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Code Blue
Atlantic (Tic) Brewer never knew her father, a hydrologist who died at sea before she was born. Raised by her mother and an elderly neighbor, Tic's small home on the Edge is under threat from rising sea levels. At sixteen-years-old Tic is smart and studies hard as she prepares to attend one of many Academies established worldwide when the International Change Agreement warned of imminent environmental collapse. There she meets friends Phish and Lee, who like her pledge to save all human civilization in a race against time.
Tic follows in her father's footsteps, hunting for the cause of unprecedented icecap melt, but when she accidentally stumbles upon a note, suspicions are raised surrounding his untimely death. To solve both mysteries, Tic is helped by her new friends, but when they dig deeper Tic is confronted by enemies she never knew she had. In an environment where cities have been swallowed by rising sea levels and millions have died from natural disasters, starvation, and disease, Tic finds herself and those she loves in an urgent fight for their own personal survival.
Far from your typical boarding-school adventure, Code Blue is a young adult eco-thriller that challenges readers with questions relevant to our time.
Tic follows in her father's footsteps, hunting for the cause of unprecedented icecap melt, but when she accidentally stumbles upon a note, suspicions are raised surrounding his untimely death. To solve both mysteries, Tic is helped by her new friends, but when they dig deeper Tic is confronted by enemies she never knew she had. In an environment where cities have been swallowed by rising sea levels and millions have died from natural disasters, starvation, and disease, Tic finds herself and those she loves in an urgent fight for their own personal survival.
Far from your typical boarding-school adventure, Code Blue is a young adult eco-thriller that challenges readers with questions relevant to our time.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2021
6 people are currently reading
1157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 2, 2025
“What percentage of the world’s electricity comes from renewable resources?”
Imagine living in a world where the right answer to that question is 100%!
CODE BLUE posits a world where, at last and perhaps, ultimately too late, mankind has come to grips with the reality of human-caused global warming and the existential threat to humanity posed by the past use of carbon-based fossil fuels. Catastrophic sea level rise is a reality and the shape of the world’s coastlines is changing daily. That entire coastline, such as it appears in the short term, is a dangerous place and is carefully guarded by a fence. Those who live close to the coast do so at their peril. Category 4 and 5 hurricanes and tornadoes, wildfires and natural disasters related to the climate are almost a daily reality. Scientists are in a death race with the results of having ignored the problem until it is now clearly too late. The most they can hope for with even the most dedicated efforts is to slow down the damage and decelerate the inevitable. Special schools for academically gifted young people are dedicated to the education of future scientists who will be tasked with continuing to fight what appears to be a lost battle.
“Here at home we have lost Hawaii, Florida, and Rhode Island completely. Big chunks of Louisiana and California are gone, and Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona are uninhabitable. We have millions of climate refugees , and we are lucky compared to most of the world. The intensity and frequency of storms around the world has increased. Drought and famine are killing more people every day, … causing war and facilitating the spread of disease.”
Atlantic Brewer (she calls herself Tic), a keen and bright young lady who wishes to follow in the footsteps of her recently deceased father’s research into the mechanics of glacial melting, is accepted into one of these schools and learns of the story of the Faithful Few and the Heretic Wars. The Faithful Few, and other terrorist groups like them, held the fundamental religious belief that climate change was God’s will and to seek to mitigate that change was sinful heresy and antithetical to their God’s plan and the approach of what they saw as their date with heaven. Nothing less than a shooting war with the secular humanists and the climate scientists was capable of shutting these groups down. Or was it??
CODE BLUE is many things. It’s a cautionary tale about global warming that obviously mourns the fact we may already be beyond the point of no return in our real world. It’s a heart-warming coming of age story that is replete with the typical teenage angst about school, sex and sexuality, friends, family, testing boundaries and simply being one of the crowd. It’s also a satisfying mystery in which Tic puzzles over the cause of her father’s death and attempts to decode an obvious message that she discovers on the back of a photograph that her mother gave to her. And, finally, with the clever and unique literary device of including a number of questions and answers from Tic’s admission exam to the science school, CODE BLUE also conveys a significant amount of surprising and, dare I say, startling and frightening data on the dangers we are already facing with global warming.
CODE BLUE is readable, gripping, compelling, provocative and entirely enjoyable. I’m hoping that Ms Slaven’s second novel arrives sooner than later. Count me a fan.
Paul Weiss
Imagine living in a world where the right answer to that question is 100%!
CODE BLUE posits a world where, at last and perhaps, ultimately too late, mankind has come to grips with the reality of human-caused global warming and the existential threat to humanity posed by the past use of carbon-based fossil fuels. Catastrophic sea level rise is a reality and the shape of the world’s coastlines is changing daily. That entire coastline, such as it appears in the short term, is a dangerous place and is carefully guarded by a fence. Those who live close to the coast do so at their peril. Category 4 and 5 hurricanes and tornadoes, wildfires and natural disasters related to the climate are almost a daily reality. Scientists are in a death race with the results of having ignored the problem until it is now clearly too late. The most they can hope for with even the most dedicated efforts is to slow down the damage and decelerate the inevitable. Special schools for academically gifted young people are dedicated to the education of future scientists who will be tasked with continuing to fight what appears to be a lost battle.
“Here at home we have lost Hawaii, Florida, and Rhode Island completely. Big chunks of Louisiana and California are gone, and Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and Arizona are uninhabitable. We have millions of climate refugees , and we are lucky compared to most of the world. The intensity and frequency of storms around the world has increased. Drought and famine are killing more people every day, … causing war and facilitating the spread of disease.”
Atlantic Brewer (she calls herself Tic), a keen and bright young lady who wishes to follow in the footsteps of her recently deceased father’s research into the mechanics of glacial melting, is accepted into one of these schools and learns of the story of the Faithful Few and the Heretic Wars. The Faithful Few, and other terrorist groups like them, held the fundamental religious belief that climate change was God’s will and to seek to mitigate that change was sinful heresy and antithetical to their God’s plan and the approach of what they saw as their date with heaven. Nothing less than a shooting war with the secular humanists and the climate scientists was capable of shutting these groups down. Or was it??
CODE BLUE is many things. It’s a cautionary tale about global warming that obviously mourns the fact we may already be beyond the point of no return in our real world. It’s a heart-warming coming of age story that is replete with the typical teenage angst about school, sex and sexuality, friends, family, testing boundaries and simply being one of the crowd. It’s also a satisfying mystery in which Tic puzzles over the cause of her father’s death and attempts to decode an obvious message that she discovers on the back of a photograph that her mother gave to her. And, finally, with the clever and unique literary device of including a number of questions and answers from Tic’s admission exam to the science school, CODE BLUE also conveys a significant amount of surprising and, dare I say, startling and frightening data on the dangers we are already facing with global warming.
CODE BLUE is readable, gripping, compelling, provocative and entirely enjoyable. I’m hoping that Ms Slaven’s second novel arrives sooner than later. Count me a fan.
Paul Weiss
November 3, 2025
Code Blue, by Marissa Slaven, is a young-adult science-fiction thriller set in the near future. Climate change has reached a tipping point and is accelerating, sea-levels have risen dramatically, forest fires are more frequent, and storms almost always reach severe levels. The protagonist is a high school student named Atlantic Brewer, but she goes by the nickname Tic. She lives with her widowed mother somewhere on the Atlantic seaboard in the general area of Boston, although, at the time of the story, Boston has been flooded by rising sea levels and abandoned. Tic's father was a hydrologist and was lost in an accident at sea a few months before Tic was born.
Tic is a good student and is prepping for a test to get into the North East Science Academy, a college-level school focused on fast-tracking the education of scientists and engineers who might help solve the climate crisis. Once at NESA, she makes new friends, primarily Lee, Phish, and Tate, and begins to settle in to her work. Then, a hurricane causes flooding in Tic's hometown and sends her mother to the hospital with serious injuries. After the storm, Tic returns to her now partially flooded house to retrieve some valuables her mother had to leave behind. In the process, she also discovers some of her father's research data, and gets some hints that maybe his death wasn't accidental after all.
There are a couple of things some readers may want to think about before picking up this book or recommending it to their own teens. Ms. Slaven posits a future where birth control has been made widely available to reduce population growth, and the possibility of premature death is very real. So her teen-age characters, including the protagonist, are very casual about sex and quite sexually active. There isn't any explicit description, just a few statements that let you know it's happening, but still it would make me hesitate before handing this book to my grandsons. The second thing is the role that a religious cult plays in the plot - the antagonist is a member of this cult. Some readers in more conservative religious groups may find themselves in complete agreement with the cult's beliefs, (though perhaps disagreeing with their methods). I do know people who think like that, and I expect they'd be angry at being portrayed as the villains here. (I have my doubts that they would be likely to read that far into this book, though.)
There is a sequel, named Code Red. I gave Code Blue a 4-star rating.
Tic is a good student and is prepping for a test to get into the North East Science Academy, a college-level school focused on fast-tracking the education of scientists and engineers who might help solve the climate crisis. Once at NESA, she makes new friends, primarily Lee, Phish, and Tate, and begins to settle in to her work. Then, a hurricane causes flooding in Tic's hometown and sends her mother to the hospital with serious injuries. After the storm, Tic returns to her now partially flooded house to retrieve some valuables her mother had to leave behind. In the process, she also discovers some of her father's research data, and gets some hints that maybe his death wasn't accidental after all.
There are a couple of things some readers may want to think about before picking up this book or recommending it to their own teens. Ms. Slaven posits a future where birth control has been made widely available to reduce population growth, and the possibility of premature death is very real. So her teen-age characters, including the protagonist, are very casual about sex and quite sexually active. There isn't any explicit description, just a few statements that let you know it's happening, but still it would make me hesitate before handing this book to my grandsons. The second thing is the role that a religious cult plays in the plot - the antagonist is a member of this cult. Some readers in more conservative religious groups may find themselves in complete agreement with the cult's beliefs, (though perhaps disagreeing with their methods). I do know people who think like that, and I expect they'd be angry at being portrayed as the villains here. (I have my doubts that they would be likely to read that far into this book, though.)
There is a sequel, named Code Red. I gave Code Blue a 4-star rating.
July 17, 2019
At LEAST a 4.5! What a good read! A frightening, worrisome, dystopian read, but totally believable. The writing is evocative and the characters well-rounded. I never knew what would happen next and was kept guessing until the end. I can see how/why this would appeal to younger readers, but I was thoroughly captivated too. Definitely recommended reading.
P.S. Note to the author: Get a good proofreader to correct several grammar/spelling mistakes (not typos).
P.S. Note to the author: Get a good proofreader to correct several grammar/spelling mistakes (not typos).
September 26, 2018
It was difficult to put down Code Blue by Marissa Slaven. I needed to know what was going to happen! The mystery at the heart of this novel propelled me on. The interesting descriptions of our planet in the near future mesmerized me. Tic Brewer, the main character, is compelling and sympathetic. I found myself easily slipping into her fictional skin, so to speak. I wanted her to find answers, and in the end, with the help of her friends, she does.
I love the emerging genre of young adult climate fiction. Not only is Code Blue a mystery, it’s a primer. The novel presents facts about the environment. At the beginning of the book, Tic has to pass an entrance exam to be admitted to the North East Science Academy. Slaven cleverly starts each chapter with a question from the test, educating the reader as well as projecting future scenarios concerning climate change. Engaged readers will have to do some research to figure out which is which! In many ways the mystery at the center of book revolves around political and religious ramifications surrounding climate change today while science -- in the future as well as today -- holds the key to unlocking the solutions to many problems. In Tic’s case, the problems are multi-dimensional. While the words “code blue” most certainly speak to an earth we need to nurture back to health, Code Blue has very personal meanings for our heroine.
I love the emerging genre of young adult climate fiction. Not only is Code Blue a mystery, it’s a primer. The novel presents facts about the environment. At the beginning of the book, Tic has to pass an entrance exam to be admitted to the North East Science Academy. Slaven cleverly starts each chapter with a question from the test, educating the reader as well as projecting future scenarios concerning climate change. Engaged readers will have to do some research to figure out which is which! In many ways the mystery at the center of book revolves around political and religious ramifications surrounding climate change today while science -- in the future as well as today -- holds the key to unlocking the solutions to many problems. In Tic’s case, the problems are multi-dimensional. While the words “code blue” most certainly speak to an earth we need to nurture back to health, Code Blue has very personal meanings for our heroine.
April 1, 2021
I am not usually a reader of Young Adult fiction but I was glad to have read Code Blue, an ‘eco-mystery’ by Marissa Slaven. One test I apply to a YA novel is whether an OA can enjoy it (btw that’s ‘older adult’ not ‘old adult’!). A further test is whether the author avoids the trap of treating the reader as a child that needs to be told, rather than a smart adult. Code Blue passes both of my tests with flying colors.
I like the way the author commences each chapter with a test question from the entry examination to the North East Science Academy. It’s a simple and less preachy device for conveying context to the story as well as some climate change knowledge. On the occasions where information on climate change is covered the author does so accurately and with ease, reflecting her own in-depth research on the topic. She has done us a great service in spreading useful climate change information submerged within an enthralling and entertaining story.
As a near-future novel, Code Blue introduces us to some new concepts – The Edge, the 1 to 5 warning system, some invented colloquialism ‘Fact!’, The Heretic Wars and more. And who couldn’t but like the main protagonist Tic and her friend Phish (both female, in case you were wondering) as well as the male foils in Lee and Tate.
I have no doubt that YA readers will enjoy this book...and so will OA’s.
I like the way the author commences each chapter with a test question from the entry examination to the North East Science Academy. It’s a simple and less preachy device for conveying context to the story as well as some climate change knowledge. On the occasions where information on climate change is covered the author does so accurately and with ease, reflecting her own in-depth research on the topic. She has done us a great service in spreading useful climate change information submerged within an enthralling and entertaining story.
As a near-future novel, Code Blue introduces us to some new concepts – The Edge, the 1 to 5 warning system, some invented colloquialism ‘Fact!’, The Heretic Wars and more. And who couldn’t but like the main protagonist Tic and her friend Phish (both female, in case you were wondering) as well as the male foils in Lee and Tate.
I have no doubt that YA readers will enjoy this book...and so will OA’s.
February 24, 2022
Honestly, this book wasn't bad at all I didn't have much expectations going in but it met them. I can't rate it 5 stars because there were some things that just didn't feel right.
First,the main problem was the pacing and structure. Its pacing wasn't consistent and rushed in many areas. The overall feel wasn't bad. I just thought this book was going to be the first in the series because the ending was a bit sudden. It made sense and all, but I expected it to take longer solve the problem and mystery of the book. It tied up the loose ends but I feel like this book might have been originally a two part series but it didn't have the content to fill two up.
Second, the romance was a bit unnecessary. It just felt bland. It was the classic "girl meets the first hot boy and falls in love immediately." A few overused cliches were used that didn't help it in any way.
Still, this was the first dystopian that was centered on water that I have read so not much for me to base it on. I didn't love it or hate it, but it was good. Not recommendation worry and I don't remember a lot of it so forgettable too. I would probably rate this actually a 7/10. It is made for younger teens and while I was 17 when I read it. Mediocre. Meh. I don't regret reading it though.
First,the main problem was the pacing and structure. Its pacing wasn't consistent and rushed in many areas. The overall feel wasn't bad. I just thought this book was going to be the first in the series because the ending was a bit sudden. It made sense and all, but I expected it to take longer solve the problem and mystery of the book. It tied up the loose ends but I feel like this book might have been originally a two part series but it didn't have the content to fill two up.
Second, the romance was a bit unnecessary. It just felt bland. It was the classic "girl meets the first hot boy and falls in love immediately." A few overused cliches were used that didn't help it in any way.
Still, this was the first dystopian that was centered on water that I have read so not much for me to base it on. I didn't love it or hate it, but it was good. Not recommendation worry and I don't remember a lot of it so forgettable too. I would probably rate this actually a 7/10. It is made for younger teens and while I was 17 when I read it. Mediocre. Meh. I don't regret reading it though.
July 8, 2019
This book is a really smart read, and I loved it on every level! This is my first "eco-lit" read, and I can't wait for more.
The story is set in the not too distant future where climate issues like extreme weather, rising water, climate refugees are everyday realities. And the resulting reality Slaven creates is intriguing. Tic, the lead character is relatable and I was rooting for her all the way through. She is smart and resourceful. All of the teen characters have something to offer and reflect kids who often see themselves as "other." I was invested in the mystery and had to keep reading to find out the truth of what happened. The author includes multiple-choice science questions in each chapter, some of which relate to our present world and some to the world of the future. The facts were interesting and eye-opening. As a teacher, I couldn't help thinking of the many discussions to be had - politics, science, and ethics. This is a compelling read for YA and adults. It is rich and layered and I can't wait for the next one!
The story is set in the not too distant future where climate issues like extreme weather, rising water, climate refugees are everyday realities. And the resulting reality Slaven creates is intriguing. Tic, the lead character is relatable and I was rooting for her all the way through. She is smart and resourceful. All of the teen characters have something to offer and reflect kids who often see themselves as "other." I was invested in the mystery and had to keep reading to find out the truth of what happened. The author includes multiple-choice science questions in each chapter, some of which relate to our present world and some to the world of the future. The facts were interesting and eye-opening. As a teacher, I couldn't help thinking of the many discussions to be had - politics, science, and ethics. This is a compelling read for YA and adults. It is rich and layered and I can't wait for the next one!
December 23, 2018
This was incredibly offensive. I'm a Christian and the author took my beliefs out of context and to an extraordinary degree of which I am sick. Don't use religion as a villain in any book. There are good people in each who don't deserve to feel hated.
This book is 100% Eco-Left propaganda.
In many areas of the Bible God commands His people to take care of the world and sustain it. Obviously this author doesn't know the Author of Creation and His love for it.
This book is 100% Eco-Left propaganda.
In many areas of the Bible God commands His people to take care of the world and sustain it. Obviously this author doesn't know the Author of Creation and His love for it.
December 27, 2018
This book is extremely well-written. I read it in two days, as I couldn't put it down. I was a bit sceptical about the demographic, as this book seemed to be written for my teenage daughter, and not for me. But I loved it. And so did my daughter. The tone of the book was intriguing, not at all preachy - as is sometimes the case with books that contain a strong message. The characters were vivid, and the author really makes you care about them. This is highly recommended.
August 12, 2019
3.5?
It is hard for me to rate this book. On one hand, I loved it. I loved the science and climate change aspects the most. On the other hand, the romance felt very insta-love, and it kind of felt forced. The characters, and interactions between characters, were also very one dimensional. I felt the story could have benefited from being more fleshed out. It also felt rushed, particularly towards the end.
It is hard for me to rate this book. On one hand, I loved it. I loved the science and climate change aspects the most. On the other hand, the romance felt very insta-love, and it kind of felt forced. The characters, and interactions between characters, were also very one dimensional. I felt the story could have benefited from being more fleshed out. It also felt rushed, particularly towards the end.
December 13, 2018
This book is incredibly smart and thought provoking. It's main draw is the character development which is complimented with a story line and structure that is a completely new idea. A fast read that is hard to put down. Highly recommend it.
January 16, 2020
This book is amazing for young adults/teens! It is informative about what our future could be, and gives lots of facts and interesting information about our environment. This book also includes romance, friends and everyday obstacles that teens go through everyday. I highly recommend this book
September 22, 2018
I can’t wait to read this book with my class! The climate change AND it is well written, AND it is compelling!
January 3, 2019
Great!!
December 9, 2018
This is one of the smartest YA books. I have ever read. It takes the post-apocalyptic setting to a new level. It really makes you think about the impact of our actions on the planet and our environment. Through all of this is a fascinating story with characters you immediately connect with.
October 18, 2021
Set in the not too distant future, readers quickly learn about the religious and political wars and decisions that led to Planet Earth being in “Code Blue” due to global warming and climate change. Atlantic (Tic) Brewer and her mother live on The Edge – the constantly receding coastline due to rising sea levels. Tic loves science and received news of her acceptance into the North-East Science Academy (NESA) and can follow in her father’s footsteps studying glacier melting, despite never meeting him, having drowned in the North Atlantic before she was born. Discovering that the photo of her parents has a cryptic message on the back, Tic realizes there is something suspicious regarding her father’s death and his research. Along with trying to save the world from rising sea levels, Tic wants to figure out what happened to her father.
Marissa Slaven introduced the chapters by using questions on Tic’s entrance exam. These questions provide the necessary background information and history of global warming, which I thought was clever, and one can anticipate potential discussions from these questions. The next generations sadly have to deal with the many mistakes of generations before them. The close reality and similarities regarding the extremists (religious and environmental) may nudge more to be more active now and further research some of the scientific information presented. Readers will connect with Tic and the secondary characters because they are authentic, and the action and the mystery aspects of the story will keep them turning the pages to find out what happens. I am looking forward to the sequel!
Code Blue checks off all the boxes for young adult readers – acceptance at school, friends, relationships, sexuality, pushing boundaries and self-identity.
Readers who enjoyed this book, may also enjoy The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline,
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman
Marissa Slaven introduced the chapters by using questions on Tic’s entrance exam. These questions provide the necessary background information and history of global warming, which I thought was clever, and one can anticipate potential discussions from these questions. The next generations sadly have to deal with the many mistakes of generations before them. The close reality and similarities regarding the extremists (religious and environmental) may nudge more to be more active now and further research some of the scientific information presented. Readers will connect with Tic and the secondary characters because they are authentic, and the action and the mystery aspects of the story will keep them turning the pages to find out what happens. I am looking forward to the sequel!
Code Blue checks off all the boxes for young adult readers – acceptance at school, friends, relationships, sexuality, pushing boundaries and self-identity.
Readers who enjoyed this book, may also enjoy The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline,
Dry by Neal Shusterman and Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines by Paul Fleischman
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews