Friday, 27 September 2019
ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book of the Week - Week Ending 27th September 2019: "Flood World" by Tom Huddleston (Nosy Crow)
I've always been drawn to dystopic stories, and "Flood World" by Tom Huddleston is one of the best middle grade dystopia novels I've read in a long time - so good in fact that even C (who usually goes for books with slightly happier / funnier settings) couldn't resist its lure either.
We both polished this one off in a couple of sittings, so let's get to the nitty gritty of what makes this such a mesmerising book.
As we've already said, this is a post-apocalyptic world where the ice caps have finally melted and the oceans have risen to cover most of the land masses on the planet.
Kara and Joe somehow scratch out a meagre existence in this drowned world, navigating the perilous waterways of a sunken city in search of food and other salvage.
Kara and Joe somehow scratch out a meagre existence in this drowned world, navigating the perilous waterways of a sunken city in search of food and other salvage.
When the two plucky youngsters gain posession of a mysterious map, their world changes beyond all recognition. Suddenly Kara and Joe are targets for ruthless gangsters who rule the flooded cities, for corrupt cops who want a slice of the action for themselves, and for terrifying pirates who use their hi-tech submarines to roam the seas in search of easy pickings.
The map holds a secret that Kara and Joe must uncover, before their entire world comes crumbling down. Can they triumph against such overwhelming odds?
Kids who are following the current ecological crisis will wholly identify with the struggles of Kara and Joe, seemingly pitted against ruthless (but largely dim-witted) adults - yep, all very allegorical of the climate crisis that so many kids are devoting their time to protesting against.
Tom expertly draws up a drowned planet and characters that feel as brave, as vulnerable and as inspirational as young Greta Thunberg herself. There's something unsettlingly intoxicating and enticing about books that depict what could be (and the way things are going, what is very likely to be).
Tom expertly draws up a drowned planet and characters that feel as brave, as vulnerable and as inspirational as young Greta Thunberg herself. There's something unsettlingly intoxicating and enticing about books that depict what could be (and the way things are going, what is very likely to be).
Sum this book up in a sentence: Beautifully written, fantastically timely, and utterly addictive. We cannot recommend this one highly enough.
"Flood World" by Tom Huddleston is out on 3rd October 2019, published by Nosy Crow (kindly supplied for review).
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