The Earth is plagued by fires and cataclysmic weather events. When a storm devastates Texas, Noah and others seek refuge in a Dallas arena.

This powerful queer cli-fi novella presents a not-so-distant future in which a small group of queer people cling to one another while the world around them rages – both figuratively and literally.

While it's not exactly a fun read, this story feels important.

A solid 4.5 stars from me. Half a star deduced because, even in such a short work, Noah's friends could have been a bit more fleshed out. ( )

In a work that sits at intersections of climate justice, prejudice, queerness, and social justice, Kern brings together a number of issues that would seem to be far too much for a slim work like this. Yet, Depart Depart is a powerful and beautifully told story, and as difficult as it is to read, the humor and empathy of the central character, Noah Mishner, make it all but impossible to put down and walk away from. Instead, Noah is a character who will carry readers through the journey told in the book, and then accompany them outside of the pages to demand that more thought be given to his story.

What makes this book work so well is that no one issue monopolizes either story or reader. What would probably be chaos in another book works here because it is all telescoped into the continuous, lived experience of a single trans man and his found family as they live through the aftermath of a an unprecedented hurricane. Is it overwhelming? Often--for the reader as well as Noah. And that's why it works--because the reader is brought so close to Noah that they cannot deny the way all of these issues are brought together in his life during these days after the storm.

As such, this is one of those books that I know will stick with me. It's a book that ought to be carried around and passed on and talked about--that's how timely and necessary it is, difficult as parts of it may be.

There's a lot here, and readers should be aware that the book doesn't flinch away from confronting lived experiences of transphobia, anti-Semitism, and trauma. But at the same time, this book has such an incredible amount of heart--packed into every page--that it is one I would absolutely recommend to every reader out there. ( )

This is a quick read, but it is not an enjoyable story.

Set in the immediate aftermath of a disaster (storms/flooding) while there is another ongoing disaster (wildfires) this story is a gruelling read. Our viewpoint character is Noah, who might be one of the few people to have reached the shelter from the worst hit part of their city. The shelter is some kind of sports stadium, and Noah finds a small group of people at least a little like them --- poor, queer, and obviously 'other' in the eyes of the white supremacists.

It is a very US American story, and Noah's encounters with bad cops, armed bigots, and misled disenfranchised people are frightening and all too real following the media reports coming out of the USA in 2020.

It is also a story about found family, and the family we carry with us.

there are so many content warnings:

references to the Shoah; including Noah having visions that overwrite reality. Scenes containing explicit transphobia, racism, anti-semitism, homophobia. The disasters are pretty visceral; the sections on the fire felt like watching friends reporting on the 2019/20 series of fires in Eastern Australia. There is a scene where two people are refused scripts for hormones because the people don't 'need' them. And probably other things I've forgotten ( )

This is either a short story or novella that really encapsulates a whole range of modern issues, everything from discrimination to climate change and its impacts. Based to a certain extent on experiences shared with author Sim Kern, lead character Noah is a sympathetic figure who struggles with both acceptance from the outside world, and internal acceptance for who he is. There is a certain mystical, supernatural vibe to this tale also with Noah’s long deceased great grandfather Abe taking a dominant role. I can appreciate the story for its insight into a world not much experienced by those that live a gender conforming life. As someone who is already freaked about climate change, this does not help to put me at ease any. One can certainly connect the dots with our abuse of fossil fuels and the future that humanity seems to have no will to steer away from. Scary as it is, it’s always good for people to spend time magnifying these issues. Thank you to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )