Book Review | Edge of Civilization by Jennifer Ott

In April I reviewed Seredipidus by Jennifer Ott (see that review HERE), and the author reached out to me to see if I would review another one of her works. Edge of Civilization is the story of a Vietnam War veteran named Earl. For decades he has lived alone in an abandoned mine in the desert. One night he has a revelation that he needs to return to civilization. He's not sure where to go, or from where he originated, but the next day he leaves on a journey to find where he belongs.

Edge of Civilization goes back and forth between Earl's current journey and his past life in the war. We learn that he was a pilot and his plane went down, and what he had to go through to end up back home in America. Because of this ordeal, Earl seems to have a memory problem. At times, it's difficult to tell what is real and what is not. This adds an air of mystery to the story, and it compelled me to keep reading to find out how the story would end.

Without giving any spoilers, I'll say that the end of this book just fell flat for me. We follow Earl as he tries to remember his past, and I just did not like how his journey ended. It seemed a bit rushed, and wasn't what I expected taking the entire book into consideration. Because of that, I am rating Edge of Civilization a 3.5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you enjoy books about veterans or stories with an unreliable protagonist, I think you should give this one a try. The Kindle version is only $2.99 on Amazon HERE.

This book was provided for my unbiased review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review & Giveaway | Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

This Sunday is a bit different here at OpenLetter2NYC! I just completed my first ever 24-hour readathon! I heard about Dewey's Readathon last minute, but I decided to participate a bit. It was a great experience, and I can't wait until the next one!

During the readathon, I completed Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott. This book is just delightful! The story revolves around Venetia De Mille, a famous supermodel living in New York City. Venetia was raised in a nunnery, not knowing who her parents are. All the nuns knew was that she was to love nature. That she did! Venetia was very in tune with the Earth, and even talked to animals more than people. The nuns made her leave the convent so she could find her true destiny in life, and when Venetia ends up in bustling NYC, she lucked into a modeling job after being scouted in Central Park. She wasn't thrilled with her career, but her angelic looks allowed her to buy a penthouse apartment away from the noisy city streets.

Serendipidus really gets going when Venetia meets a shunned scientist, Poindexter Scheigopherer. When a sudden and violent storm shakes the Earth to a halt, Venetia and Poindexter join forces to try and get the Earth spinning again. What follows is their trip around the world as they try to get society to wake up from the devastation before it's too late and they all meet their doom.

While Serendipidus is a short read at just over 200 pages, it is a great one, packed with adventure, humor, and thought-provoking passages. Our villain in this story is none other than Medusa Dominatrix, and while she is quite despicable for trying to end Earth's existence, I always laughed at her ridiculous antics and looked forward to every appearance she made in the story. I was also very impressed with Ott's ability to make such a deep and dark, apocalyptic plot very uplifting and enjoyable. Serendipidus is full of hope, and it really helps shed light on how our actions are affecting the Earth even when we don't think anything of them. Ott does a great job at creating a wonderful story while simultaneously commenting on society.

Overall, I loved Serendipidus and highly recommend it. It is a quick and easy read, and one that I think anyone will enjoy. Part end of the word, part urban fantasy, and part humor, Serendipidus has something for everyone. You can purchase the book on Amazon for just $2.99 HERE. You can also enter to win a copy of Serendipidus by entering the giveaway below. Best of luck!


Did you take part in Dewey's Readathon? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.