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kiwikathleen 's review for:
The Upper World
by Femi Fadugba
I'm always fascinated by the idea of time travel and love the different ways authors deal with the conundrum of changing the past. I read a huge compendium recently ([b:The Time Traveller's Almanac: The Ultimate Treasury of Time Travel Fiction - Brought to You from the Future|18516712|The Time Traveller's Almanac The Ultimate Treasury of Time Travel Fiction - Brought to You from the Future|Ann VanderMeer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1379507602l/18516712._SX50_.jpg|25095611]) which had a wonderful variety of ways to tackle it, and another book even more recently ([b:The Ultimate Dinosaur|1408119|The Ultimate Dinosaur|Robert Silverberg|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1183368244l/1408119._SX50_.jpg|1398393] with some fun takes on it. In this book we're given a fusion of Einstein's physics and Plato's philosophy and a man's desperate quest to get back to the time 15 years ago when everything went wrong.
It's set in South London and we have parallel stories unfolding. There's Esso, a teen getting caught up in gang violence and trying, trying to fix it so he and his mates don't get taken out. In his stress he shouts nastily at his mother, who then hands over his absent father's journal. This weird collection of philosophy and physics begins his own strange 'visions' and ends up with his 15-year obsession. Then there's Rhia, 15 years in the future, who is a foster kid and a football prodigy. She needs to do better at school and so her foster mother finds her a maths & physics tutor. Cue Esso, 15 years older.
I really like the body that's given to both their stories. Esso has the lads he's grown up with - the ones who are his best mates, and the ones who've become the most feared - and the girl Nadia who maybe he has a chance with ... and who fills his mind. Rhia has her best friend Olivia - also fostered by the same people - and her prickly nature and problems of identity and belonging. I really like how alive their talking comes across - the slang that's ever-present but not overpowering. I really like the small things in Rhia's story that show that we're in the future - nothing wacky, nothing that doesn't seem fully possible. I really like the mix of introspection and action - we find out who the characters truly are, and we have some excellent action scenes.
And I love the ending!
It's set in South London and we have parallel stories unfolding. There's Esso, a teen getting caught up in gang violence and trying, trying to fix it so he and his mates don't get taken out. In his stress he shouts nastily at his mother, who then hands over his absent father's journal. This weird collection of philosophy and physics begins his own strange 'visions' and ends up with his 15-year obsession. Then there's Rhia, 15 years in the future, who is a foster kid and a football prodigy. She needs to do better at school and so her foster mother finds her a maths & physics tutor. Cue Esso, 15 years older.
I really like the body that's given to both their stories. Esso has the lads he's grown up with - the ones who are his best mates, and the ones who've become the most feared - and the girl Nadia who maybe he has a chance with ... and who fills his mind. Rhia has her best friend Olivia - also fostered by the same people - and her prickly nature and problems of identity and belonging. I really like how alive their talking comes across - the slang that's ever-present but not overpowering. I really like the small things in Rhia's story that show that we're in the future - nothing wacky, nothing that doesn't seem fully possible. I really like the mix of introspection and action - we find out who the characters truly are, and we have some excellent action scenes.
And I love the ending!