A couple hundred years in the future, Tetley Abednego is one of the few surviving humans on Earth. She lives in Candle Hole, a waxy, floral-scented neighborhood of Garbagetown, the large island of trash that floats around what used to be the Pacific Ocean (but is now just the flooded world). While her neighbors and fellow Garbagetown residents live in hope of one day discovering land and a chance at rebuilding humanity on solid ground, Tetley doesn't really think it's in the cards and feels like their best shot at survival is simply making the best of the trash-filled world they inherited from their predecessors (the name for which is unprintable here). This philosophical disagreement, and Tetley's actions to underscore her feelings, have led Tetley to be an outcast in Garbagetown, though she's unflaggingly optimistic.
Tetley is a post-apocalyptic Candide that's perfect for our modern world. She's funny (though I don't think she really tries to be) and perceptive, and human in the best possible way. I loved the world that Valente created on the very-real garbage patch. This short book is a wonderfully pointed criticism at our wastefulness and the worst bits of humanity while still being optimistic about our adaptability as a species. It's a wonderful book, and one I highly recommend.
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