OffSet: A Dystopian Climate Fiction

by Anna Trompetas

"Anna Trompetas’s debut novel is beautifully written, funny, poignant, and terrifying all at once." "Gripping, insightful, couldn’t put it down... A thrilling exploration of what society is frighteningly close to becoming"

A stunning dystopian science fiction novel, exploring a future London reeling from the impacts of climate change.

You pay people to serve you food. You pay people to clean your home. You even pay people to do the things you're meant to enjoy; walking your dog or taking care of your kids. Payment in exchange for service makes the world go round. But where would you draw the line?

The world is in climate crisis. After an international crackdown on carbon usage, OffSet was a system which allows individuals to buy (and sell) carbon allowance from one another. But with militant surveillance of those at the bottom, for many, personal freedom is soon a thing of the past. Alice and Sam live side-by-side in two very different Londons. While Sam struggles to provide for her son, on the surface Alice 'has it all'. The two women develop a tentative friendship, but against a backdrop of frequent climate disasters, an increasingly hostile government, and rising tensions between those with, and those without, their lives take a dramatic turn.

OffSet explores questions of morality, motherhood, and the devastating consequences of exploiting the poor for the benefit of the rich, offering a powerful vision of a world on the brink of collapse and the people who must make impossible decisions in order to survive.

Genres: Fiction

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[Tejaswini Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Cli-Fi book and a really good one too. The story is set in the future where people suffer due to drastic climatic changes. The story is told from the perspectives of Alice and Sam, both facing their own difficulties and fighting their own battles.

The concept of carbon points is fascinating and how people end up using it is even more fascinating. The story is fast paced and interesting. The ending was totally unexpected and shocking. I definitely did not see that coming and it was really sad. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and it is recommended to everyone out there as it delivers a bold message.
I thank the author for the review copy of this wonderful book.

[Cecil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check my review out on my Instagram here.
⭐ 3,75 out of 5 stars

Thank you Anna Trompetas for sending a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✒️
Climate change and the overuse of the resources of Earth has lead to drastic changes. There has been an international crackdown on carbon usage, which has led to a monthly allowance for each citizen in the UK for carbon. As with most things sparse or wanted for people who want more, a new program is created; sell your carbon points in exchange for money to live for; join OffSet.

Sam is a struggling single mother, who cleans for Alice, a woman who seems to have it all; the money, the perfect nuclear family, not a single thought for struggles... The two women form an unlikely friendship, but against rising tensions due to equality in society, both consider their place in society and the collective struggles of humanity.

📖
Last week we hit the hottest day ever recorded globally, which kept topping day after day. Reading OffSet on top of those scary news really puts climate change into perspective, and unfortunately also made for a realistic dystopian climate disaster future with the current backdrop.

I really enjoyed both Sam and Alice as characters, and often their thoughts felt relatable and human. None of the characters in this story are without their own faults, just like the society, which is a scarily accurate depiction of our current climate debate and workings of society on a bigger plan. Some of it felt a little too real, while in other places it could've been more drastic; like complete removal of plastic bags from society. The writing is sharp too, and some sentences begs to be reflected on, which makes for sharp commentary on the real world through fiction.

While the execution and realism of a (near) future works really well for the story, I was also left wanting a more coherent story with less time jumps between chapters to create some deeper relationships between the characters. The book is 274 pages long, and the 274 pages are spent very well, but adding an extra 80 for more relationship development wouldn't have hurt the story at all.

[Amelia Dellamuro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is no one editing these Kindle Edition books? So many typos and lots of bad grammar.

[Joseph D'Urso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed OffSet. It grapples with a very big theme - climate change and our own personal impact - while having a pacey plot and engaging characters. The author writes very well and hooks you in from the beginning, and the political themes never feel forced or like you're being told what to think. It's the kind of book that could trigger some fascinating conversations or, equally, just read for enjoyment. I will be very interested to see what the author does next, she clearly has a lot of talent and eye for a story.

[Susannah Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but the end was quite horrific and probably could do with a trigger warning imo 🤷‍♀️

[Rachel Coll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read this year!

It's very readable (I couldn't put it down) and not your typical heavy sci-fi book - it's pacey with writing and themes that are similar to 1984 and The Handmaid's Tale. If you like those books, I'm sure you'll love this!

It paints a scarily relatable picture of the future where the carbon economy controls the lives of all individuals. You unravel a detailed and intelligent description of how this economy works (/doesn't work!) without dryness or the need for a degree in economics/politics to understand the jargon! The book also includes lots of details about life in South London but with a backdrop of global events. Some of it is so close to what we're already seeing on the news, it's scary.

The characters are complex and I loved that the book is focused on two very different, flawed, and interesting females. The male characters are also good and there is a hetero romantic sub-plot but it doesn't take over the story (so refreshing!).

I hope that soon this book will get the attention that it deserves. Recommended!

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Anna Trompetas for an ecopy of your book in exchange for a review.

Set in the future, with climate change the biggest risk to life, Offset is the system created that allows people to buy and sell carbon allowances from each other. This process is tightly controlled, and those with less options are coercively controlled and as the story progress, personal liberties infringed upon and decisions enforced. Against this backdrop we meet Sam & Alice. Sam is a single Mum who struggles daily to survive. Alice on the other hand appears to have it all. Sam & Alice’s lives overlap and irrevocable choices and decision are made that will haunt them both forever.
This book was incredibly thought provoking. It made me think about how we are currently looking after our beautiful plant and am I doing my bit. Layered within this is the question, what choices would I have made if I were in either Sam’s or Alice’s situation.
The characters develop in a well-paced and responsive way to the emerging challenges, and the storyline has a momentum that keep it progressing. I was initially a little confused about how the OffSet system worked and I occasionally thought that some of the storylines within were distracting from the main story. However, the divide between those that have and have not and the psychological impact of that was very well captured. A quote that I loved is ‘The moral integrity of two can only reasonably be compared in identical circumstances; when they have enjoyed (or missed out) the same privileges, been exposed to the same media narrative, been surrounded by the same peers: all of the element that constitute a lived experience’. I connected with the writing style and the ending was a complete surprise to me - I loved that about the book. This is a wonderful debut novel that I would recommend it if you enjoy reflecting of moral choices, you have an interest in social divisions and the ethical choices these divisions create as well as the horror what could unfold if we do not take climate change seriously.

[Simon Hack · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cynics will say "Anna, carbon credits already exist". Well I'd say to the cynics: The current system is far less sophisticated than that which Anna has built. She's created a world where the clickbait news stories feel real and the debates between people resonate with the stories of today. She's added the personal touch, with character building that shows us the ways in which the credits affect people's day-to-day lives. She digs into the challenging decisions they have to make and the way they feel about their neighbours. The pace of writing is just right; enough for some solid character depth but fast paced enough to keep you on your toes. And I hear it's a debut novel! I certainly look forward to what is to come. Hopefully, it's more heart wrenching personal stories in politically twisted worlds.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strongly recommended by a friend, this is a self-published first novel set in London 20 years in the future. It is about the impact of climate change and how laws to protect the environment can have dramatically different effects on different sections of the population, particularly between the wealthy and poorer members of the community.
Alice, married to a rich man and living a comfortable and pampered life employs Sam, a single mother as a cleaner at her home. Both women have five year old sons. Everybody has an allowance of energy usage, but Sam struggles to cope with her son's special needs and supporting themselves whilst working and joins the OffSet scheme where she can sell her energy allowance. Alice signs up to buy excess allowance and the disparity in their lives inevitably widens to disasterous effects.
The message in this book is vital, prescient and scary as it describes very plausibly the increasing inequality and unfairness of the regulations, which enable the rich and privileged to continue their lifestyles whilst trapping and punishing the poor into ongoing cycles of deprivation (sounds familiar!)
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with this message and found the corruption of the system entirely plausible, the book felt to me too polemic and insufficiently nuanced. In particular, the characters were rather stereotyped and although they did develop, it was in predictable ways. The writing is also quite plain and unimaginative.
I also have a few trivial complaints: I read a physical copy of this book because I don't have a Kindle and it's the first self-published book (by Amazon) that I have read. I'm not sure if it's because the book is self-published, but I didn't like the very flimsy covers of the book, which curled up almost straight away, nor the overuse of italics in the text and also the text not being justified on the right as well as the left side of the page. These things obviously do not affect the quality of the writing but did impact on my reading experience.

[Willow Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty awesome dystopian set story based around Climate Change.
Set in the near future in the UK, we follow two narratives of the haves, Alice and the have nots Sam. By using the concept of OffSet - whereby currently, organisations can pay other organisations so called green tax credits which makes the company doing the buying appear more green; and instead in this world; this concept in this book is brought down to the individual.
Everything someone does is counted in terms of their carbon credits. Thus we meet Sam, a single mother with a child who has challenging behaviour (turns out he is Autistic and ADHD, who struggles to find work and joins the OffSet community. A group of people who live a more carbon neutral lifestyle - everything from walking everywhere, to the food they eat, to the entertainment they enjoy. She is a cleaner for Alice, who represents the Haves. She is a stay at home Mum; who has a heated pool in her house, and is able to buy whatever her heart desires; including single use plastics and beef.
Without spoiling it - I felt the split narrative an intriguing plot device. Though I felt some of the ide characters were not as well fleshed out as I would of liked them to be; specifically Andrew the husband of Alice and Caleb the ex-partner of Sam.
Further, I found Alice to be entirely characterised as a bored housewife; and my opinion did not alter even with some of the plot points she gets involved with.
Whilst the message of this book is incredibly commendable; I found a few plot holes did take me out of the book. For example, the carbon counters are managed via an app on a phone. Those that are OffSet seem to be able to use their phones as much as they like; however TV requires carbon points.
Overall, a really great story and warning about the possible restrictions when it comes to Climate Change, and what it means for us all.

[Chante · Rating 2 out of 5]

Going into starting this book, I thought it would be a really cool dystopian story about the divide in society created by the government, and it getting even worse during this time (2040+). My first complaint was the lack of background within the story as to what counters are, how we got there, who has them and who doesn't, what offset actually is other than just a random email promising money that people randomly decide to trust. things start to make more sense as you read on, however that was a struggle, as it just didn't make sense for a while.
We then get to the change in the book, where it becomes less about the evil decisions made to keep poor people poor and rich people still living their lavish lives with pools etc, no matter how many "caps" they receive - another thing that just wasn't explained - and becomes more about poor people being terrorists. I wouldn't even mind if it turned out that things become more equal, but it was almost just a slap in the face for people who have nothing. Especially as things in the real world are so tough for a lot of people right now, maybe readers want to read a dystopian book and smile that things worked out for someone.
Not only did this book end up being about terrorists and the government cracking down on the poor and immigrants even more than they were originally, it didn't even have a real ending. We didn't get Mark's reaction to the consequences of Alice's grief; nor did we really get to see Alice's grief, rage and hurt. You would have thought she would have confronted the group in her anger and requested answers before taking her revenge, but all we see is an emotionless snapshot of the consequence itself, and then the epilogue. It was a wrap up to a book rather than an ending to a story. The story could have been so much more and could have really made an impact on someone's mind, but it was more of an overview of "things are hard for some people...and it won't get any better", with barely any real depth for you to truly connect with. Generally just a disappointing read.

[Linda Hodgson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking in relation to how current strategies to combat climate change continue through COP but are failing to address it.
The chasm between rich and poor has grown with the latter paying for the excesses of the former. In this adversity control by government has extended beyond the current imagination and human rights are completely and brutally violated.
There are other themes around relationships and friendships and the horror that emerges from terrorists driving the agenda as the majority suffer and have no voice.
The mirror of the geological world also reflected in one couple’s relationship was beautifully painted and extremely powerful. The despair of a female lead character as punishment is exacted upon her was painful to read.
I don’t think there was any joy in the novel, as there was a constant sense of menace or doom. The author’s point therefore made.
Would be interesting to read the next novel by this author.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in two sittings. It is dystopian but scarily “current” in a “this is the way we are headed” manner. It brings into stark relief the age-old concepts of the haves and have-nots but in respect of carbon usage and expenditure in a near-future time when the world has failed to heed the climate warnings. Or rather, the West has found a way to cheat and make its own poorest people pay the highest price.

The characters are likeable and relatable and there is twist in the tale that stings unexpectedly, even given the subject matter.

Beautifully written. Will keep an eye out for more from this author.

[Tilly MB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Offset. It was a slow burn with little happening until the very end. It also throws you in immediately with some of the lingo and you have to just be comfortable with not understanding at first and that it will become clearer. I found it to be a well formed dystopian world, where not too much has changed apart from government controls which keeps people in poverty and allows rich people to live more comfortable which feels very real and possible. It came across incredibly well researched with a poignant point of view without the message hitting you over the head. My main reason for not giving five stars is the slow pace and the ending didn’t ring true to me.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as I was interested in the dystopian sci fi and climate change concepts, and I wasn't disappointed. There were some novel ideas here, including some horrendous (and unfortunately realistic) routes that future governments may choose to go down. The book was an emotional journey and I know this one is going to stick with me for a long time. Unfortunately the kindle version had a number of grammatical errors in it, so I hope that's something that can be improved over time.

MINOR SPOILER
The end was shocking, and won't be to everyone's taste, but I personally am generally a fan of unconventional endings.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't recommend this book enough.

Really poignant message for today's world. Great balance between characters and a story that hook you in and an imagined future so plausible that it makes you think. You don't have to love dystopian to read this book, it's 'real' enough to read for the story alone and clever enough to be brilliant if you do

[Nico Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this stands shoulder to shoulder with any dystopian classic. With a highly intriguing and relevant theme, Offset is brilliantly balanced with the complexity of the human characters created. It is a long time since a book has made me feel so emotional. I have no idea how this book doesn’t have more traction!

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I just finished this and had to write a review immediately.
Everything about this book was just perfect. The characters, the pacing, the plot, the themes, the writing – I could go on. This only took me a few days to read, and once I reached the 28% mark I finished the rest of it in one sitting.
This book is undoubtedly a new favourite.

[Pollyanna Wigley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - it was a fascinating (if slightly terrifying) premise. The story of the characters drew me in the more I read and in the end I had to wake up at 6.30am on a Saturday to finish it because I couldn't wait. Would definitely recommend.

[Fiona Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb debut cli-fi novel, compellingly written and imagined. It feels like it sits somewhere in the intersection of a Venn diagram with The Help, Noughts and Crosses, and The Ministry for the Future, with timely themes of climate justice, social inequality, and right to political protest.

[Izzy Trompetas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner and very topical. Strong debut novel, looking forward to the next one.

[Ella Whight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read, kept me hooked right from the beginning. Really interesting and thought provoking concept.

[Daria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars if it didn't read like a rough draft.

[Amie ᥫ᭡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody hell, what a horrible and brilliant ending. Dystopian novels are even more terrifying when they don't seem very far-fetched.

[Mary Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t got a bad thing to say. Devoured it in 24 hours
Powerful themes - especially relevant to todays world
Complex characters - I found myself switching sides throughout

[sarah franklyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This definitely could be the future unfortunately. Really well written and a worthwhile read. Kept me interested until the end.

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eat the rich

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise but did this not get proofread at all? It was full of grammatical errors which took me out of the story.