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jlperidot's review against another edition
5.0
This book ticked a lot of boxes for me in just the first few pages—suspense, questionable technology, compelling language, situations near boiling point, and with a protagonist narrator who was not only relatable and likeable but, most importantly IMHO, fallible. "What They Deserve" is an action-packed genre bender that tells a human story first and foremost, with hints of political thriller and strong cyberpunk overtones, keeping me guessing right up until the end. I'd recommend this accessible novella to anyone who enjoyed Blake Crouch's "Dark Matter" and the likes of Kevin Wignall.
pepperthephoenix's review against another edition
4.0
I had the great opportunity of reading an arc copy of What They Deserve.
What They Deserve is a fast-paced, entertaining read that is a great way to spend a snowy day. The main character, Summer, is an actress and spokesmen of the government while her husband in an engineer who is more than he seems. After a horrific murder, Summer and her husband are pulled into a high-stake game where the people they love most can’t be trusted and their greatest foes may be their only allies.
The story, while predictable, is a fun ride, with well-handled action scenes, and enough twists and turns to keep one’s interest. It borrows from the best dystopian fantasy and feeds off the current paranoia about who is truly in control-us or the devices we rely on to run our daily lives. The rebels are the standard rebels found in any pulp fiction magazine and government’s ‘evil’ plan is ridiculous enough to make one think of the golden age in comics. It’s definitely more Judge Dredd than We, but that doesn’t detract from its overall enjoyment.
The core of the story is Susan and her husband, both of who are the most developed characters and have the most realistic and relatable relationship. Sam does a great job portraying a broken couple that is merely surviving and her writing shines brightest when the two are interacting with each other. Susan is haunted by the fate of her sons, and she feels most real when she thinks about them and what ultimate happened to them. Her struggle about failing as a mother and potentially a wife, sister, and daughter are the most compelling parts of the book.
Since it is a novella, there is little time for character or emotional development and that is this book’s weakness point. Besides Susan and Max, the characters are borderline two-dimensional and some of the emotional moments fail to land because of that. Sam creates two interesting ‘antagonists’, but never follows through on their development, so they are not quite memorable. Additionally, because the characters aren’t allowed to grow organically, nor are we given a chance to truly understand what they’re feeling, many of the twists or difficult choices fall flat and the ending doesn’t have the punch it could have had.
Overall, a well written, fast-paced thriller that is entertaining and fun to read. Sam has created an intriguing world that I hope they’ll return to in future books.
What They Deserve is a fast-paced, entertaining read that is a great way to spend a snowy day. The main character, Summer, is an actress and spokesmen of the government while her husband in an engineer who is more than he seems. After a horrific murder, Summer and her husband are pulled into a high-stake game where the people they love most can’t be trusted and their greatest foes may be their only allies.
The story, while predictable, is a fun ride, with well-handled action scenes, and enough twists and turns to keep one’s interest. It borrows from the best dystopian fantasy and feeds off the current paranoia about who is truly in control-us or the devices we rely on to run our daily lives. The rebels are the standard rebels found in any pulp fiction magazine and government’s ‘evil’ plan is ridiculous enough to make one think of the golden age in comics. It’s definitely more Judge Dredd than We, but that doesn’t detract from its overall enjoyment.
The core of the story is Susan and her husband, both of who are the most developed characters and have the most realistic and relatable relationship. Sam does a great job portraying a broken couple that is merely surviving and her writing shines brightest when the two are interacting with each other. Susan is haunted by the fate of her sons, and she feels most real when she thinks about them and what ultimate happened to them. Her struggle about failing as a mother and potentially a wife, sister, and daughter are the most compelling parts of the book.
Since it is a novella, there is little time for character or emotional development and that is this book’s weakness point. Besides Susan and Max, the characters are borderline two-dimensional and some of the emotional moments fail to land because of that. Sam creates two interesting ‘antagonists’, but never follows through on their development, so they are not quite memorable. Additionally, because the characters aren’t allowed to grow organically, nor are we given a chance to truly understand what they’re feeling, many of the twists or difficult choices fall flat and the ending doesn’t have the punch it could have had.
Overall, a well written, fast-paced thriller that is entertaining and fun to read. Sam has created an intriguing world that I hope they’ll return to in future books.
paulblakeauthor's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. A very interesting and well done future sci-fi novella. There were areas that I felt that the story could use more exposition to bring more detail to the story and the world, but that's a personal choice. The author definitely made the world believable without it, anyway.
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