Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jenwesner 's review for:
Dissonance
by Erica O'Rourke
This is a book where you really have to pay attention. But the idea is brilliant and the world is complicated in the way it works. At the head of each chapter is an "excerpt" from a textbook used to teach Walkers. These proved to be an excellent way of defining many of the terms and concepts in the world. It took me a bit to get some kind of mental image of what was happening - but it didn't take long for it all to make sense.
The characters were very likable - Del, the main character, could have been a study in contradictions. But where some authors fail at the different facets, O'Rourke succeeded. I do wish we had seen a bit more of Eliot, but more of a focus on the friendship would have thrown the vibe off. I loved the themes of copies/Echoes not being the real thing and the question about whether they are in fact real and valuable in their own right. Del is a character who is flawed and doesn't follow the rules in favor of common sense. This worked because it illustrates how that kind of thinking (and actions) can backfire. O'Rourke didn't let the ends justify the means.
I did not like the overall portrayal of Del's absentee parents. Some stories just dictate bad parenting, but I always hate it when parents are portrayed as placing work or some other thing above the needs of their children. In this case it was necessary for the plot. At least Del's mom is adamant that her actions are to protect her children and not avoid them.
And I'm not sure the bad guy was really slimy enough. But really, the villain in this story wasn't a person or organization, it was the actual situation. I'll be interested to see how O'Rourke resolves this in the sequel.
Despite a minor lag in the middle, this overall is a great story with some nice plot twists.
The characters were very likable - Del, the main character, could have been a study in contradictions. But where some authors fail at the different facets, O'Rourke succeeded. I do wish we had seen a bit more of Eliot, but more of a focus on the friendship would have thrown the vibe off. I loved the themes of copies/Echoes not being the real thing and the question about whether they are in fact real and valuable in their own right. Del is a character who is flawed and doesn't follow the rules in favor of common sense. This worked because it illustrates how that kind of thinking (and actions) can backfire. O'Rourke didn't let the ends justify the means.
I did not like the overall portrayal of Del's absentee parents. Some stories just dictate bad parenting, but I always hate it when parents are portrayed as placing work or some other thing above the needs of their children. In this case it was necessary for the plot. At least Del's mom is adamant that her actions are to protect her children and not avoid them.
And I'm not sure the bad guy was really slimy enough. But really, the villain in this story wasn't a person or organization, it was the actual situation. I'll be interested to see how O'Rourke resolves this in the sequel.
Despite a minor lag in the middle, this overall is a great story with some nice plot twists.