A powerful eco-thriller. Set in a near future where water has become a commodity not a basic human right, the story intertwines three people who end up as part of the growing movement to reclaim the ravaged Earth from the despoilers. It is rather an uncomfortable read - even for a mixed-race cis-gendered person in a comfortable Western society. Well-written and scientifically plausible, I would recommend this book as a wake-up call - we are seeing the first stages of this dystopian future now.

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3645878.html

It's a climate change story, set a couple of decades from now in South Africa and the USA, with political intrigues and violence and a dismally failing marriage involving two of the protagonists. I have to fault a couple of technical points where the writing unexpectedly jarred - for instance, there is a wedding scene where the author confuses the names of the bride and her daughter; and the means and motivation of the bad guys was not completely clear. But again, its heart is in the right place. ( )

In 2048, water is a precious commodity. Climate change has drastically altered both the standard of living and the economy. In Africa, Graham, a reporter, is struggling to save his marriage to Lizette. Lizette, is searching for something more. In California Arthur works to find ways to save water and root our corruption.

25% into the book, and nothing had happened. The story rambled all over the place, getting absolutely nowhere. Unfortunately I was unable to finish this one, it was a complete bust. ( )

Meh. Not actually bad at any point, except in the formatting where the paragraph breaks were not clear, so that location/time transitions happened without any indication that a jump had happened, but it just didn't work for me. I think it was too forced, too preachy, trying to catch a zeitgeist that has already passed. The biggest single failing is trying to reference current social events as if they'd still be relevant in the future.

Mutli-characters stories aren't my favourite form, but the transitions are clearly marked with distinct chapters which is the least worst way of doing so. We follow Art, Graham and his wife Lizzie, as they try to find their way amoung the water deprived future. The rich of course still have their luxuries and even golf course with FreeFlowPure being the capitalist company of choice. Art is a data sweeper it's not quite sure who for, some middle grade corporation, and an anomaly gets him sent out to investigate some of FFP's activities. Liz is far from happy in her marriage to Graham and makes new friends in the local south African township, and learns new meaning of hard living. Graham is a reporter of sorts with an embedded semi-AI rig doing the recording, he too is investigating FFP from the other side as he trots around the world, trying to maintain contact with Lizzie.

None of the characters are happy in the racial or sexual identities, or even their body image (and quite how you manage to be fat in a world that's suffering deprivation and shortage is not explained). Which is all too much. Some real reflection of the population is about 10%, so 1 would be sufficient. To have them all continually moaning it about it detracts from the other plot lines - or vice verse. Which is of course an expectation of privilege too that one should only have one thing to worry about. But it doesn't work narratively as it is.

A good try, but needs tightening into one theme, or expanding into several books, before it would be highly recommended. There are plenty of worthwhile points in the writing, but it just doesn't come together as a whole. ( )