I love when a highly anticipated read delivers.

As cliche as this sentence is, I will say it because it's true: Lily Brooks-Dalton has a way with words. And with writing about loss, longing, grief, stolen opportunities, and love. And for creating incredible backstories for her characters in only a few lines. And for reminding us about the urgency of climate change.

To tell you the story would be to spoil it. But in brief: we follow the life of Wanda, born during a devastating hurricane bearing her name. She is surrounded by people (and ghosts of people) who breathe just as much as she does. I particularly loved Phyllis, a lone survivalist and ecologist living down the road from Wanda who decides to nurture this child's natural curiosity. The community Wanda grows up in is devastated by floods and climate change. Many people evacuate and don't come back. Some stay. And that's all I'll tell you for now.

While I didn't quite enjoy this as much as Good Morning, Midnight, it remained an absolute delight to read. 4.5 stars rounded up.

Recommended if you enjoy coming of age novels, are always looking for character-driven climate fiction, and don't mind a hefty dose of magic realism.