I loved the first two-thirds of this novel set in a dystopian New Orleans devastated by hurricanes and a particularly nasty virus. Fen is a fascinating character, and the plot feels realistic. However, the final third veers into Dan Brown territory. An over the top situation is followed by an even more over the top situation and on and on, keeping the characters in constant peril. I know that a lot of people like this writing style, but I am not one of them. Lose the last 100 or so pages, and you would have a wonderful story. ( )

This book reminded me in all the best ways of Alexandra Duncan's books, :Salvage and Sound: it's beautifully feminist, paints a gorgeously detailed world with complementary clashing cultures, and avoids the oversimplified "post-apocalyptic" genre by exploring a not-so-distant future based on events that are already happening (as opposed, for example, to The Wolf Road's unspecified nuclear holocaust).

Fen is a wonderful main character, tough but with her softer places showing even in the beginning in the way that she interacts with Lydia and anticipates the needs and wants of a young child. She's practical but not ashamed of her feelings--there's no attempt to bury her emotions in a mask of "masculine" passiveness that's being held up as the template for humanity. Yes, there are a couple places where women are referred to as being less competent then men, but since there were only one or two and this speculative future is so much closer to our time than the books mentioned previously, they fit in the environment...especially given just how many complex women there are leading the tribes and factions great and small in Orleans.

One thing I appreciated especially was Smith's deft switching from first-person for Fen to third-person for Daniel. It's not a move that most writers would think to make: it seems instinctual that if one character is going to tell us their story, the other(s) will do so, too. But having Fen narrate her own life mirrors her perspective: all she has is herself, her actions, her survival. Daniel comes from a world that allows him the luxury of thinking beyond himself: he thinks in the context of peer reviews, academic collaboration, and a world that will look over his shoulder to study his work. We approach Daniel the way he approaches science, with the illusion of objectivity granted by distance--in this case, physical and psychological distance from the realty of life and death in the Delta for Daniel, and narrative and metaphorical distance provided by the use of third person for the reader. It also makes the sneaky, guilt-inducing "so-there" part of my feminist heart a little smug that, for once, the woman gets to tell her own story directly while the man's story is being filtered.

Also, and I cannot believe I can actually say this--NO ROMANCE!!! WOOHOO!!!

So...why not full stars? There are a couple narrative gaps too conveniently covered over by deus ex machina--the one that stood out most for me was the late revelation that Fen's sponsor family didn't have children but wanted them. This fact isn't shared with the reader until well into the book, by which point I was convinced that their horror at the thought of accepting a child from the Delta was going to be a key plot point.

My interdisciplinary side loved the anthropological and sociological aspects of world building, some of which were referenced in the book: the power of blood type to rewrite the rules of discrimination (p 74); the reality of trying to make political alliances in an anarchic environment (hint: it doesn't always work out for the hero); the different measures of intelligence and skill and their relative values in the Delta; the mix of the selfless and the selfish, not only in side-by-side divisions like the Ursuline sisters and the AB tribe, but in single individuals such as Mama Gentille and including the main characters.

There are plenty of little things I would love to mention, but I'm a bit more strapped for time than I used to be. Long story short: good book, would recommend, and should appeal to the gender-inclusive audience of The Hunger Games. (Why on earth that book managed to have a gender-inclusive audience when it had a stupid romance plot is a speculative rant for another time...)

Two quick quotes, one elaborating on a point mentioned above.

207) "He ain't interested in the Fever. He studying tribes."
>>Daniel frown. "Ending racism," he say. "For the most part, the rules of blood make race irrelevant. Blood types cross all ethnicities."
>>I nod. "If folks stop hating each other 'cause of skin color, the only difference be blood type."
>>"A new form of racism," Daniel say. His face go pale. "It's like Tuskegee all over again. They never wanted a cure."

254) "Is it any wonder that Orleans is a wasteland today? As much as Nature takes back and rebuilds, it is in her own image, and not those of the people of New Orleans. ... What is a day in the life of a live oak tree, Daniel? What is one human day in the life of an ecosystem? Nothing." ( )

3.5 stars. The writing was really strong and I loved the world-building, I just felt disconnected from the plot, especially at the end.

This is the first epidemic-based book I've read since COVID started but this is more of a book about climate disaster and illness is a part of that. I really enjoyed the setting. As is probably obvious, this book is set in what used to be New Orleans but it, and other southern states, have been walled off to try to contain the virus after the area was devastated by every stronger hurricanes. Smith painted a really persuasive look at what climate change will actually look like. This book was published in 2013 and the emergency is even more dire now. I thought this was very well done and a great look at this topic.

I also really enjoyed the writing. I liked that Smith gave the Fen a dialect because it really brought me into the world. Sometimes those sort of things annoy me but I appreciated it here. I enjoyed the the nature descriptions and the way the characters talked about the world. Really lovely and I would really enjoy reading more from this author.

The plot was interesting but I just found myself being less interested in at the end. The final little bit was super interesting and I did like how it ended but the final half just kind of dragged. This is definitely more a reflection on the reality of climate change than an action packed adventure, which I can appreciate but in this, case I just wanted a bit more from the plot. I also wanted to learn a bit more about Daniel.

Like I said, I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author. For the most part, I enjoyed this. I would encourage others to pick this up as I think it's less well known and I think a lot of people would get a lot out of this. ( )

Loved it!
I truly love the world building and imagery in this. Interesting setting and action. Storyline moved along nicely. ( )

A series of severe hurricanes followed by a devastating virus decimated New Orleans and environs, resulting in a violent struggle for survival, especially withing the quarantined walls. Told from alternating points of view, this novel describes a nightmare society resulting ultimately from climate change. A feisty teenage girl crosses paths with a researcher from outside the Wall who hopes to develop a cure for the virus. Their journey partnership is contentious and mistrustful. Can their strength and good intentions help them survive? ( )