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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
One of my favorite authors. This debut book feels unfinished to me, but it still has what I like best about Beukes - she plops you right into the story and never explains anything - you just learn as you go along. As in real life, some things never get explained but those missing explanations never stopped me from completely buying into her world.
Am I a fan of cyberpunk? I would never have guessed it, but a few highly enjoyable reading experiences of late seem to point in that direction...
I really enjoyed the world of Moxyland and hope that more of Beukes' books continue to explore it. The trial-by-fire of piecing together just what everything meant was fun, and she did a great job with keeping each separate POV fascinating in its own right. I think my main problem with it was a result of my own personal attempt to read this book amid the frenzy of the end of the semester. There was so much going on that I would have benefited more from reading it in just a few sittings than over the course of a few weeks...I found it difficult to remember exactly what was what. I almost wish, too, that it was a little longer just because I enjoyed learning about this futuristic Cape Town, but I appreciate it for its succinctness. Please return here, Ms. Beukes!
I really enjoyed the world of Moxyland and hope that more of Beukes' books continue to explore it. The trial-by-fire of piecing together just what everything meant was fun, and she did a great job with keeping each separate POV fascinating in its own right. I think my main problem with it was a result of my own personal attempt to read this book amid the frenzy of the end of the semester. There was so much going on that I would have benefited more from reading it in just a few sittings than over the course of a few weeks...I found it difficult to remember exactly what was what. I almost wish, too, that it was a little longer just because I enjoyed learning about this futuristic Cape Town, but I appreciate it for its succinctness. Please return here, Ms. Beukes!
There's so much good fiction being written at the moment - 2014 has been a really good reading year for me. Lauren Beukes has definitely played a part in that. I like her writing style, her characters and the worlds she creates - quite a dystopian future in this novel. I wasn't surprised to see William Gibson likes it.
This was a four for most of the book, but I wasn't very impressed with the ending. Overall, it felt like a modern update of Snow Crash, which was both good and bad, even to the VR "Second Life" world, gaming culture, and the idea of constantly recording/broadcasting your life. I liked the South African setting, the cyberpunk felt very rooted in the genre without being tired and boring, and the characters were mostly interesting and understandable, if not actually sympathetic. It didn't have the overt religion or quite the stakes of Snow Crash, which I also liked.
Still, I'm not surprised to learn it was Beukes' first novel. It lacks some of the polish of Zoo City, and because she's bouncing between four characters they sometimes felt like archetypes more than fully fleshed-out people. The ending felt rushed and somewhat contrived,
with a lot of questions let unanswered.Kendra just happens to be in that subway at the time of the protest? Which was also during Toby's game, because why? The adbaby nanos can be sexually transmitted and nobody knows about it? And is the "closer" guy who gives Lerato her transfer actually skyward*, or just another operative like she'll become?
In sum, a lot of great ideas, not enough time spend on execution; but well worth the read especially for how much she improves by her next book!
Still, I'm not surprised to learn it was Beukes' first novel. It lacks some of the polish of Zoo City, and because she's bouncing between four characters they sometimes felt like archetypes more than fully fleshed-out people. The ending felt rushed and somewhat contrived,
with a lot of questions let unanswered.
In sum, a lot of great ideas, not enough time spend on execution; but well worth the read especially for how much she improves by her next book!
A very realistic take on the future. Sugar is a drug, people have nanotech floating in their bodies and corporations own you and/or buy you for sponsorship. Beukes does a good job telling the story from four different perspectives.
I found the first half of this book a bit confusing, with the fast switching between character perspectives and the immersion into an unfamiliar world. The narrative came together a bit better for me in the second half. Some interesting ideas about our evolving over-reliance on technology.
This novel explores a not too distant future where corporations control society through technology and power. Corporations use technology to manipulate and punish people. The ultimate punishment for crime is being disconnected, which is basically like being ostracized. Your body can also be used as irrevocable product advertising. Nanotechnology is available as a cure all, but also used for spreading viruses as a means of crowd control. Beukes also briefly explores the violence underlying childrens gaming communities. It’s an interesting premise, but I did not love the characters. Their naïveté wares on my nerves at times. Pretty well paced, but I felt as if this book was missing something.
I won't say this often, but I wanted this book to be longer. It moved really fast and I would have loved to savour the development more. Definitely want to read more Beukes.
Updating this review because this story, its protagonist, and her world have stayed with me and I've returned to them in my imagination repeatedly over the past year. Four stars for staying power!
Over a year ago I wrote: There were elements of this story that appealed to me, but in the end I sorta Wished I'd spent the time re-reading the ear, the eye, and the arm.
Problems: a little too derivative - felt a bit like reading other peoples books transplanted to a new setting with a few new accessories, the characters and narrative voices were a bit cardboard, not enough humor to keep me enthusiastically turning the pages, tho I have to admit I did get a few laughs out of it - but given the circumstances of the characters there could at least be more dark humor ?
Positives: dystopian tech-centric future invites readers to contemplate some hot button issues related to economics, privacy, journalism, creativity, power and gender relations, etc.
Over a year ago I wrote: There were elements of this story that appealed to me, but in the end I sorta Wished I'd spent the time re-reading the ear, the eye, and the arm.
Problems: a little too derivative - felt a bit like reading other peoples books transplanted to a new setting with a few new accessories, the characters and narrative voices were a bit cardboard, not enough humor to keep me enthusiastically turning the pages, tho I have to admit I did get a few laughs out of it - but given the circumstances of the characters there could at least be more dark humor ?
Positives: dystopian tech-centric future invites readers to contemplate some hot button issues related to economics, privacy, journalism, creativity, power and gender relations, etc.