4.5 stars rounded up!

I loved this futuristic cli-fi novel. It takes place in about fifty years, once the planet has already reached zero emissions, and living in a world that revolves around the climate crisis. Focused on a family - parents and their 15 year old teenage daughter, The Great Transition follows them as they navigate how to react now that people in the world are forgetting (moving on from) the climate criminals that got the world into the situation in the first place. Is it better to move on and focus on living a comfortable and happy life, or should we seek revenge to ensure these crimes never happen again?

I don't want to get much further into plot for spoilers, but this is a wild ride. Definitely see the comp to Station Eleven, though this is a very different story. It has a great focus on both characters and plot, which makes the story all the more memorable.

The Great Transition is not a book I would typically choose (dystopian climate fiction), but it came highly recommended. And, I am so glad I branched out. Thank you to NetGalledy, Atria Books, and Cindy Burnett at Thoughts from a Page for the advanced ecopy of this book. Expected pub date is August 15, 2023.

Larch and Kristina are two heroes of the Great Transition with numerous deployments and assignments as they strive towards achieving net-zero emissions for the entire planet. When this is achieved, it is called Day Zero and is marked annually with celebrations. The two marry and have a daughter, Emi. The story is told from their perspectives in reflecting on whether Day Zero actually marks the end of the battle or if there is still work to be done. An interesting perspective with some strong political views told in a creative way.

This book captured me from early on and I could not put it down. I think this could be categorized as both/either adult or YA.

The setting in the near future feels so immediately now -- it IS what's happening now: uncontrollable wildfires, flooding... but Googins deftly weaves in world-building where we see how many things have changed, despite many others that are still familiar.

The sprinkling of "oldies" music throughout is very entertaining and funny - Taylor Swift, Prince, the Cranberries...

I also really liked how the three threads of the story are told -- the present day, (I think it's 16? 15? years after "Day Zero"); and then the backstories of Emi's dad Larch (told through his own perspective); and the backstory of Emi's mom, Kristina, told through transcripts of Emi's interviews with her mom for a school project.

The book is pretty fast-paced, and the conversations rapid-fire (with no quotation marks), and narration almost stream-of-thought sometimes, but it all works together well and I read it VERY quickly - in a day - because I could not put it down.

You get the sense of things that never change - the rebelliousness of teenagers; the young people today who don't appreciate what the past generation did. But you also see the tragedy that the "Crisis" didn't NEED to happen. The political stance of the book is very blatant.

Though the story flies by, the big questions of looming climate crisis that we are continuing to walk into, and the differing (but overlapping) priorities of Emi's parents stick with you for a long time after -- who is right: Larch who will protect his own daughter at any cost; or Kristina who will sacrifice anything to preserve a better world for all . . . .

I would have liked to know how/if Emi and Larch were ever able to get back in touch with Lucas, but this is just my wishful thinking & wanting to make sure all my favorite characters end up ok!

"That's the thing about working together. Mutual aid. . . . You can save the world. But it's also the problem -- getting everyone to work together. You have to make it happen. The advantage of being alone is you don't have to convince anyone. The disadvantage is you have to convince yourself."

Highly recommend!

This climate utopia novel is outstanding. In the beginning I questioned why I was reading a book frighteningly realistic in portraying the trajectory of our planet but I kept going and so glad I did. This novel reads like a thriller and I did not want to put it down. The story is told through differing points of view and with flashbacks about the decline of the world. The writing has smooth transitions between characters and storylines making it easy to read and maintain the main storyline. I originally did not like the author’s character building of Emi but she ultimately became my favorite character. I laughed, I cried, I learned, which is everything in a novel that makes a great read for me. This is my favorite book in 2023 and I highly recommend not just for reading enjoyment but discussion.
I received an ARC and this is an honest review.

Very good. This already has a number of high ratings, and I'd bet it will garner many more. It has a good story that is engaging and well-executed. Recommended.

Thank very much for the free copy for review!!

I really wanted to love it! The comp titles are some of my favorites, and I really love dystopian, climate-fiction novels. However, I did not like this one really at all. I found the alternating POVs and alternating timelines to be confusing. I usually like alternating POVs, but with the added timeline in the past it was hard to figure out which Larch chapters were in the present and which were in the past. I had to read a couple pages of each of his chapters to figure that out. I also didn't like any of the characters. I found Emi to be annoying while also kind of sympathetic. I think the added plot-line of her eating disorder was not handled well and frankly was confusing, I didn't understand why the author included it. Emi's mother, Kristina, was incredibly unlikeable. She's supposed to be this hero-type character, but she is not personable. The author, I think, tries to humanize her, but he doesn't successfully dive into her trauma. I think maybe Larch, Emi's father, is potentially the only likable character, but I didn't love him. I found the pacing of the book to be off. Googins does a really great job of setting a descriptive scene for what the world looks like after climate change goes unchecked. That said, some of the descriptions were too long, while others were too short. Then, at about 70% into the novel, the book makes a turn for the ~thriller~ genre, and I was not on board. It felt rushed.

Overall, I think this book has GREAT potential and brings up A LOT of super important topics. The themes and multiple POVs would be FANTASTIC for a book club. I do wish I had read the novel with others because, while I didn't love the book, I do think there is a ton of value to such a realistic climate fiction novel.

Such a unique climate fiction book about the after effects of a deteriorated and fallen earth! Emi and her parents now live on Greenland living a pretty "normal" life post The Great Transition. We follow 3 POV's of Emi, her mother told through a school report that Emi is writing and her father sharing his past.

The world had succumbed to the devastating effects of climate failure....but...people banded together and worked hard to begin the Great Transition where missions were led, similar to a military mission, to go to the inner world, such as NYC or Colorado, to repair the effects of the fallen world due to climate devastation. The hope and intent is to repair the damage done so it can hopefully thrive and repair itself over time. This is not a heavy subject point of the book but helps you know the world that you're walking into.

The book has a strong sense of family, a good mystery with a twist keeping you on the edge of your seat at times, and some humor along the way as Emi is into the oldies such as Adele, Brittney, Queen and Nirvana.

Climate fiction is really hit or miss for me, but I do have to say this is the best climate fiction I've read. I loved that it was AFTER the devastation of the climate crisis and focused on recovery and life after. It never felt too devastating or heavy, but perhaps motivates a person to reconsider your personal footprint here on the earth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the complimentary e-book.

Well written and engaging climate fiction , with a unique slant. This is the most political book with this theme I have read, and I’ve read lots.
This novel raises issues with relevance to many disputes like the inequality of society and the morality of terrorism.
The plot and characters were both gripping although Em felt both younger than her age and then more capable than was completely believable. .

this is thought provoking and haunting in that we don’t know how long this dystopian book will remain fictional. Moving and intriguing.

A BEST book of the year! For sure sure sure!

The Great Transition refers to a post apocalyptic world where much of the control has been wrested away from the 1%. The transition took place while much of the world had gone under in flooding or up in flames and it's been just enough time that people are beginning to forget just how bad it was.

This is the setting when we meet 15 year old Emi and her parents Larch and Kristina. Larch and Kristina were part of the revolution and have moved considerably apart in their believes. Their political tug of war leaves Emi in the middle and is part of the reason of her anxiety. When a series of vigilante events cause mayhem around the world, Larch realizes he may not know everything about his wife.

Told through several points of view, a variety of flashback and a very poignant school project, we learn how Larch and Kristina met and fought for the world. Best yet, Fuller Googins presents everyone's points of view and they characters are so real you think you will see them this week at work. The only question really is, which character would you turn out to be?

I loved this story and just hope for more of the same! If you love dystopia, contemporary criticism and strong characters you will absolutely love The Great Transition!
#Atriabooks NickFullerGoogins #TheGreatTransition