Notice...

The purpose of this blog is to have a little fun. It is NOT to start arguments. I don't profess to be an expert on Sci-fi, nor do I aspire to become an expert. You are welcome to comment on any and all content you find here. If my opinion differs from yours, as far as I am concerned, it's all okay. I will never say that you are wrong because you disagree with me, and I expect the same from those that comment here. Also, my audience on the blog will include some young people. Please govern your language when posting comments.

Posts will hopefully be regular based on the movies I see, the television shows I watch, and the books I read as well as what ever strikes me as noteworthy.


***SPOILER ALERT***
Spoilers will appear here and are welcome.

Autograph Collecting

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

City Of Orange By David Yoon - A Post-Apocalyptic Story Of Self-Discovery

City of Orange by David Yoon

This book sat on my Kindle for quite a while before I finally opened it up and started reading.

This story grabbed my attention immediately from the beginning and wouldn't let me go until I finished it. It is fast paced, brilliantly written, and there are surprises on nearly every page. 

City of Orange is a post-apocalyptic fiction about a man who wakes up and has no memories about anything before the moment of his awakening. In the place he finds himself, it appears everyone has abandoned their homes and moved away. As he moves through his unfamiliar world, he slowly gets his memories back thanks to an old man, a young boy, and a crow.

The principal character awakens in the bright sunshine, afraid to open his eyes. He is injured and alone and has nothing to remind himself of who he is, or what he even looks like. He sees he is near a kind of river, lined with concrete and measuring about a hundred meters wide, - most likely the Los Angeles River - and he slowly tries to piece his life back together. Where he is at the time seems safe, but he knows he needs more to survive. As he explores, he happens upon a makeshift shelter under an overpass, and from there, he expands his range and recovers his memories. Some of those are very good memories, others are horrifying.

Imagine what it would be like!

The object of the story is not an adventurous sort. As a matter of fact, he is rather timid as he moves about his immediate environment. As he gets his memories back, he also regains some of his self-confidence. But what he learns is not always pleasant and gives him no comfort.

We meet a few other characters along the way, some helpful and some not so.

My favorite plot point of City of Orange is how the story of the man's life is revealed slowly through the entire novel. Each and every memory the man recovers is painstakingly gained. 

Another favorite point is what the cause of the setting is never really revealed. It isn't really important to the man's story, but there are hints of what might have happened.

I'm going to leave it at that because nearly anything further I can say might be considered spoilery.

My takeaway from City of Orange is one must be careful who one trusts when one finds themselves in unfamiliar surroundings and situations. There are those who may seem like they want to help, but then turn out to be someone who only wants to take advantage of a situation. Then there are those who will help, but only if you are willing to open yourself up to them. Finally, though, one needs to trust themselves and their instincts to make their way through an uncertain world.

City of Orange is a story full of twists and turns through days of confusion and self-discovery. It opens with no preamble and offers no obvious moral when it ends. The reader will need to decide what this story has to offer them. From the first paragraph, the action is nonstop, but it isn't overwhelming. I wouldn't label this a Science Fiction book. The principal character is more on a journey to rediscover who he is and how he can move through his world with caution.

The quality of the writing and the story are great, and I recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a story of discovery.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David Yoon is the New York Times bestselling author of Frankly in Love, Super Fake Love Song, and for adult readers, Version Zero and City of Orange. He's a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor book recipient. He's co-publisher of Joy Revolution, a Random House young adult imprint dedicated to love stories starring people of color. He's also co-founder of Yooniverse Media, which currently has a first look deal with Anonymous Content for film/TV development. David grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Nicola Yoon, and their daughter.

Well, there it is...

Qapla!

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