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A review by knightreader1988
Daylight Come by Diana McCaulay
4.0
"People used to think that they couldn't bear it any hotter, until they found out they could." - Daylight Come
Diana McCaulay adds a new story to the timeless tales of yore (or your astute millennial) that warn us away from our reckless environmentally insensitive ways. Described as "Climate Fiction" Daylight Come is unique in its setting and premise. Firstly, it is set in a fictitious place called Bajacu; a place that sounds like Jamaica but isn't overtly called so as, like its inhabitants, it has lost its own identity in the environmental crisis enveloping the planet. Secondly, the premise is unique for this kind of literature. It does not come across as preachy and doomsday as one may presume when reading the summary. However, Daylight Come has likable characters whose stories you become invested in from page one. With intermittent flashbacks and change in POV, the MCs are developed substantially so that by the last page you are rooting for them and in a sense, us, to survive this half dying world.
The plot was fluid. It moved and there was no waste of time with excessive information. The story had enough elements of present day infused with some elements just outside our grasp now but completely believable looking into the future. It made me think on multiple occasions "That could happen!". The inclusion of present day items that we take for granted (I'm thinking of the patty!) also added a layer of familiarity and warmth. Diana's characters actively longed for a better time. They longed for our now.
The characters were also likable, admirable and strong as bricks. Female characters were pushed to the forefront of the story and dominated over three quarters of the book. I praise Diana for her introduction of the male character in a way that did not perpetuate the stereotype of men being the abusers/worst things on the planet (at that point it could have been literally). Instead she created a balance, voicing reasonable fears of her female characters, then counteracting the "All men are evil" stereotype with some grace and tact.
In the author's note Diana presents a simple premise we can all relate to: "Suppose it got so hot that we all had to work at night and sleep in the day? And suppose there was a girl, a teenager, who simply couldn't sleep during the night?". Simple. You've had hot days. You have had insomnia. Take this premise and run with it into forever. This is the story that Diana is telling us. A book that is not about race or wealth or wars. It is a story of lives, stripped down to nothing rejoicing in the simple pleasure of an egg, a breadfruit and a sip of coconut water.
Diana McCaulay adds a new story to the timeless tales of yore (or your astute millennial) that warn us away from our reckless environmentally insensitive ways. Described as "Climate Fiction" Daylight Come is unique in its setting and premise. Firstly, it is set in a fictitious place called Bajacu; a place that sounds like Jamaica but isn't overtly called so as, like its inhabitants, it has lost its own identity in the environmental crisis enveloping the planet. Secondly, the premise is unique for this kind of literature. It does not come across as preachy and doomsday as one may presume when reading the summary. However, Daylight Come has likable characters whose stories you become invested in from page one. With intermittent flashbacks and change in POV, the MCs are developed substantially so that by the last page you are rooting for them and in a sense, us, to survive this half dying world.
The plot was fluid. It moved and there was no waste of time with excessive information. The story had enough elements of present day infused with some elements just outside our grasp now but completely believable looking into the future. It made me think on multiple occasions "That could happen!". The inclusion of present day items that we take for granted (I'm thinking of the patty!) also added a layer of familiarity and warmth. Diana's characters actively longed for a better time. They longed for our now.
The characters were also likable, admirable and strong as bricks. Female characters were pushed to the forefront of the story and dominated over three quarters of the book. I praise Diana for her introduction of the male character in a way that did not perpetuate the stereotype of men being the abusers/worst things on the planet (at that point it could have been literally). Instead she created a balance, voicing reasonable fears of her female characters, then counteracting the "All men are evil" stereotype with some grace and tact.
In the author's note Diana presents a simple premise we can all relate to: "Suppose it got so hot that we all had to work at night and sleep in the day? And suppose there was a girl, a teenager, who simply couldn't sleep during the night?". Simple. You've had hot days. You have had insomnia. Take this premise and run with it into forever. This is the story that Diana is telling us. A book that is not about race or wealth or wars. It is a story of lives, stripped down to nothing rejoicing in the simple pleasure of an egg, a breadfruit and a sip of coconut water.