I was very hesitant to pick this up when I saw it on NetGalley. The cover was so cool and the premise was good, but would my own expectations get in the way?
I am so glad I finally hit the request button and even more glad that Simon and Schuster sent me the Advanced Listener Copy. Another Banger for 2025!
I did a little digging about and it seems that Tim Chawaga is a debut novelist that works in tech, and does not live in Florida. Despite all that, he captured a lot of what is great about Florida and some of the less great as well. I sunk into this novel, and honestly, I slowed the narration down to the very regular 1.0 speed because I didn't really want it to end.
SPOILER FREE SUMMARY because spoilers are for losers, and I'm a total winner.
Triss is living in a future Florida that is mostly underwater. Triss is a diver and brings up thing slike air conditioners for money, but... also Salvagia - which is essentially nostalgic salvage. Just like nostalgic items are valued today for the story attached to them, salvagia increases in value similarly.
We join Triss and the crew as they salvage a specific shoe, but after some issues with the crew, Triss discovers one of the most powerful family heads chained underwater, dead. This is a problem! The after math of this discovery leads our main character on a adventure all over Florida, with risky diving, even riskier space races with "atmo-breakers", interaction with semi-sentient machines, real estate schemes and more. Triss is caught between the Feds, the powerful Florida "families" and her obligations to her friend who's seeking a third way (you'll have to read to find out about the ways). Can Triss and company carve out a different way of living that is sustainable and free? Well, obviously you'll need to read to find out. I do hope you'll read!
Things I loved about this book and want to highlight?
- Really solid world building that is easily understood. Chawaga starts with a foundation that many know well- Florida. On top of Florida an entirely different world is created with just enough of the old mixed in with the new that the reader can easily immerse themselves in this new Florida setting which is a comfortable combination of the old and the new.
-I never could figure out the gender of many of the characters. This simultaneously bothered me and intrigued me. I really wanted to know, and then I was left sitting in my thoughts about why was it so important that I know. I liked that this novel wasn't "about gender" but without being about gender, still gave me a lot to think about regarding gender in society.
-Realistic while being futuristic. I read a lot of romance, and I appreciate the genre because it is predictable to a T. (We get a happy ending, the heroine never dies in the villains clutches etc). In Salvagia I had a few moments when I realized that some places/characters were not going to be revived/reintroduced and as disappointing as it was to my heart, I liked it a lot because indeed, the world doesn't save everyone.
-Mechanical alligator. Need I say more? I think not.
As a person who accidently came to live in Florida and love it for many of it's quirks and weirdness (It could be a little less weird these days!) I really loved the imagined sunken cities, the salvagia and the typical freedom seeking folx depicted. It seemed to capture the essence of Florida now and into the future.
Highly recommend!
STATS
First Published : August 2025
Pages: 272
Available as an Audio Book :YES
Trigger Warnings: Death, climate issues, blood, medical situations, violence.
Not a fully TW list, please read responsibly.
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