Customer Reviews

Days of Grass

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Aptly subtitled "After the fall of humanity", this tale is predictably dark. Humanoid aliens have invaded Earth, travelling in vast, intimidating arachnoid vehicles, causing the remnant population of Earth to take refuge in underground shelters. The protagonist is Esther, who breaks the unwritten law and braves the surface world. The result is a good, if rather depressing, story. Fans of Lee and of dark, post-apocalyptic fiction will want to check it out.

In this stand-alone novel, Lee explores an earth which has been decimated by invading aliens. The surviving humans are forced underground to live their lives the best that they can.

Generations after they went to earth, a young girl named Esther defies what seem to her like useless laws forbidding them to go to the surface. When her tell-tale tan gives her away, she is taken to the leader of their community and her real adventure begins...

The apocalypse is a convenient vehicle for one of the favorite Lee themes-- the value of the strong and contrary individual will. Esther is able to overcome all obstacles simply by believing in herself and refusing to accept false goals as an end state. While Esther herself is a very well-drawn character, the plotting suffers from its nearly exclusive focus on her stubborness. The aliens are sketchily plotted, nearly to the point of total invisibility. The ending is very poor and reads as though Lee ran out of steam.

The book will probably appeal to the teenage reader (particularly the teenage girl?). However, parents should note that there are several reasonably graphic sex scenes, including some non-consensual sex. It should be fine for the older teenager, but should not be confused with a book suitable for a YA audience. If you have not read Lee before, I would recommend beginning with the Flat Earth series in place of this novel.

"Days of Grass" is a shorter novel, but it packs a real punch. The storyline is dark, with enough twists and turns to keep your eyes glued to the page. The first half of the book is excellent. I found Esther a very headstrong and original character, and I think Tanith does a perfect job of making her characters as different and strange as possible. Her writing style is fantastic.

The second half of the book is a bit slower through the turns, as it is the darker half of the book. While the ending was most definetly shocking, I found it a bit of a dissapointment, because I felt more should have happened... yet I would most definetly recommend this book to any reader of Tanith Lee or other readers that prefer darker fantasies or sci-fi.

The novel was engrossing and it caught and held my attention. But the book lacked a good heroine since Esther didn't actually do anything amazing. She was just a little adventurous and appealing to all Invaders.

No spiritual experience like the Flat Earth, but I was won over by Esther's determination & vulnerability. A reminder of our humanity.