A review by jodihannah
The Wellstone by Wil McCarthy

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. It was surprising, too, to see McCarthy grow so much as an author between books 1 and 2. Book one was... awkward. The characters weren't as well developed and the plot felt a little off kilter. But this book. It was amazing. The subtlety in both the plot and the characters was striking. The plot itself was unique, and had parallels to so many components of today's society.

From the miscommunication between genders based almost entirely on emerging technology, to the exile of an entire generation of children, I found the parallels almost startling.

This was truly an excellent novel of our times (even though it was written in the early aughts and here it's already 2023!)