Melt

by Jeff Murray

Melt offers a vision of adaptation to an emerging catastrophe. A near-term future that forces us to reconsider whether we can maintain ideas of “otherness” and keep our humanity.

Vai Shuster arrives in Auckland to advocate for the delivery of a long-standing promise: a place in New Zealand for her island’s people as climate destruction makes their home uninhabitable.

Panicked, but endlessly adaptive, the world is awake to the reality of three degrees climate breakdown. In 2048 the worst effects are yet to be felt, but the destructive phase is locked in. A great reshuffle of people and nature is occurring.

But this is not an apocalypse for all. Vai finds herself in a world that the powerful and their mid-level helpers are managing to navigate, and new opportunities are emerging. There are both forces of integration and disintegration at work.
Antarctica is melting and New Zealand is a gateway to the last continent. Can Vai’s community help build a new Hong Kong in southern New Zealand to serve Antarctica? Or is New Zealand fully occupied by the demands of the big three – China, America and India - as they begin to direct the settlement of Antarctica?

The scale and pace of change are drowning Vai’s voice, turning what should be a simple mission into a desperate hunt for somewhere to stand before it’s too late. Brave and resourceful, Vai sets out on an epic journey into the new world, one that is finding the poor to be superfluous. How much will she risk for her community and what price will she pay?

289 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2019

Reviews

[Marcus Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel – the gradual population of Antarctica – as climate change alters the world forever. There is a great deal of realism in the thinking – that the major nations of the world will conspire to exploit, mine and settle the last continent on earth. America, China and India combine to take over Antarctica, a continent twice the size of Australia. The Japanese are also looking to be involved, while the Europeans are too wrapped up in fighting over the Arctic.

An interesting book for the ideas and thoughts behind it, but perhaps let down a little by some of the execution towards the end, when the action moves too quickly and loses its way in a rush towards a climax.

Our central character is Vai Shuster, an Advocate for the tiny island nation of Independence which is overrun by the oceans at the start of the book. She struggles to find a place to re-settle her nation, always looking for a place of safety. Somewhere along this path she becomes too involved in her own story, joining an anti-whaling fleet and then an expedition to the rapidly melting continent of Antarctica. In the end, her own mission becomes more important than that of her country.

[Andi C Buchanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was filled with interesting ideas and a lot of potential, but as a novel it didn't live up to that potential. The prose was clear but lacked the vividness I would have hoped for in a novel that describes a changing world and a woman's reaction to places new to her (and in many cases entirely new). The decision to keep Vai's homeland vague was a mistake; I wanted cultural depth and complex belief, but everything just felt hollow. Perhaps as a consequence, Vai was a sympathetic character but not one who really lifted from the page for me, and that affected the ending; her characterisation hadn't been built up to the extent that her decisions felt meaningful for me.

This is an interesting read for those who enjoy climate fiction, with some ideas I hadn't otherwise come across, but unfortunately wasn't for me.

[Millie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although Murray successfully presents possible responses to climate change in the near future, I felt this text was disjointed and difficult to read. I enjoyed the first part, where Murray’s protagonist, Vai, seeks a place for the residents of Independence Island, which has been battered by climate change. However, the final events felt rushed. The murder of Adam marks Vai’s boiling point, but Murray only gave this 20-30 pages and I was left feeling confused at this seemingly unnecessary development of Vai’s character.

[Jeff Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the world approaches 2 degrees of climate change Antarctica is melting and powerful countries seek access to the unclaimed continent via New Zealand. At the same time residents of tiny Pacific Island nations are seeking refuge, but New Zealand is overwhelmed and pushing these people away. Vai Shuster is propelled into a desperate race to save her community.

[Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another good example of New Zealand cli-fi, sometimes slightly reminiscent of Kim Stanley Robinson's prose and ideas. Recommended reading for all those interested in literary insights on the many effects and ramifications of anthropogenic global warming.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning premise and very confronting.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book more stars... I really wanted to like it. It started off wonderfully and I really enjoyed the first, perhaps 20%. But then things started to get a little odd, and unfortunately it started to drag a bit as well as feel a bit too disjointed. I was trying to hold together the plot and stay interested, but it became a bit of a chore.
However, the last few pages, for me, made up for it. It was so bizarre and left-field, but beautifully tragic too. As I was making my way to the final pages I kept thinking "how the heck will the author wrap this up??" - and he did in a strange way, but not a bad strange way.

If the rest of the book was more like the beginning and the final chapter I would have definitely given it more stars. I really enjoyed the description of New Zealand in 2050 and really enjoyed the idea of the book.

[MH · Rating 1 out of 5]

Starts out boring and mediocre, then gets worse. The premise is interesting, but its undermined by nonsenical plot. People tell the character things for no apparent reason. Important things. Secret things. They confess heinous crimes. They reveal their core political beliefs. To someone who they met just yesterday, who is at best a passing acquaintance. She is adopted by multiple political factions. She commits random acts of violence. And in the end she simply goes mad. And that's just not very interesting. Throw in that its written very much in the style of New Zealand Literature - slow, boring, and obsessed with putting your feet in things - and this is very much a Do Not Read.

[Stephanie Gibbons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um. Like many other reviews I was taken with the concept and vision. I think it portrays one possibly realistic future which is confronting and raises our human culpability regarding inaction on climate change and I loved and felt challenged by it. As a piece of writing? it felt a bit preachy and I nearly always have difficulty on a male author writing from a woman’s point of view, this was no different. I think it could make a very good film!

[Susan Wilson]

I was unsure at first but once I met the central character Vai, she had me hooked. A lot happens in a very short period of time which does make it more difficult to stay connected and it gets faster and faster in the final chapters which I don’t think was necessary. What I will remember most was the time she spent with Leon and family in crowded South Auckland, plus the time she spent with Tu finding the lake and seeing the penguins and rats (oh, and ramming the Japanese whalers was pretty epic). I don’t think it needed murder and intrigue to have relevance so was a little dissatisfied with the ending.

[Jasmin Kaur · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning chapters set out the troubling and catastrophic state of political affairs quite well. You journeyed with the main character, Vai and felt her frustrations. Although at times, it took a preaching tone. The last quarter of the book turned bizarre. It seemed disjointed and the character development was too hurried and disappointing. Nonetheless, a sad end to a sad story.

[Chelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

So frustrating that such a great concept could be executed so poorly. This idea should have been given to an author who could really write it well. I think it would have been so effective…but this book was just very poorly written.

[Clodagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why I kept reading this one. The themes and worldbuilding were interesting, but it was not well-written at all and the characters felt flat.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly silly girl ruined her life and the ending of this book by having a psychotic break and getting hypothermia.