Just finished AMERCIA PACIFICA by Anna North in about three days. I have to admit, I didn't LOVE it, but I liked it. For readers who are fans of Margaret Atwood - this book is so for you. I, for one, am not a fan of Margaret Atwood. Perhaps that is the reason why this book didn't click one hundred percent with me. The things I struggle with when it comes to Margaret Atwood, and now with this book, are the dark, rambling descriptions. While neat a couple of times, I can't love it when it makes up the entire book.
BUT don't get turned off just yet. There were parts of the book I really did get into. For example, the beginning of the book really did hook me. So did the ending. The middle was a bit of a struggle for me just because I felt that the main character, Darcy, was a bit stuck, which she was. But I didn't like that it FELT stuck, you know?
Anyways, this book is set in the future, but not very far in the future. However, it is far enough that the world has been thrown into another ice age and Darcy is now living on a Pacific island with her mother where it is hot. This has been the escape for mankind, but not all of mankind, and the majority of mankind are assumed to be dead on the mainland. Basically, life sucks. Unless you are super rich and powerful, you have next to nothing. Darcy and her mom have nothing until her mom goes missing and on her quest to find her she discovers her mom might have connections/info that can get them back to the mainland where there *might* be survivors and a better way of life.
I was originally drawn to the quest narrative as told by an eighteen year old girl set in the future. However, it became somewhat hard to buy the concept, as characters keep making references to present-time things, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. I mean, it just doesn't seem likely that an ice age would occur in such a short amount of time that adults in that time period are referencing celebrities from my parents' generation. Surely other pop culture figures would have cropped up.
Also a warning, the F-bomb is dropped quite a few times and there is a bit of graphic content. Granted, this is an adult book. Maybe it's just me, but I still cringe at that sort of thing. Not to turn you away, but if you are like me you might want a heads-up. I will also give Anna North kudos to the fact that all of that stuff did contribute to the story. It wasn't at all random. I was made uncomfortable a few times, but at least I wasn't sitting there going, "Why was that necessary??" like I sometimes do. (Like with Margaret Atwood. I really can't read her stuff.)
Something I really liked about the novel is that as an eighteen year old and looking at her surroundings, Darcy is realisticaly flawed, and her character never changes drastically. Her moods aren't exaggerated beyond belief, the way she speaks is understandable...I really liked that. I've read some things where the character has a bit of a badass feel, but by the third or fourth chapter I find myself going, "Come on. Really?" Not so with this novel. With this novel, Darcy was a badass without trying to be, which was pretty cool.
I also really loved the ending, as I said before. I probably really started to enjoy it from the point where Darcy receives a list of people named Rosen from a few stoned, rich people. That's about one-third of the book that I didn't feel stuck. I felt that after that, there was a smooth speed to the rest of the book that was a bit of relief. So perhaps that stuck feeling was intentional, meant to provide you with a breath of fresh air before the movement kicks in.
And side note, but I think the name Darcy is really awesome.
So my complaints:
1. Felt that it was "stuck" for the majority of the middle.
2. Quite a few moments that I, personally, found cringe-worthy, though they contributed to the story.
3. Also felt that the gap between now and then should have been better explained, as well as changes between now and that time in the future. I was a bit lost as to how some of the references still applied.
Overall, I'm glad I bought it and read it as one of my Books to Read Before I HAVE to Read for School.
-Victoria
Source for book cover image: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/America-Pacifica-A-Novel/book-UzRroVE-9EuXwC_LstkEiA/page1.html
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