By Christine McFaul
The Flooded Earth is an award-winning cli-fi (climate fiction) novel by Mardi McConnochie. It is the first book in her trilogy that also includes The Castle in the Sea and The Skeleton Coast.
Set in a dystopian future still reeling from the effects of a catastrophic flood, a sharp and arbitrary line has been drawn between places in the world where extensive money and effort have been made to restore people back to a prosperous life and those places where it has not. The story follows twin protagonists, Will and Annalie, who live in slums on the side of the line where people have been left to dredge whatever life they can out of the soggy ruins left behind by cataclysmic climate change.
Will, an avid sailor and tinkerer, remains in their home while the bright and bookish Annalie has just moved away to attend a prestigious private school in one of the most beautiful cities in their country. For the first time, there is friction between the siblings. Will is rankled by how easily his sister abandoned their life and family for a snobby school. While, unbeknownst to Will, Annalie is struggling to fit in amongst her privileged peers who have no idea what life is like outside their perfectly insulated world.
However, when their father goes missing under mysterious circumstances, the twins are set on a course back to one other. With only the family boat and a code hidden in one of Annalie’s old novels to guide them, the two embark on a perilous adventure to discover their father’s secrets and, ultimately, try to save him. Soon they find themselves battling extreme weather, modern-day pirates, and all manner of technical difficulties while trying to stay one step ahead of the corrupt Admiralty (the naval branch of the military that seized power during the floods and refuses to give it up).
Like all great adventure stories, The Flooded Earth is plot-y and fast-paced. It starts off at a sprint and never slows down, creating a literary race-to-the finish. The world-building is well-executed, suggesting an eerily possible version of a dystopian future, with just the right amount of tech advances to enhance, rather than impede, the plotting. Despite its fast pace, the story is anchored (pun very much intended!) within themes that are sure to strike a chord with its contemporary readership, exploring issues that range from environmental impact to inequality, refugees, and corruption. The narrative is written in 3rd person point of view that toggles between Will and Annalise but also chooses strategic moments to enter the thoughts and feelings of key characters along the way. The overall effect is a story that feels strong and determined but not yet cynical.
The Flooded Earth is a tale that is both whimsical and strange, contemporary, and new. A unique read for the upper middle-grade reader (9-12). Sure to suck them in and keep them absorbed until the very last word.
Thank you, Pajama Press, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.