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A review by julesthebookdragon417
The Completionist by Siobhan Adcock
3.0
This book tried to do a lot. In one fell swoop the author is trying to tackle dystopian issues of overpopulation, reactions to overpopulation, mismanagement of natural resources, lack of privacy, systemic classism, commodification of female reproductive rights, war, support for veterans, capitalism, technology ruling our lives....and that's just what I can rattle off the tope of my head. As I said, the author tried to do a lot, and it's hard to take on all of those issues and do a good job with each of them.
The premises of the world are interesting, but the story felt short-changed in exchange for the sheer amount of social examination and the reveals at the end weren't all that satisfying. Rather than the full evolution of a story, it felt more like we got a fascinating glimpse at a complicated future where humanity is suffering the effects of ALL our screwed up decision-making. As things closed out at the end, it felt like we were just getting to the part where the real story was going to start. Maybe that was the intent, or maybe this is a set up for a sequel or series (which I would probably read). As a standalone novel, it was a decent way to quench my itch for a dystopian setting but not the most satisfying story.
The premises of the world are interesting, but the story felt short-changed in exchange for the sheer amount of social examination and the reveals at the end weren't all that satisfying. Rather than the full evolution of a story, it felt more like we got a fascinating glimpse at a complicated future where humanity is suffering the effects of ALL our screwed up decision-making. As things closed out at the end, it felt like we were just getting to the part where the real story was going to start. Maybe that was the intent, or maybe this is a set up for a sequel or series (which I would probably read). As a standalone novel, it was a decent way to quench my itch for a dystopian setting but not the most satisfying story.