Hello Readers!

How’ve you been? Good I hope! The past couple days have been something of a surprise for me. I’ve been working ahead with grad school for my trip and I’ve reached a point where I’m happy to let it sit for a moment. So right now I’m kind of killing some time before heading out for my vacation. I haven’t been this blessed with time in months!

Anywho, while I wait on my library to transport a book I’ll be reading for research purposes (don’t worry, it’s entertaining too) on a short story I intend on writing, I picked up another freebie at Tor.

This one is called The Future Library by Peng Shepherd.

Like I said, this is a Tor freebie. To read it for free, you can check it out on Tor’s website here. Or, if you want to support the indie author, consider purchasing a copy on Amazon at the link below.

This story caught my eye because 1. it wasn’t about vampires (I’ve been reading those kinds of stories a lot lately) and 2. grad school has been emphasizing the future of libraries, so my ears perked up when I saw the title.

Before you scroll on down to my review below, did you know that The Future Library is a real thing? Yeah, no kidding! Consider checking it out here if you’re interested. Okay, okay, I’ll stop blabbing. On to the review!

Blurb

More than a hundred years from now, an arborist fighting to save the last remaining forest on Earth discovers a secret about the trees—one that changes not only her life, but also the fate of our world.

Inspired by the real-life “Future Library,” a long-term environmental and literary public art project currently underway in the Norwegian wilderness.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

Brilliant, just brilliant.

I absolutely loved this heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and the environment.

In a nutshell, this story is centered around an arborist, Ingrid, who is trying to save the trees dying across the world in a unsettling possible future and the events surrounding her life.

Ingrid is the narrator of this short story, and I really enjoyed how balanced her point of view was. Overall, she told the story factually, but when recalling the bits of her life she is more passionate about, it really shines. There were some seriously beautiful metaphors and sentences in this short story. I also enjoyed the romance in this story. It gave it heart, and nothing felt forced or came across as too much.

The plot really drew me in. I loved the futuristic yet realistic portrayal of our world in the future and the message conveyed. Climate change really is a big deal, and it can have serious consequences for our world if allowed to continue at its present rate. This story examines possible landscapes we might find ourselves in should we ignore this crisis.

The Future Library itself was a very intriguing concept, and I loved the mystery surrounding it after the beginning of the story. Also, just so you know, The Future Library is a real thing, so major kudos there as well. Look it up!

I have zero complaints about this story. It was riveting and really got me to think about things. Few stories do that for me, so don’t deny yourself the opportunity and give this a try.

Happy Reading!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this short story review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this story? Are there other short stories you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

Join My ARC Review Team | Subscribe

 Facebook | GoodReads | Bookbub | Tumblr | Instagram