Although I do have a couple of reservations about it, I would rate Blaze Island by Catherine Bush a 4-star read. The story of Miranda and Alan (Milan) Wells itself was relevant, timely and beautifully written and there was much about the book that I loved, starting with the reference to the University of Waterloo where Miranda’s father Alan , a climate scientist, or more specifically a glaciologist, studied.

I was also viscerally struck by the landscape of the fictional Blaze Island. Bush visited Fogo Island, northeast of Newfoundland, to help her create the barren but intensely powerful environment that is integral to the power of this compelling story. I loved Alan’s passion for his field and the overwhelming drive that he felt to communicate his concerns about the dangers of climate change and global warming. It was this obsession that drove him to Blaze Island and onto a path that could have dangerous consequences for the world.

On the flipside, I was often confused as to where everyone was on the island and it seemed important to know that. If I was reading Blaze Island again, I would definitely refer to the map at the front of the book from the get-go. Also, I think it might have been overwritten a little, although I believe the author might have been using that writing style to raise the level of tension in the story.

For anyone interested in knowing more about weather and the incredible forces at play on both sides of the climate change continuum, this will be a very captivating read!

— Nancy C.

To watch the virtual book launch from September 2020, click here.