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A review by katykelly
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North
5.0
The sci-fi Queen of the 'what ifs'?
Claire North, so far, has managed to create a superb take on human nature, capability and limitations with each book she writes under her pen-name.
From the people who relive the same life over and over, to those that can transfer their mind to a body by touching another, and now to the woman who is forgotten as soon as she leaves your sight... Stunning ideas, and absolutely brilliantly executed. This is the sort of sci-fi I like - rooted in the real world but creating one that we can all picture ourselves imagining.
In a shocking plot opener, we learn that Hope Arden began to be 'forgotten' by her friends and parents while still at high school: her place setting was forgotten at dinner, her dad not remembering to drive her to school, friends who look and see only a stranger.
Just what does a person do when their mum and dad forget who they are? Hope sets off on her own, and makes a life for herself, though with no real consequences, she is able to excel as a thief. Making a connection with a rich and beautiful young woman, one of many who has succumbed to the latest lifestyle App - Perfection - she finds herself with a cause after her acquaintance dies: Perfection, she sees it, is to blame.
And what is Perfection? An App that tells you what to eat, what to wear, what job to have, how to behave. And it awards you points when you follow its instructions.
Insidious, creepy, yet all too real-feeling, I thought. I loved the intertwining of Hope's own story - the woman who can't be caught, who can't be pinned down, with the App that is slowly taking over the world.
It kept me hanging on, though it did feel like a lengthy read, it is absolutely fascinating in its creation of a person that you may have met, conversed with, kissed even, before, but looking at now appears to be a total stranger - even compared to the police mugshot in front of you...
Just brilliant. If you're a fan of North, this will only cement your feelings. If you've not read her work before, this is as good a place to start as any.
It's rather heart-breaking as well as intriguing: just how would it feel if everyone forgot you, saw right through you? For Hope:
"Having no one else to know me, having no one to catch me or lift me up, tell me I'm right or wrong, having no one to define the limits of me, I have to define myself otherwise I am nothing, just a... liquid that dissolves."
I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next, she is one of a very few writers that I will immediately request upon seeing a new book is coming. I know to expect something intriguing, creative and well-crafted.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.
Claire North, so far, has managed to create a superb take on human nature, capability and limitations with each book she writes under her pen-name.
From the people who relive the same life over and over, to those that can transfer their mind to a body by touching another, and now to the woman who is forgotten as soon as she leaves your sight... Stunning ideas, and absolutely brilliantly executed. This is the sort of sci-fi I like - rooted in the real world but creating one that we can all picture ourselves imagining.
In a shocking plot opener, we learn that Hope Arden began to be 'forgotten' by her friends and parents while still at high school: her place setting was forgotten at dinner, her dad not remembering to drive her to school, friends who look and see only a stranger.
Just what does a person do when their mum and dad forget who they are? Hope sets off on her own, and makes a life for herself, though with no real consequences, she is able to excel as a thief. Making a connection with a rich and beautiful young woman, one of many who has succumbed to the latest lifestyle App - Perfection - she finds herself with a cause after her acquaintance dies: Perfection, she sees it, is to blame.
And what is Perfection? An App that tells you what to eat, what to wear, what job to have, how to behave. And it awards you points when you follow its instructions.
Insidious, creepy, yet all too real-feeling, I thought. I loved the intertwining of Hope's own story - the woman who can't be caught, who can't be pinned down, with the App that is slowly taking over the world.
It kept me hanging on, though it did feel like a lengthy read, it is absolutely fascinating in its creation of a person that you may have met, conversed with, kissed even, before, but looking at now appears to be a total stranger - even compared to the police mugshot in front of you...
Just brilliant. If you're a fan of North, this will only cement your feelings. If you've not read her work before, this is as good a place to start as any.
It's rather heart-breaking as well as intriguing: just how would it feel if everyone forgot you, saw right through you? For Hope:
"Having no one else to know me, having no one to catch me or lift me up, tell me I'm right or wrong, having no one to define the limits of me, I have to define myself otherwise I am nothing, just a... liquid that dissolves."
I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next, she is one of a very few writers that I will immediately request upon seeing a new book is coming. I know to expect something intriguing, creative and well-crafted.
With thanks to Netgalley for the advance reading copy.