In many of his novels for young adults, author Alan Gratz tackles topics which are relevant to everyone in the world. In Two Degrees, for example, Gratz tackles the very divisive, but nonetheless important, issue of climate change. Two Degrees is not just a fundamentally political novel; it is a novel meant to entertain its readers.
At the start of his novel, Gratz introduces readers to a world on fire: there are massive fires, flooding because of a hurricane, and issues with the ice. There are three main characters in Gratz's novel—Akira, Owen, and Natalie—each of whom must deal with their own climate disaster.
Akira, for instance, lives in California in the United States with her family. One day, when she and her family are driving through the California mountains, a wildfire quickly starts and begins to envelop the area around the family's car. The family must escape before the fire eliminates each of their escape options, thereby causing their untimely deaths. To survive, the family must make a number of very difficult—but important—decisions.
Across North America, in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, Owen and his friend runs a tour for travelers to experience the region's world-famous polar bears. But the bears, which had previously been limited in number and generally not violent towards travelers, have started to viscously attack the town, its residents, and travelers. Owen and those around him must then fend off attacks from polar bears and contend with a rapidly changing climate with ice.
In Miami, Florida, in the United States, a young woman named Natalie and her family must contend with a hurricane which is bearing down on their community. Few people in her community—including her own mother—don't think that the hurricane will do much damage. However, they are quickly proven wrong as the hurricane brings profound flooding and death and destruction to Miami. Separated from her family after being swept away by flood waters, Natalie must find a way to survive despite not having many tools at her disposal.
Many critics consider young adult novels to be vapid and devoid of any literary merit. However, Two Degrees is a deeply complex novel which trusts its readers—despite their youthful age—to make up their minds about an important issue. The novel not only explores the complex topic of climate change, it contends with family, the refugee crisis in the world, being resourceful despite harsh situations they find themselves in, and other political subjects—as well as many other topics.
