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The concept was interesting but the explanation of how we got to this point came faaaaaaaar too late in the book. More than halfway, and to me, the world building was everything that was missing from this story. Whats a gavver? How do they regulate the speech limit? How did Letta get the job of wordsmith apprentice? Who IS Noa? How did he come to power? Why has no one opposed him before? No one seems to fear him? What would he gain with a village of illiterate people? Why on Earth would older people who remembered all the old words go along with this? Why do they get words on paper? Doesn't that mean they can read? Why would they need to read if they can't use words? I had so many questions! In the bad way. Holes in the story.
I think with the current day and times, for me to connect and really buy into this society, there needed to be a VERY firm and clear reason why and how this 500 words or less society came to be right from the get go. Or at least in the first third of the book. Without a solid handle on the situation, I felt myself reading with complete disbelief that it could ever be plausible. So. I didn't buy into it but it was otherwise decently interesting. Take that how you will.
*I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I think with the current day and times, for me to connect and really buy into this society, there needed to be a VERY firm and clear reason why and how this 500 words or less society came to be right from the get go. Or at least in the first third of the book. Without a solid handle on the situation, I felt myself reading with complete disbelief that it could ever be plausible. So. I didn't buy into it but it was otherwise decently interesting. Take that how you will.
*I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*