Clade

Starred review from September 11, 2017
Moving and nuanced characterizations distinguish this subtle look at an Earth suffering the consequences of climate collapse. In the near future, the effects of global warming have become more severe: the oceans are dying from increased acidity, rising sea levels have flooded millions of square miles in the U.S. and India, and Europe and Africa suffer from intense heat. In the opening section, with planet-wide disaster looming, scientist Adam Leith gathers sediment samples in the Antarctic to better understand prior periods of warming, even as he awaits word about his partner’s possible pregnancy. Adam’s evolving relationship with Ellie, an artist, and his other family members grounds the grim story. Attempts to connect or reconnect with others remain focal points, even as succeeding chapters trace the devastation that ultimately affects the Earth’s crust. John Wyndham fans will find the presence of small, intimate moments in the midst of catastrophe familiar, and will appreciate a shout-out to his most famous creation: trees that have been genetically modified to absorb more carbon dioxide are dubbed “triffids.”

September 15, 2017
It begins and ends with the summer solstice. In the years between, Earth undergoes unimaginable changes in this chilling novel about climate change. Beginning sometime in the near future, seemingly small events cascade into ever larger and more disastrous calamities until humanity's very future seems in doubt. Bradley follows one family through the generations as they grapple with their place in the shifting world. Adam, a scientist, and his wife, Ellie, an artist, undergo taxing fertility treatments in order to have a child. As she grows, so do the consequences of the carbon-polluted environment, from rolling blackouts due to the demands put on the grid by air conditioning battling the heat, to the ever-more-silent forests as entire species die off, to a lethal plague that spreads with terrible speed. As in a time-lapse video, Bradley moves quickly through the lives of his protagonists, sketching their stories during key moments in the unfolding narrative. But the real story here is the all-too-realistic vision of an ecosystem in the throes of collapse, portrayed in stunning, sobering detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)