Trashlands

Not since I read Station Eleven have I fallen this hard for a book that is fairly bleak, but so beautifully done that it pulls you in. Trashlands is a look at the land of Scrappalachia. A world after a cataclysmic world climate event has decimated everything that we once took for granted. Numerous plants and animals alike, a thing of the past. A new generation of people exist who can barely comprehend a world where things were once single use, or convenient. Instead, this is a world of survival. One where a single wrong step can mean your death. And yet? People manage to thrive.

We all know that characters are my favorite parts of stories, and so I have to give a ton of love to Alison Stine for the vast tapestry she weaves. Coral and her family are vivid, and sturdy. Even if the reader is thrown into the story without much explanation, it's not hard to understand Coral's way of being. She is used to a world where men rule, and women suffer the consequences. She has known hurt, and loss, in a way that has altered her forever.

Around her are numerous other people, each eking out their own meager life as best they can. From Trillium, the tattoo artist, to Foxglove, the sex worker, each one has their own unique way of dealing with the world. I loved that Stine didn't attempt to build any fake levity here. This story pulls no punches. It shows each person's struggles in vivid color, but that also allows the little bits of happiness to leak through and shine brighter. It's the kind of story that once again reminds us that we should be more present in the moment, and thankful for what we have.

This would have easily been a five star read for me, if only it did a bit more of a deep dive on what actually occurred to cause this new world. Since I am heavily a character driven reader, it didn't bother me as much as it might some people. The way this story is told is almost poetic in a sense, which makes sense now that I know Stine is a poet as well. The story walks this line of tense atmosphere that keeps you on your toes. I was happy to see the people I met fully fleshed out, rather than quickly rushed over. The world never felt large per say, but in a way that felt like exactly what it was supposed to feel like. Still, for people who are more focused on world building, Trashlands may feel a little unsatisfying.

The other slight issue I had was that some of the messages here felt a little heavy handed, especially set against such a poetically told story. Again, this is definitely a story that is pushing people to pay attention to climate change and our part in it. It never pretends not to have its own sense of feminism either, with the female characters constantly assessing this “after” world ruled by men. These things never pulled me out of the story, but I do feel they might affect other readers differently so they are worth mentioning.

Am I glad I read this book? Absolutely I am. It was gorgeous. A huge round of applause to Alison Stine and this work of art.