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We Are Unprepared
We Are Unprepared is a novel about the next big storm, the one that changes our relationship to nature and each other…the superstorm that threatens to destroy a marriage, a rural Vermont town and the Eastern Seaboard when it hits. But the destruction begins months earlier, when fear infects people's lives and spreads like a plague.
Ash and Pia's move from Brooklyn to the bucolic hills of Vermont was supposed to be a fresh start—a picturesque farmhouse, mindful lifestyle, maybe even children. But just three months in, news breaks of a devastating superstorm expected in the coming months. Fear of the impending disaster divides their tight-knit rural town and exposes the chasms in Ash and Pia's marriage. Ash seeks common ground with those who believe in working together for the common good. Pia teams up with "preppers" who want to go off the grid and war with the rest of the locals over whom to trust and how to protect themselves. Where Isole had once been a town of old farm families, yuppie transplants and beloved rednecks, they divide into paranoid preppers, religious fanatics and government tools.
We Are Unprepared is an emotional journey, a terrifying glimpse into the human, environmental and cultural costs of our changing earth. But hope awaits on the other side.
Ash and Pia's move from Brooklyn to the bucolic hills of Vermont was supposed to be a fresh start—a picturesque farmhouse, mindful lifestyle, maybe even children. But just three months in, news breaks of a devastating superstorm expected in the coming months. Fear of the impending disaster divides their tight-knit rural town and exposes the chasms in Ash and Pia's marriage. Ash seeks common ground with those who believe in working together for the common good. Pia teams up with "preppers" who want to go off the grid and war with the rest of the locals over whom to trust and how to protect themselves. Where Isole had once been a town of old farm families, yuppie transplants and beloved rednecks, they divide into paranoid preppers, religious fanatics and government tools.
We Are Unprepared is an emotional journey, a terrifying glimpse into the human, environmental and cultural costs of our changing earth. But hope awaits on the other side.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2016
85 people are currently reading
3144 people want to read
About the author
Meg Little Reilly
4 books148 followersMeg Little Reilly is the author of the novels THE MISFORTUNES OF FAMILY, EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS, and WE ARE UNPREPARED. She is a writer at Bennington College, an essayist, public radio commentator, and outdoors enthusiast. Prior to writing novels, Meg worked in national politics and the White House. She holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. from the George Washington University. These days, she lives in rural Vermont with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
September 5, 2016
Full review on www.novelgossip.com
We Are Unprepared is a cautionary tale of what the future of the world could look like. It begins three months after Ash and Pia have left their old life in Brooklyn behind for a simpler and quieter existence in rural Isole,Vermont. Reports of a devastating Storm begin to surface and the fear and anxiety this produces is like nothing Ash and Pia have seen or experienced before.
This story is told entirely from Ash’s perspective and is divided into three parts. The first part is the longest and is told over several months before The Storm is scheduled to hit. The second part is when the storm actually hits and that doesn’t happen until about sixty five percent of the story is told. Though it did take quite a long time to lead up to the big event, part one was still engaging and kept me turning the pages.
The process of seeing how the citizens of Isole all handled the lead up to The Storm was quite fascinating. Everyone may have had differing ways of preparing themselves for this potentially catastrophic event but they all experienced panic, paranoia, and terror as they waited to see if The Storm would even come to fruition. Many people begin to act rashly and highly out of their normal character as they grappled with the preparations necessarily to survive the impending and ominous weather. Ash and Pia find themselves on different sides when their town is divided; he joins in the local town elders to try and do what’s best for them as a whole while she begins meeting with a group of local preppers who are mainly concerned with looking out for themselves. The pressures they are facing coupled with a tense environment put heavy strain on their marriage. How can they unite to ride out The Storm when they have such varying opinions and viewpoints? What does all this disparity mean for the future of not only their marriage, but also for society in general?
August is Ash and Pia’s seven year old neighbor who has a troubled home life. He has gravitated to Ash as he is desperate for a solid male role model. I loved watching their relationship unfold and enjoyed seeing Ash discover things about himself as their relationship evolved into something precious and personal for both of them. Throughout the book, Ash grows in some painful and poetic ways that I found endearing and tremendously touching, it really resonated with me.
While not nearly as fast paced as I often like my books to be, We Are Unprepared was still rather gripping and I was just as anxiously awaiting The Storm as the characters in the book. Little Reilly is a gifted writer who managed to convey an important message and cautionary tale while weaving it together with compelling characters that I was invested in.
We Are Unprepared is a cautionary tale of what the future of the world could look like. It begins three months after Ash and Pia have left their old life in Brooklyn behind for a simpler and quieter existence in rural Isole,Vermont. Reports of a devastating Storm begin to surface and the fear and anxiety this produces is like nothing Ash and Pia have seen or experienced before.
This story is told entirely from Ash’s perspective and is divided into three parts. The first part is the longest and is told over several months before The Storm is scheduled to hit. The second part is when the storm actually hits and that doesn’t happen until about sixty five percent of the story is told. Though it did take quite a long time to lead up to the big event, part one was still engaging and kept me turning the pages.
The process of seeing how the citizens of Isole all handled the lead up to The Storm was quite fascinating. Everyone may have had differing ways of preparing themselves for this potentially catastrophic event but they all experienced panic, paranoia, and terror as they waited to see if The Storm would even come to fruition. Many people begin to act rashly and highly out of their normal character as they grappled with the preparations necessarily to survive the impending and ominous weather. Ash and Pia find themselves on different sides when their town is divided; he joins in the local town elders to try and do what’s best for them as a whole while she begins meeting with a group of local preppers who are mainly concerned with looking out for themselves. The pressures they are facing coupled with a tense environment put heavy strain on their marriage. How can they unite to ride out The Storm when they have such varying opinions and viewpoints? What does all this disparity mean for the future of not only their marriage, but also for society in general?
August is Ash and Pia’s seven year old neighbor who has a troubled home life. He has gravitated to Ash as he is desperate for a solid male role model. I loved watching their relationship unfold and enjoyed seeing Ash discover things about himself as their relationship evolved into something precious and personal for both of them. Throughout the book, Ash grows in some painful and poetic ways that I found endearing and tremendously touching, it really resonated with me.
While not nearly as fast paced as I often like my books to be, We Are Unprepared was still rather gripping and I was just as anxiously awaiting The Storm as the characters in the book. Little Reilly is a gifted writer who managed to convey an important message and cautionary tale while weaving it together with compelling characters that I was invested in.
March 10, 2017
I really liked this one. The characters were believable to me and I could see the whole story unfolding as I was reading it. Also, I love a good blizzard. I'm giving this one 5 stars because this is the kind of stuff I really go in for and I enjoyed it from start to finish. It's probably more of a 4 star type of book. But I can't help but go heavy on the stars when a book is heavy on the snow.
July 28, 2019
I'm finished and thank goodness for that. If I had had to read any more of this writing, I would have plucked out my eyeballs. I'm not sure why this book is getting so many rave reviews...all I can think is that the reviewers connect more with these protagonist's or the style of writing and maybe I am just too old to understand, empathize with, or connect with protagonists like this. (selfish, silly, stupid, whiny, possibly suffering a variety of mental illnesses, entitled, bratty, and did I already say stupid? etc.)
Since the first third or more of the book was back-story and very boring except to lay the foundation of the Ash and Pias' flaws. This was a good thing because it explains so much later on in the book. The back-story also explains that this couple had just been playing at being Vermonter's, and nearly deserved what they got. Yes, they were THAT unlikable.
The next third of the book---I don't even know if I could explain it ---it just bogs down. Slow and clumsily written. The sad thing is that the concept was such a good one, but in my opinion, the author tried to be too literary (fancy-schmancy)with it. Too much introspection on the male protagonists part, not enough battening down the hatches preparing and waiting for THE STORM!
I'm from New England, and this book was insulting to me.
*ARC supplied by publisher
Since the first third or more of the book was back-story and very boring except to lay the foundation of the Ash and Pias' flaws. This was a good thing because it explains so much later on in the book. The back-story also explains that this couple had just been playing at being Vermonter's, and nearly deserved what they got. Yes, they were THAT unlikable.
The next third of the book---I don't even know if I could explain it ---it just bogs down. Slow and clumsily written. The sad thing is that the concept was such a good one, but in my opinion, the author tried to be too literary (fancy-schmancy)with it. Too much introspection on the male protagonists part, not enough battening down the hatches preparing and waiting for THE STORM!
I'm from New England, and this book was insulting to me.
*ARC supplied by publisher
August 9, 2018
My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin (US & Canada) MIRA for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Slight spoilers follow.
Ummmm....none of the characters were likable, all were pretty much dumb and in a real life end of time event, they would have all died. And I would have cheered.
I had to keep checking that this book was written by a woman, as the MC's wife was written as "manic pixie dream girl all grown up", but not mature. I THINK she was supposed to have an un-treated mental disorder, but she mentioned to her husband in more than one fight that she was crazy/had issue/wasn't normal, etc. I'm not sure how mental illness works, but does the person who has it realize that they do? And if they do, would they rather not do anything about it? I think she was just really selfish with a side of immaturity and inability to adult properly and used mental illness as an excuse to do whatever she wanted. The whole not wanting to help August and do something her husband really wanted to do, for once in their relationship kinda clinched it for me.
Her husband thinks incredibly poorly of her the entire time we are in his head (which is a pretty horrible place to be, btw), so it should come as NO surprise that they barely act like roommates who use each other for physical release and that their marriage doesn't seem like one. I can't even say it disintegrates throughout the course of the book, because the reader never gets to see it whole or even partially whole.
And the MC's whole flip-flop over wanting to have kids was a complete head-scratcher, especially since it was supposed to be the end of life as we know it and he wants to bring a baby into that, when before he just wanted it to be him and his f-buddy, I mean wife?
So both MCs were pretty horrible. The rest of the characters were all stupid and antagonistic, rather than pulling together for the greater good and survival of as many people as possible. Kind of depressing, because that's probably how it will go down, should the end of times occur.
I was hoping this would be more of a prepper and survival book, not an internal monologue and drama of two children trapped in the body of grown adults.
It was written well, but it just didn't work for me. And when I peeked at the end and saw the cheating, I was DONE. I don't care how lousy things are with your spouse, fix them or end the marriage, THEN sleep around after it is done. NOTHING excuses cheating, not even the end of the world as you know it.
Skipped from page 197 to 336 and that scene made me decide I didn't need to read the rest of this book.
2 stars because I didn't hate it and I will sell it to someone looking for apocalypse-lite with a huge helping of drama, but not something I will go out of my way to recommend.
Slight spoilers follow.
Ummmm....none of the characters were likable, all were pretty much dumb and in a real life end of time event, they would have all died. And I would have cheered.
I had to keep checking that this book was written by a woman, as the MC's wife was written as "manic pixie dream girl all grown up", but not mature. I THINK she was supposed to have an un-treated mental disorder, but she mentioned to her husband in more than one fight that she was crazy/had issue/wasn't normal, etc. I'm not sure how mental illness works, but does the person who has it realize that they do? And if they do, would they rather not do anything about it? I think she was just really selfish with a side of immaturity and inability to adult properly and used mental illness as an excuse to do whatever she wanted. The whole not wanting to help August and do something her husband really wanted to do, for once in their relationship kinda clinched it for me.
Her husband thinks incredibly poorly of her the entire time we are in his head (which is a pretty horrible place to be, btw), so it should come as NO surprise that they barely act like roommates who use each other for physical release and that their marriage doesn't seem like one. I can't even say it disintegrates throughout the course of the book, because the reader never gets to see it whole or even partially whole.
And the MC's whole flip-flop over wanting to have kids was a complete head-scratcher, especially since it was supposed to be the end of life as we know it and he wants to bring a baby into that, when before he just wanted it to be him and his f-buddy, I mean wife?
So both MCs were pretty horrible. The rest of the characters were all stupid and antagonistic, rather than pulling together for the greater good and survival of as many people as possible. Kind of depressing, because that's probably how it will go down, should the end of times occur.
I was hoping this would be more of a prepper and survival book, not an internal monologue and drama of two children trapped in the body of grown adults.
It was written well, but it just didn't work for me. And when I peeked at the end and saw the cheating, I was DONE. I don't care how lousy things are with your spouse, fix them or end the marriage, THEN sleep around after it is done. NOTHING excuses cheating, not even the end of the world as you know it.
Skipped from page 197 to 336 and that scene made me decide I didn't need to read the rest of this book.
2 stars because I didn't hate it and I will sell it to someone looking for apocalypse-lite with a huge helping of drama, but not something I will go out of my way to recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2021
I liked this book more than I thought I would. A couple moves to Isole, Vermont from Brooklyn, New York. Ash is from Vermont, Pia is not. They both like the idea of simple living. On the day they find out conceiving a child will be more work then they guessed, the world also learns about a super storm coming soon to reek havoc on New England. The Storm, as it comes to be known, spreads fear and panic throughout New England. Pia and Ash has different views on how to best prepare themselves. Pia joins a group of preppers and Ash becomes a local government tool to help the town get ready.
The Storm is only the backdrop of this story. Ash is the main character and his POV is all we get. Ash thinks through what to do with the information he is given. He is smart, but not too smart. Also he doesn’t have a bunch of great survival abilities, most of that comes from Pia. Ash and Pia are new to Vermont, so they don’t have many ties to the community. They both join groups, much opposed to each other, and this creates a divide in their marriage.
At first, I really liked Ash and Pia together. She is a little quirky and Ash really loves that about her. They both want to leave less of a carbon footprint and Vermont is the perfect place for people like them. Ash and Pia are more like Yuppies Hippies living in the country for the first time in their marriage. Vermont is also the perfect place for people that have been there forever and religious fanatics. I thought there were both hanging with some dark characters but they all end up with a common goal, keep what they have and survive The Storm.
The Storm was horrifying little addition to this story. In this reality, global warming has forced mother earth into action. The Storm is a combination of monster hurricane and winter storm bigger than anything the planet has ever seen. Ash and Pia decide to prepare as best they can and hunker down at home. Pia is filled with excitement and Ash is filled with fear. Ash watches in horror as Pia obsesses over her preparations. The small town in Vermont is the perfect place for The Storm to do the most damage to people that put pride in the land they live on. They are all survivalists of some sort.The question becomes, how does anyone prepare for The Storm.
The story moves at a great pace. I was sucked in right away. I loved all the characters that Ash interacts with, especially the little boy from next door. The author did a great job to shine a light on global warming without pointing fingers at who is to blame. This timely adventure had me captivated a more than a little horrified. The author’s note at the end is worth reading. I highly recommend this book!
June 30, 2016
I was lucky enough to snag an early copy of this one, and boy, was I glad. An engaging novel from the emerging "cli-fi" genre, We Are Unprepared is both a page-turner and a warning from a talented new author. I can't wait to see what's next for Meg.
August 29, 2016
We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly is a story set in Vermont about a broken relationship and an impending superstorm. It's either so-so or recommended, depending upon what you can personally tolerate in a disaster/climate change/politically preachy/bad relationship/needy neighborhood child/debut novel.
Ash and Pia have moved from Brooklyn to Isole, Vermont, a town of 6,481 people. Their desire is to live a simpler life, sort of return to the land and rely on themselves. After being there for 3 months, the forecast of the impending disastrous superstorm is predicted, with as many as 30 hurricanes along with heatwaves, blizzards, drought, and fronts of various kinds. It's a climate change believer's dream, or er, natural expected outcome based on scientifically proven measurements. Pia is a neurotic mess and teams up with local preppers, which Ash didn't know until after the fact. Ash wants to team up with local authorities.
The novel covers the current action, with Ash reflecting upon the past and his relationship with Pia. Ash admits at over half way through the drawn-out-too-long narrative that: "The truth is that Pia had always been impulsive. I worked hard to see her as a passionate free spirit, but I knew she had a tenuous grasp on sanity most of the time." Well, Ash, I had that figured out pretty much at the first few pages. As the narrative follows the extremely slowly arriving storm (predicted in Early October, hits in the Spring, and doesn't happen in the novel until chapter 19), the marriage falls apart. To be honest, they were never really together from the beginning and the only reason they had some semblance of a relationship is due to Ash's denial of Pia's mental problems and his desire to smooth things over, explain behavior away, and keep it together.
Ash's relationship and desire to help neglected 7 yr. old neighborhood boy, August, is one redeeming quality to We Are Unprepared, which could have used some more redeeming story lines and characters. Other than that this is one you'll read for the disaster. You can skim ahead for that because it happens late in the book. I appreciate what Kirkus reviews said: "By that point, 19 chapters into the book, the reader is eager for the damn storm to occur." Yup, that pretty much summarized my thoughts.
The writing is okay, nothing spectacular. Ash is the only character you get to know, but he and Pia are both formulaic stereotypes of a certain segment of the population. So, read this if you just want to read a disaster novel with blizzards, snow, and flooding. It's akin to a sci-fi channel disaster movie (or at least those I noticed back when I actually had cable). In fact, you could just watch a disaster movie and do just as well. Those of you who have experienced huge snowfalls and then floods from Spring melting might just see this as an "eh" book because you've lived it with less fanfare and hand wringing.
Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.
April 27, 2016
As gigantic storms hit my hometown, and floodwaters rise, and storms take out trees, and lives, I read this book. I picked it up at TLA.
The story starts out with a promise of some sort of problem, which must be solved about the two main characters. But there are some simple flaws with the flow of the story. The main character Ash leaps back in time every few pages to tell about something from a few weeks previous, a few months previous, or a few years previous. He tells the story of his relationship with his wife Pia in back story. It is interesting, but I found myself skipping ahead.
I loved that the town divided up into several groups, all with an agenda that didn't match the others. I loved that the two main characters fall into different groups to await The Storm. If this had remained the true focus of the author, it would have made a greater story. The focus of the author became The Storm (she even explains this in the afterword). And that would have been okay, too. But I'm sitting here not relating at all to someone who really really doesn't get that there are other worlds besides the one centered around and in New York City. I don't think the little town in Vermont was very realistic. Perhaps if more details and characters were given more page time, it all would have hung together better. My favorite scene is when he leaves the preppers group and goes to sit in the bar. It was more believable than any of the other bits in the book, except for Ash's relationship with August, which is touching. What was the most unbelievable was the lack of story at the end, after the storm. It is a "telling". And after a devastating storm, the after stories are where this author could have been amazing. A few more personal experiences and feeling about it would help. Perhaps this telling and rushing to the end could be changed as this is an ARC, which leaves some room for correction.
The story starts out with a promise of some sort of problem, which must be solved about the two main characters. But there are some simple flaws with the flow of the story. The main character Ash leaps back in time every few pages to tell about something from a few weeks previous, a few months previous, or a few years previous. He tells the story of his relationship with his wife Pia in back story. It is interesting, but I found myself skipping ahead.
I loved that the town divided up into several groups, all with an agenda that didn't match the others. I loved that the two main characters fall into different groups to await The Storm. If this had remained the true focus of the author, it would have made a greater story. The focus of the author became The Storm (she even explains this in the afterword). And that would have been okay, too. But I'm sitting here not relating at all to someone who really really doesn't get that there are other worlds besides the one centered around and in New York City. I don't think the little town in Vermont was very realistic. Perhaps if more details and characters were given more page time, it all would have hung together better. My favorite scene is when he leaves the preppers group and goes to sit in the bar. It was more believable than any of the other bits in the book, except for Ash's relationship with August, which is touching. What was the most unbelievable was the lack of story at the end, after the storm. It is a "telling". And after a devastating storm, the after stories are where this author could have been amazing. A few more personal experiences and feeling about it would help. Perhaps this telling and rushing to the end could be changed as this is an ARC, which leaves some room for correction.
October 24, 2016
Such an interesting read. It's wonderful discussion book because there are so many questions and ideas this book puts forth for the reader to think about HOW PREPARED ARE YOU? ,When or if A superstorm comes to where you live . How would your community act? How would your immediate family behave? How ready is your state? I recommend this book and enjoyed it.
Read
July 13, 2016Reilly hooks the reader with a terrifying, all-too-real possibility, and from that point on the book is just about impossible to put down.
And just for the record, I would last about 3.5 hours in any type of emergency situation.
And just for the record, I would last about 3.5 hours in any type of emergency situation.
August 30, 2016
A special thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Talented Meg Little Riley delivers WE ARE UNPREPARED -a Vermont couple, recently transplanted from Brooklyn, attempts to weather the storms of life. Part environmental thriller, apocalyptic, and psychological domestic suspense.
A devastating super storm. One which threatens to destroy a marriage, a town, and the Eastern Seaboard. It starts when the fear of its arrival infects lives and spreads like a plague.
Ash and Pia are chasing a romanticized idea of a more simple and sustainable life. Set in Vermont, an approaching period of extreme weather events.
Their move from Brooklyn to the bucolic hills of Vermont was supposed to be a fresh start—a picturesque farmhouse, mindful lifestyle, maybe even children. But just three months in, news breaks of a devastating superstorm expected in the coming months.
Their dream home and the life they had wanted. A place to join nature. The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. They had left their jobs in New York and started a new life in Vermont. They wanted to grow and build things. Preserve and pickle. They wanted to play their own music and brew their own beer.
A real life. Self-reliance—a promise that they would not only feel a deep sense of pride and moral superiority, but also that it would ensure eternal martial bliss. From eating their own cucumbers, they had grown, beekeeping seminars, and sitting on the Adirondack chairs they carefully assembled, on their charming porch.
When the news of The Storms broke, they were only three months into the real-living adventure. They were not alone in their journey—there were others with the same aspirations. People who wanted to live different.
In the aftermath of America’s economic crisis, a burst housing bubble, and an overheating earth— they were part of an unofficial movement of people who wanted to create a life that wasn’t defined by a drive for more stuff.
They wanted to spend less time at work and more time with each other. The simple pleasures. The world was different and they were adapting.
Isole, Vermont was their answer to those yearnings. They were hiding out in a picturesque hamlet that was too far from a city to be truly civilized. It offered a delightful mix of hippies and rednecks, co-habitating in the valley between two small mountains.
Coming from Brooklyn, they had spent the previous twelve years building successful and lucrative careers. Pia had worked in advertising and Ash, was a partner at a graphic design firm.
They had fallen in love with their Vermont farmhouse on vacation. They had made a pact to live a different sort of life one day. They wanted to escape the city and remake themselves. Now, this was finally the natural extension of the dream they had created together.
The Storms. The NOAA was predicting as many as thirty named tropical storms and hurricanes in the coming months, along with likely heat waves and drought, and even severe blizzards. The storms have the potential to be very disruptive.
The global ramifications of extreme weather—food scarcity, political unrest, war—the storms of life. Climate changes. Fear. A catastrophic storm. Excitement. Waiting for disaster. Relationships. Storms are costly and dangerous. So many variables. Damaging. Preparations. Terrifying.
The universe. How will it kill off our species? Instantaneous and painless, or cruelly slow. Had it already begun, slowly enough to go undetected. Beginning or an end? They did not know how it would end or just how gruesome the destruction would be. They tingled with impatient anticipation of its release. When would it hit? Something was going to happen. Anticipation.
A storm can take your home, your equity, your livelihood and maybe even your loved ones. You cannot underestimate the power of nature, God’s power. Something much bigger than us.
The Storm can rearrange lives and test faith. It can wash away thousands of square miles and change our country. Choices…. Preparation. Waiting to be rescued from treacherous conditions. Some even death.
What the novel’s characters are unprepared for is a devastating super storm. It threatens to destroy a marriage, a rural Vermont town, and the Eastern Seaboard when it hits, but the storm’s destruction actually begins months earlier when fear of its arrival infects lives and spreads like a plague.
Weather events in the modern age test our faith in the almighty power of civilization. Disaster. Loss. The aftermath. Recovery.
The Storm blasted wide open all the small fractures that previously existed in a community, in relationships. Will they be able to learn from the destruction, and move on? Rebuild something stronger, a sounder foundation on an uncertain future.
If you have read the author’s impressive bio, she worked for President Obama as deputy associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget and, before that, as spokesperson at the U.S. Treasury. – you will share her passion of activism and her love letter to the woods where she grew up.
From climate change and how fear threatens our relationships. A relationship to the natural world and what we stand to lose if we do not change our course.
A moving, absorbing, thought-provoking story of global warming and conservation—an exploration, an uncertain world, an apocalypse water story. Fear is a strong driver and ongoing theme. From religion, alcohol, and guns. Many will relate to the many vices humans turn to for comfort in times of fear.
An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. Reilly includes a very detailed Reader’s Guide to further enhance group discussions. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
JDCMustReadBooks
Talented Meg Little Riley delivers WE ARE UNPREPARED -a Vermont couple, recently transplanted from Brooklyn, attempts to weather the storms of life. Part environmental thriller, apocalyptic, and psychological domestic suspense.
A devastating super storm. One which threatens to destroy a marriage, a town, and the Eastern Seaboard. It starts when the fear of its arrival infects lives and spreads like a plague.
Ash and Pia are chasing a romanticized idea of a more simple and sustainable life. Set in Vermont, an approaching period of extreme weather events.
Their move from Brooklyn to the bucolic hills of Vermont was supposed to be a fresh start—a picturesque farmhouse, mindful lifestyle, maybe even children. But just three months in, news breaks of a devastating superstorm expected in the coming months.
Their dream home and the life they had wanted. A place to join nature. The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. They had left their jobs in New York and started a new life in Vermont. They wanted to grow and build things. Preserve and pickle. They wanted to play their own music and brew their own beer.
A real life. Self-reliance—a promise that they would not only feel a deep sense of pride and moral superiority, but also that it would ensure eternal martial bliss. From eating their own cucumbers, they had grown, beekeeping seminars, and sitting on the Adirondack chairs they carefully assembled, on their charming porch.
When the news of The Storms broke, they were only three months into the real-living adventure. They were not alone in their journey—there were others with the same aspirations. People who wanted to live different.
In the aftermath of America’s economic crisis, a burst housing bubble, and an overheating earth— they were part of an unofficial movement of people who wanted to create a life that wasn’t defined by a drive for more stuff.
They wanted to spend less time at work and more time with each other. The simple pleasures. The world was different and they were adapting.
Isole, Vermont was their answer to those yearnings. They were hiding out in a picturesque hamlet that was too far from a city to be truly civilized. It offered a delightful mix of hippies and rednecks, co-habitating in the valley between two small mountains.
Coming from Brooklyn, they had spent the previous twelve years building successful and lucrative careers. Pia had worked in advertising and Ash, was a partner at a graphic design firm.
They had fallen in love with their Vermont farmhouse on vacation. They had made a pact to live a different sort of life one day. They wanted to escape the city and remake themselves. Now, this was finally the natural extension of the dream they had created together.
The Storms. The NOAA was predicting as many as thirty named tropical storms and hurricanes in the coming months, along with likely heat waves and drought, and even severe blizzards. The storms have the potential to be very disruptive.
The global ramifications of extreme weather—food scarcity, political unrest, war—the storms of life. Climate changes. Fear. A catastrophic storm. Excitement. Waiting for disaster. Relationships. Storms are costly and dangerous. So many variables. Damaging. Preparations. Terrifying.
The universe. How will it kill off our species? Instantaneous and painless, or cruelly slow. Had it already begun, slowly enough to go undetected. Beginning or an end? They did not know how it would end or just how gruesome the destruction would be. They tingled with impatient anticipation of its release. When would it hit? Something was going to happen. Anticipation.
A storm can take your home, your equity, your livelihood and maybe even your loved ones. You cannot underestimate the power of nature, God’s power. Something much bigger than us.
The Storm can rearrange lives and test faith. It can wash away thousands of square miles and change our country. Choices…. Preparation. Waiting to be rescued from treacherous conditions. Some even death.
What the novel’s characters are unprepared for is a devastating super storm. It threatens to destroy a marriage, a rural Vermont town, and the Eastern Seaboard when it hits, but the storm’s destruction actually begins months earlier when fear of its arrival infects lives and spreads like a plague.
Weather events in the modern age test our faith in the almighty power of civilization. Disaster. Loss. The aftermath. Recovery.
The Storm blasted wide open all the small fractures that previously existed in a community, in relationships. Will they be able to learn from the destruction, and move on? Rebuild something stronger, a sounder foundation on an uncertain future.
If you have read the author’s impressive bio, she worked for President Obama as deputy associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget and, before that, as spokesperson at the U.S. Treasury. – you will share her passion of activism and her love letter to the woods where she grew up.
From climate change and how fear threatens our relationships. A relationship to the natural world and what we stand to lose if we do not change our course.
A moving, absorbing, thought-provoking story of global warming and conservation—an exploration, an uncertain world, an apocalypse water story. Fear is a strong driver and ongoing theme. From religion, alcohol, and guns. Many will relate to the many vices humans turn to for comfort in times of fear.
An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. Reilly includes a very detailed Reader’s Guide to further enhance group discussions. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
JDCMustReadBooks
October 13, 2016
Can a Vermont couple, recently transplanted from Brooklyn, survive the worst weather disaster in recorded history? That’s the question asked in BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge’s next novel, WE ARE UNPREPARED (MIRA) by Meg Little Reilly.
Ironically I was reading this unsettling novel last week, while hurricane Matthew was barreling towards us here in South Florida. For once, Presidential politics had been replaced on the television by the weather-casters determined to scare the hell out of us, along with the news anchors urging us to buy everything edible on store shelves. But then again, look what happened to Haiti and other parts of the east coast. You never can be too prepared, or can you? The characters in WE ARE UNPREPARED become so obsessed by an approaching storm, it threatens to split the town apart and emotionally damage them before it even arrives.
Pia and Ash have left their lucrative urban careers behind to live a more authentic life in Isole, Vermont (pop.6,481). They want to learn how to “pickle” things and lead a slower, more meaningful life. Their Brooklyn friends think they’re crazy, but secretly are really jealous of them giving up the fast lane and kind of wish they had the guts. But soon after they arrive, as they’re settling into their new home, the U.S. weather authorities announce that a natural disaster, called “The Superstorm” is on it’s way. The Superstorm is in the form of “as many as thirty named tropical storms and hurricanes,” plus “likely heat waves and drought, and even severe blizzards.” That’s in September.
Everyone in town tries to stay calm and go about their everyday life, but soon it’s all anyone can talk about and paranoia begins eating away at the populace. Things aren’t any better between Pia and Ash. He’s on the side of the government tools and she’s working with the “paranoid preppers” and both are at odds. You can cut the tension at home with a knife. The storm finally arrives in the spring and by then, fear has spread like the plague.
As a reader, you’re ready for the storm to finally arrive. I liked the addition of the characters August and Maggie to break up the main interaction between Pia and Ash. I don’t want to give anything away, but I could tell where the relationship between Pia and Ash was headed from the beginning, especially after the worms moved in.
I found the topic of WE ARE UNPREPARED incredibly interesting and timely. I live in South Florida where we have submerged three-inches since Cat 5, Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, and continue to. Miami Beach becomes “Venice” whenever it rains. In addition to Zika and dengue fever, we have more tropical diseases appearing in our area. Yet our Republican Governor Scott has banned all state employees from acknowledging or using the words “climate change.”
I pray we are prepared when it becomes necessary.
Ironically I was reading this unsettling novel last week, while hurricane Matthew was barreling towards us here in South Florida. For once, Presidential politics had been replaced on the television by the weather-casters determined to scare the hell out of us, along with the news anchors urging us to buy everything edible on store shelves. But then again, look what happened to Haiti and other parts of the east coast. You never can be too prepared, or can you? The characters in WE ARE UNPREPARED become so obsessed by an approaching storm, it threatens to split the town apart and emotionally damage them before it even arrives.
Pia and Ash have left their lucrative urban careers behind to live a more authentic life in Isole, Vermont (pop.6,481). They want to learn how to “pickle” things and lead a slower, more meaningful life. Their Brooklyn friends think they’re crazy, but secretly are really jealous of them giving up the fast lane and kind of wish they had the guts. But soon after they arrive, as they’re settling into their new home, the U.S. weather authorities announce that a natural disaster, called “The Superstorm” is on it’s way. The Superstorm is in the form of “as many as thirty named tropical storms and hurricanes,” plus “likely heat waves and drought, and even severe blizzards.” That’s in September.
Everyone in town tries to stay calm and go about their everyday life, but soon it’s all anyone can talk about and paranoia begins eating away at the populace. Things aren’t any better between Pia and Ash. He’s on the side of the government tools and she’s working with the “paranoid preppers” and both are at odds. You can cut the tension at home with a knife. The storm finally arrives in the spring and by then, fear has spread like the plague.
As a reader, you’re ready for the storm to finally arrive. I liked the addition of the characters August and Maggie to break up the main interaction between Pia and Ash. I don’t want to give anything away, but I could tell where the relationship between Pia and Ash was headed from the beginning, especially after the worms moved in.
I found the topic of WE ARE UNPREPARED incredibly interesting and timely. I live in South Florida where we have submerged three-inches since Cat 5, Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, and continue to. Miami Beach becomes “Venice” whenever it rains. In addition to Zika and dengue fever, we have more tropical diseases appearing in our area. Yet our Republican Governor Scott has banned all state employees from acknowledging or using the words “climate change.”
I pray we are prepared when it becomes necessary.
November 17, 2016
I think my lower rating stems from having different expectations when I started it. I generally love books about post apocalyptic scenarios or weather events that change society. While this book has that, The Storm doesn't appear until more than halfway through, even though they are preparing for its imminent arrival throughout. This book is more about a marriage unraveling with The Storm as a backdrop. And while it's told in first person, I was confused about the narrator's several quips about future events affecting the present. It didn't make sense given the narration. Reilly is a good writer but the plot of this one didn't work for me, which was a disappointment. Maybe I expected too much.
July 15, 2016
We are Unprepared is an interesting idea for a novel. It tells the story of how a couple and the small Vermont town they live in prepares for a giant storm.
Seeing how everyone dealt with the stress of the storm was the best part of the novel. I felt this aspect was handled very well and realistically. The actual storm itself fell a little flat for me and is why I rated this four instead of five stars. "The Storm" was built up so much for the first half of the novel and I guess I was just expecting more.
Seeing how everyone dealt with the stress of the storm was the best part of the novel. I felt this aspect was handled very well and realistically. The actual storm itself fell a little flat for me and is why I rated this four instead of five stars. "The Storm" was built up so much for the first half of the novel and I guess I was just expecting more.
October 2, 2016
This was an ok read. Not fantastic, but not horrible. In an attempt to create suspense, I think the author only succeeded in dragging it out. I liked Ash's character though, and was rooting for him.
September 21, 2017
Hipster preppers of the apocalypse? I was totally excited for that.
Then I read the book. Sadly, We Are Unprepared isn’t about “hipster preppers of the apocalypse.” It’s about . . . I don’t know. Boring, horrible people doing boring, horrible things to each other? That seems about right.
Ash and Pia live in a future where global warming has created superstorms. Months after moving to their dream home in rural Vermont, one of these storms starts moving up the coast of the US. Scientists predict that it will flatten everything in its path, including Ash and Pia’s dream house. The couple disagrees on how to handle the coming storm. Pia becomes a “prepper” and starts a compost heap in their living room. Ash joins the local government and frantically tries to prepare the town for flooding. As the storm approaches, Ash and Pia’s marriage falls apart. They might be able to survive the apocalypse, but can they survive each other?
This book isn’t what I expected. I’m not sure if that’s my fault or the synopsis’s fault. Probably both. I expected the superstorm to be a big part of the story, but it doesn’t show up until the last hundred pages. The majority of the book consists of Ash and Pia arguing about the storm and being horrible to each other.
I don’t mind unlikeable characters if they’re doing something interesting, but I didn’t find the storm preparations very interesting. Ash sits through government meetings. Pia goes way overboard with turning their home into a bunker. Her reactions to the oncoming storm are so extreme that Ash suspects she’s mentally ill. Instead of helping her, he goes out with his friends and meets a new girl. I feel like I spent forever waiting for the superstorm, and by the time it arrived, I was hoping it would kill all the characters. I was rooting for the storm.
The themes are where this book shines. The storm is the result of global warming, which is a relevant topic. The story also makes you think about the best way to face a disaster. Is it better for everybody to take care of themselves, or should we band together and share resources to protect the community? What happens if one selfish person puts the whole community’s safety in jeopardy? This book shows that fear of something can sometimes be more deadly than the thing itself.
I like the variety of reactions that the characters have to the storm. Impending disaster brings out the worst qualities in some people and the best qualities in others. Disasters also attract opportunistic bottom feeders. These people roll into town to sell their products (or their crooked religions) to desperate survivors, and then they roll out before they actually have to help anybody. I think this book realistically shows the range of reactions to a disaster.
There are aspects of this novel that I like, but I mostly feel let down. Maybe that’s my fault. I was expecting a different story from the one I got. If you like books about interpersonal conflicts, then you’ll probably like this novel. If you want to read about a superstorm, you’ll probably be disappointed.
Then I read the book. Sadly, We Are Unprepared isn’t about “hipster preppers of the apocalypse.” It’s about . . . I don’t know. Boring, horrible people doing boring, horrible things to each other? That seems about right.
Ash and Pia live in a future where global warming has created superstorms. Months after moving to their dream home in rural Vermont, one of these storms starts moving up the coast of the US. Scientists predict that it will flatten everything in its path, including Ash and Pia’s dream house. The couple disagrees on how to handle the coming storm. Pia becomes a “prepper” and starts a compost heap in their living room. Ash joins the local government and frantically tries to prepare the town for flooding. As the storm approaches, Ash and Pia’s marriage falls apart. They might be able to survive the apocalypse, but can they survive each other?
This book isn’t what I expected. I’m not sure if that’s my fault or the synopsis’s fault. Probably both. I expected the superstorm to be a big part of the story, but it doesn’t show up until the last hundred pages. The majority of the book consists of Ash and Pia arguing about the storm and being horrible to each other.
I don’t mind unlikeable characters if they’re doing something interesting, but I didn’t find the storm preparations very interesting. Ash sits through government meetings. Pia goes way overboard with turning their home into a bunker. Her reactions to the oncoming storm are so extreme that Ash suspects she’s mentally ill. Instead of helping her, he goes out with his friends and meets a new girl. I feel like I spent forever waiting for the superstorm, and by the time it arrived, I was hoping it would kill all the characters. I was rooting for the storm.
The themes are where this book shines. The storm is the result of global warming, which is a relevant topic. The story also makes you think about the best way to face a disaster. Is it better for everybody to take care of themselves, or should we band together and share resources to protect the community? What happens if one selfish person puts the whole community’s safety in jeopardy? This book shows that fear of something can sometimes be more deadly than the thing itself.
I like the variety of reactions that the characters have to the storm. Impending disaster brings out the worst qualities in some people and the best qualities in others. Disasters also attract opportunistic bottom feeders. These people roll into town to sell their products (or their crooked religions) to desperate survivors, and then they roll out before they actually have to help anybody. I think this book realistically shows the range of reactions to a disaster.
There are aspects of this novel that I like, but I mostly feel let down. Maybe that’s my fault. I was expecting a different story from the one I got. If you like books about interpersonal conflicts, then you’ll probably like this novel. If you want to read about a superstorm, you’ll probably be disappointed.
July 5, 2019
Well, I was warned. My best cousin read this first and they totally warned me. It's 350 pages of poorly written drivel and only 80 pages of it is storm, they said.* The protagonist isn't a nice person, they said.
But would I listen?
No.
No, I wanted to read about the storm--excuse me The Storm--for myself.
And I got what I deserved. Ash, our hero, is not a good person, but the author tries to cleverly conceal that by making his wife even worse. He is fiercely judgmental, telling us the neighbor kid's parents are "terrible" and "awful" because one is depressed and they both take prescription pain meds. The child, a boy (naturally) is only seven, but (naturally) the smartest person in the book. And Bitch Wife (naturally) hates him. Because reasons.
But, we're assured, she has a tenuous grip on reality at best--and who would know that better than her own husband, who wants her to be the new mother to Auggie the Wonder Neighbor Kid--so we don't need to listen to her.
The smart reader will actually stop listening to her as soon as Suitable Woman #1 is introduced to the story, since we all know where it's headed now. (Romance Trope #3)
But the worst is the following little gem. I'd have quit a lot sooner if it were placed earlier in the story. Instead it's so near the end it didn't matter:
I had never been so close to this kind of grief--violent, preventable, complicated death. It felt something like the time Pia convinced me to do a guided meditation in a sweat lodge when we were vacationing in Sedona.**
What. The. Shit.
He's watching a man sob helplessly over contributing to the senseless death of his former wife, the mother of his child--a brutal and violent death that his child witnessed--and this guy thinks it's like that time he and his ex meditated in a sweat lodge while on vacation?*** He tries to connect those totally unrelated things by explaining how in both cases he was "detached" from his own "selfish senses", but this entire anecdote is--not that. It's the same Song of Selfish Senses he's been singing since page one.****
But I really shouldn't complain. After all, I was warned.
*I'm paraphrasing a little.
**Emphasis all mine.
***It might be worth something that in this world of Twitter, Trump, and willful cruelty in the name of exercising one's freedom to be cruel, this is still possibly the most heartless, tone deaf, un-aware, over-privileged, and just plain whitest thing I've ever heard. And that it comes from the hero of a novel by a woman with the street cred of a powerful SJW is nothing short of bizarre. Possibly prize-winning levels of bizarre. She should get a ribbon if not an actual cup.
****Who wants to hark back to the infertility he found such a relief because: 1. It was Bitch Wife's body that was defective, not his; and 2. He didn't really want a baby anyway? Ha ha! Good times!
But would I listen?
No.
No, I wanted to read about the storm--excuse me The Storm--for myself.
And I got what I deserved. Ash, our hero, is not a good person, but the author tries to cleverly conceal that by making his wife even worse. He is fiercely judgmental, telling us the neighbor kid's parents are "terrible" and "awful" because one is depressed and they both take prescription pain meds. The child, a boy (naturally) is only seven, but (naturally) the smartest person in the book. And Bitch Wife (naturally) hates him. Because reasons.
But, we're assured, she has a tenuous grip on reality at best--and who would know that better than her own husband, who wants her to be the new mother to Auggie the Wonder Neighbor Kid--so we don't need to listen to her.
The smart reader will actually stop listening to her as soon as Suitable Woman #1 is introduced to the story, since we all know where it's headed now. (Romance Trope #3)
But the worst is the following little gem. I'd have quit a lot sooner if it were placed earlier in the story. Instead it's so near the end it didn't matter:
I had never been so close to this kind of grief--violent, preventable, complicated death. It felt something like the time Pia convinced me to do a guided meditation in a sweat lodge when we were vacationing in Sedona.**
What. The. Shit.
He's watching a man sob helplessly over contributing to the senseless death of his former wife, the mother of his child--a brutal and violent death that his child witnessed--and this guy thinks it's like that time he and his ex meditated in a sweat lodge while on vacation?*** He tries to connect those totally unrelated things by explaining how in both cases he was "detached" from his own "selfish senses", but this entire anecdote is--not that. It's the same Song of Selfish Senses he's been singing since page one.****
But I really shouldn't complain. After all, I was warned.
*I'm paraphrasing a little.
**Emphasis all mine.
***It might be worth something that in this world of Twitter, Trump, and willful cruelty in the name of exercising one's freedom to be cruel, this is still possibly the most heartless, tone deaf, un-aware, over-privileged, and just plain whitest thing I've ever heard. And that it comes from the hero of a novel by a woman with the street cred of a powerful SJW is nothing short of bizarre. Possibly prize-winning levels of bizarre. She should get a ribbon if not an actual cup.
****Who wants to hark back to the infertility he found such a relief because: 1. It was Bitch Wife's body that was defective, not his; and 2. He didn't really want a baby anyway? Ha ha! Good times!
May 14, 2020
Meg Little Reilly has an Agenda. She tells you as much herself, in her Author's Note. I'd quote directly, but I fear in my zealotry to be rid of this novel, I asked for my first ever e-book refund. That should tell you something - and not just about the sad state of affairs of my bank account.
It's not that having an Agenda is bad - I'm very fond of Agendas, I have a few myself. But to write good fiction requires you at least do a fine job of dressing it up, going through the motions, making characters and conversations at least a little interesting.
We Are Unprepared is a particular kind of bad, the kind that has potential. Potential stiffled, ruined, choked out of sheer bloody inability, laziness and so much filtering, you'll feel all used up and shrivelled by the time you're done. I know because that's how I feel.
I would advise you against buying this book. It's not very good one, as far as climate fiction goes. Or any fiction, really. That I had to read this for a university course in Catastrophe Studies boggles the mind in so many confusing, terrible ways. I'll be indulging in self-reflection under the shower tonight. Preferably with something sharp in my eye, as the prose of this book is...I have no words. I've read good prose, I've read great prose, but this -- another thing entirely. It's broken me a wee bit, to be fair with you - but such is life. "Imagine Catastrophe," they said. "Read this, it'll help," they told me.
I tend to avoid being an arse in my reviews - it's not my style, but this book is...I firmly disliked it.
It wasn't all bad - no book ever is.* But the good is such a tiny portion by comparison that I don't feel the need to drudge it up with my reviewer spoon and wave it around for all to see, lest they follow in my footsteps and pick this up.
*Okay, I can think of at least one book that is all bad, but, heh, let's not go into the darkness, eh?
It's not that having an Agenda is bad - I'm very fond of Agendas, I have a few myself. But to write good fiction requires you at least do a fine job of dressing it up, going through the motions, making characters and conversations at least a little interesting.
We Are Unprepared is a particular kind of bad, the kind that has potential. Potential stiffled, ruined, choked out of sheer bloody inability, laziness and so much filtering, you'll feel all used up and shrivelled by the time you're done. I know because that's how I feel.
I would advise you against buying this book. It's not very good one, as far as climate fiction goes. Or any fiction, really. That I had to read this for a university course in Catastrophe Studies boggles the mind in so many confusing, terrible ways. I'll be indulging in self-reflection under the shower tonight. Preferably with something sharp in my eye, as the prose of this book is...I have no words. I've read good prose, I've read great prose, but this -- another thing entirely. It's broken me a wee bit, to be fair with you - but such is life. "Imagine Catastrophe," they said. "Read this, it'll help," they told me.
I tend to avoid being an arse in my reviews - it's not my style, but this book is...I firmly disliked it.
It wasn't all bad - no book ever is.* But the good is such a tiny portion by comparison that I don't feel the need to drudge it up with my reviewer spoon and wave it around for all to see, lest they follow in my footsteps and pick this up.
*Okay, I can think of at least one book that is all bad, but, heh, let's not go into the darkness, eh?
October 27, 2016
This book was a captivating debut. It had all the elements of a great read. It was filled with an eye opening scenario about the state of human caused climate change and the consequences of it in a thrilling story that was interesting and scary. It was also so intriguing and educational. The story was a well drawn out take on a new and interesting multilayered narrative. A great read for fall or winter!
April 18, 2016
Best book I have read in a year. So timely and raw, loved it.
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September 21, 2016You can never have enough canned goods.
January 18, 2018
Rating: 4.5 stars
A little slow to start, but it really helped set up The Storm. I really enjoyed reading We Are Unprepared and believe this is could happen at some point in the future. Reading the ferocity of We Are Unprepared’s Storm was terrifying. It made me want to get a crank radio, extra flashlights, and a personal emergency preparedness plan. :)
The novel takes a look at Ash and Pia’s marriage, and though it seems solid enough, the cracks widen with each storm - literal and theoretical - to reveal what is truly there. The very end wasn’t as solid as the rest of the novel, but other than that, a terrific read! Definitely would recommend!! It reminded me a little of Listen To Me by Hannah Pittard and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (both great books too!)
A little slow to start, but it really helped set up The Storm. I really enjoyed reading We Are Unprepared and believe this is could happen at some point in the future. Reading the ferocity of We Are Unprepared’s Storm was terrifying. It made me want to get a crank radio, extra flashlights, and a personal emergency preparedness plan. :)
The novel takes a look at Ash and Pia’s marriage, and though it seems solid enough, the cracks widen with each storm - literal and theoretical - to reveal what is truly there. The very end wasn’t as solid as the rest of the novel, but other than that, a terrific read! Definitely would recommend!! It reminded me a little of Listen To Me by Hannah Pittard and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (both great books too!)
September 11, 2019
I would give this book 3.5 stars. A great premise for a book to highlight the effects of climate change. I would’ve given it a higher rating if there was depth around that theme instead of focusing on relationships between characters.
July 5, 2025
I think it’s an interesting and well-written fiction story that reflects the author’s concerns about “human induced” climate change. I do not share the author’s idea of an “angry” planet, but I enjoyed the characters and their personal stories, so I’m giving the book 4 stars.
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August 30, 2016There seems to be a general trend these days where a book’s synopsis leads you to believe the story is about one thing only to discover that it is actually about something else once you read it. This then leads to feelings of disappointment and distrust; after all, if you can no longer trust the synopsis then how are you supposed to decide whether you want to read a book? This does not mean that the story itself is bad; it does mean that it takes a fantastic story to overcome that feeling of being mislead. Unfortunately, Meg Little Reilly’s We Are Unprepared is another example of a story that deviates from what you are lead to believe by the synopsis, and it does not have the power to overcome the disappointment that results.
What We Are Unprepared is not is a novel about climate change and the life-altering storms resulting from the changing earth. In fact, the Storm is merely a backdrop to the character interplay and self-discovery journey on which Ash unexpectedly finds himself. It happens but is delegated to one chapter while the rest of the book occurs during the build-up to the Storm and its aftermath. Given how much the characters talk about and fear the Storm, to have it relegated to one single scene is to diminish its impact and the lessons to be learned about the impact of climate change.
What We Are Unprepared actually is then is a novel about change and how people adapt to that change. It is about the true selves that come to light in adversity and the cracks in relationships that can either widen or callous over in times of great stress. It is about adaptation and its various forms. It is about one man’s realization that what he thought he wanted was not what he actually needed.
The truly disappointing aspect of We Are Unprepared is the fact that the impact of the Storm and the implications of its existence at all should mean the ending is fairly bleak. After all, this superstorm struck the entire eastern seaboard and changed the geography of it forever; plus, this storm should be just the beginning of adverse weather conditions the likes of which humans have never seen thanks to the unknown effects of climate change. Even more, regardless if the superstorm was an afterthought, real life would dictate a pyrrhic ending of some sort. Life-altering climate change and happy endings usually do not go hand-in-hand. Yet, the story ends on a much more happy-go-lucky note, with happy endings or at least satisfactory ones all around. It is almost as if Ms. Reilly could not bear to hit her readers with any gut-wrenching truths and therefore softened her message and made sure her characters received their own happily ever after.
We Are Unprepared had the potential to be a profound statement about change of all sorts, the need to be prepared, and the soul-searching required to weather through it. However, instead readers get a story where everything ends up being pretty okay in spite of the life-altering changes that have occurred to the characters and to the world. It is not necessarily a bad story; after all, we read to escape real life and novels with happy endings serve that purpose. It just is not as hard-hitting as expected or wanted, and therein lies the greatest source of disappointment a reader will have upon finishing it.
What We Are Unprepared is not is a novel about climate change and the life-altering storms resulting from the changing earth. In fact, the Storm is merely a backdrop to the character interplay and self-discovery journey on which Ash unexpectedly finds himself. It happens but is delegated to one chapter while the rest of the book occurs during the build-up to the Storm and its aftermath. Given how much the characters talk about and fear the Storm, to have it relegated to one single scene is to diminish its impact and the lessons to be learned about the impact of climate change.
What We Are Unprepared actually is then is a novel about change and how people adapt to that change. It is about the true selves that come to light in adversity and the cracks in relationships that can either widen or callous over in times of great stress. It is about adaptation and its various forms. It is about one man’s realization that what he thought he wanted was not what he actually needed.
The truly disappointing aspect of We Are Unprepared is the fact that the impact of the Storm and the implications of its existence at all should mean the ending is fairly bleak. After all, this superstorm struck the entire eastern seaboard and changed the geography of it forever; plus, this storm should be just the beginning of adverse weather conditions the likes of which humans have never seen thanks to the unknown effects of climate change. Even more, regardless if the superstorm was an afterthought, real life would dictate a pyrrhic ending of some sort. Life-altering climate change and happy endings usually do not go hand-in-hand. Yet, the story ends on a much more happy-go-lucky note, with happy endings or at least satisfactory ones all around. It is almost as if Ms. Reilly could not bear to hit her readers with any gut-wrenching truths and therefore softened her message and made sure her characters received their own happily ever after.
We Are Unprepared had the potential to be a profound statement about change of all sorts, the need to be prepared, and the soul-searching required to weather through it. However, instead readers get a story where everything ends up being pretty okay in spite of the life-altering changes that have occurred to the characters and to the world. It is not necessarily a bad story; after all, we read to escape real life and novels with happy endings serve that purpose. It just is not as hard-hitting as expected or wanted, and therein lies the greatest source of disappointment a reader will have upon finishing it.
November 7, 2016
3.5/5 stars. This book is about a middle-aged-hipster couple in the not-so-distant-future who move from Brooklyn to rural Vermont in order to be perhaps even more pretentious and hipstery (think tapping their own maple syrup). Soon after their move, the nation's meteorologist begin to warn of an impending superstorm that is predicted to cause severe damage throughout the east coast and into the middle of the country. In preparation for the storm, the husband becomes more civic minded and starts working with the city's leaders to prepare for potential flooding. His wife, on the other hand, starts hanging out with some doomsday preppers.
Parts of the book that I liked: the tension between those who were trying to take a more community-driven approach and those who were "prepping" (who also were kind of their own community, though it was based on individualism)
Parts I thought were kind of dumb: Parts about the couple's marriage. They didn't seem like a believable couple in the first place, so when they started to crumble I didn't really care. Also, there's an errant 7-year-old boy character whom I think that the book would've been better without.
Cool concept, it provided interesting insights both into science and into humanity, it was a quick read. I liked it, but it didn't "wow" me.
Parts of the book that I liked: the tension between those who were trying to take a more community-driven approach and those who were "prepping" (who also were kind of their own community, though it was based on individualism)
Parts I thought were kind of dumb: Parts about the couple's marriage. They didn't seem like a believable couple in the first place, so when they started to crumble I didn't really care. Also, there's an errant 7-year-old boy character whom I think that the book would've been better without.
Cool concept, it provided interesting insights both into science and into humanity, it was a quick read. I liked it, but it didn't "wow" me.
August 2, 2016
**We Are Unprepared generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I read the first chapter of this book online via the publisher. Man, oh man. The first chapter was really good, and I thought that it would be a great read so I requested a copy through NetGalley.
It's not that the book was bad. It's just that it wasn't good, either. There were good parts to the storyline and there were many things that probably would happen in the event that something like this was to happen. There were side stories in addition to the story of The Storm. Like main character Ash and the neglected neighbor child. This was a good aside. The romance between Ash and Pia and their inability to have children at the onset of the book. I just felt like there was a lot of "extra stuff" that didn't contribute much to the overall impending doom and disaster the title suggests. The author could have removed a lot of the stuffing and added more about the actual storm and its aftereffects. There are so many ways this could have gone that would have been much more exciting. In my opinion.
I read the first chapter of this book online via the publisher. Man, oh man. The first chapter was really good, and I thought that it would be a great read so I requested a copy through NetGalley.
It's not that the book was bad. It's just that it wasn't good, either. There were good parts to the storyline and there were many things that probably would happen in the event that something like this was to happen. There were side stories in addition to the story of The Storm. Like main character Ash and the neglected neighbor child. This was a good aside. The romance between Ash and Pia and their inability to have children at the onset of the book. I just felt like there was a lot of "extra stuff" that didn't contribute much to the overall impending doom and disaster the title suggests. The author could have removed a lot of the stuffing and added more about the actual storm and its aftereffects. There are so many ways this could have gone that would have been much more exciting. In my opinion.
July 28, 2017
DNF at about 50%.
Not really much to say about this book, except that I enjoyed very little of what I read. I think it was just the wrong time for me to pick this book up, since it led to multiple nights of nightmares for me. Nightmares are common for me - an almost nightly occurrence - but I'd rather avoid feeding my brain nightmare fodder as apparently delectable as this book was. My brain can come up with its own craziness without the assistance of an apocalyptic novel.
I liked the fact that this was told from Ash's perspective and not Pia's. I feel like way too many books I read, if they utilize first person, then it's generally from a female perspective (not always but more frequently than not). It's refreshing to read something that's a little different.
Would recommend but only if you aren't prone to having very realistic and terrifying nightmares.
Not really much to say about this book, except that I enjoyed very little of what I read. I think it was just the wrong time for me to pick this book up, since it led to multiple nights of nightmares for me. Nightmares are common for me - an almost nightly occurrence - but I'd rather avoid feeding my brain nightmare fodder as apparently delectable as this book was. My brain can come up with its own craziness without the assistance of an apocalyptic novel.
I liked the fact that this was told from Ash's perspective and not Pia's. I feel like way too many books I read, if they utilize first person, then it's generally from a female perspective (not always but more frequently than not). It's refreshing to read something that's a little different.
Would recommend but only if you aren't prone to having very realistic and terrifying nightmares.
July 23, 2016
I was looking forward to reading this ARC. Once started I was thinking it would be a post apocalyptic story due to the location of the story in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The author apparently believed that all readers would know that this name is a local term for northern Vermont. The science involved with The Storm was not developed adequately. The preppers in the story are not given adequate build up. Worst, the two protagonists from New York City are weaselly wimps who should never have married each other. I would have liked to slap them both for stupidity.
July 9, 2016
First off I have to say this was a giveaway winning book I received...I tried man how I tried but I could not get into the story at all...I am not into all that "preppers" stuff...Yes our world is going to hell in a handbasket but this book I could not get past the first few pages..If I can't get into a book within a couple sentences than I am not going to read it..I am sorry for this review.. I really am...
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