Depart, Depart by Sim Kern
Depart, Depart by Sim Kern feels all too real and surreal at the same time. In the dystopia Kern creates, there is a moment of that notion that dystopia happens more often than we think. Depart, Depart drives home the idea that a dystopia can be created by local catastrophe and can offer an end point while at the same time driving home how catastrophes live with people and change their lives in ways we can't always imagine because everyone has different needs and different lives. Kern creates characters that slid into my thoughts and didn't let go until the last page and left me wanting more. I cheered for Noah and the friends Noah made. I mourned the loved ones Noah lost. I felt the panic and the despair of the characters leap off the page. I also felt the hope and determination the characters expressed in trying to rebuild their lives. Depart, Depart offers a lesson to all of us about the world we live in and the catastrophes we face through complex characters caught up i...