Book Review: High Rise by Vanessa Lee

An eye-opening book set on the Australian East Coast a few years from now. None of us know exactly when the sea level rises will start to force change – whole families moving en masse away from their coastal communities – but we know it will happen eventually.

This book traces two intertwined families as they can no longer ignore the impact of storms, king tides and erratic weather on their beloved home.

Constant storms have already damaged Bombora’s coastline and no end is in sight. When rising tides force Vaga, the beloved beachfront restaurant, to finally close it is seen as a grim omen. Community rifts deepen, old friends clash, and some flee the idyllic suburb for safer ground, while others stand firm, defying the increasingly erratic weather.

Mick, a charismatic local figure, faces a family crisis as he grapples with the impending threat. A chance encounter with Renata, an old schoolmate, and her son Guil, a local surfer, forges an improbable alliance. As a menacing storm looms on the horizon, Mick and Guil rally Guil’s surfer friends to form a ragtag “tinnie army.” When the tempest strikes with unrelenting force, it triggers a chain of events that will alter their lives forever.

*****

Bombora, once an idyllic seaside haven for surfers and the wealthy is now threatened by the changing weather and the ever increasing threat of climate change. Some decide to leave for safer ground but for the ones that choose to stay, life will never be the same.

When I was offered the chance to receive a copy of High Rise by Vanessa Lee to review, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The story is told from the point of view of multiple characters. Mick, a local businessman is doing all he can to hold on, even when his wife and children want to move away. I felt quite sorry for him as his heart seemed to be in the right place. I’m not sure what I would do in his position.

I did feel empathy for his wife, Sam. She has built her life around her husband’s business. However, when people start to move away, her life becomes very empty.

Renata’s heart has always been in Bombora but there are things from her past that she’s keeping from her son and she knows she can’t outrun them forever. Her son, Guil is getting older and knows that time is running out for the town. Climate change is affecting his environment and he wants to motivate the town into doing something about it before it’s too late.

This novel doesn’t waste time in throwing the reader into Bombora’s current reality. What once was a thriving business is now submerged and tours are offered to visit what was the social hub of the town. That impacted me a lot especially as the author then takes you back to the time before, where the setting sounded stunning and when there was only the threat of the big storms. She shows the reader just how quickly things can deteriorate. Like the storm featured in the novel, the tension builds with a feeling of unease. It was impossible to put this book down.

Climate change is one of those subjects that can feel abstract, until it’s not and I feel that this book demonstrates this perfectly.

I live in a seaside town. I’ve seen how different the landscape looks now compared to when I was younger. Books like this are important. Yes, the characters are fiction but the theme is very much real and needs to be taken seriously.

This book is going to stay with me for a long time and has made me think about what my impact on the world is and what I can do to change bad habits. Today is Earth Day (April 22nd) so there is no better time to do so.

I’m not sure what else I can say without spoilers. At just over two hundred pages, it’s not a long novel. I also feel like there could be a sequel – that there’s more to the story and these people. I really recommend this book for its realistic, flawed characters and compelling story where there’s heartbreak and anger mixed in with hope, faith and courage.

(Many thanks to the publisher and Hannah Hargrave PR for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.)

About Vanessa Lee: 

Vanessa lives in Munich but was raised on a beautiful piece of coastline just south of Sydney. She loves to write about complicated people and relationships, probably because she has so much experience there. She believes that storytelling is a wonderful way to inspire change, which is why her debut novel “High Rise” has as its backdrop the insidious topic of climate change in an apathetic world.

She also loves to write poetry, but be warned – it’s dark.

Say hello to Vanessa on Instagram.

High Rise is available to buy on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon AU and Waterstones.

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.