Climate fiction about the disintegration of towns, cities and later society in Florida following catastrophic damage from mega hurricanes. Eventually, Florida becomes a swamp. The eponymous main character, Wanda, born in the middle of Hurricane Wanda, faces tragic personal loss after loss and channels that energy toward pure survival. The writing was trite at times and the novel is slow to start but the plot line is excellent - it was fascinating to read about the rapid crumbling of our world as we know it. Great literary fiction pick to kick off the year. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #LilyBrooks-Dalton, and #GrandCentralPublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dystopian, magical realism, survival, natural disaster… this book had me feeling so much. Have you ever woken up from a dream and it takes a minute or two to decipher what is real and what was the dream? That’s how I felt when I would put this book down. So much of what is written *could* be true, that you can’t help but wonder if a world like in The Light Pirate might be some sort of nightmarish foreshadowing to real life.

This was not a book that I would classify as a quick read — at times it might even be why I would consider slow, but that is in no way a criticism to the autor. It’s simply because of the heavy nature of novel and loneliness and longing for global change it created in me.

I would recommend this book as one to read slowly and savor. There is much to unpack and lessons to be learned.

In a near future Florida, devastating weather events have eroded the state’s coast and infrastructure. The Lowe family is determined to stay, regardless of what comes their way. A daughter is born to the Lowes during a hurricane and given that storm’s name: Wanda. As Wanda grows up, she finds herself with unique abilities to survive disastrous weather events and adapt to civilization crumbling around her.

Completely breathtaking, from beginning to end. I'm stunned by how Lily Brooks-Dalton balances climate-based dystopia, touches of magic, and deeply layered, believable characters. I can't wait to shout about this book to everyone I know. It's really that good!

For me, cli-fi causes a reader high. It’s the heart-thumping, adrenaline-fueled, tear-filled fictional portrayal of climate upheaval that edges so close to reality that’ll make you feel so woefully unprepared. I’m going to tell you a secret though, my absolute favorite cli-fi books are those that are infused with hope.

Nestled between The Overstory by Richard Powers & The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger on my forever shelf, The Light Pirate perfectly encapsulates the beginning of the end of life as they know it for Florida residents as Hurricane Wanda ravages the land and the lives of so many. Part coming-of-age, part dystopian climate fiction, Lily Brooks-Dalton sets the stage for the birth of an unusual child, Wanda, named for the catastrophic storm that causes an equally unusual upbringing. As she navigates from childhood to adulthood, nature is remade and a distinct sense of survival & purpose necessitate a fierce determination to treat the everyday with a sense of adventure.

“The rule of this household is that Wanda occupies its center. She is their sun, and in return for their venerations she gifts them with a levity they would have otherwise forgotten is possible.”

The quiet, beautiful prose as nature wreaks havoc is reminiscent of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s earlier novel, Good Night, Midnight, another character driven novel that predicts what the future might hold and how it’s effects reverberate through the soul. Her newest novel is riveting, heartbreaking, and hopeful. The Light Pirate is a book that will have lasting effects on this reader’s mind & soul, just like Hurricane Wanda to the people in Florida in this fictional tale.

If you love climate fiction, I highly recommend you add this to your TBR. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow! Author Lily Brooks-Dalton grabs you from the first page and takes you for a wild ride in a wild world devastated by climate change. It's described by reviewers as apocalyptic, dystopian, literary fiction and magical realism. It's a beautifully written combination of all!

The protagonist is Wanda, a girl named after Hurricane Wanda, a storm that turned Florida upset side down. Her mom died during childbirth, leaving Wanda to be raised by her dad and two brothers. It's a name that sets the precocious child apart from the beginning, bullied and teased over a circumstance far out of her control. She thinks she's finally found friends at school, but instead they hold her underwater. It's then that she discovers she has a gift, one that will translate to survival.

What makes the novel so compelling is Wanda's story as she struggles to live in a sinking world, weighted down by loss, climate and few options. The novel follows Wanda from childhood to adulthood, capturing all the emotions and issues that drive the young woman to survive.

The novel is told in four parts, each focusing on different aspects of Wanda's life. They trace her wins and losses as society collapses around her. There's beauty and ugliness as individuals long to belong, whether in a water-soaked world or a community of like-minded spirits.

As dark as "The Light Pirate" is at times, it's an inspirational message. Once that says take care of what you have before it's gone, and when it's gone, keep looking for it.

This book sounded so interesting to me! It’s a bit of a cautionary tale for global warming which was interesting. but to be honest, it was hard to get through, especially the first half. I would say the second half was more interesting but as a whole, it gave me an overwhelming sense of dread, but maybe that’s just me. It was just one sad thing after another. Although I really felt for the characters, I never really felt like I connected them.
The slight magical aspect to it was super interesting and I loved it.
The ending was nice enough, but it just seemed a little rushed.
The part where this book shines is the writing. The writing really takes you in and transports you right into the setting.
Overall, this was a solid book with beautiful writing and interesting premise!

The Light Pirate is a fascinating look into the future climate change is moving us towards, especially in vulnerable states like Florida. The story follows a family who has settled in a small town that has been dying for years due to severe and increasing hurricanes/weather changes.

The novel took me a little while to get into. I felt low level anxiety reading about the bleak future we can expect. It asks questions like, what loyalty do we owe our towns and when should we give up? How do we adapt as the life we know ends? What will happen when it's too late and we haven't done enough to prepare for or counteract the dangers? I liked the characters, but I can't say I enjoyed this novel because it really brought to light how difficult life will be in the coming decades.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

The Light Pirate is such a beautiful read. Lily Brooks-Dalton’s words pull you in from page one. The story is about Florida in the not-too-distant future; sad, hopeful, and impossible to put down.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

I was looking forward to this book because cli-fi is one of my favorite subgenres. I love when ecological elements and climate change are included in novels, especially storylines following Dystopian structures. However, I elected to stop reading this book at about 40%. The opening chapters following the family's preparations for Hurricane Wanda was interesting, but I was immediately turned off by the father completely disregarding and belittling his wife's fears and requests to evacuate. I also felt uncomfortable with their dominant "fixing" man meets vulnerable traumatized woman backstory. It was all extremely depressing from the beginning. Not to mention that the only two characters I felt any kind of investment in ended up not surviving the storm.

Brooks-Dalton dips into magical realism with the character of Wanda, but her abilities seemed vague up to the point I stopped reading. The author is clearly a gifted writer; she writes beautifully and characterizes thoroughly. With that said, I don't think her skills as a writer outweigh the issues and disenchantment I had with this book.

This book started out very strong. I was immediately drawn in to the chaos that the storm brought. However, the second part of the book left me unimpressed. I had a hard time connecting with Wanda. Her undefined “gift” seemed to have no real power. I kept waiting for her to use it. It was a wonderful premise but this book just fell a little flat for me.

THE LIGHT PIRATE by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Published: 12/6/2022 by Grand Central Publishing

An instant classic reminiscent of Delia Owen’s beautiful gem … “ Where The Crawdad’s Sing”. Can we continue to keep our head in the sand? Regardless where you stand in the debate regarding reality of the climate crisis, this sweeping novel of survival by one family in the face of ongoing crisis from devastating effects of extreme weather changes will captive all with its poignancy. Kirby Lowe’s family is comprised of his two sons, Lucas and “Flip” (Phililp) and his second wife, Frida, who is pregnant and near term. Kirby is a lineman for the utility company in the small town of Rudder, Florida, in the panhandle. An approaching hurricane is near landfall, and he refuses to evacuate, and has boarded up his home and strategically placed sandbags around the exterior. He deflects multiple pleas from Frida to evacuate. What follows is a claustrophobic and harrowing description of the devastation that the storm wreaks on his community, home and family. He is called away before the storm hits to fortify the grid. His two sons leave the safety of the house to explore and “have fun”,just before landfall. Terrible events will occur as they attempt to return home in the face of the brutal hurricane. Frida delivers unattended on the floor of their house, while being pelted by the force of the hurricane through the open door.
The second part of the novel ten years later describes the dire and deteriorating conditions faced by the surviving members of the family… Kirby, his older son Lucas, and ten-year-old daughter Wanda. He honored the wishes of his dying wife to name her after the hurricane who so rudely thrust her into this world. Florida has drastically changed due to the recurrent hurricanes and rising flood waters. Citizens of Miami have been offered compensation to relocate … no such offer is extended to the residents of small town Rudder. The rich have left
their devastated underwater beachfront homes, and tourists no longer flock to Florida. The infrastructure has long ago floundered. Wanda has come under the tutelage of the neighbor Phyllis, whose survivalist preparations no longer seem crazy. Wander flourishes as she learns and adapts to the ways and methods of survival in a hostile environment. Some abilities arise in Wanda that appear somewhat magical and defy scientific explanation
Lily Brooks-Dalton proves to be an amazing storyteller, as she weaves a startling narrative of survival and resilience through lyrical prose. Mounting tension and intrigue make this gem a page-turner destined to be a favorite for book clubs. Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

First of all—I am obsessed with dystopian novels and devour them left and right. I have absolutely loved some and not so much others. The Light Pirate was one of those that I absolutely loved! Based in a dwindling Florida, this story follows Wanda and her life as disasters strike. This story was well written, had great characters and was absolutely terrifying at times and kept me up reading. Great book!

The Light Pirate is the story of Wanda, a Floridian born in the midst of a hurricane that comes to define her life. Wanda is a loner from the beginning, preferring to spend her time outdoors and learning from the reclusive biologist that lives down the road. As the climate crisis worsens, Wanda refuses to leave Florida with the rest of her family, and she story of survival in the swamps is at once lovely, haunting, and maddening.

The Light pirate is terrifying look at a future where humans are unable to stop the growing storms of the future and ultimately lose large swaths of land back to the sea. The setting is an undeniable force in this novel, an Brooks-Dalton's imagery serves as a vivid reminder of what we have to lose if we can't pull it together and figure out how stop the damage we're doing to our Earth.

The Light Pirate hit shelves on January 3. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. This is the kind of dystopian I enjoy as an adult, a quieter but no less impactful story. The writing is beautiful and emotional, and honestly a bit terrifying in its realism. Overall a fantastic read, a great way to start the year.

A brilliant evocation of how eventually the world will shed humans and go on without us. Lyrical, passionate, beautiful depictions of how glorious the Earth is. She will not miss us.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
WOW! This booked sucked me in like a … well… a hurricane. From the opening chapter where we find a very pregnant Frida stuck in a tiny house with two feral stepchildren while she awaits the return of her new husband Kirby. He is preparing for yet another Florida hurricane with the confidence that it will be “nothing to worry about”. Something in Frida’s bones tell her - Get in the truck! Go! NOW! The last hurricane took her mother and they get stronger and more frequent every year. However she is told that she is worrying too much. Her husband will take care of them.
Kirby refuses to see what is happening, he is too busy working for the power company, “keeping the lights on”. People depend on him and his crew. As he makes preparations he has confidence that they will be safe in their little house. He cannot abandon the status quo, even at the peril of those he loves. Kirby is able to deny what is happening all around him- until he can deny it no longer. By then of course, it’s far to late to do anything about it.

The book soon takes a twist I didn’t expect- but stick with it- it will pay off.
Wanda, the child born and named for the hurricane that changed everything has an insatiable curiosity for the world around her and through her eyes we see the land returning back to itself, and all of the foolishness where man has tried to tame it, are let wild again. Nature can be brutal, but can also be beautiful, as one system collapses another is born to take it’s place.
Yes, the story beats you over the head that global warming is real and this could very well be our future. For the characters in the story- it happens much faster than expected. The big Q is - are you a Kirby ( deny) a Frida ( know it but do nothing about it) or someone who makes changes to try to stop it, or at the minimum try to plan for what is coming.
Lots to think about here- Story has a satisfying conclusion, Highly recommend.

This is one of those books that will stick with me. A story told in four parts that follows the life of a girl/woman growing up in a rapidly changing climate. Born in a small town in Florida on the night of a devastating hurricane, she has only known the havoc that nature can inflict. As she grows, so do the effects of climate change. The beachside mansions that become waterside to eventually underwater. The small town that barely gets by to eventually a whole state given back to nature. The backdrop of a blisteringly hot planet with millions of environmental refugees is something that should scare all of us.

his book teaches that the natural world is consistent and regardless of what we do, good or bad, it will always prevail. Frida is pregnant and wants to evacuate but her husband, Kirby, does not. He believes that keeping Frida and his sons, Lucas and Flip, nearby is best. Each of their decisions that day affect the others in the family and their environment.

Lily Brooks-Dalton weaves a story about a family and its successes and tragedies with the fierce power of what nature is trying to teach us. The book is never preachy but simply puts out a story with the facts as they are and lets the reader come to their own conclusions. The characters are all likable and their struggles, both internal and external, are emotional. The reader will feel the wind whipping, the sky throwing torrents of rain and the cold of the pelting combination. They will silently encourage Wanda as she learns to navigate a world in which she feels unprepared and yet seems to inhabit effortlessly.

I was moved greatly by this book, both in the story and in the message that is sent regarding civilizations attempts to force nature to bend to mankind’s rules. It won’t comply and the story shows that at some point it will simply revert to what it once was. It will be up to man to adapt. Highly recommended.


I received an ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under to obligation to do so.

A baby named for the hurricane that is happening when she is born. A name she then must carry for the rest of her life along with everything that occurred because of the hurricane. This apocalyptic story is scary in some ways because of what is happening in real life right now with climate change, but it is also a hopeful story told with a clever touch of magical realism.

I thought the opening third of this novel was SO compelling, I loved Wanda immediately and the storm images were so great. It sort of lost steam for me in the last 2/3rds.