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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
There are so many YA dystopian books dragged out into a trilogy for no reason. This is NOT one of those. I was begging for this dystopian novel to be longer. A fascinating premise with interesting people
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i liked the idea/concept of the book but the ending was a little unsatisfying for me. i kept waiting for a big reveal that made the parts that were more boring to me make sense but that never really happened. it’s not a bad book it was just not the book for me
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dystopian fiction, a strange mix of the nights watch from game of thrones and British nationalism.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The book is set in the future after the Change - an environmental event which has led to a large rise in sea level. Britain has built a sea wall to keep out tides but also the Others who are trying to get in. Inside Britain everyone has to serve on the wall to defend the country. It seems an allegory for current concerns over immigration, Brexit and climate change. But the plot is mainly the personal story of the Defenders on the wall.
The book really picks up pace when some Others get over the wall and our protagonists are punished by being exiled out to sea. They’ve become Others. Eventually there is an island and hope, but pirates and despair too. The book has an odd ending with a hermit on an oil rig. But I suppose they are safe.
The book really picks up pace when some Others get over the wall and our protagonists are punished by being exiled out to sea. They’ve become Others. Eventually there is an island and hope, but pirates and despair too. The book has an odd ending with a hermit on an oil rig. But I suppose they are safe.
Lanchester's novel details a world that has experienced climate change and seemingly irreparable impacts on that world's society. Is the premise credible? Absolutely. Should we see this novel as a warning of what may be in store if human beings continue prizing profits over protective policies? Yes, of course.
Does that make this a great novel? Not necessarily.
Lanchester is able to subtly investigate how such cataclysmic events may impact not only a human's way of life, but also her psyche. As the book explains, in many part of the world, the Change did not happen as a result of a singular event. Instead the Change was the culmination of a number of interrelated processes that altered the way human beings interacted - with each other and within themselves.
The plot itself is admirable in that the flow of the novel is both expected and unexpected. One may not be surprised by the course of events. One may be surprised by the frankness of their occurrence; the characters' experience don't strike the reader as novel but instead as possible (if not inevitable). While the plot itself may be a shock to the system, the characters lack the sort of development and insights that may be more interesting to explore and play with as a thought experiment. What does survival look like to the individual? What parts of our lives are worth preserving? How does our experience of trauma act as a lens when viewing and interacting with others? These sorts of questions are hinted at but not fully engaged, which felt like a lost opportunity to me.
Despite my lackluster review, I do think the book is probably worth reading. If for nothing else than to see how pressing our current state of affairs will continue to be.
Does that make this a great novel? Not necessarily.
Lanchester is able to subtly investigate how such cataclysmic events may impact not only a human's way of life, but also her psyche. As the book explains, in many part of the world, the Change did not happen as a result of a singular event. Instead the Change was the culmination of a number of interrelated processes that altered the way human beings interacted - with each other and within themselves.
The plot itself is admirable in that the flow of the novel is both expected and unexpected. One may not be surprised by the course of events. One may be surprised by the frankness of their occurrence; the characters' experience don't strike the reader as novel but instead as possible (if not inevitable). While the plot itself may be a shock to the system, the characters lack the sort of development and insights that may be more interesting to explore and play with as a thought experiment. What does survival look like to the individual? What parts of our lives are worth preserving? How does our experience of trauma act as a lens when viewing and interacting with others? These sorts of questions are hinted at but not fully engaged, which felt like a lost opportunity to me.
Despite my lackluster review, I do think the book is probably worth reading. If for nothing else than to see how pressing our current state of affairs will continue to be.