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paneerakbari's review
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is among the first wave of Doctorow's books written with his new ethos of "hopeful speculative fiction" and was written in the midst of wildfires blanketing California in smoke and ash during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.
Compared to many of his previous non-fiction works, this one moves efficiently through its plot, taking some few moments to give a glimpse into how Brooks, the protagonist, regards his community, his family (biological and found), and the all-but-insurmountable polycrisis of climate change, human dislocation, and myriad political divisions.
It is not at all difficult to read Brooks as a stand-in for Doctorow, ideologically. Thankfully, both manage successfully to escape the fatal "us against them" fractiousness and rise to (at least) the level of "we stand for this, not against that" in a story largely about the power of directed, community action and mutual support.
In Doctorow's own words, this book is "hopeful, not optimistic" that our civilization will stand up and act to mitigate the perils of climate change, rather than throw up our hands and slam our doors in the faces of our neighbors.
Compared to many of his previous non-fiction works, this one moves efficiently through its plot, taking some few moments to give a glimpse into how Brooks, the protagonist, regards his community, his family (biological and found), and the all-but-insurmountable polycrisis of climate change, human dislocation, and myriad political divisions.
It is not at all difficult to read Brooks as a stand-in for Doctorow, ideologically. Thankfully, both manage successfully to escape the fatal "us against them" fractiousness and rise to (at least) the level of "we stand for this, not against that" in a story largely about the power of directed, community action and mutual support.
In Doctorow's own words, this book is "hopeful, not optimistic" that our civilization will stand up and act to mitigate the perils of climate change, rather than throw up our hands and slam our doors in the faces of our neighbors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Deportation, Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Drug use, Bullying, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, and Gun violence
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