Rootless: Book summary and reviews of Rootless by Chris Howard

Rootless Summary

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using salvaged scrap metal, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree - they were destroyed more than a century ago - his missing father used to tell him stories about the Old World.

Everything changes when Banyan meets a mysterious woman with a strange tattoo - a map to the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape the locusts ... the locusts that now feed on human flesh.

But Banyan isn't the only one looking for the trees, and he's running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he's forced to make an alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. As they race towards a promised land that might only be a myth, Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees.

Rootless Reviews

"Starred Review. While convoluted and messy, it's also a nonstop adventure, with wild concepts and an almost hypnotic quality to Banyan's terse, weather-beaten narration." - Publishers Weekly

"[Chris Howard] takes huge narrative leaps and skimps on worldbuilding, neglecting to explore this GenTech-controlled economy or where oxygen now comes from. It's a refreshingly male-oriented world, though, despite the abrupt attraction between Banyan and the pirate that feels chucked in to provide the now-requisite romantic element." - Kirkus

"I think we've got a great start to not only a fun series, but an important series. Readers who enjoy adventure stories and dystopians will enjoy Rootless, as well as those who enjoy a YA book with a male leading character." - Bookalicious.org

"Overall, this felt a little hurried to me. The prose felt a bit flat, and while the plot hit its beats I could see many of the twists coming from a ways off. At one point, where things were going from bad to worse, I checked the Kindle progress bar and…yup, we were at 66% exactly. So, kudos for structuring the story so that it delivered on its promises, but no kudos for prose and characters that didn't keep me engaged enough to forget what we were doing." - Munrovian

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Chris Howard was born not far from London, but was raised under the influence of a galaxy far, far away. He left England at the age of nineteen, traveled around the globe one too many times, then settled in Colorado. He's studied natural resources management, concentrating on forest ecology and sustainability; spent seven years leading wilderness adventure trips for teenagers; worked for the National Park Service; released three albums of swirly guitar music; and been a kick-ass wedding DJ. Rootless is Chris's first novel, and he's currently at work on the next book in the series.