I really enjoyed reading Hurricane Fever by Tobias Buckell. Unlike other cli-fi novels, I felt that this novel gave a positive impression of the futuristic world. The protagonist, Roo fully embraced dangers of the natural world such as the rising sea levels and the incoming hurricanes. The imagery in this novel of the massive waves crashing illustrates how Roo’s character literally had to face his obstacles head on. He embraces the chaos and enjoys the journey. As a reader I never got the feeling that Roo was scared about these dangers. For example, he would stop to get a drink and talk with the locals about the incoming storms like it was a normal occurrence. I believe that Buckell decided to make the main character so strong minded in order to convey the idea that as a society we should not let our fear or emotions disable us from acting on the issues that we are faced with. This is why I liked Roo’s character so much because he was the true definition of a character that refuses to give up. This theme of perseverance can also relate to the bigger issue of climate change. Many people in today’s society are pessimistic and have lost all hope in restoring our earth. Roo’s character proves to the reader that obstacles can be overcome and it does not have to be so scary.
This book was full of action, such as when Kit claims to be Zee’s sister and joins Roo and his nephew, Delroy on their journey to find shelter. In addition, the flirtation between Kit and Roo also made the book more entertaining. In addition, there was a mystery element to the novel because as the reader I was trying to gather more information about Zee and her death. There was also violence through out the novel such as at the end when Beauchamp shot Roo.
Therefore, this book was very much an easy read and light-hearted compared to other cli-fi novels. Buckell wrote a thrilling novel that made the reader less apprehensive about the future despite the chaos because it was presented in a way that was challenging because the characters had to literally and figuratively get through the storm.
