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travisppe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Enjoyable but not remarkable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Deportation, Drug abuse, Animal death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, and Racism
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Displacements is a novel about climate change and what happens when Luna, a Category 6 Hurricane, makes landfall in Florida and Texas. Specifically we follow one wealthy white family as they evacuate and then end up in a tented FEMA mega shelter in Oklahoma.
I’m in two minds about this book. I felt for Daphne as she struggled to get her family back on their feet. But most of her struggles were not because of the hurricane’s impact but because she failed to keep track of her purse and phone, and because her husband was a piece of s***. Had it not been for those factors her family would still have lost their home in Florida, but would have had the been able relocate themselves without needing to rely on FEMA.
I did enjoy gaining insight into the shelter, its difficulty getting resources to adequately operate, the tensions between residents of the camps and the locals, and how issues like white supremacy and drug addiction (which don’t go away just because there is a natural disaster) play out in a crowded and contained camp environment. I particularly enjoyed the screenshots from the website devoted to the history and impact of Luna, including maps, interview transcripts and the like. These interspersed the chapters and provided a big picture, long term perspective.
While I enjoyed reading this book as a family drama I’m not sure how successful it is as a piece of climate fiction. As a reader, with some exceptions like the frantic trying to contact family members to check they are okay, I felt very removed from the impact of the hurricane. I also feel it was unfortunate that the reality of camp life was seen mostly through the eyes of the type of person less likely to be stuck in one. In many ways Daphne and her family were impacted less by Luna than by her husband’s actions. Without them, her family would have had a lot more options than many camp residents.
I’m in two minds about this book. I felt for Daphne as she struggled to get her family back on their feet. But most of her struggles were not because of the hurricane’s impact but because she failed to keep track of her purse and phone, and because her husband was a piece of s***. Had it not been for those factors her family would still have lost their home in Florida, but would have had the been able relocate themselves without needing to rely on FEMA.
I did enjoy gaining insight into the shelter, its difficulty getting resources to adequately operate, the tensions between residents of the camps and the locals, and how issues like white supremacy and drug addiction (which don’t go away just because there is a natural disaster) play out in a crowded and contained camp environment. I particularly enjoyed the screenshots from the website devoted to the history and impact of Luna, including maps, interview transcripts and the like. These interspersed the chapters and provided a big picture, long term perspective.
While I enjoyed reading this book as a family drama I’m not sure how successful it is as a piece of climate fiction. As a reader, with some exceptions like the frantic trying to contact family members to check they are okay, I felt very removed from the impact of the hurricane. I also feel it was unfortunate that the reality of camp life was seen mostly through the eyes of the type of person less likely to be stuck in one. In many ways Daphne and her family were impacted less by Luna than by her husband’s actions. Without them, her family would have had a lot more options than many camp residents.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Racism
Moderate: Gun violence
mondovertigo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, Racism, Classism, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Deportation, Murder, Gun violence, Excrement, Death of parent, Suicide, and Abandonment
lcg527's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gun violence
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