Official Review: The Plot to Cool the Planet

Nisha Ward · Post by **Nisha Ward** » 03 Feb 2021, 18:00

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Plot to Cool the Planet" by Samuel Bleicher.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Climate change is a controversial issue, particularly right now. It’s clear that our planet’s weather is changing, affecting the greater climate as it goes, but there’s a lot of debate as to what to do to stop that. It’s also the subject of a lot of sub-genres of science fiction, resulting in its own category: climate fiction.

Samuel Bleicher’s The Plot to Cool the Planet falls under that umbrella, earning itself 3 out of 4 stars for its detailed plot that centralises the human aspect of this issue.

The novel, ostensibly a murder mystery that belies a larger plot to change the course of global warming, focuses on the actions of a group of countries to protect the earth from rising temperatures and abnormal weather patterns. With the murder of Dr. Ilsa Hartquist, the diplomats of four countries find themselves immersed in subterfuge and clandestine dealings, all in an effort to save the world through geoengineering.

Unfortunately, I can’t be more precise in my summary. This is because much of the book is wrapped up in the precise methods used to combat the current climate crisis. As such, the book is extremely detailed, and you can tell that the author did his research with how exacting his approach to climate control is. I liked this because it made the entire book seem feasible, particularly the bits that took place in the U.N.

I also really liked the human element of the book. While a lot of it was taken up by both scientific and diplomatic procedures and negotiations, it still felt like I was reading about real people. The representative from Singapore, Wang Shu, for example, felt like a real woman with her own desires and needs that had to be met. Her counterparts from Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago, Doyal and Panday, were also of interest to me. Their doubts and misgivings about the entire project lent it a sense of urgency that was otherwise missing from the book.

Speaking of which, that was one of two things I didn’t like. The pacing of the book was quite inconsistent. As I mentioned before, Bleicher included a lot of detail about the scientific and diplomatic procedures involved in the book’s plot, but it had an adverse effect on the pacing. These details tended to slow the book in places where the action was being set up, while the room it left in other areas of the narrative caused it to move too quickly. As such, I was left feeling like I was constantly too far ahead while I read.

In addition to this, I didn’t particularly care for the way the murder mystery was handled. It was too quick and too short of a mystery, rendered subservient to the larger storyline about climate change. While Hartquist’s murder had a large impact on the novel, its solution left little to none on the greater events surrounding it. Instead, it felt like an afterthought, something written to pass the time rather than anything that had any real effect on the story.

It’s for this reason that I can’t give the book a full rating. While I really liked the book and think that science fiction and political thriller lovers will like it as well, these two flaws stood out enough to knock it down by one star. Still, I think it is worth the read, as it gives us all something to think about.

Happy reading, everyone!

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The Plot to Cool the Planet
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Sethu Anbu · Post by **Sethu Anbu** » 06 Feb 2021, 18:11

I enjoyed reading the review. The plot seems interesting.

Ihsan Chowhan · Post by **Ihsan Chowhan** » 07 Feb 2021, 07:08

It's look good and Quite interesting thatswhy I want to read this book.I will suggest others to read this book

Goral · Post by **Goral** » 08 Feb 2021, 00:25

It's very important to spread awareness about global warming and a novel in sci-fi is a great way to do so! Thanks for the review! I'll definitely read this book!

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 08 Feb 2021, 09:25

Despite its flaws, this seems like an interesting novel about a problem we're experiencing that offers some food for thought about it. Thank you for your great review!

Uchechukwu Okereke · Post by **Uchechukwu Okereke** » 01 Dec 2021, 04:58

Thank you for your review. The book seems to possess traits that hold a great affinity with me bearing the facts of climate change, murder mystery, and practical applications. I cannot wait to give it a try.

Aisha Yakub · Post by **Aisha Yakub** » 04 Jan 2022, 09:13

Sensitization on global warming is key. Thanks for your review

Tshepo Moroke · Post by **Tshepo Moroke** » 23 Feb 2022, 02:30

It's was so good to get this information about cooling the planet

Ay Obaj · Post by **Ay Obaj** » 26 Apr 2022, 04:02

I love it when books storyline are constructed perfectly, and contains every single element of thrill. A book like this will surely wow any reader. Thanks for a honest review.