Happy Publication Day to Nick Fuller Googins and his debut novel The Great Transition. This is very approachable climate fiction (cli-fi) set about 40 years in the future after a climate crisis irreversibly changed life on Earth as we know it.
Larch and Kristina are heroes of the post-Transition period. In their youth, they performed dangerous tasks during numerous deployments to stabilize conditions. They marry and have a daughter Emi, and the novel is told from each of their viewpoints in alternating chapters. The plot combines family drama, suspense, and political tension with moments of humor and music references.
I appreciated that the story is set years after the climate crisis rather than during the time of devastation, although readers learn about those years in flashbacks from Larch and Kristina. Emi has some disordered behaviors that felt realistic and were handled with care. I could easily picture the scenes in this novel without a great deal of world building.
I was part of the first group of readers the author discussed his novel with, thanks to Cindy Burnett and her Thoughts From a Page Patreon group. Nick is a teacher who cares deeply about his students and the environment. During our conversation, he shared several pieces of 'behind the scenes' information including the evolution of the cover design.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.
Larch and Kristina are heroes of the post-Transition period. In their youth, they performed dangerous tasks during numerous deployments to stabilize conditions. They marry and have a daughter Emi, and the novel is told from each of their viewpoints in alternating chapters. The plot combines family drama, suspense, and political tension with moments of humor and music references.
I appreciated that the story is set years after the climate crisis rather than during the time of devastation, although readers learn about those years in flashbacks from Larch and Kristina. Emi has some disordered behaviors that felt realistic and were handled with care. I could easily picture the scenes in this novel without a great deal of world building.
I was part of the first group of readers the author discussed his novel with, thanks to Cindy Burnett and her Thoughts From a Page Patreon group. Nick is a teacher who cares deeply about his students and the environment. During our conversation, he shared several pieces of 'behind the scenes' information including the evolution of the cover design.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the review copy of this novel.
