Review of Northern Umbrage
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Jen Cowhig
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Review of Northern Umbrage
[Following is a volunteer review of "Northern Umbrage" by Dennis Lorenz Ph.D..]
Northern Umbrage by Dennis Lorenz Ph.D., is a thrilling sci-fi mystery novella that is based on the plausible idea of chemical pollutants altering genetic expression in a wolf. This has far-reaching consequences in this small town. This book is a warning about the effects of pollution, a problem many people face every day in their real lives. While pollution hasn’t caused mutant killer wolves to destroy our communities, pollutants like PCBs, mercury, and other heavy metals have proven to have negative health effects on the environment and the people who rely on them. I know of a few areas that cannot be safely fished due to the level of contamination in the body of water. While I think people would like to dismiss narratives like these as problems of the future instead of problems that are occurring today. While this novel is classified as sci-fi and takes place in 1999, there are parts of it that hit close to home. We see pollution, and we see corrupt governments. Is it that far a stretch to say that our actions might have unintended consequences, such as accidentally creating killer mutant wolves?
The book follows the character of Buc, a young environmental pathologist from North Dakota who finds more than he is looking for when investigating why dead fish started washing up on shore by the thousands near a small community in Eagle River, Wisconsin. He is a charming man who is quickly welcomed by members of the town. They want answers as to why the fish that the community loves to eat are dying. This problem has stopped major tourism, a beloved fishing derby, and is beginning to have negative economic effects on the town. However, not all members of the community are as innocent as they originally seem. Who is responsible for the pollution?
There are many things that I love about this book. The main thing I love is the mixing of environmental awareness with sci-fi and mystery. I’m not a person who usually goes for a sci-fi novel, but I was intrigued by the environmental message. This book deserves a full five out of five stars!
The author does an amazing job of keeping up the suspense. He also creates interesting characters like Sadie, Buc’s eventual love interest, who is responsible for the Wild Animal Museum. There is also the beloved mayor and his assistant, Rita, whom the reader gets to know in a few chapters that follow him. A final important character is Power Claw, a Native American who was kicked out of his tribe and is an extremely passionate environmental activist. Sometimes I struggle with keeping up with the number of characters, but I didn’t with this book! For those who sometimes have a similar problem to myself, I appreciate the fact that the author included a brief list of the characters at the beginning of the book for the reader to reference.
There is nothing I disliked about this book. It was professionally edited, and I found no errors. I recommend this book to people who love reading books featuring environmental narratives. I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic sci-fi novels. I also recommend this book to those who love reading action-packed mysteries.
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Northern Umbrage
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Northern Umbrage by Dennis Lorenz Ph.D., is a thrilling sci-fi mystery novella that is based on the plausible idea of chemical pollutants altering genetic expression in a wolf. This has far-reaching consequences in this small town. This book is a warning about the effects of pollution, a problem many people face every day in their real lives. While pollution hasn’t caused mutant killer wolves to destroy our communities, pollutants like PCBs, mercury, and other heavy metals have proven to have negative health effects on the environment and the people who rely on them. I know of a few areas that cannot be safely fished due to the level of contamination in the body of water. While I think people would like to dismiss narratives like these as problems of the future instead of problems that are occurring today. While this novel is classified as sci-fi and takes place in 1999, there are parts of it that hit close to home. We see pollution, and we see corrupt governments. Is it that far a stretch to say that our actions might have unintended consequences, such as accidentally creating killer mutant wolves?
The book follows the character of Buc, a young environmental pathologist from North Dakota who finds more than he is looking for when investigating why dead fish started washing up on shore by the thousands near a small community in Eagle River, Wisconsin. He is a charming man who is quickly welcomed by members of the town. They want answers as to why the fish that the community loves to eat are dying. This problem has stopped major tourism, a beloved fishing derby, and is beginning to have negative economic effects on the town. However, not all members of the community are as innocent as they originally seem. Who is responsible for the pollution?
There are many things that I love about this book. The main thing I love is the mixing of environmental awareness with sci-fi and mystery. I’m not a person who usually goes for a sci-fi novel, but I was intrigued by the environmental message. This book deserves a full five out of five stars!
The author does an amazing job of keeping up the suspense. He also creates interesting characters like Sadie, Buc’s eventual love interest, who is responsible for the Wild Animal Museum. There is also the beloved mayor and his assistant, Rita, whom the reader gets to know in a few chapters that follow him. A final important character is Power Claw, a Native American who was kicked out of his tribe and is an extremely passionate environmental activist. Sometimes I struggle with keeping up with the number of characters, but I didn’t with this book! For those who sometimes have a similar problem to myself, I appreciate the fact that the author included a brief list of the characters at the beginning of the book for the reader to reference.
There is nothing I disliked about this book. It was professionally edited, and I found no errors. I recommend this book to people who love reading books featuring environmental narratives. I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic sci-fi novels. I also recommend this book to those who love reading action-packed mysteries.
******
Northern Umbrage
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Amber’s Way by Gloria Galloway
