The Raft: A Novel

The Raft, Fred Strydom’s debut novel is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian tale of epic proportions. The story is told through the eyes of Kayle Jenner who awakens on a beach after a mysterious event that caused the collapse of Earth’s civilization and who soon realizes that his son is missing. He realizes that he must find his son at all costs so he can be complete again. Thus, he begins a long and arduous journey of not only finding his son, but of healing, self-reflection, and self-redemption. Along the way, Kayle meets a wide variety of characters, both good and bad. He soon discovers that the apocalyptic event was more spiritual than physical or environmental.

Fred Strydom really hit the nail on the head with The Raft. His story line explores many spiritual, philosophical, moral, and ethical dilemmas and questions. It is definitely an intellectual read. Granted, the action may not seem as dramatic as other books in the genre, but the author compensates this shortcoming with fantastic character development. All of the characters in The Raft have their own issues that they must deal with in order to cleanse themselves spiritually.

The Raft is definitely one of those novels that really makes you think and reflect. If you like using your noggin while reading, this is definitely the book for you.