You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
It’s weird…I don’t know how to explain it, it makes you think because it’s not that far off reality, the technology in the book is so possible and it’s scary.
This book was a solid 4 star for me until the last 2 pages…like that just doesn’t make any sense to me.
This book was a solid 4 star for me until the last 2 pages…like that just doesn’t make any sense to me.
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am changing up my genres and trying new authors which was one of my reading resolutions for 2018. Moxyland takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, in a not-too-distant dystopian future. The story is told through 4 points of view, 2 men and 2 women. My major criticism is that one of the men (Toby) a dj/sorta you-tuber (but of course never called that)/gamer/cut off trust fund kid, uses "future-speak" slang words that I totally do not understand so I had a hard time following the story when he was speaking. Some words I just did not get at all, even presented in the context of the story. (Once again, you're old, Ma.)
This Cape Town is a police state run by a Big Brother type corporation. EVERYTHING is tied to your cell phone. Not only is your bank account accessed through it, physical access to your home, transportation, admittance to certain areas, all through your phone. The Police can taser you through your cell phone, then "disconnect" you, sending the police log out for everyone to read, leaving you homeless, with no money, and no means to get help.
I can't say anything more because to get into specifics would ruin the story. I will say I found this to be a scary scenario, a very plausible scenario, and definitely not centuries away. I finished the book last night and found myself thinking about it off and on throughout my day today. It really makes you think about a lot of things, about technology, and how dependent we are on it -- especially our children. The fact that this story is about very young adults is certainly telling.
I quote Lauren Beukes herself, "The thing is that it's all possible, especially if we're willing to trade away our rights for convenience, for the illusion of security. Our very own bright and shiny dystopia is only ever one totalitarian government away."
This Cape Town is a police state run by a Big Brother type corporation. EVERYTHING is tied to your cell phone. Not only is your bank account accessed through it, physical access to your home, transportation, admittance to certain areas, all through your phone. The Police can taser you through your cell phone, then "disconnect" you, sending the police log out for everyone to read, leaving you homeless, with no money, and no means to get help.
I can't say anything more because to get into specifics would ruin the story. I will say I found this to be a scary scenario, a very plausible scenario, and definitely not centuries away. I finished the book last night and found myself thinking about it off and on throughout my day today. It really makes you think about a lot of things, about technology, and how dependent we are on it -- especially our children. The fact that this story is about very young adults is certainly telling.
I quote Lauren Beukes herself, "The thing is that it's all possible, especially if we're willing to trade away our rights for convenience, for the illusion of security. Our very own bright and shiny dystopia is only ever one totalitarian government away."
Story really gets going in the second half, so much so that the ending was a little abrupt. I'd love to read another book set in the same dystopian world.
this book was right up my alley. It mixes the world of Augmented Reality Gaming, the future of our pocket devices and the demise of society. The 'invented' terms flow beautifully and make perfect sense, something I've found others try and fail to do. A perfect book for the Internet generation.
I really wanted to like this. Edging on cyberpunk, it shows a society that is not too far removed from our own: technology as the sole access to everything, corporations running the world rather than governments, nano-technology that enhances health. All of it is particularly relevant in today's world, 10 years after it was published, in an era of increasing corporate interest and technological advancement.
Lauren Beuke's writes in a way that encapsulates the characters and their position in the world through both description and dialogue. The first person narration really works well within the story. With 4 different characters, she manages to battle all sides of the underground revolution in Moxyland.
While it has many good points, and is an interesting exploration into the world that could be round the corner, the plot didn't wholly match up with it all. With a slow start, the plot often felt disjointed, failing to gain traction until the last 50 pages of the book. Instead, the book appeared as several unconnected plot points to tie the characters together, that happened to follow each other into the culmination.
Nevertheless, Beukes presents the near-dystopian society very well, reminiscent of William Gibson's Neuromancer and the increasingly anti-corporation trend in science-fiction.
Lauren Beuke's writes in a way that encapsulates the characters and their position in the world through both description and dialogue. The first person narration really works well within the story. With 4 different characters, she manages to battle all sides of the underground revolution in Moxyland.
While it has many good points, and is an interesting exploration into the world that could be round the corner, the plot didn't wholly match up with it all. With a slow start, the plot often felt disjointed, failing to gain traction until the last 50 pages of the book. Instead, the book appeared as several unconnected plot points to tie the characters together, that happened to follow each other into the culmination.
Nevertheless, Beukes presents the near-dystopian society very well, reminiscent of William Gibson's Neuromancer and the increasingly anti-corporation trend in science-fiction.
3.5/5
This is not Beukes' best book, but I read it as the BLM protests are reading in the US, so a government killing its own citizens doesn't feel particularly far fetched right now...
This is not Beukes' best book, but I read it as the BLM protests are reading in the US, so a government killing its own citizens doesn't feel particularly far fetched right now...
Another good Lauren Beukes, but not my favorite, maybe I needed a longer break between her books, or maybe the characters were not as easy to follow for me. Still good though, and she brings that wild imagination!