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Charlinder's Walk

by Alyson Miers (Goodreads Author)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 21 ratings · 16 reviews

In 2012, the Plague brought about the end of the world. In 2130, Charlinder wants to know why when his village begins to fight over the Plague’s origin. Was it a natural event, or did God punish humanity for its sins?

Unwilling to wait for matters to get any worse, and never having been more than ten miles from home, he decides to walk across three continents to find the si...more

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Published October 15th 2011 by Alyson Miers

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May 31, 2012 Emlyn Chand added it

First thing to note: I cannot ethically assign a star-rating, since this book toured with my company, Novel Publicity; I can, however, let you know my thoughts. Here goes...

Charlinder's Walk surprised me on a lot of levels. It's one of those books that's just really tough to classify. If pressed, I'd call it literary fiction with strong sociological commentary. It has dystopic elements since the story takes place over 100 years in the future after a plague has obliterated a large majority of Ear...more First thing to note: I cannot ethically assign a star-rating, since this book toured with my company, Novel Publicity; I can, however, let you know my thoughts. Here goes...

Charlinder's Walk surprised me on a lot of levels. It's one of those books that's just really tough to classify. If pressed, I'd call it literary fiction with strong sociological commentary. It has dystopic elements since the story takes place over 100 years in the future after a plague has obliterated a large majority of Earth's population. It has paranormal elements, but I'm not going to tell you when or why. It also has some steamy erotic elements--not one for the kiddies, but a totally enjoyable turn of events. Charlinder, like life, refuses to stay closed up inside the box. He brings surprises, adventures, and, yeah, a walk around the entire world.

Before you begin reading, you must understand that Charlinder is NOT a fast, plot-driven read, nor is it light. Do this book justice, take your time, and you will be left with a lot to think about. Few novels have struck me as such strong selections for book club discussion (and remember, I run a club with over 450 members, so I know a thing or two). You don't have to search hard to find the themes or resort to conversations along the line of "who's your favorite character?" or "what would have happened if Y instead of X?" The meaning is right there in front of you ready to be analyzed, contemplated, and enjoyed.

I'm so deeply entrenched in my publishing/ marketing/ writing career that I often forget about my academic training. I have a master's in sociology, and I hardly ever have the opportunity to use it. Charlinder's Walk brought my repressed educational knowledge back to the surface, reminding me why I loved sociology enough to study it for 6 years running. During Charlinder's journey he comes across many isoloated communities of survivors--each is small, each has developed independently of the rest, and each is informed by the pre-plague culture of the region (i.e. India, China, Alaska). Charlinder confronts gender issues, division of labor, racism and segregation, varying family models, and oh-so-much more. This book would be an EXCELLENT selection for a sociology class at either the undergraduate or graduate level. The over-arching question is not, what caused the plague, but rather what caused society to develop in the way it did, and what might happen in our real world if a similar epedemic set us back several centuries?

Oh, yes, this is a novel for thinking. With smooth prose and a few heart-wrenching moments, Charlinder's Walk makes a fantastic read if you're willing to take the time to thoroughly process it. Charlinder didn't walk across the world in a day, nor can you read about his adventure in such a short period of time. Life isn't about the destination, after all. Enjoy the journey; enjoy the read and the inevitable introspection that comes along with it. I did.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Evangeline Han rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charlinder's Walk sounds like the typical dystopian novel, but it is more than typical. It makes "heavy" reading, especially with thought-provoking themes. For example, the fact that mothers aren't sure who the fathers of their children are and the absence of the biological father's role in the upbringing of a child. The issues tackled in Charlinder's Walk are ones that usually bring about a division of opinions.

Charlinder's Walk isn't your typical coming-of-age novel either. He is a schoolteach...more Charlinder's Walk sounds like the typical dystopian novel, but it is more than typical. It makes "heavy" reading, especially with thought-provoking themes. For example, the fact that mothers aren't sure who the fathers of their children are and the absence of the biological father's role in the upbringing of a child. The issues tackled in Charlinder's Walk are ones that usually bring about a division of opinions.

Charlinder's Walk isn't your typical coming-of-age novel either. He is a schoolteacher who decided to go on a quest for the truth behind the plague which destroyed the world. There is mystery, romance, intrigue all thrown in the story. I liked the mystery and intrigue, but I found the romance... distasteful. I'm one who enjoys romance novels, but the romance in this one left me squirming.

The revelation of the truth was harsh. It seems almost unbelievable at first. But then, the issues about society in the novel aren't pleasant as well. Charlinder's Walk is definitely a novel that goes all out at its approach of issues that aren't in the comfort zone. After learning the truth, I couldn't help but wonder if ignorance would be better, or bliss as they say.

We aren't given an in-depth look in the characters, with the exception of Charlinder and Gentiola. I had expected Gentiola to be a character I could like but I was wrong. She rubbed me the wrong way. My reaction to Charlinder's journey home and away from Gentiola was "finally!". I don't usually dislike characters, unless they are the bad guys, and I couldn't help disliking Gentiola. I don't know how to describe it. She just wasn't... likeable for me. Human characters aside, the non-human one was more than likeable. I'd call Queen Anne's Lace, Charlinder's travel companion, "adorable" for lack of a better word.

What I like about Charlinder's Walk is that it doesn't force you into thinking a certain way, it doesn't propagate. It does, however, bring up issues and cause you to view them at different angles. Along the way, you'll decide (or judge) your position on those issues. Charlinder's Walk causes one to think, rather than make one view strongly prominent than the other.(less)

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May 19, 2012 Inga rated it 4 of 5 stars

My review:

Charlinder’s Walk by Alyson Miers was a book which surprised me positively. It was well-written with lots of thorough and detailed descriptions, interesting settings and it engaged me from the very beginning.

Regarding the plot:

Charlinder’s Walk is a novel about young man Charlinder who sets himself to explore the world which the Plague has destroyed. He is finding himself in the world where the survivals of the Plague are in a complicated situation and Charlinder has a hope that he can...more My review:

Charlinder’s Walk by Alyson Miers was a book which surprised me positively. It was well-written with lots of thorough and detailed descriptions, interesting settings and it engaged me from the very beginning.

Regarding the plot:

Charlinder’s Walk is a novel about young man Charlinder who sets himself to explore the world which the Plague has destroyed. He is finding himself in the world where the survivals of the Plague are in a complicated situation and Charlinder has a hope that he can find something outside the frames of the world he knows. Charlinder wants to find the truth about what happened and what were the reasons behind the Plague.

After he starts his “pilgrim” the pace of the book picks up and the reader finds out how the world looks like through the eyes of Chalinder. These parts were the most interesting for me, because the descriptions of the surroundings were captivating and engaging.

During his walk Charlinder meets a girl named Gentiola who opens Charlinder’s eyes on many different levels. Charlinder finds out, that nothing is as it seemed and that you have to be careful what you wish for – it can be unexpected, unwanted and lead you to something different what you searched for.

Regarding the characters:

Charlinder’s Walk was in my opinion character driven book. I have to admit, that the supportive characters did not leave a deep impression on me, but then again Charlinder’s character was wonderful. I liked how he was brave to explore the unknown; he was curious and was searching for the truth. He was not prepared for what was waiting him, but he adapted quite quickly for new situations and last, but not least for the truth.

I think that the strong side of the book was Charlinder himself. His thoughts and how he experienced the world, what he saw and how he acted actually created the whole book. Author did an excellent work with Charlinder’s character.

Generally:

Charlinders’ Walk by Alyson Miers is a book which you need to take time for in order to enjoy it fully. I think it was not very easy to read due to long and captivating scenery, but it was all worth it. The world which the author has created is unique, and there are surprising twists and turns which come along with the story!
(less)

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May 12, 2012 Jo Bryant rated it 3 of 5 stars

With the world the way it is I thought the premise of Charlinder’s Walk would make for interesting reading.

In 2010 a great plague strikes. By 2012 it has taken down the majority of the world’s human population, with only small pockets of communities left.

Fast forward to 2130.

Charlinder is the teacher at a small community school in Paleola in America.

It is an unusual community, because of the way it is structured. Marriage no longer forms the basis of the family unit. Instead children are raised...more

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May 09, 2012 Laura Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, first-time-novelist, indie-publishers, reviewed, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, 2012

In 2012, the Plague ended the world as we know it. In 2130, Charlinder wants to know why.

The origin of the disease remains a mystery. Ignorance of its provenance fuels a growing schism that threatens to destroy the peace that the survivors’ descendants have built. Unwilling to wait for matters to get any worse, Charlinder decides to travel to where the Plague first appeared and find out the truth—which means walking across three continents before returning home.

Charlinder has never been more tha...more

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May 26, 2012 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-review-tour, ya-new-adult

Charlinder’s Walk is an intriguing tale of life after a pandemic. A virus kills off the majority of Earth’s population leaving small pockets of people who have to figure out how to survive. One hundred odd years after the pandemic, Charlinder begins to question the origins of this disease and embarks on a quest for answers.

I enjoyed the tension developed by Miers regarding the origins of the disease. There are two sides: one who believes the disease just “happened” and there was no real reason f...more Charlinder’s Walk is an intriguing tale of life after a pandemic. A virus kills off the majority of Earth’s population leaving small pockets of people who have to figure out how to survive. One hundred odd years after the pandemic, Charlinder begins to question the origins of this disease and embarks on a quest for answers.

I enjoyed the tension developed by Miers regarding the origins of the disease. There are two sides: one who believes the disease just “happened” and there was no real reason for it and another who believes it was an act of God and punishment for mankind’s sins. The arguments by each side are well developed and realistic. The societal and political issues brought up in this story, as well as the religious arguments could be applied to present day society and it makes you think. What if a Plague such as the one unleashed in this story hit humanity? What if H1N1 or something similar comes back as a full blown Plague that decimates the world? How would we as a society, survive? Would we survive?

Charlinder is different from everyone else in his village. As a teacher, and from the way he was brought up he thinks about things in ways the rest of his village doesn’t quite get. I must admit that in the beginning of this story, based on how the character interacted with others, I assumed he was gay. Miers’ use of gender roles to help redefine this new world is thrown upside down when it comes to Charlinder. He does very few of the more traditional “male” jobs in the village. I was quite surprised at the point in the book where this assumption was proven wrong.

He loves knowledge and sees the value in knowing how to read and write, skills largely forgotten by most of the people in the surrounding villages. He spends a lot of time studying the journals left behind by a woman named Eileen. Eileen was one of the original survivors and documented many of the struggles and issues faced by the remaining members of the human race. I liked being given those views into the past. Eileen’s voice came through as authentic. She held her own beliefs and would not be compromised.

In the beginning, I thought the story developed quite slowly. We learn some of the back story surrounding Charlinder and his village and this flows into day-to-day accounts of their lives. Once Charlinder makes his decision to go on his quest half way around the world in search of answers I hoped the story would begin to pick up but it still progressed slowly until he physically begins the journey. At this time I found myself reading well into the night because the story and the questions of what he might discover at the end of his quest was engaging.

Charlinder eventually makes it to Italy, the location where the plague first begins and learns his answers. In the end, I found it interesting that instead of the plague being firmly the cause of something random or an act of God it was a blend of both. I don’t wish to spoil the ending so I will leave it at that. It was not the answer I predicted and I liked that it surprised me.

Overall, this was an interesting and engaging story. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.(less)

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May 23, 2012 Kriss Morton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, novel-publicity-tour-books

This year, according to the Mayan Calendar, is the year that the world as we know it will end. I have friends who believe this, they maxed took out credit cards and have charged them up. They took the idea of a bucket list a bit far and have been going nuts making sure their bucket is empty before the end is here. Some have even quit their jobs. Insanity? Perhaps, but perhaps some truth to the world ending as we know it. Perhaps like the Tarot card, Death, it does not mean someone will die but i...more

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May 17, 2012 Krystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book explores many issues through an interesting plot. A plague decimated the human population in 2012, and now, in 2130, the survivors still do not know why. Charlinder is the hero of this novel. He leaves the safety of his home to learn why the world ended. On his journey he explores issues such as religion and family and learns more about the world that surrounds him than he expected. The character is easy to connect to, though sometimes he is hard to fully understand. This is not a book...more

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May 27, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

Charlinder's Walk by Alison Miers
Release Date: October 16th, 2011
Publisher: CreateSpace
Page Count: 484
Source: Novel Publicity for review, as part of the Charlinder's Walk book tour

In 2012, the Plague ended the world as we know it. In 2130, Charlinder wants to know why.

The origin of the disease remains a mystery. Their ignorance of its provenance fuels a growing schism that threatens to destroy the peace that the survivors’ descendants have built. Unwilling to wait for matters to get any worse,...more

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May 15, 2012 R. Brennan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I would preface this review by stating that I have not read a great deal of dystopian fiction, nor am I a huge fan of futuristic tales, but Charlinder's Walk wasn't quite what I expected it would be going into the novel. The story is presented with a more fantasy feel, than a sci-fi futuristic style, which I did appreciate and respond well to.

Charlinder's walk is the tale of a teacher in 2130, Charlinder, who decides to embark on a journey to learn the origins of the plague that ravaged the plan...more

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Apr 16, 2012 M.K. McClintock rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not going to give details as most would contain spoilers and the blurb does an excellent job summarizing what the book is about. I liked the idea behind the book and thought the story an interesting one. I want to say right off that I don't normally read books set in the future, so understand from where my opinion is coming. During the first few chapters I thought perhaps this might have been a young adult book, but as it progressed it clearly wasn't. What I liked most about this book was Ch...more

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May 28, 2012 Lissette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A plague has wiped out most of humanity. Survivors are slowly rebuilding their lives, yet they know that nothing will ever be the same again. Life as they've known it is over and they must start anew from scratch. Technology is non-existent, as is the abundance of food. Despite this, humanity is slowly learning to cope with the world as they now know it.

While most in the settlement he lives in are content to live their lives quietly, Charlinder can't help but question the origins surrounding the...more A plague has wiped out most of humanity. Survivors are slowly rebuilding their lives, yet they know that nothing will ever be the same again. Life as they've known it is over and they must start anew from scratch. Technology is non-existent, as is the abundance of food. Despite this, humanity is slowly learning to cope with the world as they now know it.

While most in the settlement he lives in are content to live their lives quietly, Charlinder can't help but question the origins surrounding the plague. There are no specific answers to his questions. Some say it was an act of God. Others say the disaster was caused by Man. Whatever the reason, his only wish is to know more.

Unable to let things be, he's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding humanity's downfall. In his mind, the only way to get the answers he seeks is to go straight to the source - the place where the plague originated from. Unfortunately, it's not going to be easy in getting there. It's miles and miles away and there's a lot he'll need to do before he can make it there. Nevertheless, he knows he'll get there one way or another.

Embarking on his quest, he never imagined the ordeals he'd encounter throughout his journey. Language barriers make it hard for him to understand those he comes across. Food is also scarce. With everything step he takes, he gets further and further away from his place of birth. Doubts and insecurities creep upon him as he treads along the path he's set before him. Yet there's one thing he's sure of - he will get the answers he seeks, no matter the cost.

This was quite a thought-provoking book. Granted, it's just fiction, but certain aspects of it make the reader wonder 'What if?' Heavily fortified with religious themes, the reader finds him/herself immersed in a world that's very much possible in this day and age. Alyson has painted a very vivid picture of a world in which we're able to feel each character pain and insecurities. We're able to glean what the post-apocalyptic world is like through their eyes, as well as understanding the meaning behind the lessons that have been imposed throughout the book. (less)

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Jul 01, 2012 Pooja (On books!) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, best-of-2012, books-i-ll-never-forget

Originally posted here

I might sound a bit gushy and all over the place while saying this but I LOVED THIS BOOK! I spent the whole of this week reading Charlinder's Walk in bits and pieces till I reached the heart of the journey and was glued, as aware that I was getting closer to the "origin", the original purpose of the journey as Charlinder and I wouldn't have preferred to read it any other way.

THE STORY

Charlinder's Walk takes place in the year 2130. The world as we know it was destroyed in 2...more

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May 12, 2012 A.B. Shepherd rated it 4 of 5 stars

You can read my review here: http://abshepherdsreinventedreader.bl...

1 like · like · see review

Nov 14, 2011 Alyson Miers rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

This is my book. If you've read it, why not leave a rating and/or review?

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May 14, 2012 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow!!! I loved this book.. from start to finish.It is just amazing. Will be reviewing on my blog for the Novel Publicity Blog tour the week of May 28th... stay tuned !!!!

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Shelves: fiction

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About Alyson Miers

Alyson wrote her debut novel, Charlinder's Walk, during a Peace Corps assignment in Albania, where she learned the vagaries of language barriers, culture shock, and teaching English to high school students. It is no coincidence, then, that her first protagonist is a curious, determined young adult who travels the world while having no idea what he's getting into.

Since coming home in 2008, Alyson...more

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