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A review by dreesreads
The Completionist by Siobhan Adcock
3.0
The Completionist takes place in 22nd century New Chicago--a city reclaimed after climate change has shrunken the lake. The west coast has been largely abandoned for residents, but water is engineered there and shipped east. Twenty-plus years of war have been fight by men like Carter Quinn and his father, defending the trains of water heading east. The last western inhabitabts--the "terrorists", need that water too. And that engineered water is what is causing the infertility epidemic.
Carter is back from the wars, his oldest sister is miraculously pregnant and his other sister has disappeared. Gardner worked as a nurse completionist, and it is only through Fred's pregnancy do Fred and Carter learn what that means. Given the fertility issues, Care Hours and penalties have been mandated, making them virtually impossible to meet for most women--and mathematically impossible for many. Where has Garnder gone? Was it by choice? And what does it have to do with her work as a completionist?
I found the world building to be promising and interesting, but there were so many holes--or, at least, questions I wanted answered--that it didn't quite come together for me. Who is mandating these Care Hours? What/where is the government? What are the jobs women are working in? If pregnancy is so rare, how are there so many pregnant women? Where is the engineered food made? How do people purchase it? What are the jobs? Since there is no piped-in water, are there outhouses? Reading the book felt strange, as the world is very different (and very interesting)--yet the people seem to live, by and large, as we do today. Which also seems impossible.
Carter is back from the wars, his oldest sister is miraculously pregnant and his other sister has disappeared. Gardner worked as a nurse completionist, and it is only through Fred's pregnancy do Fred and Carter learn what that means. Given the fertility issues, Care Hours and penalties have been mandated, making them virtually impossible to meet for most women--and mathematically impossible for many. Where has Garnder gone? Was it by choice? And what does it have to do with her work as a completionist?
I found the world building to be promising and interesting, but there were so many holes--or, at least, questions I wanted answered--that it didn't quite come together for me. Who is mandating these Care Hours? What/where is the government? What are the jobs women are working in? If pregnancy is so rare, how are there so many pregnant women? Where is the engineered food made? How do people purchase it? What are the jobs? Since there is no piped-in water, are there outhouses? Reading the book felt strange, as the world is very different (and very interesting)--yet the people seem to live, by and large, as we do today. Which also seems impossible.