The dystopian world of America Pacifica was founded as a refuge for Americans fleeing the Second Ice Age on the U.S. mainland. It is an island somewhere between the West Coast and Hawaii. Though initially idyllic, America Pacific is now overcrowded, polluted, ecologically ruined and divided between the haves and the have-nots. The haves live in utter luxury and the have-nots exist in wretched poverty.
The Story
Eighteen-year-old Darcy and her mother, Sarah, have only each other to rely on. Both work minimally paying jobs to afford a tiny apartment with a hot plate and a communal bathroom. Their existence is bleak. But, Darcy loves her mother and cannot fathom a life without her. One night, her mother does not return from work and Darcy’s life transforms in ways she could have never imagined.
Anna North describes America Pacifica in such vivid detail that it is possible to imagine the filth that encrusts everything. From the dingy underground nightclubs to the sewage infested slums, there is dirt, cockroaches, and more dirt. All the areas of AP have been given American state and city names, Floridatown, Little Las Vegas. Darcy lives in Little Los Angeles, the rich live in Manhattanville. The beaches are polluted from the runoff of manufacturing Seafiber, an algae-based product that is turned into almost everything including food, clothing, and building materials.
In the course of her search, Darcy begins to gather information that links her mother to the founder of AP, an egomaniac called Tyson, who Sarah met on the Mainland. Sarah has never told Darcy much about her earlier life in a commune in Seattle and her role in the founding of AP.
Dystopian Novel
This novel is gritty, disturbing, depressing and ominous, all the things that make up a dystopian novel. Mainland America has been frozen over by a second ice age, killing millions. A small segment have escaped to what they presume will be an Eden-like life on a tropical island. What occurs is worse than their former life in America. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The population is ruled by a despot and his goons. All freedom is restricted and everyone is watched.
Darcy becomes an activist only when she is forced to find her mother. It is only in her search that she matures and realizes she is very much like her mother, trying to find a safe place to live, a home, the basic need in every person.
To aid her in the search, Darcy becomes entangled with some strange characters, some slightly eccentric and some insane. Ansel is a fanatic bent on revolution and redemption; Nathaniel lives in the past, but has valuable information for Darcy; Marie is sympathetic to Darcy's plight, but guards a horrible secret that can bring ruin to Darcy.
This novel is marketed to Young Adult readers and will resonate with the dystopian atmosphere. There is some graphic language and sex scenes, which may be problematic for parents rather than the YA readers.
North is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She is a staff writer for Jezebel.com. This is her first novel.
Source
- North, Anna. America Pacifica. Reagan Arthur Books, 2011.
Debbie Whittemore - I've been blogging for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) since 2006. SIBA is a trade association which represents over ...
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