A review by schoolofholly
Utopia by Heidi Sopinka

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Utopia is a book that on paper checks many of my boxes:
 - Centres art/art theory/artists
 - Is interwoven with feminist themes
 - Contains a mystery
 - Has a narrator who is unreliable for whatever reason

However this book did not quite work for me and I think that is a subjective thing rather than the book being objectively bad. 

I'm beginning to realise that I prefer longer narratives. This book is less than 250 pages which made it difficult for me personally to really engage with the characters. I am well aware though that there are readers out there who love this style of story telling and don't like overly descriptive writing. Unfortunately for me it stopped me caring about the story and ultimately not wanting to pick it up to carry on. 

For the right reader I can see this being an absolute favourite because you could read and reread this and pick out new things each time. I could also see it being an absolutely brilliant book to study for an English Literature course (I'm rather interested in the types of book studied at GSCE and A-Level in the UK and could really see the merit in this being a book used for that purpose). 

I think Heidi Sopinka is a really talented writer and I will be keeping my eye out for future books from her in case she comes out with anything longer. I've read reviews for her previous novel but fear the writing would not suit me either. 

I think this may interest fans of Lote by Shola Von Reinhold, The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher, Tentacle by Rita Indiana, Swimming Home by Deborah Levy and The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway,