Book Review: Minerva by Edith Pawlicki

Thank you so much to the other for my finished copy of Minerva in exchange for an honest review! This is a post-apocalyptic dystopian for new adults, maybe older teens, that I think a lot of people will enjoy.

Quick Facts:

Title: Minerva
Series: N/A
Author: Edith Pawlicki
Publisher & Release: Indie, December 2020
Length: 372 pg
Rate & Recommend: 🌟🌟🌟🌟sure if it sounds up your alley

Here is the synopsis from GoodReads:

Action is driven by thought, thought is ruled by emotion, and emotion is controlled by Empaths.

Eighteen-year-old Minerva lives in a city of repurposed shipping containers, dependent on a hydroelectric plant for light and heat, while a nuclear winter blankets the world in snow. Hemp powder meals and patchwork clothes are a fact of life – as is human evolution. An unparalleled Empath, not only can Minerva sense emotions, she can read minds and influence thoughts.

Power has a price.

Starting with her mother’s postpartum depression, suffering has surrounded Minerva. But she has a core of steel, and to prove it, she joins the Guard like her dad. At first, Minerva loves the camaraderie she finds among the brash, strong Vitals, and she learns to use her Empathy defensively. Then two discoveries shock Minerva, and she starts asking hard questions.

The answers may cost her life.

This sounded amazing, so I readily agreed to read and review the book!

The Plot & Story: the synopsis does a pretty good job summarizing the story. Minerva is graduating from the equivalent of high school, and despite what the society recommends for her as am Empath, she is going into the Guard. I personally like stories where Underdog characters are training and beating the odds, so I enjoyed the parts that take place at the cadet academy.

There is plenty of action throughout the novel as well as a deep discussion of various ethical issues. Almost immediately Minerva learns that one of the cadet officers is using his Empathy to Compel women, which opens up the story to a meditation on the slippery slope from well intentioned to evil, PTSD, trauma, consent, and sexual coercion.

The Characters: Minerva is a great main character, she is learning to use her Empathy while dealing with a brutish training leader at the Academy. I liked her cousin, Rex is like a big Labrador but also has a serious side. There is a great group element among the group of cadets, and all of the characters contribute something meaningful to the story.

The villain…let’s just say the villain is multifaceted, and like an onion – Minerva just keeps peeling layers back to reveal who he truly is, and it’s a terrible but excellent story

There is also an enemies to friends to lovers element.. So… Yeah. I shipped it.

The World: we are set in a post nuclear winter, somewhere in what used to be Canada. We learned enough about the man made disaster to be content. I envision a city of shipping containers and repurposed materials, strict rules and strict government, and man is it always cold. The whole thing is surrounded by a defensive wall of snow that has been made over the years by the city. Great imagery. I liked that the setting directly contributed to the story and wasn’t just a backdrop for another story.

Others: I LOVE that the author created her own slang for the book, its pretty easy to follow but there’s also a glossary, which was awesome. I also liked that the society chucked labels and just calls everyone Inda – short for individual. It’s ridiculous how everyone today is so hyper fixated on labelling themselves – just be a good Inda. I mostly docked a star for editing mishaps and

I 100% recommend this book for anyone who likes post-apocalyptic settings, enemies to lovers, groups of found friends, strong family elements, ethics, or just a good story.

The author can be found at :

https://edithpawlicki.com/

Inatagram: @edithPawlicki

And the book can be purchased through Amazon at: