Review Detail

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.