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A review by lizzyzo
The Deluge by Stephen Markley
4.0
Ohio by Stephen Markley was an incredible commentary on the generation who came of age in the post-9/11 era, so I was very interested in reading what he had to say on climate change. The idea of multiple storylines, a massive cast of characters, pre-apocalyptic discussions, the interconnection between politics and money, and a snapshot of what could be in store for all of us was something I couldn’t miss.
How to describe this book? Essentially (and this is very much a summary) a bunch (5-10) of seemingly unrelated people are all dealing with climate change in different ways, from a recovering drug addict making terrible choices he has no idea was put into play by people with much more power than him to a passionate young woman determined to leave it all on the field as she single-handedly changes the conversation and so many more. An actor turned religious zealot. A single mom trying to change things on her terms. A marketing professional. Politicians. Masters of the Universe. And so many more. This is a huge cast and perhaps it didn’t come through in my ARC, but a cast of characters would have been exceptionally helpful as I read my way through this book.
This is a huge book—it clocks in just under 1,000 pages and honestly could have lost a few hundred pages and still had a significant impact on the reader. This book is a warning that we should all heed, and it probably shouts its warning with alarming accuracy. Maybe it’s because I’m from DC but seeing how the politics is corrupted by lobbying groups, how climate change is continually ignored because of profit margins and how those things are interrelated was one of the most interesting parts of this book—and most depressing. Markley does an incredible job of taking recent events (Covid-19, the January 6 attempted coup) and uses them as a jumping-off point for what he sees could happen. Death, destruction, economic collapse, fanaticism, starvation, rising sea levels, super storms, massive wildfires, intrigue, betrayal—this book has it all. And it’s really depressing.
As I compost and teach my kids to recycle, this book hammers the point that it’s not what you or I do that will stop the inevitable—it’s those in positions of power who count dollars more than decency. What does it matter if I bring my batteries to the hard-to-recycle event if we’re still using coal? What does it matter if I have an electric car when we’re still reliant on gas and oil? What does it matter if we march and raise our protest signs if the people who could make the changes would rather increase their wealth? Markley’s book shows us that a few determined people with bold, impassioned ideas might make a difference, but the end is coming, it’s closer than we think, and this whole thing is going out with bang, not a whimper. It’s up to us NOW, he’s telling us, to stop this while we can.
Many thanks to the publisher for this Advance Reader’s Copy.
How to describe this book? Essentially (and this is very much a summary) a bunch (5-10) of seemingly unrelated people are all dealing with climate change in different ways, from a recovering drug addict making terrible choices he has no idea was put into play by people with much more power than him to a passionate young woman determined to leave it all on the field as she single-handedly changes the conversation and so many more. An actor turned religious zealot. A single mom trying to change things on her terms. A marketing professional. Politicians. Masters of the Universe. And so many more. This is a huge cast and perhaps it didn’t come through in my ARC, but a cast of characters would have been exceptionally helpful as I read my way through this book.
This is a huge book—it clocks in just under 1,000 pages and honestly could have lost a few hundred pages and still had a significant impact on the reader. This book is a warning that we should all heed, and it probably shouts its warning with alarming accuracy. Maybe it’s because I’m from DC but seeing how the politics is corrupted by lobbying groups, how climate change is continually ignored because of profit margins and how those things are interrelated was one of the most interesting parts of this book—and most depressing. Markley does an incredible job of taking recent events (Covid-19, the January 6 attempted coup) and uses them as a jumping-off point for what he sees could happen. Death, destruction, economic collapse, fanaticism, starvation, rising sea levels, super storms, massive wildfires, intrigue, betrayal—this book has it all. And it’s really depressing.
As I compost and teach my kids to recycle, this book hammers the point that it’s not what you or I do that will stop the inevitable—it’s those in positions of power who count dollars more than decency. What does it matter if I bring my batteries to the hard-to-recycle event if we’re still using coal? What does it matter if I have an electric car when we’re still reliant on gas and oil? What does it matter if we march and raise our protest signs if the people who could make the changes would rather increase their wealth? Markley’s book shows us that a few determined people with bold, impassioned ideas might make a difference, but the end is coming, it’s closer than we think, and this whole thing is going out with bang, not a whimper. It’s up to us NOW, he’s telling us, to stop this while we can.
Many thanks to the publisher for this Advance Reader’s Copy.