I got this book because my daughter wanted to read stories about climate change and the guy at the used bookstore suggested this one (and Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot series). 

The most striking thing about this book is that thought it was written over 30 years ago, the ideas in it do not seem too far-fetched. Brinn’s picture of the world of 2038 does not seem too far off, though of course it is not exact. The best part of the book is the world-building. This includes not just the story, but the little vignettes throughout in the form of news clippings or studies that paint a picture of the world.

The weakest part of the book is the story. There are a lot of characters and few of them are given enough depth to be memorable. It was sometimes difficult to remember who was who, especially when a character showed up in a new setting (who was she with before? What were they doing?). The weakness of the story is partly because of the reliance on the aforementioned vignettes as they break up the story. A lot of authors will include such breaks in the story, perhaps at the beginning of each chapter. Brinn sprinkles them at the beginning, middle and end of each chapter. 

Overall though, it is a good book. And I am happy to discover Environmental Fiction as a subgenre!