The Situation: For over three years, Cee has been living alone on an island, with only an android for company. She has no memory of her life before the island, and no idea how she got there. What she does know is that she has a sister, somewhere out there, and she needs to get back to her. Though progress has been slow, she is doing her best to build a boat to carry her across the unpredictable waters, and hopefully back to civilization. Meanwhile, 16 year-old Kasey is a known science prodigy living in one of the planet's eco-cities, designed to be a refuge against the quickly failing and contaminated environment. Kasey may be incapable of normal, social interaction, but she understands that something is not right about the way society is currently operating, and the way the environmental crisis is being handled. While her detached and distant father busies himself with saving as many as possible, Kasey once again embraces science for a different kind of solution.
The Problem: Natural disasters are occurring at a higher rate, and at a greater magnitude. Due to a mistake in her past, Kasey does not have the access, or the trust of the people, to put a plan in place of saving humanity, at least not without help. But as she gets closer to a solution, she also learns more about her own history, and what happened right before her eyes years ago. It is obvious that humanity has helped to destroy the planet. Should it be trusted in the effort to save it? On the island, Cee is having her own battle between memory and history. She sleepwalks ever night, every morning waking up closer to the water, and eventually in it. She knows there must be something beyond this island - she has dreamed about it - but getting to it presents an ever-present problem. With food running low, and the island lacking in general resources, much less in ways to leave, Cee is running out of time, and options.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in an undetermined future. Earth is still sustaining human life, though barely. Colossal natural disasters are increasing in frequency, and it is becoming more and more urgent for world leaders and top scientists to come up with a solution. In alternating chapters, Cee is stranded on an island, desperate to find a way off of it, while Kasey must go back to the science she used to love, as well the memory of her sister, if she wants to help save humanity. Currently, the eco-cities that provide safety and security from a dangerous environment are only available to the deserving: those whose families did not contribute to the world's current problems. But like any system invented by human beings, it is incredibly flawed, and as Kasey learns, prone to loopholes and cover-ups. The book contains an obvious environmental message, as well as a look at memory, history, and the bond between sisters.
My Verdict: At the start, this book felt like it was going to be a story of two sisters hoping to find a way back to each other, set against a backdrop of an deteriorating world. Then the story takes a fascinating turn, introducing elements of mystery, intrigue, and suspense, while exploring privilege and classism. And then, that turn leads to more turns, and the story goes from fascinating, to merely interesting, and then eventually, to tedious, and at times, boring. It could be that the story went on for about 50 pages longer than it should have. Or maybe there is simply too much going on. I felt like the point had been more than made at the half-way mark, so by the three-fourths point, it felt like the conclusion should have happened already, but there was still about 90 pages left. The choppy world-building did not help much, adding confusion to a plot in which I was becoming slowly disinterested.
Favorite Moment: As brilliant as she is, there were many moments when Kasey had to admit she had missed something that was right in front of her.
Favorite Character: By the end, it was difficult for me to like any of the characters, so I will choose U-me, which feels like cheating since U-me is an android with limited communication capabilities, but there we go.
Recommended Reading: Parts of this reminded me of the Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez would also be a great follow-up.
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