In The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles, Ilene Grydsuk gives us a glimpse into a sustainable world with no corruption. When this new world order is threatened, Everett and Jacob set out to protect the Biodome from selfishness and unfettered freedom.
Review
Life is God’s gift to us. He has created this wonderful world for us and bestowed us with the free will to wander around it. What do we do with this precious gift? Well, we ravage the earth, our very own home. Wars, nuclear explosions, climatic changes, destruction of forests and seas, and extinction of animals, among other heinous acts, have been the norm in the human-dominated world.
In Irene Grydsuk’s post-apocalyptic novel, The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles, the Supreme Being has had enough. In the Correction Era, all the Incorrigibles are purged from this world. A new world order is formed. Every human is now born with the existential virus, also known as EV. The virus makes sure that everyone lives freely yet morally in the Biodome. This heralds the Age of Resolve with its motto of harmony, integrity, and purpose. Everett Steele is proud to be born in this age. At seventeen, she is excited to leave high school and start her dream job as an agent in the Department of Animal Welfare. A few days into her job, Evey comes across a boy named Jacob, also known as Jake, and uncovers a conspiracy to get rid of the EV. There is one more astounding thing. It seems that the EV has not been roused in both Evey and Jake.
Why doesn’t the EV work normally in Evey and Jake? Who wants to get rid of the EV and why? Will Evey and Jake be able to save the EV and protect the Biodome?
Authored by Ilene Grydsuk, The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles brings a new twist to the genre of post-apocalyptic novels. Instead of a world subjugated by a tyrannical power, the Biodome is actually an ideal place of harmony, integrity, and purpose. In the Biodome, there is no corruption. People do their best to restore Mother Earth to her full glory. There is freedom, yet that freedom is not unfettered. It is bound by morals and guided by the EV. I can’t help but wonder how our world would be if the existential virus was indeed a reality. One life lesson that I take away from this novel is that freedom without limits is not always good. After all, there should be some semblance of order.
The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles has an underlying Christian theme. I love how Ilene Grydsuk draws parallels from religion without being overly preachy. I have to mention here that this should not deter subscribers of other religions or no religions as the book has a universal appeal. Even if you overlook the religious aspect, the message of sustainability, harmony, integrity, and purpose still rings true. Ilene Grydsuk also goes into detail about genetics. Everything is explained in simple terms so even if you are not familiar with genetics, you can easily understand everything. In fact, it is put forward in such an interesting manner that it might even intrigue people who are not interested in the subject.
Ilene Grydsuk is a masterful wordsmith. Her well-thought-out words enmesh the readers in the world of the Biodome. At the same time, she makes us think about all the destruction and wars that are going on in our present world. The photographs of the myriad real-world incidents discussed in the book drive her point home. I love how she has included links to various articles and pages that give further information about the hot topics that are mentioned in the book. Embedding the hyperlinks in the text is a master stroke.
The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles has twenty-nine chapters. Each chapter starts off with various quotes from the Bible and other eminent personalities. I loved how each quote is intrinsically linked to the chapter that follows. The narrative smoothly glides between Everett and the Supreme Being’s first-person perspective to the third-person points of view of Jake, Dr. Draeger, Mr. Ashton, Dr. Castillo, and Pedro. The transitions are done so smoothly that you would never be baffled. This is another testament to Grydsuk’s outstanding authorship.
Let us now talk about the characters. All of them are dynamic. Evey and Jake are amazing human beings who stay true to what is right even with the EV’s seeming absence. All young adults should aspire to be like them. I loved Evey’s bond with her family. I especially admire her grandmother. There are many words of wisdom that come from her. Though Jake has a drastically different childhood than Evey, he is as righteous as her. He is respectful, brave, and never shies away from doing what is right. Dr. Draeger is a true antagonist. Yet, his fondness for ancient art and literature and his interactions with Jake and Evey prove that there is much more to him than being a typical run-of-the-mill villain. Dr. Castillo is a man of science. For some reason, I always ended up picturing Albert Einstein while reading about him. Pedro is devoted to science and religion. He is a character that intrigues me to no end. I have a niggling feeling that he will have a key role to play in the next book.
The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles by Ilene Grydsuk is an exceptional novel. I recommend this book to fans of post-apocalyptic books, YA novels, and Christian literature. People who love nature, anthropology, and genetics would highly enjoy this novel as well. I, for one, am more than eager to read the next book in this intriguing series.
Book Details
- Title: The Age of Resolve: The E.V. Chronicles
- Author: Ilene Grydsuk
- Genre: Post-Apocalyptic YA Fiction
- Theme: Sustainability, Fantasy, Science, Christianity
- Publication Date: October 13, 2022
- ISBN or ASIN: B0BJJF8WB3
- Number of Pages: 295
- Minimum Audience Age: 12
Book Themes
(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)
- Sexual themes: 1
- Religious themes: 2
- Violence, self-harm, etc.: 1
- Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 0
- Other adult themes: 0
Rating
- Content: 5 stars
- Writing Style: 5 stars
- Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
- Uniqueness: 5 stars
- Editing: 4 stars
- Other factors: 5 stars
- Overall: 4.8 out of 5
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I don’t read climate-change-related books. I have enough eco-anxiety as is. But Jake and Evey seem like excellent role models. I hope young people like them help solve the mess we’ve made.