We Are Unprepared

We Are Unprepared by Meg Little Reilly

            Are we as prepared as we should be? In the novel We Are Unprepared, Reilly writes about the relationship between the human race and nature, and also if we really are fit for whatever disaster may come our way. 

           The novel is focused on a couple that decided to take a different path in life. Ash and Pia, the main characters in this novel, took the bold step of moving away from the big city life in Brooklyn, to a more secluded area in Vermont called Isole. They always yearned to love a different life one day; this was their calling. I would translate their move into them wanting to live a more simpler life and this rural area was the right fit for them.

         They decided to purchase the beautiful farmhouse that they vacationed at because they knew it was time to make the life switch that they wanted for some time now. However, this whole plan went left when there was an introduction of very dangerous storm approaching just three months after they had moved. The water temperatures were hotter than ever and the temperature in September had also seemed a little odd because it was still high; this was a sign of disaster. They both were quite knowledgeable about Global Warming so it's evident that they had some idea on big storms and how to prepare for them. The Storm made a quick turn on the marriage of Ash and Pia, and the community as well.

         After reading this novel, it stunned me how Ash and Pia were more concerned about other situations knowing the conditions of The Storm that was approaching the area, and the hardships of their marriage. In my opinion, The Storm is related to what their marriage was like, a slowly forming disaster ready to take place. Ash really was the character that made this story less interesting for me. He ignored the needs of his wife and refused to talk about it. Instead, he was more focused on their neighbor's child and ignored talking to his wife which should've done from the beginning.

      Moreover, even though Ash and Pia were the main characters, the novel had focused on Peg, Crow, August and Maggie who were quite honorable mentions in my opinion. Due to the fact that Pia and Ash started to become not so likable to me, it made sense mentioning these few. Peg was really significant to me knowing that she was a scientist. It was clear that she was smart and knew much about the storm.

         Overall, the story wasn't what I had expected but Reilly did an exceptional job with this. I wish more people would be considerate about the climate and how it is changing vastly. The novel shows the incompetency of humans when it comes to a topic like this and it really devastating. Reilly's mentioning the disaster with all details showed that she knew exactly what she was writing about. Messing with nature would not have made anything much better and these are matters that everyone today should be concerned about because this is happening in our world now.

In all honesty, I was really invested in this novel and would recommend it to others.