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A review by mimosaeyes
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
I was really excited to read this book because of its premise. Main character who is drowning in debt takes a job to audit white-collar workers' dreams to make them more productive? Sounds like a great starting point for a sci-fi critique of late-stage capitalism.
Except that's not what this turned out to be. The story feels a lot... smaller, less ambitious, than what I expected and wanted. The main conflict ends up being interpersonal - based on a rather clichéd storyline, too - instead of taking shots at the system. It also hinges on a conflation of dreams with memories that went totally unjustified in terms of worldbuilding.
At the same time, the way the story is told is confusing. Jonathan Abernathy doesn't understand the import of a lot of what's happening to or around him. And because of the floaty sense of temporality crossed with the choppiness of the scenes, I didn't really know at first, either. Then when it started making more sense, I was just disappointed, as detailed in the above paragraph.
As for Abernathy's whole arc, I started the book assuming he was the hero. Once I realised, fairly early on, where his story was really headed, I was a little miffed but was along for the ride as I could see the point the author was trying to make with him about self-delusion as a way to cope in such conditions. My quibble is that, if your main character isn't going to be likeable in a traditional sense, surely there should be someone who is? But there isn't! Every character is just unpleasant, including the omniscient narrator. Maybe that was the whole idea- I can see the ends it would serve - but it's hard to pull off while still having the reader enjoy the book, and I don't think the author was successful in this attempt.
Except that's not what this turned out to be. The story feels a lot... smaller, less ambitious, than what I expected and wanted. The main conflict ends up being interpersonal - based on a rather clichéd storyline, too - instead of taking shots at the system. It also hinges on a conflation of dreams with memories that went totally unjustified in terms of worldbuilding.
At the same time, the way the story is told is confusing. Jonathan Abernathy doesn't understand the import of a lot of what's happening to or around him. And because of the floaty sense of temporality crossed with the choppiness of the scenes, I didn't really know at first, either. Then when it started making more sense, I was just disappointed, as detailed in the above paragraph.
As for Abernathy's whole arc, I started the book assuming he was the hero. Once I realised, fairly early on, where his story was really headed, I was a little miffed but was along for the ride as I could see the point the author was trying to make with him about self-delusion as a way to cope in such conditions. My quibble is that, if your main character isn't going to be likeable in a traditional sense, surely there should be someone who is? But there isn't! Every character is just unpleasant, including the omniscient narrator. Maybe that was the whole idea- I can see the ends it would serve - but it's hard to pull off while still having the reader enjoy the book, and I don't think the author was successful in this attempt.