Excellent blend of Sci Fi and Thriller
"In a not-so-distant future, climate change has seriously impacted the planet. Junior has been selected to leave the planet to test other areas for habitability. Henrietta plans to stay home, but it seems all the plans have already been sorted out without Junior’s knowing. As he starts investigating and asking questions it seems that not everything is as it seems. I picked up this audiobook from the library for the Canada Reads 2026 program. Someone had told me they didn’t really like it, so I was going in with lower expectations, but I actually loved it. It’s the third one I’ve read of this year’s selections and it’s my favourite so far. I don’t know whether I would call this more sci-fi or more thriller, but it toes that line quite beautifully. I thought this futuristic setting was well written and thought out, and not that far out of believability. I felt for Junior and his confusion after it seemed like his future was predetermined and he had no say in these complex decisions. As he begins to investigate what is going on, I was just increasingly invested in the story. When everything is revealed at the end, I was shocked and it was so intelligent. I honestly wanted to start it again to see if I could pick up on any of the hints earlier in the book. It’s a great sci fi read for those that don’t like the heavily immersive sci-fi that can be a little intimidating. So far, I am hoping this one wins Canada Reads and I will definitely read more by this author!"
