Synopsis
Living in a post-climate disaster world protected by a layer of artificial cloud, Mallory knows every shade of darkness, their world lit sparingly by bioluminescence. But when Rein stumbles across their path—radioactive light bleeding from their teeth, their skin twisted and burned—Mallory’s worldview implodes, and the true cost of their survival becomes all too clear.
A haunting cli-fi novella ideal for fans of Tiffany Morris and Stephanie Feldman, EVERY DARK CLOUD combines a dystopian setting and class-conscious narrative with a glimmer of hope for our shared humanity.
Quick Review
Every Dark Cloud is a deep and atmospheric eco-apocalyptic novella about two people discovering that the world is not quite what they thought it was. I loved my time with this story.
Full Review
Every Dark Cloud does not shy away from its message of climate change and warnings of climate disaster, going so far as to describe the way these clouds block the sun because its rays have become so damaging that they will easily burn through anything they touch. To live in a world like this, people like Mallory have developed a reliance on other senses, and walk along trails littered with bioluminescent light.
The story really begins when Mallory finds Rein, a survivor of a deadly crash, who is convinced that the authorities are hunting him. Their story is a classic one, of two people with much different experiences discovering the world through each other, and author Marisca Pichette handles this with incredible skill. The book is only about seventy pages long, and yet these two have such rich personalities and discussions.
However the ending did feel slightly rushed. I think with another ten pages, Pichette could have lingered in those final scenes a bit longer and really forced us to reckon with what was happening more, as she did in the rest of the book. That said, perhaps it is the fate of any good story that we want to stay in it for just a little bit longer?
I highly recommend Every Dark Cloud. It’s a shockingly detailed and deep novella, with a uniquely atmospheric eco-apocalyptic setting.
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