Waiting for the Night Song

This was my first read from the climate fiction genre and although I am conscious of climate changes and support the need to protect our environment, I am not a climate activist. I learned a lot about the environment and how it all connects. I also really liked the characters and how they are shown to the reader. The subplot (or competing plot depending on how it is experienced) of the immigration challenges and the mystery of how accountability for Juan's death would unravel is a bit much but not too tiring. Actually, it helped to move the novel forward and kept my interest. Dalton's strength though is in the writing about nature and climate science. She exquisitely paints scenes with such vivid detail that you are standing right there. She also obviously knows the science behind the climate crisis and guides the reader through the character Cadie to why it should matter to you as well.

Julie Carrick Dalton has created an exciting presentation of urgent fact about a beetle invasion of old growth forests in North America. The action takes place in New Hampshire . The characters are finely drawn and compelling and the plot moves along at breakneck speed.

Two girls become friends while committing a juvenile act. One grows up as an environmentalist, while the other remains bonded to her immigrant family. Someone is shot and years later the shallow grave releases the dead.Uncovering the clues and piecing the story is told by walking the same circular path for the entire book. Lack of accountability wasn't as concerning as lack of maturity. The stages of development was lost and reminding the reader of every client past event was annoying.The author could have focused on a central theme, if it were immigration, forest conservation or reunited in a small growth at the edge of National Land. I would recommend to a novice reader.

This book illustrates how a work of fiction can entertain and educate at the same time. I’ve been very “climate conscious” for many years, if for no other reason than that I have children and maybe one day grandchildren who will inherit this mess. I get as vested in the human characters lives as I do in the settings of WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG.Nature is real in this book. It speaks. It shows us her wounds. This is the story of a community; therefore, it fits that the Garcias immigration issues play an important role in the tales and spans decades between Cadie and Daniela. Their friendship is genuine because it’s not perfect.At the end of the book, the author shows us how Daniela’s life was shaped by family secrets that she carried into all her relationships, including her childhood friendship with Cadie. Cadie had a generic childhood including her crush on Summer Boy Garrett, until she is thrust into his secrets, the Garcias’ Clyde’s and Juan’s murder. Even after putting great distance between herself and her childhood home, Cadie’s life is haunted by the many secrets she carried with her.The book opens with what the main character wants and throughout Cadie fights to convince others of her findings, her fears, until disaster strikes.My least favorite character is the Pine beetles, but even they have a place in our eco-system. We just need to find a balance so we can all exist on planet earth without destroying it and all living creatures along with it.The author’s passion is palpable through the pages of this book. Now I listen for the thrush’s night song.

My book came in excellent shape, so I won't leave a negative review for the seller, but the book itself I would not recommend.I took a social media hiatus and ordered a few novels to escape all the animosity of politics and drama on Facebook, and this book (Waiting for the Night Song) pretty much just takes you right back to it.It's very preachy, extremely repetitive, and really just all over the place. It goes over climate change, illegal immigration, racism, a murder, a romance, a cover up, death of people and animals, and child abuse.None of the characters really develop throughout the story, and I also really couldn't connect with any of them.I don't want to leave any spoilers, so I'll just say the romance scenario moves way too fast, a lot things seem highly unlikely or too coincidental, and the ending was eh.The title of the book also doesn't really tie in to the novel itself.I don't want to seem completely negative, since I did make it through the whole novel. I read it within a week or so, so it was pretty easy to pick back up. A lot of the descriptions of the forest were nice, and it did keep my attention for the most part.And kudos to the writer for publishing a book during the pandemic.The politics just kind of ruined it for me. It's in our face everywhere we go, and it would be nice to just be able to escape in to a nice book away from it all.If I wanted to read about all of those topics, I would just get back on Facebook, or go order a non-fiction and biased book based on them.

I read this with mixed feelings. I focused on the main part of the story, the climate change and the cause of forest fires. It is scary and a must read to make people aware of what and why our world is dying around us.

It was too long and geographically too confusing but I did read it to the end. The characters were not fully developed but still likable. It felt a bit contrived with the Bicknell thrush etc. etc. I don’t recommend it