A massive cloud of dust has blanketed the Earth, causing the temperatures to drop to minus 127 degrees centigrade. Unlight by Chandra Shekhar is the story of Larry Brandon's forward-thinking vision to build a shelter he calls the Shell, which will keep his family safe while the Earth repairs itself. The story is told, in part, through diaries kept by the family, and we see different ways the situation is affecting them. From Elizabeth, the gentle, calm grandmother in her 70's. Her daughter Nicole a top surgeon in her 40s. Teenage daughters Anna and Jessica; Anna who is thoughtful and kind, and Jessica, who is prone to criticising just for the sake of being critical. To Larry, Nicole's fiancee, a self-made billionaire and well-known engineer who has masterminded the Shell. We not only hear of their life now but get background stories telling us about their life before. While most of the world had ignored the threat until it was too late, with humans unable to survive such inclement weather conditions, the world's inhabitants froze to death. Believing they are the last people left on Earth, the family must work together to keep their shelter working for them because their lives depend on them working as a team.
It was refreshing to read a book with no swearing, and although sex is touched upon, it is all left to the reader's imagination. I liked how Chandra Shekhar works the characters so that they all influence their new life. There is not one person in charge dictating to the others. I liked that Unlight is a gentle but thought-provoking book; it is science fiction but has no strange life forms or made-up words. The people in it could be you or me, just in a new life in a changing world.
I feel that Unlight would have been more realistic if there was some confrontation between the characters, in particular Jessica, who begins by being a stroppy, very opinionated teenager, but within a few chapters, her character completely changes, and she is considerate, helpful and wants to please. People do not change that quickly in real life. I also did not think it was believable that Larry had a large team of people helping him to build the shelter and they were all happy to walk away once the shelter is finished knowing they would die? I feel there would have been at least some of the people who would have been able to create their own Shell or would have fought to access Larry's.
This book is very readable but needs some conflict to balance the harmony, there is no excitement, and this makes the book bland at times. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
As this book has very mild sexual content and no swearing, I would recommend this book to adults and teenagers. I think it would be enjoyed by readers who like science fiction stories which make you think - this could happen!
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