~~Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC!~~

I've had an up-and-down thing with Edgmon's works for a while. I thought I'd stop for good after their last book, but then I randomly decided to take a chance on winning this book when I entered a Grab-A-Galley sweepstake on Publisher's Weekly. When I did get the email saying I won, I felt both nervous and curious for what Edgmon's middle grade debut was.

I wouldn't say my expectations were blown out of the water, but it was still a pleasant surprise, nonetheless.

This book is dark. Despite its target audience, the story is very blunt its delivery of the author's imagined scenario of a post climate apocalypse. These kids, and a 9-month-year-old infant, are constantly facing starvation, threats of death and violence from adults, the very planet is practically dead, hell, the first chapter is a cold open where one of the main characters is burying her step-dad. All of this is so brutal, especially for a book aimed at middle graders. But, honestly, I love that for it.

Dark kids' media is my all time favorite (i.e., the first Land Before Time, Mrs. Frisby and the Secrets of Nimh, even popular franchises like Star Wars have plenty of dark moments.), and the fact this book utilizes this dark tone in order to discuss climate change makes it all the more horrifying.

I mean, at the time of this review, the U.S. had been experiencing scorching hot temperatures (From 90 degrees Fahrenheit all the way into the hundreds depending on the region) for over a week, despite the fact summer "officially" started five days ago. Climate change is very much a real threat, and this book showing the possible brutal, and very much fetal, outcomes for its young audience of that threat kind of amazes me, especially when it takes that darkness to show there's some hope inside.

Another thing I really liked was the characters. Millie and Rose are both unique but strong leads, and the theatre troupe that picks them up are also really good and add that element of found family I adore in books. Some people might hate how much they fight in the beginning, but I found it realistic and understandable. I mean, as I said, the first chapter begins with them burying their last adult figure, and with them not being all that close to begin with, it makes sense that there would be a lot of angst and tension at that point. All the more, it allows for character growth; that's what at the core of most stories, anyway.

The only thing that kept me back from my like turning into a love for this book was the ending. It came on really fast after we spent the whole book with slow build up and character growth/interaction. A lot of the action happened off-page, too, because the POV jumped to a character who was out of commission due to an injury, and then everything suddenly fell into place once they woke up. It was kind of a whiplash, but I won't rag on it too badly, because I felt the characters deserved some hope and happiness after everything they've gone through.

Overall, I think this is Edgmon's best work yet. I don't know what he plans on doing next, but I kinda hope he has another middle grade planned down the line.