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Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.


I am not quite certain what this book is trying to be. Speculative fiction generally focuses on either ideas primarily or plot and characters primarily. With the way this book starts off and its narration style, it seems to be a book that is trying to focus on ideas. And the ideas that it presents/attempts to challenge initially are promising. It could have been a interesting thought experiment about corporate feminism, gender essentialism, and the climate crisis.

However, somewhere along the way it shifts from exploring ideas with regards to climate fiction and feminism to just the exploits of one megalomaniacal woman. It's says less about the bigger ideas and more about how narcissistic Jacqueline is. It tries to shift to be a more character focused work on occasion as well, but all it leads to is a lack of cohesion in the narrative and ideas that feel very surface level. The attempts to focus on character/plot also falls flat in isolation as there isn't really any tension and the eventual resolution is very anticlimactic.

There has been a significant amount written with regards to feminist theories and climate change. This novel could have addressed or be in conversation with that, but instead it focuses on things that are overdone and contrite. It doesn't even take a strong stance on anything. Yes, billionaire bad, but I think we all know that at this point, so what else?

There is another aspect that was a pet peeve of mine, but is removed from my general critique of the narrative. Going a bit on the spoiler territory, (view spoiler)[I really wasn't a fan of Orchid and she was inserted back into the narrative needlessly. I don't think she added anything and the ending being about her reuniting with Ava feel super off the cuff. The whole point of Ava and Brook leaving was reuniting with July, and it is made clear that that won't happen. It feels like Orchid was added back into the narrative only so that the book could end with Ava leaving and trying to make it seem like the act still had a point. I don't think anyone reading the book would find themselve rooting for Ava to get together an ex who she has long since gotten over and find that to be a very satisfying conclusion. (hide spoiler)].

Overall, a pretty disappointing read from something that had a lot of potential.