Although there are some interesting aspects, and I found Billy’s inner dialogue relatable and age-appropriate, the science is too simplistic and the anti-phone scolding is over-bearing.

The eastern seaboard becomes completely submerged over the course of a day and two neighbors, are trying to get back to Boston to rescue their children.

Female characters are useless. Parents are easily distracted from the plight of their children. There were hints of a shady business deal that completely fizzled. Everyone is the most desperate situations were pretty mildly behaved. And the heavy handed scolding made me almost turn off the story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and 12 Willows Press for the Audio ARC!

I guess it's inevitable that, like anything trendy, the speculative fiction climate crisis sub-genre is bound to have its hits and misses. Having recently read several of the hits (The Deluge, Orbital, Playground, Enlightenment), I was anxious to read Inland. If you have read and enjoyed any of the aforementioned books, you may also like Inland. However, like me, you might find that the writing is just too clunky, the characters too unlikable and underdeveloped, the story-line too extreme (yes, even for this sub-genre!), and even the narration just kind of a dud.

I was lucky to be able to read the book and listen to the audiobook, and to tell the truth this story seemed to be right out of my alley, climate change, mother trying to reach her son, the son trying to survive an incredible flood… and if you just go by this little synopsis maybe it seems really good for you too, but while reading there were lots of things that didn’t make sense for me or they went unexplained… for instance that prohibition about using phones, that really didn’t make sense for me, it felt much more, like the author didn’t really like the phones and wanted an excuse not to have them… or how they are portals to pornography or something… but when you get there you’ll understand what I meant…

at first, seemed to me, that the mother had a good relationship with her husband, even thou he wasnt with her, when she came to try and take her mother back with her to the mainland, but she forgot so fast that she was married and had a husband.. that also didn’t go well with me… not knowing what happened with the characters that were mentioned but not really talked about also disturbed me, I wanted more… and the son, well he was youngish so I will forgive some things.. but it was dumb to do just what your mother said to you not to do, while your father was home… and that is pretty much the beginning of the story…

I wish the person reading the story, was able to perform a bit more, I mean, she tried to do voices, but it didn’t go that well, but at the same time I had worse experiences before, so for the performance I will give it 3.5 stars, made me enjoy the story much more, but I will just say this, if we had a male voice and a female one it would make the performance so much better…

Thank you NetGalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op | 12 Willows Press, for the free AAC and this is my honest opinion.

I unfortunately couldn’t get into this one. It was a bit of a waste of time. Characters were frustrating. Pacing dragged. 2/5 stars.

There isn’t much more to say here, other than maybe a few changes would make it slightly better. I found myself just hoping to get through the pages.

I loved the idea and the baseline story of this book. I feel the execution fell a little short. It was a lot of the same if that makes sense. It was also hard to follow in some places. I was not able to relate much to the characters. The story was really good. I just feel like the execution could have been so much better.

The best dystopias to me are those that are enough like our current reality that you only need to squint a little to see them happening. This is decidedly not that. It relies on an unrealistic, poorly explained premise that somehow doesn’t impact all spots equally (a sudden, catastrophic rise in sea level basically all at once, but not a tsunami), and includes silliness like smart phones having been named because they cause brain cancer. And that’s all alongside an infuriatingly paternalistic, misogynistic view of the world in which women (and teen girls) are useless, screechy, and in desperate need of rescue by men. I finished the book because I was hoping for some sort of redemption arc for the women (that were not all stupid and helpless), but sadly that did not occur. Deeply disappointing to see this from a female author.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC in audiobook format.

Kate Risse’s debut novel, Inland, is a gripping and hauntingly relevant story set in a near-future world ravaged by climate change. The audiobook, narrated by Rachel Fulginiti, brings this intense tale of survival and resilience to life with a compelling and immersive performance.

Inland follows the harrowing journey of two families struggling to reunite after catastrophic flooding devastates the Eastern Seaboard. Friends Juliet and Martin, separated from their children, must navigate the treacherous floodwaters to find a way back to Boston. Meanwhile, their children face their own challenges, battling the rising seas and the chaos that ensues in a world where technology and human connection are both unpredictable and vital.

Rachel Fulginiti’s narration is a stellar feature of this audiobook. Her ability to convey the emotional depth and urgency of the characters’ experiences adds a powerful layer to Risse’s already vivid storytelling. Fulginiti’s nuanced performance captures the fear, hope, and determination of Juliet, Martin, and their children, making the listener feel every moment of their perilous journey.

Risse’s writing is evocative and VERY thought-provoking, (if not prescient) painting a stark picture of a world transformed by climate change. The novel’s exploration of human connection and the role of technology in a warming world is particularly poignant, offering a chilling glimpse into a possible future. The tension and suspense are expertly maintained throughout the narrative, keeping listeners on the edge of their seats.

The audiobook format enhances the immersive experience of Inland. Fulginiti’s voice brings the characters to life, making their struggles and triumphs feel immediate and real. The pacing of the narration matches the intensity of the story, ensuring listeners are fully engaged from start to finish.

Inland by Kate Risse, narrated by Rachel Fulginiti, is a must-listen for fans of climate fiction and psychological thrillers. The combination of Risse’s powerful storytelling and Fulginiti’s exceptional narration creates an unforgettable audiobook experience.

This debut novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds and a stark reminder of the urgent need to address climate change.

I have a ton of thoughts about this one. I loved the narration. I was a little annoyed by the whole "oh that cell phone will kill you." Like anyone would actually care. They could make heads explode and we would still keep them. But in this story smartphones are banned but people wish they could have one to keep in touch during a natural disaster, which maybe happened because of smartphones.
We all know how selfish we are as a society, but in this book most people aren't selfish like that.
It was good though. Loved the ending.

Inland explores a terrifying future. A future where our waters have risen so fast that families have been separated and entire cities destroyed. Juliet has been separated from her son Billy, who is stuck alone in his home that is being flooded. Juliet pairs up with Martin, their neighbor, in a harrowing journey to try to get back home. But what is home mean when the house is being washed away?
I enjoyed the exploration of a flooded coast and the realistic depiction of the chaos that would cause. There was also a huge subplot about cell phones. That they had been banned due to causing an undescribed sickness but Juliet and Billy among others had been secretly hiding them. I think this book was trying to explore the idea of cell phones being addicting and if they are even actually helpful but it seemed to distract from the larger story and wasn't as fleshed out as much as the coastal flooding aspect was. Overall this was an enjoyable read.

The plot of this book held a lot of promise. But it fell flat for me. I felt like a lot of things could have been explained a bit more. Why were phones bad? I felt like it was missing backstory that would have made me care about the characters more.

That being said I do think the dangers of climate change were illustrated well. The ending was not satisfying to me and made me wonder if a series is coming?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So I really liked the idea of this book, and the majority of the book was good. However the ending just dropped off. It had no resolution or actual ending. So I definitely lowered my review for it. Narration was good and the idea was good but the ending kind of hurt it.

2.75 stars, rounded up for the idea.

The premise of this story is so good but the execution was lackluster. Unfortunately for this book, I decided that I would try to be a bit more strict in my ratings for arcs and Inland how has to be the first to face harsher judgment. I was definitely intrigued by the description of this book and it had me hooked in the beginning. The idea of a dystopian post COVID world with major climate crises and disasters seemed like it would be action packed. However, the world left me with more questions than answers.

This book is dual pov between a mother, Juliet, and her son, Billy. They are separated when a cataclysmic natural disaster happens. This books follows both of their journeys. I found both main characters to frankly be idiots. They made dumb decision after dumb decision. They were both so entitled in their thinking processes and literally have no survival skills whatsoever. I don’t know if the point of this book was for the characters to be “realistic” but I hope no one would be that dense during a situation like this. There were side characters that added no real purpose to the book, including the guy the mom was traveling with. I still don’t understand how they ended up in FL together at the beginning or anything.

I also didn’t understand the major point of cell phones making everyone sick and being banned across the country (or world?). The characters talked about that issue a lot but all of the information was very surface level. I got tired of hearing about it. It didn’t make sense and did not add anything to the story. The cell phones could have stayed like normal but service would just be really spotty or out because of the disaster. Really hated that plot point. Also HATED the ending. I basically read this book to know no more than I did at the beginning? Honestly, after writing this I have decided to knock my rating down to 2.25 stars and round it down.

Thank you Netgalley and 12 Willows Press for the audiobook arc.

This story had a lot of promise, an interesting CliFi (climate fiction) story in the near future where some even has caused the eastern seaboard to be inundated with water, and a mother finds herself in Floria, trying to make her way up to Boston to her teenage son. Nothing much happens, and the story that does happen is a bit flat. Also the ending was frustrating because nothing got resolved. It was interesting enough for me to want to keep reading, and for that I gave it 3 stars, but it just didn't quite live up to its potential

(2.0 Stars)

I debated if this was a 1 star or 2 stars book. I went with 2, but I'll expand on that more later.

The world-building in this book is "explained", but not coherently. It is unrealistic, implausible and just doesn't make sense or seem to be based in any reality. Even the scenes that were supposed to be tense and dramatic were just underwhelming.

The characters are flat, and unlikeable. I spent the whole book trying to bring myself to care about what happened to them. They do not follow reason, or seem to have any logic skills.

I'm trying to be generous to the author, and kept thinking that maybe this was a warning for what could happen to a country that places conspiracy theories and religious zealotry above fact, science, and reality... but I really don't think that is the case. It's like listening to a fantasy of "what could happen" as told by your crazy, tin-foil-hat wearing uncle.

The narrator was ok. She did try a few different "accents", but mostly everyone sounded the same.

Unfortunately, this book also does not have a logical ending. Like the rest of the book, it seemed confusing, not well thought out, and anticlimactic.

So, why did I give it any stars at all? especially a full two stars? Well, I have a feeling that if this book gets a sequel, I'd read it... hoping that the author grows and has an actual plan for a real ending.

Inland imagines what-if (or, when) the ice shelf melts and the water level of the Atlantic Ocean rises to engulf the Eastern seaboard. It follows one mother of two teen boys who has flown down to the Tallahassee area to help her mother evacuate and a neighbor dad of two teen girls who is also heading to Tallahassee on business. They’ve left their spouses and kids home in a Boston suburb when the floodgates open (literally) and seawater claims the suburban streets. Tallahassee is not much better, with the absence of a marina (now underwater). The chapters alternate between Juliet, the mom, and Jim, her younger son. For some reason, the author chose to place the story in a time when smart phones were criminalized following by some report about toxins in the phones. But flip phones are OK? That part of the story seemed weirder to me than the flooding of the East coast from climate change. Anyway, this all happens right away so I’m not spoiling anything. The story is in places fast-paced, frustratingly bureaucratic, scary, and all-too-realistic.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #Inland for review purposes. It is currently available. Read it once hurricane season is over!

I am not going to finish Kate Risse's "Inland". I have absolutely no idea how it currently has 4.7 stars on Goodreads, from the first 15 readers.

I'm having the worst time engaging. It's supposed to be about families surviving climate change, but the characters are making ridiculous and deadly decisions. I can't find sympathy for them. I don't even like them.

Also, WHAT IS UP WITH THE NATIONWIDE BAN ON SMARTPHONES? If the author is going to make up something damaging or toxic about what the phones are made of or how they work, please tell us so we're in on the details of the world you're creating. Otherwise it comes off like conspiracy nonsense. The first 20% of the book is all about how the phones are contraband, but everyone can't put them down, but they're making people sick (?), so they should be resisting. It's all just too much, and too little at the same time.

As well, Rachel Fulginiti, the narrator, has a harsh and gravelly voice that is a real turnoff for me.

Overall this was a one-star.

Format Review 🎧 It took me a few chapters to get used to the narrator’s style. At first, I found it very robotic, like assistive text, but when I turned up the speed to 1.25x, I had a much better time. I appreciated the different voices the narrator had for the different characters!

Story Review 📖
This was terrifying, a propulsive read. It grabbed me right from the beginning and held my attention throughout: between the Gulf Stream collapse, apocalyptic flooding, crumbling infrastructure, cottonmouths… it was pretty non-stop action from both Juliet and Billy’s perspectives.

Pacing between Juliet and Billy chapters is well crafted using the common thread of their messages to enhance their perspectives and context for me as a reader. At the beginning, Juliet’s sections were most riveting for me. But, about midway through, I was enjoying Billy’s more. Billy had a more interesting development arc for me. As Juliet travels north, she kinda unravels a bit and her actions don’t make a lot of sense. I kinda felt bad for Billy being pressured by Juliet to leave the house for Martin’s daughters. His frustration with Juliet obsessing about those daughters was palpable. Like Billy, I was distractingly interested in where the dad and the brother were! The Juliet/Martin dynamic was uncomfortable as heck.

Risse’s descriptions and language gave me a vivid picture of the landscape throughout the book. She has such a rich and illustrative writing style that, combined with the audio book format, truly brought this book to life for me.

There’s a lot of “phone bad” rhetoric in this story, with Juliet even linking phone use to climate breakdown that felt a bit silly. That notwithstanding, the climate breakdown theme was really well done and, to some extent, many of the unknowns around the flood strengthened the atmosphere of the story.

I liked the ending but was kind of annoyed with all the unanswered questions. I could have spent a lot more time with this story!

🐶 Is the dog okay? When Billy first finds Salty, there are upsetting descriptions of drowned dogs. Salty doesn’t come to any harm for the remainder of the story. Pepper’s status after Juliet leaves Dog Island is unknown.