It is an unspecified time in the future. The world is lost to the sea with only a small amount of land mass remaining. People have taken to boats to live and many are in fear of bands of marauding men and women who capture slaves and try to impose their rule of law. Myra and her daughter Pearl are searching for Myra's other daughter Row who was snatched away by her father before the worst of the flood came and who is now in danger of being sent to a breeding ship when she becomes old enough to bear children.

This is a fairly typical post apocalyptic scenario but not any the less riveting for that. Myra and Pearl are excellent characters both full of life and willing to fight for it. They team up with at first Daniel, a mysterious man who seems to be holding something back and then are rescued by a boat whose captain seems to want to build a new Utopia somewhere. But of course not all is as it seems.

This novel is apparently one of a new genre, cli-fi (climate fiction). It was hugely enjoyable and very timely but I had a little difficulty understanding the science behind it. As I understand it, even if both Polar ice-caps were to completely melt (and in this novel they don't - there are still glaciers) the sea level would rise by only (only!) 70 meters yet here we have a world where very little land is left. So where has all the water come from? Also glaciers are described as being pure white which if you've ever seen one you'll know is not the case . But an excellent read nonetheless. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Dystopian fiction is fascinating but can often go one way or the other, executed well or less so, hit or miss: Montag's After The Flood was very much a hit for me. Roughly a century from present day, the world has been transformed following the Six Year Flood leaving large expanses of water with just mountaintops protruding where colonies have begun to form. After The Flood, set in the US, follows the story of mother-daughter pair Myra and Pearl as they attempt to navigate this new world in order to rescue Myra's first daughter Row, taken by her father. There are many trials and tribulations that Myra and Pearl must face on this journey, which Montag describes vividly and effectively conveys the urgency, panic and distress felt by them and those they become involved with. There were points where I actually didn't like Myra very much, (e.g. her getting pissed off at Daniel bleeding in the water after a shark bite! He can hardly help that.) but I think this is Montag successfully conveying how, when times are as desperate as they are in this story, people change as much as they need to in order to survive. I have read other reviews that said they weren't so keen on the investigation of this as a theme but those were the parts that made me really think: how would I behave and respond in a situation like this? The ending was quite sad but there was a positive element to it. Overall, a very well written and quite gripping dystopian piece, that may have a touch of Marmite about it. Either way, it was quite the page turner as I was keen to learn what happens to Myra and Pearl, who is very endearing, and whether or not they find Row.

Just wow! What an absolutely amazing read. I have been sat on this review for over a week. Just trying to find the words to portray how much the book captured me! From the very first page to the very last.
Myra has lost everything during the floods: her home, her mother, her husband and her daughter. But her daughter wasn't taken by the flood, she was taken by Myra's husband. Years later, Myra and her younger daughter, Pearl, are still searching for Row. The world has been flooded and what we're once mountain peaks are treacherous under the water. Myra and Pearl live on a small boat and have to overcome the challenges of trade and raiders. After their boat is destroyed they join a larger ship that dream of an ideal community and they all head north for a safe place to settle and to find Row. Full of lust, treachery, bargaining, secrets and betrayal, this novel has everything a reader could ask for. It is beautifully written. It was so easy to empathise with Myra and struggle over the difficult decisions she has to make with her. And I can imagine most mothers would find it easy to put themselves in her shoes. I cannot recommend this book enough

*3.5 stars rounded up*

I am always drawn to a good post-apocalyptic synopsis. This book follows Myra, a woman trying to navigate flooded North America with her daughter Pearl. However, due to her husband escaping with their older daughter, Row, when the floods first came, Myra's loyalties and focus have been divided ever since. Can she give enough of herself to Pearl, the daughter she still has, or will she lose herself to trying to find Row?

This is ultimately a story of motherhood, human nature, and determination. Myra is torn throughout between trying to look after herself and Pearl and longing to be reunited with her first-born. Pearl feels this divide in her mother, causing tension and strain on their relationship

Myra is such an interesting character and shows such strength throughout all the trials sent her way. It was interesting seeing her manipulation skills in practice, and the way she presented herself to different people and subtly coerced them into doing as she wished, for the greater good of finding her daughter

The setting of flooded, near-future North America was interesting. Seeing how humans have adapted to living on boats and small pockets of land kept me interested, as well as seeing the lengths people will go to survive. There was a lot to do with fishing and naval navigation though which didn't particularly interest me and I found myself skimming the odd detailed part

This was a quiet, slow post-apocalyptic book but it was full of depth and heart. It is definitely worth a read for the world built and the characters explored. It also reminded me of The End of the Ocean by Maja Lunde, as they have similar themes of parenthood and survival

Comparisons have been drawn to Station Eleven, and when I saw that, I knew I needed to read After the Flood!

The novel follows Myra, as she struggles to survive in a post apocalyptic world, where most of the land has been submerged in water! Her daughter Row was taken from her by her husband, leaving her pregnant with her second child, vulnerable and helpless. And the novel follows her journey of survival in a harsh unrelenting landscape, trying to find her way with her second daughter Pearl, to try to find a home.

After the Flood has sparse pared back writing, which reflects survival. There are a couple of nods to station Eleven, mentioning a library briefly, and playing hopscotch on a boat. However the book is packed with great detail about everyday mundanity, and it really helps you to really "see" how difficult life had become.

In comparison Station Eleven was overflowing with beautiful lyrical prose, and I feel this was evocative of the fight to retain the past. Against giving up. The missing information helps you to understand just how brutal survival was, to the point where you block it out, and let's your own imagination fill in the gaps, which is probably far worse than reality.

I would have liked to see Myra's strength enhanced by strong male characters. Unfortunately, all of the men she encounters on her journey have large character faults, and I felt in a way this reduced her power, or any feminist voice.

What I did like was the glimpses of exquisite imagery, and somewhat philosophical musings. That nature works hard to retain order and balance for survival, but humans constantly create disorder and chaos, attempting the same outcome💖

Overall I really enjoyed it, and would recomend if you want a strong clear storyline, with a clear begining and end, without the subtleties found in Station Eleven.

Not for me; thematically lovely, but the prose wasn’t taut enough for my tastes and it rambled somewhat. It’s a shame because I do want to see more queer literature but this just isn’t it. It’s also extremely similar to The Gracekeepers, also a slightly magical lesbian love story set in a future flooded Earth, by Kirsty Logan.

Very reminiscent of 'Water world', i really enjoyed this book.
Especially during these terriying times, this book really struck home to me.
An important post apocalyptic book i hope everybody gets the chance to read.

Enjoyed this novel and it's examination of motherhood in extreme circumstances. The main character was a little hard to relate to but overall an interesting read.

4.5 stars

There couldn’t be a more relevant reflection into the environmental future than AFTER THE FLOOD. It’s written in a time and place where the world is flooded. The worst had happened in this post-apocalypse tale and this was about life through the lens of a mother and daughter.

Myra was the main character, a mother of two, a reluctant spouse and a survivor. Myra was one of the most quietly strong women I have ever read about. She was single-minded in her need to survive, protect and search, so much so that she often feared she had lost her humanity.

“I feared that my heart had shrunk as the water rose around me – panic filling me as water covered the earth – panic pushing out anything else, whittling my heart to a hard, small shape I couldn’t recognise.”

The story has a grand picture, of humanity drowning and then surviving but more importantly it is about Myra and Pearl and it is about trust and suspicion, loyalty and betrayal. The story followed these two on their own and then as they came together with others. There was a truly coherent storyline despite the consistently fast-pace of the narrative. I loved the pacing of the book, never knowing what was around the corner, guessing what was foreshadowing and what was just detail. There were some almighty twists that were just excellent.

As a reader, I wanted Myra to have some kind of good outcome but in a dystopian read, is this a realistic goal? Whatever my thoughts on that, Myra also needed to hope and though she rarely did, an odd chink did shine through.

“I hadn’t allowed myself to have a dream in so long it felt foreign, uncomfortable, like a muscle gone weak. I pressed deeper into it, saw us on a bed reading a book, a quilt heavy and warm over our legs.”

I’ve come away from this book still feeling unsettled, how could I read about this kind of story where earth is mainly water not seeing the relevance? However, Kassandra Montag told this tale impressively through her characters and I am impressed by her debut. AFTER THE FLOOD isn’t a preachy read, it has heart, soul and a challenging story to tell. You will feel discomforted, a little anxious possibly but on the edge of your seat. This is a good dystopian standalone that I would recommend to all.

5 stars! One of the best post-apocalyptic novels I have read in a long time. Loved the fact that this was aimed at adults (rather than most post-apocalyptic books which are YA) and dealt with themes of motherhood and femininity. Full review to follow.

Set in an indeterminate future, climate change has caused the sea level to cover most of the land masses, wiping out the majority of humanity. Seeking refuge in the north from the rising waters the novel follows the voyage of the boat, Sedna, and its crew through unchartered territory.

This is a really well written story with plenty of action in it. There are strong characters that held my attention throughout. The concept of a different world is not new but this did not take anything away from this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I loved this book! At first I thought it wasnt going to be for me but the more I read the more I loved it! If you love stories of piracy, survival and a strong female protagonist, this book is deffo for you!

Not a new premise but still a good read.

The world is flooded and Myra and her daughter Pearl are sailing, searching for her other daughter Row, who was taken by her father Jacob as the floods took hold.

On their voyage, they encounter a number of characters – friends and foes, and face bloody and piratical battles. Can they ever find what they’re looking for?

The characters are strong and interesting, and the narrative pacy and compelling at times.

More a 3.5 / 5 but rounding up rather than down.

This story is set in the future at a time when most of the Earth is covered with water.
People live high up on the mountains or on boats on the water. Food, drinking water and other goods are scarce and people barter to stay alive. There are many pirate ships and they take what they want even people to use as slaves.
Seven years before Myra's husband fled the flood taking their five year old daughter with him. Myra was left pregnant but had her parents to help her.
Now alone with her seven year old daughter Pearl, Myra is finding it hard to stay alive and catches fish to barter with.
When Myra finds out that her older daughter is still alive, she sets off to find her.
This is an adventure story with plenty of action and some great characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.