Unsure how to give this a star rating. I found it very captivating - I could easily fall into Butler's writing and the story every time I picked it up. But this was dark, and not something you should pick up if you're not ready for it. Definitely a pessimistic vision of the future for North America, yet a believable one (and in many ways recognizable). My anxiety heightened, and I have already started looking into foraging books and thought about creating a survival pack. So there's that. It was a fine book (some of the Earthseed stuff was a little cringey but otherwise fine).