Day 949, Quasi-Quarantine: Connected Characters Offer Devastating Look At The Globe In "How High We Go In The Dark"

"I saw a civilization that could destroy itself before it even reached the nearest star. But I also saw a world that would be the first to witness the quiet of intergalactic space and walk on the ruins of whatever remains of us." 

Sequoia Nagamatsu's "How High We Go in the Dark" is a prescient and futuristic look at a world wracked by climate disaster and plague, comprised of a number of intricately woven vignettes. Melancholy and haunting, this book spans centuries, traverses galaxies -- even hops species.

"After school she'd study the news, comb the internet for disasters, wars and hate and injustice, write it all down in these color-coded journals. Once, i asked her what she was doing, and she said she was just trying to keep track of it all because it didn't seem like anybody else noticed or cared that we kept making the same mistakes, that hate in a neighborhood or injustice in a state ran like poison through veins, until another ice shelf collapsed or another animal went extinct. Everything is connected, she'd say."

Though the characters are all linked in some way, it can be a challenge to keep them all straight as Nagamatsu's tale expands. However, it's worth the work, as "How High We Go in the Dark" offers just enough hope in human adaptability to override the pervasive, heart-rending events that transform Earth.

"In the real world, people comfort themselves with ignorance, politics, and faith, but here in the domes only hard numbers matter."

A quick and absorbing read, "How High We Go in the Dark" runs the reader through a gamut of emotions, resulting in a beautifully constructed and irresistible book.

"Even with my mind being what it is, I find myself playing roulette with these moments at night. Sometimes it feels like I've imagined entire lifetimes."