Climate of Chaos by Cassandra Newbould
Read by Jesse Valinsky
Published: July 2025
Summary from Goodreads:
An exhilarating dystopian YA recalling The Last of Us and Divergent—Climate of Chaos is a hard-hitting survival story featuring a disabled protagonist that explores the chilling effects of climate change and medical debt.
In dystopic Seattle, storms have devastated Earth’s population, a new virus is spreading, and the privileged live inside domes controlled by Aegis Corp. Healthcare is earned by hours accrued working in Aegis’s pharmaceutical factories. If you run short on hours, you’re sent to Harvest House for debt collection—a place from which no one returns.
After a storm killed seventeen-year old Fox LaRosa’s parents and left her disabled, Fox and her younger sister, Rabbit, join their fugitive aunt’s mercenary group Still Alive. Their mission is to restore the imbalance of medical access for post-storm survivors.
But when a med supply heist goes south, Rabbit is taken captive, and Still Alive refuses to rescue her. Fox must choose between duty and family, and leaves home to infiltrate Aegis’s interior domes where Rabbit is being held hostage. The more Fox learns about life in the domes, though, the more she realizes Still Alive isn’t as altruistic as they claim. In a world where everyone is out for themselves, Fox must rely on those she trusts least in order to reunite with her sister and expose those in power for who they really are.
Confession:
I am kind of a sucker for anything set in the lovely city of Seattle. So when this one popped up on my radar, I knew I was going to have to get my hands on it. It was a solidly good read too. I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the plot was fast paced and kept you on your toes for the most part.
The futuristic setting of this story was perfect. It is certainly one that I could easily envision. Medical debt is out of control as is the climate and both create a perfect storm for the characters. The descriptions of the city and the surrounding areas were pretty spot on and I enjoyed thinking about how things were changed. I loved the way the different societies were set up as well.
We are told the story only from Fox’s point of view, and I did enjoy spending time with her. She is brave, and strong, despite her disability, which doesn’t hold her back at all. She has hidden skills and is fiercely loyal to her sister. The other characters in the story were well fleshed out and are all very interesting and likable.
Jesse Valinsky does a good job of portraying Fox and the other characters in the story. She keeps things upbeat and moving even when things are not looking good for the characters. I like her voice and would enjoy listening to her again.
The overall story is a good one. There is a lot going on in this future, climate chaos, viruses, extreme poverty caused by medical debt and government conspiracies. If you enjoy dystopian stories with heart, then this is a must read.
Salvagia by Tim Chawaga
Read by Amy McFadden
Published: August 2025
Summary from Goodreads:
Triss Mackey is flying just under the radar, exploiting a government loophole that lets her live quietly aboard the Floating Ghost—her rented, sentient Cabana Boat. In exchange, she dives for recycling recovered from the flooded, formerly coastal cities known as the yoreshore. If she happens to find some salvagia, nostalgic salvage artifacts from the past, well, that’s between her and the highest bidder.
But when the federal government begins withdrawing from Florida, Triss must buy the Ghost or lose her loophole. Meanwhile, the corporate mafias are poised to seize power, especially Mourning in Miami, led by the legendary Edgar Ortiz, owner of the Astro America luxury hotel. Triss needs a score big enough to keep her free from the feds and corporations before the Ghost is sent to a watery, insurance-scamming grave.
In pursuit, she stumbles upon the chained-up, drowned corpse of Ortiz and winds up with more than she bargained for, including a partnership with Ortiz’s hotshot son, Riley. If she can help Riley solve the mystery of his father’s death, it may lead them to a valuable piece of salvagia and with it, the hope of a sustainable, free way of Florida living.
Confession:
This was a very enjoyable read and a very strong debut. I really hope that there is at least a sequel if not a whole series set in this world. This is a fast paced mystery thriller that will keep you on your toes guessing what will happen next.
The story is told through Triss, and she is a survivor. She has to be, considering the harsh environment that the world has turned into. Not only is most of Florida underwater, but the rest of the US population live under domes controlled by the government. It does not sound like a fun time. Triss just wants to be left alone, to live her life on her boat, but things keep happening that drag her into conspiracies, murder and mysteries to solve. But she is smart and tough and she gets it done.
The world building was amazing and very detailed, but I did sometimes get a little lost with all of the jargon. This is a very believable future and the world is still the same even when it is totally different. I did get a little bit confused with all of the different characters, but that was more a function of listening to the story rather than reading it. It is just harder to keep track of them all. But, that said the diversity of the characters and how well most of them were fleshed out, was great. This author really packed in quite a lot of information in this story.
Amy McFadden does an excellent job with narrating the story. She does a great job capturing the tone and feel of the world. She also does a great job with the many characters. I always enjoy her narrations and I hope if there is a sequel that she will once again voice Triss.
If you enjoy a complex dystopian that is pretty high on the believability scale, this is one you don’t want to miss. I am really looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. I really hope that we get to see Triss and this world again.
Confessions of a Serial Reader 