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dannb's review against another edition
4.0
I'm stuggling with my rating on this one... between 3 and 4
- I grew up in "fracking country" in eastern Ohio
- I am educated in engineering
What I liked:
- the illustration of the "good life" of 40+ years ago... and the desperation that remains
- the us vs them - locals vs the trucked in experienced drillers/riggers
- the "why don't we get those jobs?"
- the fractured "construction" is real... so many little pieces that nearly no one has enough reason to care about the overall picture/impact
- the "fly in and manipulate the emotions of the people who live here"
What I missed:
- A fair inclusion of the science
- the possibility that there are companies who do care enough to do it right
- aligning this with the past in these areas... coal and steel mills and that many of these same people feel like those industries gave them and their families a stable life ( albeit at the expense of many peoples' health.)
Definitely a great discussion book.
- I grew up in "fracking country" in eastern Ohio
- I am educated in engineering
What I liked:
- the illustration of the "good life" of 40+ years ago... and the desperation that remains
- the us vs them - locals vs the trucked in experienced drillers/riggers
- the "why don't we get those jobs?"
- the fractured "construction" is real... so many little pieces that nearly no one has enough reason to care about the overall picture/impact
- the "fly in and manipulate the emotions of the people who live here"
What I missed:
- A fair inclusion of the science
- the possibility that there are companies who do care enough to do it right
- aligning this with the past in these areas... coal and steel mills and that many of these same people feel like those industries gave them and their families a stable life ( albeit at the expense of many peoples' health.)
Definitely a great discussion book.
bog_elfin's review against another edition
4.0
Heat and Light reads like the best kind of journalism feature: a litany of varying perspectives talking around an issue until the reader arrives at greater understanding, putting pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle or a game of Mousetrap. The characters are not heroes or villains, but people who feel familiar and real making choices that affect everyone else somewhere down the line.
I expected a book about fracking, but found one about America, addiction, economics, fidelity, family, and community. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
I expected a book about fracking, but found one about America, addiction, economics, fidelity, family, and community. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
bethreadsandnaps's review against another edition
4.0
The author brings a lot of issues to this small town (fracking, drugs, poverty, gender identity) of fictional Bakerton. Reminiscent of Erin Brockovich, not an enjoyable read; however, it makes you think. There are a bit too many perspectives and *things* going on to come together too cohesively, but again I appreciated the tools the author used to widen your own perspective.
solson1974's review against another edition
4.0
It’s honestly hard to believe someone could write a fictional novel about fracking that you would want to read, but the author does just that. At its core, this is more a story of the survival of a town and the people in it when their livelihood is removed and corporations take advantage of the desperation.
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
4.0
I would give this 3.5 stars, so I rounded up. I did enjoy this book set in a town in Pennsylvania that is changing rapidly because of fracking. While the premise of the book is around fracking, this wasn't really the most interesting aspect of the book (although I thought it would be). Fracking was more of a back drop to more interesting storylines about addiction, Munchausen by Proxy, and life in a dying town.
invisibleninjacat's review against another edition
2.0
I expected a novel about fracking, which I did get. I did not, however, expect it to be wrapped in the apparently existential creeping despair and toxic masculinity of small-town Rust Belt America. There were queer characters, which was nice, but one of the lesbian couple was referred to as "basically a man" the entire time, which was less nice. To be fair, there was a vague mention that she might be nonbinary or trans, but she never encountered those terms, so it's hard to say. Women are largely viewed as sex objects first, incompetents second, and maybe people if they're lucky. Infidelity is rampant, as is drug use. The ending is unsatisfying. Overall, a depressing read.
jeremiah_scanlan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Interesting reading about a Pennsylvania that's so alien to me. I'm not sure I'm convinced - maybe because the book is overwhelmingly morose, or doesn't seem to love any of its characters, or isn't particularly settled on any one of them. But that might just be taste, and there's a solid bedrock of prose and research to make this plenty interesting. (3/5)
tricia_ting92's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5