This was one of the weirdest books I've read in a long time, and I loved it. While the book didn't have any actual elements of magic, it felt at the same time not quite real. The closest reading experience I have had to reading this book is reading Joyce. The focus on climate and activism was lovely, and I loved seeing all of the different perspectives coming together and the story stitching itself together through its timelines. This feels like the type of book you can read over and over and understand something new each time, and also is a great book for people who enjoy annotating their books. I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for writing my honest review.

Eleutheria – the story of Willa Marks, a young woman finding her place in the world as it comes to a slow, seemingly-inevitable end – is simultaneously dreamlike and suspenseful, a gorgeous character study in a chillingly believable near-future.

Willa, who grew up more or less in an apocalypse bunker with her conspiracy-theorist, survivalist parents, is suddenly thrown into a world she was never prepared to live in when her parents both suddenly die, setting off a chain of events leading her to the secretive Camp Hope on the island of Eleutheria in the Bahamas, a budding organization devoted to fighting climate change. The story is told switching between three separate timelines: Willa in the "present" at Camp Hope, Willa in the past as she adjusts to life in Boston and embarks on a tumultuous relationship with a much older woman, and the history of the island.

First, the good, and there is plenty of it: the storytelling is ambitious, and largely succeeds (though I found the glimpses into Eleutheria's history a little less compelling, personally, and wish they had been fleshed out more fully). Willa was an extremely well-developed and fascinating character; her voice really pervades the whole story perfectly, and the first-person narration is immersive and a perfect choice. The writing throughout is lovely, and the atmosphere is simply impeccable: this book does suspense better than many horror novels I've read. Once I picked this up, I finished it within 48 hours, despite my busy grad-school schedule.

I had a few qualms as well; first and most importantly, I didn't feel quite convinced by the relationship between Willa and Sylvia; specifically, I wasn't quite convinced of Willa's feelings, which I thought should have been less opaque, given the first-person view. I also felt like the tensions of the relationship between Camp Hope and the Bahamian locals were not fully explored or developed, and that there was a lot of potential there that could have been played with (and some interesting issues could have been explored, which were touched on very briefly in the rest of the book but lingered in my own thoughts throughout).

Overall, this was an excellent read, and I will definitely be on the lookout for Hyde's future work. Recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating literary adventure into one person's life as the world is crashing down around us.

Willa Marks is a true believer and has embarked on an odyssey to find the author of her beloved "Living the Solution," a guide to fighting climate change. She believe the only this author holds the answers to saving the plane and she is determined to locate him and his group of followers.

As she travels to the Bahamas and encounters mishap after mishap we are lead through her life and what has brought her to this very moment. Lyrical and delightful, join Willa as she overcomes obstacle after obstacle in her life leading to a twist you cannot predict! An impactful and thoughtful treatise on climate change and humanity. #Eleutheria #NetGalley

“Eleutheria” is the Greek word for Freedom or Liberty.

Allegra Hyde's stunning debut introduces us to Willa Marks. She is the single daughter of fully dysfunctional parents who are a volatile combination of survivalists and opioid addicts. A child comes out of such an upbringing either as a total mess, or with skills perfectly suited to a unique role in the world. Willa is firmly in the camp of the latter.

Willa’s parents were on to something. The near- future world of “Eleutheria” is a complete and total disaster. Climate change is wreaking havoc throughout: drought, famine and devastation in some parts, oversaturation and flooding in others. Stifling heat bakes some regions, massive hurricanes destroy more. Political systems have totally broken down; democracy is a thing of the past. Elections are delayed or, most often, outright canceled. Autocracy and martial law are the currencies of the day. There are some devolved “Occupy”-type resistors out there scrounging for food, clothing and shelter, while being clearly outnumbered by quasi-governmental militias armed to the teeth.

And there are others who follow the teachings embodied in “Living the Solution” who are dedicated to creating a sustainable utopia in Eleutheria to avoid the coming apocalyptic collapse. Is Willa Marks the final ingredient necessary to save the world? Allegra Hyde gives us an exciting, smart, grounded story that feels way too close for comfort.

Thanks to Vintage Books @ Random House and NetGalley for the eARC.

An ambitious, not entirely successful stab at the ecological crisis solution novel. Hyde’s debut is pacey, but it shifts gear often, between the worthy, the romantic and the surreal (those cousins who aren’t quite twins, and their escapades). Central character Willa is both brave and naive, active and passive, not entirely credible. The interleaved history-of-the Bahamas material is historically interesting but written in a kind of archaic, semi-lyrical prose that jolts.
A bit of a ragbag, then, this one, but its heart is in the right place.