The Family Experiment definitely posed many an ethical question!
It’s the most explosive. addictive reality show to hit British television – live-streaThe Family Experiment definitely posed many an ethical question!
It’s the most explosive. addictive reality show to hit British television – live-streaming around the world – welcome to The Family Experiment!
11 contestants – 5 couples, 1 single parent – each challenged to raise a virtual child in the metaverse from birth to 18 years.
Duration of the experiment – 9 months, 9 life stages.
The viewing public will be there for it all – watching, dissecting, judging, voting – twenty-four-seven.
Only one family will win.
The losers’ meta-children will be terminated.
After all, they’re not real!
John Marrs’ latest futuristic techno thriller set in the same universe as The One (2016), The Passengers (2019), and The Marriage Act (2023) was certainly hard hitting and disconcerting, especially considering a version of this could potentially be our future given the alarming pace and rise in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, designer babies, and genetic engineering. Not to mention the global demand for the most controversial, dramatic and sensationalised reality TV possible, which I’m contributing to as shows like Selling Sunset and Married at First Sight Australia are my guilty pleasure. As a psychological suspense thriller, The Family Experiment more than met all my requirements - it was shocking, dark, exciting, fast-paced, addictive, and contained a multitude of gasp-worthy twists. As a drama it was chock full of toxic relationships, backstabbing and betrayal, emotional upheaval, and juicy secrets galore.
As mentioned above the nine months of the reality show unfolded in nine parts each containing chapters from the eleven parents/contestants POV’s. There were also flashbacks to twelve years earlier, breaking news stories, live chats from viewers at home, chapters following the fallout and outcry after the conclusion of the show, and narrators that need to remain anonymous.
During Part One which covered month one of The Family Experiment I struggled to keep all the parents and babies straight, which is rare for me. I think it was because the parents were dealing with newborns, and all the POV’s consisted of crying babies, nappy changes, etc, so not much to distinguish one from the other. But, once month two (nine months old) rolled around, along with the beginning of revealed past secrets, and relationship dynamics, I was home and hosed, and never forgot who-was-who, nor who was narrating after that. Also, in the opening chapters I struggled to get my head around all the technobabble being thrown around, as words like metaverse are largely outside my experience since I’m not an online gamer. I used to play The Sims in the early 2000’s, and the metaverse the meta-children inhabited in this novel, which their parents were able to visit, experience, create, and explore did remind me of that game, which helped me make sense of it all going forward. The age jumps, designing your dream home and dream life, and escaping-from-reality, were also reminiscent of The Sims and similar role-playing games. Of course, this virtual world was much more advanced, and realistic – and of course, much scarier!
The audiobook was masterful – performed to perfection. All the narrators excelled, and the bonus sound effects and music elevated my listening experiences. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
It seems John Marrs can do no wrong in my book no matter what genre he writes!...more
Following eighteen months on leave for personal family reasons, DCS Kat Frank is given a new team, and assigned to work cold cases. But, there’s a4.5.
Following eighteen months on leave for personal family reasons, DCS Kat Frank is given a new team, and assigned to work cold cases. But, there’s a catch – she’s also to be partnered with AIDE Locke – an Artificially Intelligent Detecting Entity a.k.a a robot, as part of the Home Secretary’s latest pet project to improve and advance policing, and minimise bias and prejudice.
Such a gripping, exciting, tugged-at-my-heartstrings read. The author’s note at the end of the book brought tears to my eyes. The crime was clever, different, harrowing, and heart-pounding, especially towards the end. And best of all, I didn’t guess it. I came up with one outlandish theory, but I was way off. Kat and her team were all great characters with interesting and affecting backstories, and I loved Kat’s relationship with her son, Cam. Also, side note, Kat could actually cook! So sick of the stereotypic detective who exists on junk food and takeaways.
I estimate In the Blink of an Eye is set in roughly five years time, give or take, so aside from the presence of Locke there’s little futuristic technical advancements to get your head around, and everything relating to AIDE was dumbed down to my level of almost zero knowledge. So, if you love police procedural/crime/suspense/mystery/thriller, but sci-fi is not too your liking, never fear, it’s 90% the former.
I was equally fascinated and unsettled by Locke as a character. Because it looked like a human – and not only that, a handsome one – and add in the fact that it mirrored human body language, mannerisms, and facial expressions. Like Kat, I occasionally found myself imagining that it was human. And, then also like Kat I would be horrified that I could think such a thing. Thankfully, for the most part, Locke did act like a machine, although I have met some humans in my lifetime whose behaviour is eerily machine-like, so there’s that. Kudos to Jo Callaghan for not using Locke as a POV, since it’s not real. If AIDE is our future, and let’s face it, it more than likely is, because we’re well on the way there, then it’s a troubling thought. For decades we’ve had people who believe their favourite TV/movie/book/video game character is real, and fail to distinguish the actor from the character – how will these people react to AI when it looks and acts so lifelike? And to be honest, I think an AI friend/companion would be enough for some people – imagine a friend without all the drama and emotional baggage, and as my premise of the novel mentions, bias and prejudice? Sorry to go all philosophical on you guys, but good on the author for tackling such a controversial, moral, and ethical issue, and incorporating it into a police environment in the novel way that she did.
Is this going to be a series? Yes, please. Give me more. I’m even attached to Locke which is exactly my dilemma.
I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Simon & Schuster UK, and Jo Callaghan for such a thought-provoking e-ARC.
Keep your eyes peeled for this unique take on a police procedural the first day of February, 2023....more
With thriller’s involving troubled marriages, and untrustworthy husband’s, saturating the book market, this author definitely broughRounded up to 4.5.
With thriller’s involving troubled marriages, and untrustworthy husband’s, saturating the book market, this author definitely brought something new to the table in Amen Maxine.
New York native Rowena met her husband Jacob online during a lockdown for the latest pandemic. Next came a whirlwind courtship in person, an unplanned pregnancy, a quickie marriage, and a move all the way to sunny California to live in Jacob’s childhood home.
As much as Rowena loves her baby daughter Michelle, and despite her new home being equip with all the latest mod cons, she’s struggling to adjust to suburbia, craves her old life in NYC, and anxiety and depression has her feeling overwhelmed and lonely.
To help her cope, Jacob, who works for a successful tech company, gifts her a prototype Artificial Intelligence (AI) Robot called Maxine (currently being beta-tested). Maxine is specifically designed to be a companion assistant to offer support, advice, and predictions to make Rowena’s life less stressful.
Rowena is surprised how useful, helpful, and accurate Maxine actually is, and quickly warms to the device. Until Maxine makes a dire prediction that shocks her to the core. Suddenly, Rowena’s not sure who she trusts more – her husband, or the machine?
I was equal parts fascinated and creeped out by this futuristic, dystopian, sci-fi, tech thriller. And if none of the above sounds like your jam, never fair, as Amen Maxine’s main focus was on domestic/marriage drama, and psychological suspense. I loved the character of Rowena, was completely rooting for her, and enjoyed her humorous sarcastic thoughts and observations. Jacob came across as a total douchebag from the get go – condescending and misogynistic, the tone in which he kept addressing Rowena as “babe” really grated my cheese.
For someone who loathes household chores I loved reading about all the latest technical gadgets Rowena had in her smart home – some of which we have in our houses already – but these one’s sounded even better. As much as It freaked me out I could see why Rowena became attached to Maxine. The AI Robot was designer to be paired with one human being only, similar to the notion of a soulmate, and was utterly devoted to serving its recipients needs. Rowena in turn started to attribute human emotions and empathy to Maxine, which gave the machine more influence over her. It was all very interesting and unique, and the near-future world the author created felt very authentic and possible. A daunting thought!
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Mirror House Press, and Faith Gardner for the e-ARC.
Amen Maxine is available just over a week from now, 23rd July, 2022....more
Imagine a society where the victim of a crime (or their family) is expected to accommodate the convicted person responsible in a prison cell in their Imagine a society where the victim of a crime (or their family) is expected to accommodate the convicted person responsible in a prison cell in their own home?
In the near future UK prisons are a thing of the past. In their place, a focus on restorative justice and an emphasis on rehabilitation instead of mass incarceration for those who break the law.
Jem murdered Hannah's husband.
Now he's locked in a cage situated in Hannah's kitchen.
His sentence is twenty years.
Hannah is responsible for all his needs for the next two decades.
Then she uncovers several red flags regarding her husband's past.
And the more she gets to know Jem the less convinced she is that he is a killer.
But if Jem didn't murder her husband, then who did?
And how much danger is Hannah placing herself to get to the truth.
Holy cow! This unique, expertly-crafted futuristic thriller sure knocked me for six. The terrifying reality these characters inhabited makes me grateful for our current prison system. Okay so it may be lacking in some respects but this is not in any way an acceptable or healthy alternative. I was utterly impressed and shell-shocked by how everything came together in the end. The last 20% was nail-biting non-stop action suspense.
The Captive is mainly crime, mystery, and domestic noir, but sci-fi as well since the technology used doesn't currently exist in mainstream society. I’m also classing it as dystopian, which may seem a bit odd since life in general pretty much mirrored ours, however the justice system did not, and as a result it was definitely a country governed by a rigid set of rules, not to mention control, fear, loss of freedoms, and powerlessness that affected the majority of the population. And there was even time for romance, but there's nothing I can share about that subplot without spoiling it.
I love that the author took her time explaining the rules of the home prison system rather than bombarding me with an overload of information, yet it was always abundantly clear how the scheme worked. She even included personal accounts of situations where the current system had failed prisoners and victims, horror stories of all the ways things had gone disturbingly wrong, which made the whole thing even more scarily real.
Hannah and Jem were the main narrators, and Jem's chapters also included flashbacks to his childhood. I bonded with both characters and felt for their plight. The writing was straightforward, immediately drew me in, held my attention, and kept me invested emotionally.
Last year I added Deborah O’Connor's, The Dangerous Kind to my tbr, but never got around to reading it. After this phenomenal read I'll definitely be bumping it up my list.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Bonnier Books/Zaffre and Deborah O'Connor for the e-ARC.
This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper. - T.S Eliot
June 1990: A lethalThis is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper. - T.S Eliot
June 1990: A lethal super-flu is accidentally released from a top-secret military lab in California, when a terrified security officer flees the facility during an outbreak – driving across country with his wife and child – infecting everyone they come into contact with. The virus sweeps across America, and then the world, killing 99% of the population within two weeks. Only a handful of survivors are immune, but for them, their nightmare is only just beginning.
Because, the dark man walks the desert highways in his cowboy boots, faded jeans, and denim jacket. He is called many things – Satan, the Devil, Legion, an apostate of Hell, even the Walkin' Dude – but the name he has chosen for himself is Randall Flagg. His intention, to form a dictatorship civilisation, and through fear and violence, dominant the former United States. Some survivors – those who are easily corrupted or morally ambiguous – are drawn to Flagg's new order like moths to a flame.
But for many others (who do not condone Flagg's abomination) there is hope, light, and goodness to be found in the form of Mother Abagail (Flagg's polar opposite). Abagail Freemantle is 108 years-old, and is seen as a prophet of the Lord. Those who choose to follow her eventually make their home in Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Free-Zone).
They want nothing more than to live in peace and harmony, but Flagg is threatened by their very existence, and intends to wipe them out. It's the ultimate showdown between good and evil. Who will prevail?
The Stand (first published in 1978) has been hailed as Stephen King's crowning glory, and one of the most influential books of all time, and I can now say I one hundred percent agree. An apocalyptic horror/fantasy masterpiece of epic proportions. Mind officially blown! My review is for the complete and uncut version, re-released and updated in 1990 – a whopping 1,325 pages! Did it feel overly long – absolutely not! I never wanted it to end, and could have read many more pages featuring these extraordinary characters. Talk about taking on a life of their own!
All were given thorough backstory's, and unique personalities and quirks. Disaster brought out the best in some individuals and the worst in others. Some were inherently good, and/or became better people in the aftermath of the plague, displaying immense courage, loyalty, love, and sacrifice in the face of terror. Others were given chance after chance to change, but were either consumed by their own inadequacies and jealousies or the allure and power of Randall Flagg became too great to defy. Then there were a few who were simply evil to the core.
Characters were diverse and authentic in some respects, but unfortunately not so much in others. Age and disability were well represented, as were females given the era, but the numerous racial and sexual-orientation slurs were off-putting. A sign of the times of when it was written I know, but still difficult to stomach. Some of the language was dated as you would expect, but there were also slang words that screamed 1970’s rather than 1990 that hadn't been revised, which was kind of annoying.
What made this book all the more scary was that because the deadly virus presented as a common cold right up until the last minute (we were privy to this information from the first chapter), when a character started coughing or sneezing you knew they were likely doomed.
The chapter focusing on people who were immune to the flu, but later met an untimely end through unfortunate accident, in most cases due to their own stupidity, provided comic relief and a welcome distraction hot on the heels of the bleak and upsetting storyline involving the spread of the disease.
Finishing The Stand left a void in my life, that has since been filled by other great reads, but not to the same extent.
Below, I've also written notes comparing the book to the 1994 mini-series, which I have been a massive fan of since it first screened. Note: Contains major spoilers for both.
(view spoiler)[Having finally, after all these years, read the book, I state with absolute certainty that it is so much more than the TV adaptation, but the mini-series will always hold a special place in my heart.
I completely pictured most of the characters while reading, I can't even imagine anyone else playing them. Notably Gary Sinise (Stu Redman), Adam Storke (Larry Underwood), Rob Lowe (Nick Andros}, Bill Fagerbakke (Tom Cullen), Miguel Ferrer (Lloyd Henreid), Matt Frewer (Trashcan Man), Ruby Dee (Mother Abagail), and Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg). Not so much Laura San Giacomo (Nadine Cross) or Corin Nemec (Harold Lauder). I enjoyed their performances well enough, but they didn't quite fit the image of the book characters as described. Probably didn't help that Giacomo played two roles morphed into one (Rita/Nadine). I think she did her best then. Giacomo and Storke shared great on-screen chemistry. As much as I hate to say it, Molly Ringwald was completely the wrong choice for the role of Fran Goldsmith. I can see that even more now, and I'm normally a fan of hers.
The mini-series was broken up into four parts – The Plague, The Dreams, The Betrayal, and The Stand, and the first installment was the best by far, although Part 4 stuck pretty closely to the book as well. Part 3 was all over the place, and I remember being very confused the first time I watched it, and it was only through subsequent viewings that I was able to work everything out. I now realise it's because there was just so much that wasn't included in both Part 2 and 3, giving them a very rushed feel. I felt the book got better and better as it went on because I uncovered so many new facts and scenes that weren't part of the TV show.
Scenes I would've loved to see included:
Nick's life in Shoyo, and how Sheriff Baker, and his wife, Jane, took Nick under their wing and made him feel like he finally belonged somewhere, and then the flu hit and took it all away. Heart-wrenching. The father/son relationship between Larry and Joe. Larry's hero worship of Harold. More time spent following characters on the road to Mother Abagail, and how treacherous and perilous their journey to get to her actually was. The usage of pills to block the dreams. The tornado, where Tom saves Nick. Although there was a scene where Tom alerted Nick to the fact that Julie was firing bullets at them, possibly saving his life, but it isn't as impacting. If you blink, you'd miss it. More emphasis on how Fran's baby could have potentially been born with/develop the virus, and how scared she was upon finding out that twin babies, born before hers, died from flu-like symptoms. Kojak's trek all the way from New Hampshire to Nebraska to Boulder. Broke my heart when they left him behind, but what an incredible story. The scene when the weasels surround Mother Abagail. So creepy!
Nick sleeping with Julie was all kinds of wrong and yuck! Bravo mini-series for cutting that scene.
In Part 4, Stu suddenly developed a telepathic link to Harold? He first tells the others that Harold is hurt and later says he blew his brains out. Book: the foursome stumble upon Harold's body.
The book sees Nadine make Randal so angry that he pushes her off the balcony as opposed to her jumping to her death. I think suicide showed Nadine as more heroic, but him killing her along with his unborn child (future ruler) revealed just how much his control was slipping.
In the series, Randal turns into a crow, but doesn't have that ability in print. Crows and other animals were his spies/familiars.
Not marking the Judge’s head, and Randall’s fury when it happened, never made sense to me, but while reading, it finally clicked why.
So apparently CBS are turning The Stand into a ten-part web TV series (release date unknown). I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I will give it a try.
For those who made it to the end of this rant, thanks for reading. (hide spoiler)]...more
On a flight to Denver, ghostwriter Jake Buchannan experiences déjà vu when he sets eyes on the woman sitting next to him, in A poor man's Dean Koontz!
On a flight to Denver, ghostwriter Jake Buchannan experiences déjà vu when he sets eyes on the woman sitting next to him, in – you guessed it – seat 2A.
Clara also feels a strange sense of familiarity regarding him, but neither recall ever meeting before. They get to talking, and Jake is shocked when Clara confides in him that she is travelling to Denver with the intention of committing suicide.
He tries to convince her otherwise, but when they land, he has no choice but to let her walk away, but he can't get her out of his head. Then, at the hotel bar, he encounters another mysterious woman.
First things first, I feel it's crucial to mention that this is less psychological thriller and domestic noir, more scientific medical thriller. I admire Carter Wilson for doing something different, but the execution didn't work for me, and there were long stretches where the plot dragged. I was expecting it to be more action-driven, so was disappointed with the overly-descriptive introspective dreamlike chapters. Even the cat-and-mouse game between the good and bad guys grew tiresome. There were some shocks and surprises, and Jake was a character I was genuinely rooting for, but even still this one was only average for me.
Chapters alternate between Jake and journal entries from ‘The Book of Clara'. It's a quick, fast read that's easy to follow so perfect for those on the go, or whose reading time is limited.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Carter Wilson for the e-ARC.
Marriage Domestic Noir merged with Artificial Intelligence!
3.5.
Technical whizz Tim Scott was devastated by the loss of his wife Abbie in a surfing accMarriage Domestic Noir merged with Artificial Intelligence!
3.5.
Technical whizz Tim Scott was devastated by the loss of his wife Abbie in a surfing accident.
Five years on he's designed the perfect solution to his grief – a world-first companion ‘cobot', capable of emotional intelligence – an exact replica of Abbie. But can the replaceable ever live up to the original?
An unconventional, imaginative concept in the form of science fiction applied to a domestic thriller. The legal, moral, and ethical issues regarding AI versus human conscience presented a scary, as well as thought-provoking, reality, and there were questions raised that I hadn't ever considered. Quick, easy-to-follow, and readable – I raced through this in a day.
However, I felt the story dragged, and that the types of POV’s the author chose to use, particularly the unknown third person omniscient narration, contributed to this. None of the twists really surprised me – I had a fair idea where the story was heading.
J.P. Delaney’s first novel The Girl Before really made an impression on me in 2017, but this one just didn't live up to his debut. I'm ‘alone in the crowd’ on this one though, as most reviewers loved it.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and J.P. Delaney for the e-ARC.
US Release Date: 6th August, 2019. UK Release Date: 8th August, 2019....more
On a quiet residential street in Minneapolis, three armed intruders enter the home of a 12 year-old prodigy, kill his parents, then kidnap him.
Luke ElOn a quiet residential street in Minneapolis, three armed intruders enter the home of a 12 year-old prodigy, kill his parents, then kidnap him.
Luke Ellis awakens in what at first appears to be his bedroom at home. Then he starts to notice differences, the biggest of all – no window to the outside world where one should be.
He soon learns he – along with other kids around his age – are prisoners of The Institute, a multi-storey, secure compound hidden deep in the woods of Maine.
Why? Because Luke displays signs of psychic abilities, which The Institute plans to advance, transform, and exploit.
He currently resides in ‘front half', which is a terrible enough, but all residents eventually graduate to ‘back half', rumored to be far worse – a place no child has ever returned from.
Luke plans to escape before that can happen to him.
It goes without saying that this was scary, brutal, and psychologically disturbing, since it centred on vulnerable, traumatised, defenceless children being physically, mentally, and emotionally abused and neglected. But surprisingly there was little blood and gore to contend with. More thriller/mystery rather than horror. It was monstrous how the doctors and staff of The Institute viewed the kids with such scientific coldness, indifference, and that most relished the idea of hurting and punishing them, and seeing them suffer. I got through those parts by telling myself that it was only a matter of time before Luke and co banded together, realised the full extend of their power, fought back, and took their revenge on these despicably evil people. Which brings me to my next point in that this book was predictable and unoriginal – there were no shocks and surprises that I didn't see coming. Luckily it was all what I wanted to happen – well except for the final segment, I could've done without that, and would have preferred things to wrap up earlier.
The bulk of the action occurred within the walls of The Institute, seen mainly through Luke's eyes, with the day-to-day structure, medical experiments, and horrific secrets that took place there revealed at a slow drip. Due to his dire circumstances, Luke was forced to grow up fast, and work quickly to gain back control over his mind and body, and formulate an escape plan. He was a sympathetic protagonist, who displayed a lot of empathy – a true hero who I was rooting for.
It's no secret that King excels at writing kids, childhood friendships, and young people with supernatural gifts, and those things were well executed. Okay, so Luke and his friends weren't as fleshed-out and memorable as the one's from IT or The Body, but they were comparable. I also got of kick out of Easter Eggs relating to his past novels – love it when writers do that. Furthermore, this author is the master of penning small town life and unity, and I was just as attached to Tim Jamieson and his story, as I was to Luke's.
Aside from the last twenty pages I did had a few other issues. The humour which King always injects into his stories to counteract the seriousness of the situation was on occasion satirical and silly, particularly in the last half. And, regardless of my own beliefs, the political references were over-the-top, and will not sit right with some readers. Finally, the plot tended to lull in places.
An engrossing read, that I was always keen to pick up, and loathe to put down, but The Institute is not King's best....more
As exhilarating, powerful page-turner... but boy was it dark, grim and dismal.
Raxter School for Girls – A remote island boarding school off the coast As exhilarating, powerful page-turner... but boy was it dark, grim and dismal.
Raxter School for Girls – A remote island boarding school off the coast of Maine, for girls aged 11-18.
Eighteen months ago the tox began.
It infected every living thing on the island – humans, animals, plants.
Some died, including all the teachers, bar two.
Others turned crazy, murderous, suicidal.
The remainder were afflicted with deliberating, horrendous mutations and disfigurements – a dead eye for Hetty, lid fused shut, with something growing underneath – Reese's left hand turned silver, with sharp scales for fingers – and Byatt’s second spine digs into her flesh.
The school has been under quarantine ever since, desperately praying for the Navy and the CDC to find a cure.
And with danger closing in on them at every turn they are running out of time.
Rory Power definitely got my attention with this thrilling premise. The shocks, surprises and momentous twists kept my excitement high as I rushed to finish. The author did a fantastic job of showing the psychological, emotional and physical effects of a group of teenagers forced to live together, and what happens when that starts to break down. These characters were completely cut-off from the outside world, separated from parents, loved ones, technology and societal norms, with scarce resources, food, and medical care – not knowing if, and when, a cure was coming.
I was proud over how well these girls had adapted to their situation, and able to fend for themselves. They were independent, fierce, resourceful, brave, loyal, didn't whine or complain, and worked cohesively as a group. Physical appearance is crucial to most, especially female teenagers, and Hetty and her fellow students were not only horribly disfigured, but in constant pain, with the threat of more to come every time they were struck down with another flare-up of symptoms. I know they had bigger things to worry about than what they looked like, and it must've helped that they were all in the same boat – but still, they were amazing, strong and resilient.
The content was very graphic and brutal, especially for YA. I struggled to read the parts involving animals infected with the tox, and am grateful the school didn't have a pet dog or cat.
The amount of back story that was weaved into the plot was satisfactory, and I didn’t feel there was anything missing by the author not providing flashbacks. Not that I'd say no to them, if Rory Power decided to go that route. But, it gave the story an ominous uncertainty that the characters were just as much in the dark as we were with relevant information being drip-feed as it became pivotal to the plot. However, I would've preferred more of a delay to the romantic sub-plot. I liked the pairing, but things felt somewhat sudden and rushed without the natural build-up to their friendship/budding relationship.
The last chapter left things open-ended, although I felt there was enough closure to the most pressing storylines to hold me over. I'm 90% sure this is intended to be the first book in a series. and I for one will be back for more. Fans of dystopian, Lord of the Flies, or The 100 will love this one.
This was a buddy read with BernLuvsBooks (Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas) over on Instagram, and we both rated the book 4 stars. I really enjoyed our chats, and we had a lot to discuss....more
When Wynter Roth was seven years old, she, along with her mother and older sister, Jaclyn joined a doomsday culLight, Entertaining Apocalypse fiction!
When Wynter Roth was seven years old, she, along with her mother and older sister, Jaclyn joined a doomsday cult known as New Earth. For the next fifteen years Wynter called the compound home, indoctrinated to fear the outside world, until that fateful day when she was banished by the prophet leader, Magnus. Forced to leave her family behind, Wynter finds sanctity in the home of her mother's best friend, her husband, and teenage daughter. Just as she's starting to adjust to life on the outside, a deadly epidemic begins spreading through America, infecting everyone in its past with early-onset dementia. When, Jaclyn shows up on her doorstep with a stolen case of medical samples, it is up to Wynter to drive across country and deliver the vials to a lab at Colorado State University. The fate of the human race depends on it!
I only heard about the existence of this book a week ago, but as soon as I read the book summary I knew I had to read it asap. Cult storylines have always fascinated me, as have apocalypse/post-apocalypse ones, and this book did not disappoint. It's fast-paced, action-packed and encompasses a wide range of genres – thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, drama, romance, women's fiction, chick-lit, and contemporary. It reminded me a little of Birdbox since the dementia led to madness.
I enjoyed the first half a bit more, particularly the cult flashbacks – how at first everyone was all welcoming and friendly, but you just know sinister motives will soon be revealed. Another of my favourite bits was Wynter adjusting to life outside the cult. The technology and pop culture references made for amusing reading.
Considering the serious subject matter, this was a very tame read, which had its advantages, giving the book a hopeful feel, as opposed to a dark, dreary one. The violence that there is, is mild, with no blood and gore, and zero profanity. The most violent scene occurs in the opening chapter with the farm pigs.
Some parts were somewhat unrealistic. Wynter was a little too worldly considering the sheltered life she had led, but to be honest there just wasn't time to focus on this, and doing so would've stalled the quick moving plot. The only other issue I had was that any obstacle Wynter faced was too easily resolved.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Howard Books, and Tosca Lee for the digital copy. All in all, an exciting, fantastic novel. Pick up a copy today!...more
I never would’ve thought that I’d describe an apocalypse/dystopian novel as moving, poignant, enchanting, beautiful, and even go as far to say that itI never would’ve thought that I’d describe an apocalypse/dystopian novel as moving, poignant, enchanting, beautiful, and even go as far to say that it was uplifting, but that was exactly how Station Eleven made me feel.
Not, only that, I prefer my apocalypse/dystopian to be horrific, action-packed, adrenaline-pumping, and my top three reads – The Stand, The Passage, The Chrysalids – all fall into those categories, yet I loved Station Eleven just as much, and it will definitely top not only my favourites list for this year, but for all time.
The death of an actor, onstage during a performance of Shakespeare’s King Lear, is the catalyst for everything that follows. Within weeks, 99% of the population will have succumbed to a deadly flu virus, and the survivors will be forced to adapt to a life where the society they knew is no more.
The plot switched seamlessly between three timelines – when the pandemic hit, the before, and twenty years later, to where a symphony of Shakespearean actors travel from town to town offering entertainment and hope.
It’s written in a way that feels very surreal and dreamlike, but utterly impacting and resonating. I was riveted to every page. There were heartbreaking, difficult, and perilous scenes, but inspiration and love were always present even in the darkest of times. I thought Emily St. John Mandel did an amazing job of conveying just how much people mourned the loss of technology and the comfort and ease of life before, but also showed the dangers of overusing and relying on said technology, and just how much it has overtaken human interaction, and socialisation.
Every character had a place and purpose, and all were three-dimensional, unique, relatable and memorable. The plot held a lot of mystery, and clues sprinkled throughout, and how it all came together in the end absolutely floored me. This is a book that I can see myself reading over and over, and the mark of a great read. And, even though I was reading closely, I’m sure there were things that I missed that I will catch the second, or third, time around.
Imagine only being allowed to speak 100 words per day!
In North American this is now a reality for Jean McClellan, along with the entire female populatImagine only being allowed to speak 100 words per day!
In North American this is now a reality for Jean McClellan, along with the entire female population, ever since a conservative, religious, political faction was elected to government. All women wear fit-bit (I will never complain about mine buzzing me with commands for a walk again!) like counter devices, that register their every word (spoken and read). If they go over their 100 word-a-day limit, they receive an electric shock, that increases in severity and duration with each infringement. Just like the fit-bit, the counter resets at midnight. Women are no longer allowed to work outside the home, use the internet, have a bank account, or hold a passport. They can’t even get their own mail from the gate – the man in charge of the household (in Jean’s case her husband) is the only one with a key to unlock the mailbox.
I would be doomed – I just spoke over a hundred words to the dog about absolutely nothing, without even realising I was doing it.
This was a horrifying and alarming cautionary tale. Without getting too political I will say that every vote counts, and you have a voice, so use it! Christina Dalcher did an incredible job of creating a scary, yet fascinating and interesting, dystopian society. It was the small details the author included that I admired, like the fact that Jean had to prepare all her meals without the aid of a recipe, so most of her creations ended up being pretty bland. I’m an average cook, but working from a recipe is my safety net, as well as fun and interesting.
I’m embarrassed to admit that when I read that women were no longer allowed to work, the first question that popped into my head was to imagine TV shows with all male actors, and how much that would suck! Turns out actresses were allowed a special dispensation to work, but all their lines were written by men, and undoubtedly portray them in limited, subservient roles.
I wasn’t a fan of the main protagonist, Jean. She came across as cold, and without giving too much away, she didn’t seem to have her priorities straight. I was satisfied with how everything wrapped up, but thought the last two chapters were a bit rushed. The twenty or so percent prior to that was overly long, and I would’ve preferred a more in depth ending with more showing and less telling. But overall I was happy with the story and the pacing. Even though it took me eons to get through this due to time constraints, it was a quick read, with an easy to keep up with the plot, short chapters, and few characters.
A well-executed, exciting debut! Look forward to Christina Dalcher’s next book.
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