Book Review: The Fog Diver

Title: The Fog Diver

Author: Joel Ross

Genre: YA/Steampunk

Page #s: 328

Publication Date: 2015

Summary: “Before the Fog rose there was something called the Smog. The Smog covered the whole Earth, like the Fog does now, except it made everything sick.” An isolated community of humans high on a mountaintop are all that is left of humanity after a daring attempt to cure pollution through the use of nanites. Chess is one of these people but he is special, with nanites in his brain and a Fog cursed eye. He has spent the thirteen years of his life keeping his head down and his eye hidden, constantly fearing being brought before Lord Kodoc and forced to search the Fog for the machines rumored to control it.

Good Points:

• Likable cast.
• Chess, our a protag, is such a scared, lost, teenage boy.
• Hazel is a delight and joy, ‘bossy’ without being ridiculed for it. Allowed to take charge and lead even though her friends tease her about her love of girly things.
• Interesting setting.
• Seriously, I love this sort of steampunk/dystopia set up because of pollution + the robots took over. Like, that’s a great idea.
• The bits of knowledge of the pre-Fog world crack me up. SKYWALKER TREK. CONSTELLATIONS NAMED ELVIS PARSLEY.
• Family = Crew = Family
• Badass airship pirates
• While the book leaves it open for sequels it also stands alone.
• Happy ending!

Bad Points:

• Chess has a burst of courage at the end of the book that didn’t read right to me. He spends so much time afraid, only being unafraid while in the Fog, that his heroic moment felt very sudden.
• The penultimate battle happens really close to the end of the book, it’s very quick and somewhat unsatisfying.

Triggers:

• Maternal death
• Child abuse (not graphic and not to our main, it’s implied but it’s there)
• Threat of kidnapping

Rating: 4/5