Gee is a feel-good story about a young boy who turns his life all around through honesty and smartness. D.L. Davies has penned an intriguing story about people who try to make a difference amidst chaos and destruction. Multiple nuclear missiles were launched into unspecified cities by accident, and this escalated fear and confusion among people. Immediately, WWIII broke out. Bombs fell, and thousands of years of civilization were reduced to ruins and dust. After the war ended, the people who were left alive had only one goal in their lives: to fetch something to eat daily. George Elandier “Gee” Evansen is a 10-year-old boy living in these ruins. Every day he has a simple routine. He goes out to find things to eat or things he can sell or trade for food. In his daily runs, he starts to help people around him. One day, he overhears a plan to rob a nearby store owner and foils the crime. This also made him a target of those thieves. In the process of escaping from them, he learns his unique ability to teleport. Eventually, he lost his father, sister, and mother to the cannibals residing in the city. Will he be able to avenge their deaths? Will he use his powers for good or bad?
Gee is one such story that is a blend of happiness and sadness. At times, we feel sorry for Gee, and at others, we root for him. He is a hero with humility. I really liked the way his character was built throughout the story. How he thinks and analyses situations are pure cleverness. His keen observation of things is what sets him apart from others. Gee is an embodiment of survival. He is thrown into situations that make him thoroughly helpless. But with inherent smartness, he overcomes every difficulty. He was found as an 18-month old infant in the ruins. But he is a perfect example of a man who always tries to rebuild the world with his vision.
D.L. Davies has written this story in a remarkably good manner. The plot unfolds very slowly in the beginning, but once we get to know all the characters, it gains momentum. The author never drags or slows down the story. It continues at an even pace. The more we dive into the story, the more it becomes interesting. Gee lands on so many different adventures, and we, the readers, get to ride along with him. The story paints a realistic picture of what the world would look like after WWIII. New-age weapons have the potential to destroy not only buildings but also society and its moral values. In a world where people are trying to make it through each day, unimaginable things will happen. Man itself manifests destruction as well as construction.
Apart from the story, what I liked most was the style and language the author used. The conversational style and well-thought-out humor serve a flawless reading experience. The story reminds us that all our deeds will compound and return to us. It doesn’t matter how much we progress; our actions will lead to the destruction of things we once built. Pick this one up to know how the evil deeds of humanity will shape a not too distant future for us.
– The Moving Words Review
Official Entry: The Most Moving Book Award, Jan. 2, 2023
