Set in the US some 60 years hence, Omar El Akkad’s dystopian debut imagines civil war breaking out after a group of southern states revolt against a fossil-fuel ban imposed when extreme flooding leaves Florida under water. The conflict (stoked by a rising pan-Arab empire) is described from the vantage point of the early 22nd century, by a dying historian anxious to record the pivotal role of his Louisiana-born aunt, groomed in childhood to join the insurgency against the north. While there’s no shortage of action in her grisly journey from victim to aggressor, American War is solemn, slow and somewhat schoolmasterly in its grim determination to bring the miseries of present-day trouble spots to the US. The premise is provocative – not least in how global warming trumps all else to trigger discord – but too often the drama feels like an afterthought.
• American War by Omar El Akkad is published by Picador (£14.99). To order a copy for £12.74 go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99
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