📖 Book Review ~ Rachel's Story by Leigh Russell

Bloodhound Books
April 2021

My thanks to the author for my copy of this book

In a world where food is scarce, the government rules, and ordinary people only exist to serve, can there ever be happiness?

As a child, living in a post-apocalyptic world, the only person Rachel can rely on is her mother. But when her mother is killed, Rachel is initiated into The Programme where selected young girls are medicated to make them fertile.

Fearing for her future, Rachel escapes. But freedom comes at a price and Rachel must navigate through a terrifying landscape of persecution to survive.

What is on the other side of the city wall? Will the repressive government hunt her down? One thing is certain. Rachel’s world will never be the same again..

My thoughts..

After a World Famine, Rachel's Story takes us into a post-apocalyptic world, where Guardians roam the streets and to be found without your food card is tantamount to a death sentence, for food is scarce in this new world and the pills, which maintain a healthy weight, are only given if you can show you have the right credentials. Being part of a mass underclass, Rachel and her mother eke out a meagre existence, but life is never safe, and when tragedy strikes, Rachel is moved into a facility known as The Programme, a sinister place where young females are medically reared to be fertile, in a world where fertility is compromised.

What then follows is a well written dystopian story which cleverly weaves two worlds together, that of the sinister world of The Guardians, and that of the shadowy exiles who follow a more clandestine existence. Rachel finds herself going from one world, to another, and it is this transition which the author explores in interesting detail. Creating a dystopian world isn't easy but I think the author has succeeded in bringing this strange place to life, and with Rachel as her lead protagonist we can travel alongside her as she strives to survive in a cruel world.

Dystopian fiction is a real change of direction for this talented author, who we are more used to seeing as the author of crime fiction, however, I think she has succeeded in creating a believable post-apocalyptic world,  and over time, as the series continues, I am sure we will see it go from strength to strength.

About the Author

Leigh Russell has written twenty-four novels so far, and her Geraldine Steel crime series has sold over a million copies. In addition to her crime series featuring detective Geraldine Steel, Leigh has written two trilogies and two stand alone psychological thrillers. Rachel’s Story is her first dystopian novel. Leigh chairs the judging panel for the Crime Writers Association’s prestigious Debut Dagger Award, and is a Consultant Fellow for the Royal Literary Fund.

Click here to read an interview with Leigh Russell as she talks about Rachel's story.

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