Is this a weather report, then? haha
I decided to check this out. It's a very short read, took a couple of hours tops. She writes in vignettes, and many pages (of about 100 total) have very little text.
I felt that the characters and attitudes were a bit "too young" for me to fully relate to personally, but the author does paint an atmosphere of low-grade pervasive dread very well. The setting is present-day or slightly future Brooklyn, and a young mother and wife who works in an academic library is the protagonist. References to climate disaster/world's end are subtle and sparing, but it is clearly the main underlying source of anxiety. It ends on a rather optimistic note, not environmentally but in terms of the character's ability to face her fears and start taking action, even if in a minor personal way.
And this was before COVID-19! Amazing.
Jenny Offill is a celebrated up-and-coming author today, and she is certainly gifted in her style.
I found a review by Kristin Iversen (lithub.com on 2/11/20) to be extremely useful in unlocking meaning, and enjoyed reading it more than the book itself! She praises the "dark and beautiful reminder that panic can only be conquered when it's confronted, and that, sometimes, being afraid just means you're paying attention."
Offill has joined Extinction Rebellion and she says that activism, simply talking to younger people (including her daughter), is one way she can get past the "awkwardness and shame of not acting."
To say, "OK, well, what's a concrete thing you could do? What's something you could do?"
All in all, I'd recommend it to anyone who feels so inclined, especially since it's not much of a time investment. I'm guessing that it wouldn't be all that useful as a book club selection, however.