THE THINNING by Inga Simpson

4 stars

An eco-thriller set in a dystopian society that makes you really think about today’s society and the threat it poses to the earth’s eco-system.

Set in Australia in the near future, teenage Fin and her astronautical photographer Mom, Daniella, have gone rogue in a large, mountainous national park to avoid having Fin enrolled in a pernicious mandated government fertility program. Fin’s Dad has tied from cancer tied to the biotoxin of working with moon rocks, and after his death Fin and Daniella go into hiding in the park adjacent to the huge telescopes where Mom and Dad used to work and live.  Daniella, in addition to protecting Fin from the government, has long been a protestor about both the environmental disaster big corporations has caused, as well as the eradication from seeing the night stars naturally due to thousands upon thousands satellites orbiting Earth.

Fin and Daniella, now considered both Illegals and Absconders, run for their lives as military swarm the park in search of a next generation child who has the unique ability to read people thoughts and see the future. Fin stumbles upon him before the military arrives, and ultimately Daniella takes him under their protection from the military swat team helicopters and drones hunting him down.

All this reaches a crescendo with an impending once-in-four-hundred-years eclipse of the sun, a huge gathering on the mountain to watch it, and an activist plot afoot to coincide with the total darkness of the eclipse.

In a nice touch, countering all the non-stop action is the constant appearance on diverse birds, seeming to sing their calls in defiance to humans’ abuse of the planet.

Also, the book brings forth hope for the next emergent generation.

Thanks to Akashic Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.