Review
Ashley Peters forces readers to imagine living off the grid, against your will yet still by choice, in her book In Stasis. Within a few chapters we notice the parallels between the events that led to Jessi’s situation and our own history. Present administration aside, much of this book was inspired by similar events around the world, across generations. And the author speculates on how far this can actually go, until we feel that stepping away from society is the only way to retain any sort of freedom.
In Stasis starts off pretty bleak, but not in a bad way in terms of storytelling. Right from page one, we know that something awful happened that led the main character to where she is. And with first person POV, we feel like we are in Jessi’s shoes, learning how to survive in the wilderness with her dog Janus as her only companion.
The author’s lyrical writing style forced me to slow down and fully immerse myself in the hopeless danger that Jessi experiences. However, the pace was a bit too slow for my preference. Although I did appreciate the flashbacks to the events that led up to the present day. The book made me think – not just about my current perspective, but also how I might respond to such a situation. I don’t picture myself as a survivalist by any means, but Jessi’s journey gave me a sliver of hope that I could do it if I had to.
Ashley Peters joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to discuss her research and connections to current events. Check out episode 122 and pick up a copy of In Stasis, available now.
Book
“In Stasis” is a lyrical, slow-burn survival novel that invites you to explore a duality of worlds and survival from the perspective of an average woman.
Jessi is forced to choose to flee to the forest with her dog, Janus, after facing a betrayal and to avoid arrest from the newly established authoritarian regime. Deep amongst the trees she must learn what it means to survive-both in the wilderness and this new world.
Convinced she can live, unnoticed in the forest, Jessi must grasp to her humanity, uncover dimmed skills, and cling on to the hope there’s a way through this. Lurking beneath the surface is the nagging question: Is she truly alone in this vast expanse? Each day a lucky gift, hiding away from the other shoe that threatens to drop, just beyond the horizon, as signs of the world she left behind begin to creep in.
Survival demands everything. Without an option to opt out, every day living is an act of resistance. Every choice demands her re-evaluation of what is necessary to endure in the face of erasure.
