Official Review: Sustainus by Steve Perkins

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fantasy or science fiction books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Rachaelamb1
Posts: 986
Joined: 07 Mar 2015, 01:58
Favorite Author: CS Lewis
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... onwitch</a>
Currently Reading: Falling Star
Bookshelf Size: 128
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rachaelamb1.html
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco

Official Review: Sustainus by Steve Perkins

Post by Rachaelamb1 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sustainus" by Steve Perkins.]
Book Cover
1 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Sustainus by Steve Perkins is a sci-fi/fantasy novel. It takes place in a futuristic world where everyone works together to live in peace, harmony, and sameness. They value positivity and morality above all else and anyone who displays a negative attitude is sent to the Enforcement Moulder for correction.

Twenty-year-old Zoltrana lives a simple, happy life with her Mama Procree. Life becomes more complicated when she discovers she has a crush on the handsome Brocephus. Not only does her Mama not want Zoltrana to date, but Zoltrana does not know how to handle the feelings she has for Brocephus.

Michintas is a young man who is constantly clashing with the philosophy on Sustainus. When he learns of a way to turn riverjee, the only liquid on Sustainus, into alcohol, he gains a horde of followers. This disruption may just be enough to corrupt the entire “perfect” world of Sustainus.

The world the author created is certainly unique. I like the concept of this futuristic society. However, there are a few issues that kept me from enjoying the book. My biggest problem with it is that the characters have the maturity level of a child. They are inconsistent and emotionally unstable. Additionally, the dialogue is nearly painful to read. Grown up men call each other names like “smartypants”. While I understand that the characters are living in a moral world, I highly doubt that adults would act in such a childish manner. The book gives the impression that morality means immaturity. Parents are just as silly and petty, if not more so, than their children.

Not a whole lot happens in the book. The plot lags and I am not really sure what it is about. Most of the book is spent explaining the culture, leaving the plot to take the backseat. Even with so much emphasis on the culture, I feel like there are many things left unexplained. It isn't really clear how they all agree to believe and live according to the same moral code. I am also confused about the size of Sustainus. I originally thought it was the new name for earth, but it appears to be much smaller especially considering there is only one department store in all of Sustainus.

I only came across one typographical error, but the punctuation at the end of the dialogue is consistently missing. Some of the stylistic choices are also unusual which I found distracting. For instance, the book switches the point of view from Zoltrana to Michintas in each chapter. When it is Michintas’ viewpoint, the text goes to bold and italics. Additionally, the author places words in bold (rather than italics) to emphasize them. It is not a major issue, but it makes the book seem unprofessional.

Because the book is lacking in key areas like plot and character development, I can only give it a rating of 1 out of 4 stars. The world is interesting, but still needs to be developed further to make sense.

******
Sustainus
View: on Bookshelves

Like Rachaelamb1's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco
User avatar
kimmyschemy06
Posts: 2598
Joined: 20 Oct 2015, 20:49
Currently Reading: The Searching Three
Bookshelf Size: 694
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kimmyschemy06.html
Latest Review: Kazi Boku by M. Poyhonen

Post by kimmyschemy06 »

That was a very honest review. I would have to agree with you about the dialogues of older characters.They have to, at least, sound grown-up. Good job on the review.
User avatar
Rachaelamb1
Posts: 986
Joined: 07 Mar 2015, 01:58
Favorite Author: CS Lewis
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... onwitch</a>
Currently Reading: Falling Star
Bookshelf Size: 128
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rachaelamb1.html
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco

Post by Rachaelamb1 »

Thank you. Yes, it is hard to get into a book if the characters don't feel real.
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco
Mark Johnson
Posts: 77
Joined: 29 Jun 2016, 21:39
Bookshelf Size: 87
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mark-johnson.html
Latest Review: "USA, Inc." by Larry Kahaner

Post by Mark Johnson »

Thank you for the honest review Rachaellamb1, really appreciate it.
Latest Review: "USA, Inc." by Larry Kahaner
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11682
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

I love books that posit different theories about the future. However, realistic characters are the most important thing to any book in my opinion. So, I guess I won't be reading this one. Thanks for the review though.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
Rachaelamb1
Posts: 986
Joined: 07 Mar 2015, 01:58
Favorite Author: CS Lewis
Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... onwitch</a>
Currently Reading: Falling Star
Bookshelf Size: 128
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rachaelamb1.html
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco

Post by Rachaelamb1 »

kandscreeley wrote:I love books that posit different theories about the future. However, realistic characters are the most important thing to any book in my opinion. So, I guess I won't be reading this one. Thanks for the review though.
Thank you, I agree!
Latest Review: "Dragon Born" by Ela Lourenco
Post Reply

Return to “Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books”