"Big Ben has fallen."

What did you like best about Saving the Earth? What did you like least?

This is a hard book to 'score'. On the one hand, as an enjoyable story with three dimensional characters, this must rate (if the opening chapter is omitted) as a solid two. Same for ongoing tension. However, as a vehicle to carry an idea, that of the need to take immediate and dramatic action, and a way to do it, to stop further global warming (whatever is causing it) this certainly rates as a five plus. It reads like a fully detailed scientific blueprint for what to do as well as the obstacles and how to overcome them when trying to institute such actions. It is a slight personal story of Emma, dedicated to having her ideas brought to fruition, linking talks and speeches and question and answer debates.

The authors are obviously heavily motivated to get their message across. And in this they do an outstanding job. However, less formal talk appearances and more concentration on bringing the main protagonist to life would have vastly improved this fictional story. And they showed at the beginning that they could have done it: the opening chapter is emotionally challenging as a storm hits Tahiti, Emma's home, to which she was returning to spend her school holidays with her famous film star mother and hotel manager father. The immediate consequences for young Emma, unable to board her flight and seeing her parent's deaths played out on the news, was heart rending. But then the authors seem to take a step back from emotion, the better to sell their ideas.

What about David Loving’s performance did you like?

David Loving, the narrator has a beautiful, warm, rich voice and his reading is clear, well paced and adds some much needed intonation to what otherwise would feel more like an ongoing news broadcast. But his is a difficult task as he tells of 'sunshades' and the 'slingatron' in all of their fulsome details, financial as well as scientific, which does make this more of a reading, despite some slight voicing differences for the protagonists. A slightly strange accenting had me believing the main character was named Irma or Imma, until I read the synopsis after finishing the book and, similarly, the number ten was pronounced 'tin'.

Could you see Saving the Earth being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

I do think that this could be an exciting film, the race against time to control the violent cyclonic storms creating increasing havoc worldwide, the poor orphaned rich girl who dedicates her life to science and the fight to become the "potential saviour of humanity,", her eventual rebuilding of a life with another scientist. The film actors would, hopefully, breath life into the characters, and the screenwriters play down the long pages of information detail on how the whole sunshade system works. Plus there are plenty of opportunities for amazing spectacular visuals of the destructive forces of nature. Yes, with a little rewriting, it could be a blockbuster film.

Any additional comments?

I was gifted my copy of Degrees, Saving the Earth,, by the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. Despite my criticisms above, it is a book I am very glad to have heard. As a vehicle to convey a message, this is superb. And it is a message we all need to hear.

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.Human Nature,Mother Nature And Chaos.

This book was fascinating. It could almost be a sort of prequel to "The 100".Basicly a huge cataclysmic event could occur due to Mother nature and human nature if not prevented by A scientist named Emma Hallbar.Can she and her allies do the impossible and control chaos?
Very different characters,with different beliefs yet with their fates intertwined. It's no easy feat to master two distinct voices, but the author and narrator managed it effortlessly, spinning the tale in such a way that never once felt redundant even though the chronology overlapped in places. This way, the intensity only amplifies and implicitly keeps you glued to the pages.So to sum it up this is a story from writers and a narrator, who are honing their crafts and who is capable of engendering tension and excitement in her readers in a subtle and intelligent fashion. Using very contemporary themes that are made harrowing through emotion and commentary rather than gory description. Whether this really is the best in the series in all aspects may be questionable but I do believe that it's the one I have most enjoyed. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.I received this title for free in exchange for an unbiased review.As always this is my honest opinion .

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