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A review by bolynne
Long Dark Dusk by J.P. Smythe
4.0
****I received this book from NetGalley and Quercus (US) publishing in exchange for an honest review!****
I will start this review off by saying that I majored in Criminal Justice and am incredibly interested in prisons and prison reform. I find this series to be very insightful when it comes to different methods of reform that may or may not be possible or helpful.
The Australia represents one type of prison, the type that seems to have gained the most ground in recent years: based on a more punitive and deterrent system. That just putting people away and out of society long enough that the others will not wish to follow in their example.
Pine City represents another version: actually trying to reform criminals and mold them into productive citizens by educating and giving them jobs for when they leave. In most cases, this would seem to be the better option as most prisoners won't be able to find opportunities on their own and will most likely continue to reoffend. However, Pine City's problem is that they take the reforming a little too far, by taking the people's past away from them. And, as Chan proves, the chemicals used to make them forget are only a bandaid on the problem that simply is far too easy to rip off. It also doesn't work because it had taken away the trial and innocent until proven guilty features so many of the inmates shouldn't even be there.
I absolutely love that this is all addressed and I can't wait to see what else Smythe's final installment will bring.
Aside from all that, I love the little mentions of the technological advances that are taken for granted in this future after the apocalypse and near extinction of humanity. It makes me a little sad, really because all of those things would be so wonderful and back before dystopians really took off, many visions of the future focused more on that. The good advances in technology and how it would make life better. But that's not how we see it anymore. The advances are there, but they don't really make it better. Not for everyone at least like we would have hoped.
Okay, I'm done gushing. I really, really enjoyed this book.
I will start this review off by saying that I majored in Criminal Justice and am incredibly interested in prisons and prison reform. I find this series to be very insightful when it comes to different methods of reform that may or may not be possible or helpful.
The Australia represents one type of prison, the type that seems to have gained the most ground in recent years: based on a more punitive and deterrent system. That just putting people away and out of society long enough that the others will not wish to follow in their example.
Pine City represents another version: actually trying to reform criminals and mold them into productive citizens by educating and giving them jobs for when they leave. In most cases, this would seem to be the better option as most prisoners won't be able to find opportunities on their own and will most likely continue to reoffend. However, Pine City's problem is that they take the reforming a little too far, by taking the people's past away from them. And, as Chan proves, the chemicals used to make them forget are only a bandaid on the problem that simply is far too easy to rip off. It also doesn't work because it had taken away the trial and innocent until proven guilty features so many of the inmates shouldn't even be there.
I absolutely love that this is all addressed and I can't wait to see what else Smythe's final installment will bring.
Aside from all that, I love the little mentions of the technological advances that are taken for granted in this future after the apocalypse and near extinction of humanity. It makes me a little sad, really because all of those things would be so wonderful and back before dystopians really took off, many visions of the future focused more on that. The good advances in technology and how it would make life better. But that's not how we see it anymore. The advances are there, but they don't really make it better. Not for everyone at least like we would have hoped.
Okay, I'm done gushing. I really, really enjoyed this book.