‘Auf See’ by Theresia Enzensberger

‘Auf See’ (~at sea) by Theresia Enzensberger is an intelligent dystopian novel, set in the near future, about an artificial island in the Baltic Sea—a supposed utopia built to be fully self-sufficient and sustainable as the world outside crumbles.

Yada, the protagonist, grows up on this island. Her father is one of the founders and leaders. Her mother is dead, Yada doesn't know the circumstances, only that she suffered from a mental illness that her father is afraid she might also have. As she begins to question her world, it becomes clear that utopia may only be superficial … And the apocalypse isn't just beyond the horizon—it’s closing in.

The novel unfolds in a post-climate-crisis world, where society outside the artificial island has largely collapsed or become uninhabitable due to environmental and political catastrophes.

I read this book in less than two days, so that says it all: it's GOOD!

And it has some LGBTIQ+ representation!

CW: mental health issues, substance abuse, parental loss, isolation, psychological manipulation