Aurora

Julie Bertagna

Final Book in Bertagna's climate change trilogy. In Exodus, Mara takes her island community to sea and finds New Mungo, only to realize they are not welcome in this modern city built above the ocean. In Zenith, Mara takes her new community of unwanteds north to Greenland, and sets up to live peacefully in the interior of the island. Throughout both, Mara's long distance relationship with Fox back in New Mungo is a way to keep tabs on his effort to revolt and change the culture of the isolated sky cities. In this third installment, Mara and Fox's daughter Lily leaves home for her own adventure. She meets back up with pirate boy Tuck, discovers long lost friends and realizes that she has been the catalyst to change the world.

Overall, Bertagna provides a captivating plot and enough change of scenery in each volume to keep interest and travel in new directions. Her politics is right out front and she is not apologetic about it, but in the end, this is an adventure tale. I do like the fact that she pushes scientists to utilize nature as a model for good science. Her scientists are ones who learn from nature instead of dominate it. And she is able to even raise (albiet briefly) some discussion of GMO morality. Easy read, but make sure you are willing to read the entire series, or you will be left feeling flat.

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