Zenith

Zenith continues the story from Exodus, following teenager Mara Bell and the refugees from her drowned island as they seek sanctuary in the sky cities of the future. The towering metropolises float above a world transformed by melted ice caps and rising seas. Mara must navigate political tensions between the privileged sky city dwellers and the displaced masses seeking entry from below. Her journey intersects with Fox, a young boat-dweller, and Tuck, a resident of New Mungo who holds vital information about survival. Life-or-death decisions face the characters as they cross paths in this altered world of the 2100s. Resources are scarce, power structures are unstable, and the divide between sky citizens and water refugees creates mounting conflict. This dystopian tale explores themes of climate change, social inequality, and the human drive to survive against overwhelming odds. The narrative raises questions about responsibility to others and what people will sacrifice when faced with extinction-level threats.

Readers find Zenith lacks the momentum and impact of its predecessor, Exodus. Many note it serves primarily as a bridge novel in the trilogy. Readers appreciated: - The continued environmental themes and world-building - Character development of Mara and Fox - The addition of new character perspectives - Descriptions of the frozen landscape Common criticisms: - Slower pacing compared to first book - Less action and more introspection - Multiple viewpoints can feel disjointed - Some plot threads left unresolved Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (500+ ratings) Amazon: 3.8/5 (30+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "The middle book syndrome hits hard here" - Goodreads reviewer "Beautiful writing but moves too slowly" - Amazon reviewer "Lost the urgency that made Exodus compelling" - LibraryThing review "Takes time to get going but worth persisting" - BookTrust reader review

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🌊 Zenith is the second book in a climate fiction trilogy written well before cli-fi became a popular genre, with the first book, Exodus, published in 2002. 🏙️ The floating sky cities depicted in the book were inspired by real-world designs for sustainable floating cities being developed by architects and engineers. 🗺️ Author Julie Bertagna was moved to write the series after seeing maps of how rising sea levels could change coastlines around the world, particularly in her native Scotland. 🏆 The first book in the trilogy, Exodus, won the Lancashire Children's Book of the Year Award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year. 📚 While writing the trilogy, Bertagna conducted extensive research on climate change, working with environmental scientists to ensure the future world she created was scientifically plausible.