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1siobhan's review against another edition
2.0
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*
Even though the setting sounds interesting (climate refugees from Southern Europe), vineyards all over England/Wales, human trafficking & exploitation, but the execution was just weird. It lacked world building most of all and then a coherent story with meaningful characters. The story just didn't make sense for me and I was a bit mad after many characters were introduced and then a shift of time and a new place. Why? The ending also didn't make any sense. I also didn't really get the global scope of things (how are the refugees managed?) and also the story of our main protagonist didn't really convince. I don't know. Maybe it's me, but I was really disappointed because the short description sounded so good.
Skim-read most of it.
2 Stars
Even though the setting sounds interesting (climate refugees from Southern Europe), vineyards all over England/Wales, human trafficking & exploitation, but the execution was just weird. It lacked world building most of all and then a coherent story with meaningful characters. The story just didn't make sense for me and I was a bit mad after many characters were introduced and then a shift of time and a new place. Why? The ending also didn't make any sense. I also didn't really get the global scope of things (how are the refugees managed?) and also the story of our main protagonist didn't really convince. I don't know. Maybe it's me, but I was really disappointed because the short description sounded so good.
Skim-read most of it.
2 Stars
kleonard's review
4.0
This is a great YA book about child trafficking and immigration. Told through various viewpoints, including those of the child immigrant who is trafficked for manual labor, those who profit from his work, those who seek to stop trafficking, and others, the novel is set in a dystopian England where the poor are shuttered into enclaves, where cheap labor is used for all sorts of industry and business. After escaping from one abusive and exploitative situation, the primary protagonist seeks out other work and news of his mother, but ultimately--and heartbreakingly--returns back to his original place of life and work, reasoning it is better that the other options available to him. I recommend this for classrooms (grades 5 and up, maybe?), library book clubs and youth reading groups, and for kids and parents/guardians/family to read together.
pvn's review
4.0
This is a very talented author. Bridge 108 may not be her best work, but don't let that stop you from picking it up. This is solid. Well-written characters and an interesting plot make it worth your time if you're a dystopian scifi (YA) fan.
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!
flying_monkey's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Anne Charnock's latest is set in the same climate breakdown-altered world as A Calculated Life, and there are even a few direct intersections with the lives of the characters in that book. However, whereas the former book has an exploited protagonist who dreams of escape, Bridge 108 is all about escape, and how it is rarely an improvement when you're already at the bottom of society.
The story focuses mostly on Caleb, an immigrant from Spain (perhaps), who is trafficked to the vastly unequal future Britain and who we first meet working for a gang of recyclers in an enclave reserved for the unaugmented who constitute the lowest level of society. Caleb and and his journey remains the focus of the book but we also get glimpses of the view from other characters' point of view, including a trafficker and an undercover immigration investigator. The problem is that these other characters are mostly incidental to the novel and disappear - their involvement isn't really satisfyingly resolved, and indeed the story finishes in an open-ended but possibly hopeful way (much like A Calculated Life) but after a somewhat unrealistic bit of plotting.
I don't think this is as good as A Calculated Life; largely because of the lack of focus on Caleb's point of view we never get to know him, feel with him, in the same way as the protagonist of that previous work. But it's still worth reading for its portrayal of a very depressingly realistic near-future Britain.
The story focuses mostly on Caleb, an immigrant from Spain (perhaps), who is trafficked to the vastly unequal future Britain and who we first meet working for a gang of recyclers in an enclave reserved for the unaugmented who constitute the lowest level of society. Caleb and and his journey remains the focus of the book but we also get glimpses of the view from other characters' point of view, including a trafficker and an undercover immigration investigator. The problem is that these other characters are mostly incidental to the novel and disappear - their involvement isn't really satisfyingly resolved, and indeed the story finishes in an open-ended but possibly hopeful way (much like A Calculated Life) but after a somewhat unrealistic bit of plotting.
I don't think this is as good as A Calculated Life; largely because of the lack of focus on Caleb's point of view we never get to know him, feel with him, in the same way as the protagonist of that previous work. But it's still worth reading for its portrayal of a very depressingly realistic near-future Britain.
mttmrtn's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
So, I am a massive dystopian novel lover and always have been. I love the many different approaches that folks take, and they often are extremely timely for what is happening in the world.
This story takes place in England after what seems like a major climate crisis throughout Europe. It follows the main character, Caleb, and his journey from refugee to human trafficking to escapee, etc. and the many folks he meets along the way.
While it was a fairly quick read, I will be honest that I was a little underwhelmed throughout. Some elements never really landed and the overall story left me wanting a lot more. I felt like the characters never really developed and there was very little back story, so that it just felt like a very bare-bones outline of multiple perspectives of characters. Multiple times I felt like it was building up to something that could be really exciting, but each time I was let down.
In spite of this, it is definitely worth giving a try if you are someone who enjoys dystopian type lit.
So, I am a massive dystopian novel lover and always have been. I love the many different approaches that folks take, and they often are extremely timely for what is happening in the world.
This story takes place in England after what seems like a major climate crisis throughout Europe. It follows the main character, Caleb, and his journey from refugee to human trafficking to escapee, etc. and the many folks he meets along the way.
While it was a fairly quick read, I will be honest that I was a little underwhelmed throughout. Some elements never really landed and the overall story left me wanting a lot more. I felt like the characters never really developed and there was very little back story, so that it just felt like a very bare-bones outline of multiple perspectives of characters. Multiple times I felt like it was building up to something that could be really exciting, but each time I was let down.
In spite of this, it is definitely worth giving a try if you are someone who enjoys dystopian type lit.
letstalkaboutbooksbaybee's review
3.0
Thanks to Wunderkind PR for sending me a free copy of this book to review! All opinions are my own.
This book is set in a dystopian future, taking place in Europe after wildfires ravaged half of the continent and follows a teenage boy named Caleb as he bounces from place to place trying to survive. He is separated from both of his parents, fearing them both dead, and is picked up by traffickers to have him work as a slave for a woman named Ma Lexie. Eventually he escapes and turns himself into the government to work as an indentured servant, but he knows his future is not the one his mother dreamt of for him.
I quite liked this book and the premise. I think that something like this isn’t too far off of the future that awaits us if things go a certain way. My heart hurt for young Caleb and what he’s been put through. My only complaints are that this book just plops you into this world with little backstory and it was confusing to try and figure out the setting at first. This book is also very short, less than 200 pages, and I just wanted a bit more from it.
This book is set in a dystopian future, taking place in Europe after wildfires ravaged half of the continent and follows a teenage boy named Caleb as he bounces from place to place trying to survive. He is separated from both of his parents, fearing them both dead, and is picked up by traffickers to have him work as a slave for a woman named Ma Lexie. Eventually he escapes and turns himself into the government to work as an indentured servant, but he knows his future is not the one his mother dreamt of for him.
I quite liked this book and the premise. I think that something like this isn’t too far off of the future that awaits us if things go a certain way. My heart hurt for young Caleb and what he’s been put through. My only complaints are that this book just plops you into this world with little backstory and it was confusing to try and figure out the setting at first. This book is also very short, less than 200 pages, and I just wanted a bit more from it.
morganek's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for providing me with an ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Though I did enjoy this book quite a bit, some things really bothered me.
First of all, this book is told from multiple perspectives but we do have a main character that we see more than the others : that did not work for me. Though I understand the choice as it allowed the reader to get more info about the world the book is set in that our mc doesn't know, a lot of it seemed unnecessary and I was just left mostly in the unknown about what happened to all of those characters. I would have better enjoyed either a book told from one perspective or a book entirely told from multiple perspectives (like the Passage trilogy in the same genre).
Second of all, some parts of the book just seemed added in to explain the rest and I felt that in the writing ; some parts I thought were well written, not too flowery, just the right amount of description but others were so matter-of-fact with a bit of drama (that was never resolved, where are all the side characters seriously?).
To always end a good note, I did like that the story was very character-driven and I also quite enjoyed the dystopia aspect of it, which made me think a lot of The Darkest Minds and of the Passage trilogy due to the living in camps situation. I also liked the issue of immigration that is very relevant to our society today.
Overall would recommend if you like dystopian and character-driven stories but I have read better in this genre.
Though I did enjoy this book quite a bit, some things really bothered me.
First of all, this book is told from multiple perspectives but we do have a main character that we see more than the others : that did not work for me. Though I understand the choice as it allowed the reader to get more info about the world the book is set in that our mc doesn't know, a lot of it seemed unnecessary and I was just left mostly in the unknown about what happened to all of those characters. I would have better enjoyed either a book told from one perspective or a book entirely told from multiple perspectives (like the Passage trilogy in the same genre).
Second of all, some parts of the book just seemed added in to explain the rest and I felt that in the writing ; some parts I thought were well written, not too flowery, just the right amount of description but others were so matter-of-fact with a bit of drama (that was never resolved, where are all the side characters seriously?).
To always end a good note, I did like that the story was very character-driven and I also quite enjoyed the dystopia aspect of it, which made me think a lot of The Darkest Minds and of the Passage trilogy due to the living in camps situation. I also liked the issue of immigration that is very relevant to our society today.
Overall would recommend if you like dystopian and character-driven stories but I have read better in this genre.
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