not-so-foreign future that paints the picture of what could happen if we continue in the current path, but also one that leaves us with the hope of knowing that there is always another opportunity to start anew.

From the beginning of the story, it has captured my interest immediately. I was hanging on to pages after pages, and found it hard to stop reading it. Age Warfare is a unique, wonderful story that taught me a lesson: We have to take good care of the ecosystem. Unlike most dystopian novels, Age Warfare shows a detailed version of what will happen if the society doesn't do something to stop the degradation of our environment. Age Warfare describes a possible future if humanity keeps squandering the natural resources and earth has finally taken its toll from global warming.

Other than the deteriorating mother earth, a theme that has made me partial to Age Warfare is the demographic problems that arise between the old and young generations. Even these days we can see how many youngsters are oppressed by the older society and Age Warfare shows us the worst possibility that could happen in the future. Cantu has also created a new monetary system, where money is replaced with joules as the world's currency. It's brilliant as it's in the perfect frame with the collapsing ecosystem; making energy as the measurement of wealth.

The story is action-packed, enticing, and mind-engaging. You'll be thinking about the moral of the story once you finish, and shudder at the thought of a possible future where the young ones becomes slaves. The characters are full of life, from the main to the secondary characters. Ethan Maxwell's spirit, Samantha Jordan's passion, and Armando Peralta's personal battle are just my character highlights. Their hardships and struggles to make a change in the world are inspiring, and I would like to see how Age Warfare's characters will grow in the sequel. Young adults will love this book, as well science fiction fans. I recommend this book to those who love a good read about dystopian fiction with inspirational, strong characters. To know more about Age Warfare visit the official website. Happy Reading, everyone!

Reviewer Notes: I was given this book in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own and do not reflect those of the author, my clients or tour companies I work with. This is not a paid review. To form your own opinion please support the author and acquire your own legal copy of the book.