Starred review from September 27, 2021
A young woman pieces together her past in this tantalizing, immersive dystopian sci-fi novel from Kellogg (The Book of Air). The Melt, an event that led to fatal storms and rising sea levels, has left Earth in chaotic imbalance. On Manhattan island, stranded civilians band together to create dens, microcommunities dedicated to keeping their chosen families alive by equally allocating foraged food and supplies. Kellogg’s heroine survives Superstorm Abel but loses her memories in the traumatic experience, retaining only glimmers of whom she used to be. With no idea of her past life or former name, she calls herself Glimmer and joins one of the oldest dens, Unca Joe. While some of her denmates long for safety on the utopian mainland, Glimmer isn’t sure about abandoning her new life and hopes staying on the island will trigger her memories. But time is running out—the next deadly storm is brewing, and the dens are turning on each other in a brutal fight for resources. Kellogg expertly lays out her plot, unravelling information at a deliberate pace and keeping readers invested as Glimmer grapples with her identity. The cinematic worldbuilding and wonderfully nuanced characters set this well-rounded eco-thriller apart. This is a winner. Agent: Joshua Bilmes, JABberwocky Literary Agency.