This book actually touches on a number of topics, some universal, some particularly relevant to now. It seems like the author put effort in research before writing this, which probably helped. It mostly engaging, and parts of it were particularly interesting. And it made me think a little. Recommended for sci-fi fans.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

Disclaimer: I would like to thank the author for providing a review copy of this book.

"When North Becomes South" by Becky Bronson is a strong and encouraging tale of survival in a terrifying worldwide natural disaster. This story lays the compelling scenario of an Earth temporarily without the magnetic field that protects life (and modern electronics and infrastructure) from deadly solar and galactic radiation. The span of the book is some twenty years or so that straddles the event and is told in terms of a family of four that start out on the East Coast of the US and eventually find themselves separated in remote locations in countries they may never have thought they ever would visit. Although the survival of the entire human race is at stake, the focus of this book switches between the various family members during their experience. The narrative feels real and alive and I found myself quickly and strongly identifying with each character as they struggle, learn, and grow. One of the attractions to me about survival stories is that it gives me a chance to daydream about how I would handle such extraordinary disasters and challenges. Similar to this adventure novel, my favorite daydreams are not of human-on-human battles but are more about preparation, execution, and intelligently facing various natural disasters. I also appreciated the subtle (perhaps not so subtle?) observations of the importance of science and correctly recognizing reality when it comes to survival.

I enjoyed the clarity of the writing. The plot progresses in an orderly and interesting manor that pulls the reader in. The desire to know how each of the characters handles their situation makes this book very hard to put down. I look forward to reading more books by Becky Bronson. (And thanks to this novel, I am once again tempted to take up ham radio as a hobby. It could be useful in my next daydream...)