A small group of families are vacationing in an historic, lakeside mansion, with the children and teenagers more or less fending for themselves as their parents spend their time in a haze of alcohol and drugs. The kids invent a myriad of ways to keep themselves entertained, and one of the youngest discovers an old children’s Bible among the books and becomes fascinated with it. As they are camping (unsupervised) on the beach, a cataclysmic storm descends on the region, leading to the entire group becoming stranded in the house; surrounded by water and battered by falling trees. When things subside, they must find a way to survive in the devastation that remains. The tone expertly shifts between dryly sardonic and harrowing, while smartly commenting on religion, art, family, politics, and most notably, climate change. Seeing the adults in the story force the children into a terrible situation through their own obliviousness, all while trying to maintain an illusion of knowing what’s best, rings all too true to our current and likely forthcoming circumstances, and leaves one feeling outraged, saddened, and more than a little guilty. At a little over 200 pages, it doesn’t take long to read, but it will likely never be forgotten. ★★★★★ – Sean Farrell

Available Formats:

eBook | Hoopla eAudiobook

★★★★★ = Excellent | ★★★★ = Very Good | ★★★ = Good | ★★ = Fair | ★ = Poor