Climate of Chaos

There is a lot to unpack with this book. It's advertised as a "next" hunger games and while I can understand the comparison once the end of the novel was reached, I don't think it's fair to compare.

The story does focus on a sister trying to save another from a controlled government but that's where it really ends.

Readers are introduced to Fox and Rabbit trying to infiltrate a healing center to steal necessary medication to take back to their home. As a wanderer living outside of the domes, they are left to fend for themselves against the storms that ravage the Earth and ravengers, who can be just as dangerous.

During their recon mission, Rabbit ends up staying behind while Fox finishes the mission. It's soon discovered that Rabbit is naturally immune to the newest virus that is spreading wildly and can be a future hope for humankind. Fox doesn't like that her sister was taken and now wants to get her back.

So the story goes. Fox and her friends join the storm runners to try and get closer to Rabbit to rescue her. The book is about their trials trying to pass challenges and become full Storm Runners. It really wasn't bad itself and I enjoyed the development of the characters and how they bonded during the trials.

However, Fox to me, wasn't the best main character. I found her exceptionally whiny and a lot of her actions didn't make sense. I did enjoy the representation of someone with a disability getting through the trials but the way the system works - it didn't make sense. Healthy people got sent to the harvest house so it's hard to see how Fox would get through. Although, I'm glad she went against the grain and did. There were just a lot of choices that were just too convenient in order to push the story.

I also wish we got more of how the world got to the way it was. Why are the storms so rampant? How did society get to the way it was?

Overall, Climate of Chaos wasn't a horrible read. I really enjoyed the trials and how everything developed. The characters overall developed in an enjoyable way and I did like reading their story. However, there was a lot to be still desired. I wasn't a huge fan of Fox and I thought the world could use more. I also didn't know this wasn't a standalone. Even though I had some issues with this book, I will mostly likely continue the series when the next book is released.

AUDIO REVIEW
Jesse Vilinsky lends her voice to this story. And I have mixed feelings, again. She does an amazing job bringing such feeling into this story. With the amount of emotion she allows during her narration, the dystopian setting is unsettlingly real. However, it also leads into why I felt Fox was such a whiny character. I also don't listen to my audiobooks on headphones always so the change of Jesse going to a softer voice where I could barely hear, really didn't work for me. I did not enjoy having to continuously change the volume of the audiobook. I would still recommend the audio though as it does add a depth to this story.

Climate of Chaos thrusts us into a believable dystopian future. Taking place in the broken-down remains of Seattle in the country of Cascadia. Weather patterns are devastating and happen so frequently that there is no attempt to rebuild. Our main character, Fox LaRosa, lost her parents and has a permanent hip injury from a tornado they classify as a widowmaker. Most people have two options: get microchipped to become a citizen of the domes, where you can receive medical help in exchange for working in the factories of Big Pharma. Or option 2, live outside the domes with no protection from the elements or the Ravenger bands of killers and thieves. With a new virus quickly spreading, the options are turning into none at all.

Fox and her sister, Rabbit, start the story on a mission to steal medicine from the domes and return to their wanderer community, Still Alive, run by their Aunt Lila. Rabbit’s entry blood test reveals she has natural immunity to the Vi, and is taken into protective custody to generate a vaccine for humanity's survival. Fox is determined to rescue her, and a few friends and an ex-boyfriend, Asher, join her.
The setup of this story and the premise were compelling, and one of the most likely futures I have encountered in the many dystopian novels I have read. However, there are several things about the character of Fox and the plot that just didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

It is admirable that Fox has a disability and can still fight and win. I love the representation and visibility this brings to people who suffer from chronic pain and use canes. However, I had trouble imagining the logistics of this cane since this is not a fantasy. It is strong enough to be used to bash in heads when needed without bending or breaking, and is big enough to conceal a knife hidden at the end for extra power. Yet, it can also fold up into a belt buckle that isn’t too heavy or long to wear. The other aspect is that this is an uncaring, profit-driven post-apocalyptic society that sends people to be harvested for organ parts on a whim. The author goes into detail about the trivial ways people get sent there, yet the hardcore military trials she is part of are completely ok that she uses an assistive device to walk?

The premise of the story is that she is going to rescue her sister. However, she joins the training trials as a viable solution, and then the plot becomes 90% about her going through the trials and not about an actionable plan to get Rabbit. I did not realize for a while that this is not a standalone, so maybe it makes more sense for her to make the friends she did and gain the skills she did to get Rabbit for future books.

The society is evil and worthy of being toppled for a better future for the masses, without an over-the-top villain reveal and dastardly plan of extra wrongdoing. The big reveal of someone she trusted being a high-up agent part of the plot also did not have nearly enough foreshadowing and lead-up to make this flow well.

I read part of this story with an audiobook and the print version was better. The narrator is great at leaning in hard to the emotions and worries the character feels. However, if Fox grew up in such a hard, uncaring world, I think she would have a bit of a gruffer outlook on life, so reading the print version made it less noticeable how much reflection on her feelings and worries is emphasized.

Sometimes it takes authors a book or two to hit their stride, so there is enough solid foundation that I will plan to read the sequel. I am curious about Asher and his hot-and-cold attitude and what secrets he is keeping. I would love a dual POV with more things from his perspective as a possibility in the next book.