The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
240 Pages
Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.
In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
240 Pages
Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.
In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.
Okay, this may sound bizarre, but you know when you eat something extremely delicious and you are trying to tell someone about the amazing meal you just had? You don't just say, "Oh, I ate this sushi from blah blah blah and it was good." You rave and ramble and use absurd hand gestures to get your point across. That's what I need to do with Love in the Time of Global Warming, because this book is like the sweetest ambrosia and I want everyone to know about it.
This summer semester, I'm taking a mythology course. I, like many, have been fascinated by Greek myth since I was little--thank you, Disney's Hercules. In this class, we finished reading The Odyssey two weeks ago. Then we had to write a paper comparing the poem to Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, a movie starring that hottie, George Clooney. So I've been immersed in that world and those characters a lot. Being so close to it, I decided to pick up Love in the Time of Global Warming. "Might as well knock out a review copy and get my final dose of Homer's classic?" That may have been the best idea I've ever had.
I cannot stress enough how glorious this book is. The author's brilliant writing, flawed but lovable characters and engaging story, everything about it made this book perfect. There is so much to the story, so much put in these short number of pages that I will be thinking of this book for a great long while. When I stop thinking about it, that's when I know I'll need to pick it up and read it again.
Pen lost everything in the Earth Shaker. The water rose, the ground opened up and her family and friends disappeared. Now she lives holed up in the home she where she grew up with nothing for company but the memories of them, surviving off of the goods her father collected. When an unexpected forces her from her home, she goes in search of her beloved brother, Venice and her parents. She doesn't foresee the epic journey that awaits her filled with monsters, enemies and loss, or the love she finds with the boy who carries his heavy past on his shoulders and a copy of The Odyssey in his hands.
I am in love with this book, if you didn't already realize. The cover is what drew me in the rest is what made me stay. Block has a unique and decadent writing style that's flow made me wish I was eating dark chocolate as I read (I'm sorry for all of these food references, but I haven't had dinner yet). Her prose is enchanting and portrayed the emotions of Pen easily. I teared up a few times while reading about our young heroine's heartbreak. Altogether, it's a beautiful book that does more than just retell a literary classic.
Pen, Hex, Ez and Ash were all so… so endearing. Each had their own problems, struggles in their past that greatly affected them, but the relationships that were built between the four were sincere. They are wonderful characters, easy to love and hard to let go of. They are diverse in their backgrounds and personalities, which made for an even more interesting read. I wish we could see more of them, as I've grown very fond of the four companions and am curious to know how life after the end of the book is for them. One can only hope that they are able to find a stable happiness in the dead world in which they live.
The plot moves steadily. I never felt the pace waver. It's an easy read, not too complex, but enough depth to wholeheartedly take your interest. The world-building was phenomenal, which I believe had a lot to do with the details in the prose. Block excellently shows us this horrifying world that is reminiscent of the one we know today. It's eery, haunting and perfect for this story. Nothing felt out of place, or awkward to me. This book was breathtaking and one that I want everything to read and enjoy as much as I did.
Love in the Time of Global Warming is very different from mainstream young adult literature, in a good way. Block goes outside the box, giving the audience an enthralling and unforgettable tale. Based on how much I loved this book, I will definitely be reading more of this author's work. If they are anywhere near as compelling as this one, I know I will be a fan. Please give this book a chance! Go into it open-minded as there are some controversial subjects that are very relevant to young adults and society as a whole today.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
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