dystopian

Never let me go Kazuo Ishiguro

25th January 2016 by Jax Blunt 3 Comments

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In one of the most memorable novels of recent years, Kazuo Ishiguro imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewered version of contemporary England. Narrated by Kathy, now 31, Never Let Me Go hauntingly dramatises her attempts to come to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School, and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world. A story of love, friendship and memory, Never Let Me Go is charged throughout with a sense of the fragility of life.

I read Never let me go because it’s the book that Big is reading for her English lit iGCSE (please don’t ask me why her school is doing iGCSEs, I don’t know). I was actually quite optimistic about it, as when I instagrammed the cover, a few people made encouraging noises, and it references the Chrysalids inside, which is one of my all time favourite books. (It also references the Handmaid’s tale, which is one of my least favourite books. Hm.)

As ever, no spoilers. But then again, I think you’d be hard pushed to have spoilers for a book in which nothing really seems to happen. I’m sorry, I just didn’t like it. And I really wanted to – Big hasn’t finished it yet, because they’re reading it together in class, but she’d raved about it.

I can sort of see what you might rave about. It is well put together. It’s very obvious this is an experienced author, and there’s a deft touch to the writing. Maybe it’s because I’ve read so many other dystopian books that this one just didn’t really stand out – there’s no action, no tension, it’s all a bit slow. It was shortlisted for the Man Booker I believe, and I can see why people would rate it highly, but it’s not one for me.

If you enjoy contemplative fiction that could well be said to be thought provoking, it’s probably worth a look. As it’s set in a reality not so far removed from ours, it will probably appeal to people who find other dystopians too science fiction or unrealistic. And I did enjoy when it was set in areas of England that I know (quick trip to Norfolk anyone?) but overall, I wasn’t impressed.

As alternatives I’d recommend The Chrysalids or maybe Station 11 (although that’s post apocalyptic rather than dystopian really).

Still, at least I’ve broken my reading slump and actually finished a book!

The girl with all the gifts

1st August 2014 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

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Book description from Amazon:

NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING

Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class.

When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite. But they don’t laugh.

Melanie is a very special girl.

Emotionally charged and gripping from beginning to end, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is the most powerful and affecting thriller you will read this year.

I’m a little confused as to why this is described as a thriller. It’s SF to my mind, post apocalypse adventure. I really enjoyed it, though I’m not sure about the affecting bit. Certainly for a couple of days afterwards it stuck in my mind, although I was slightly distracted by a couple of continuity errors – when I first read it I thought it must be a pre publication copy (I was reading via Netgalley), but no, this is available right now. I’m guessing most people won’t pick up on them – they aren’t huge, just slightly irritating if you’re as pedantic as I am.

So, if you enjoy a good post apocalyptic story with strong characters, a fair bit of gore, danger, death and maybe a spot of romance (yes, it’s all in there) this one is for you. For all of that, it didn’t feel stereotyped, and is certainly a step away from the YA dystopians I’ve been reading. Refreshing change in fact.

I did debate the ending with myself somewhat. It wasn’t where I expected the story to go, although it had a central coherence to it, so did feel plausible. (I hate it when books have endings that feel they’ve been tacked on. Or don’t end at all, just kind of stop.) I wasn’t sure whether it was where it *should* have gone though, if you know what I mean – and I’ve been continuing to consider alternatives. That’s probably a sign of a good book, isn’t it? That you’ve bought into the set up, the environment, the characters, so well that you’re still working with it long after you’ve finished reading.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I’m pondering a new review policy, similar to that I’ve seen other book bloggers following, in which I will only write up books I recommend. Doesn’t feel entirely authentic though, so I’m still working on the full details. Anyway, if you’ve book reviews or reading challenge posts you’d like to link up, please do.

Kim Curran: Dreams and regrets – a GLAZE blog tour guest post.

9th May 2014 by Jax Blunt 7 Comments

Welcome Kim Curran:

When I read Jax’s beautiful post on Dreams and Regrets I was nodding harder than a bobble head dog.

Like many writers, I’ve had my share of rejections. Although, as I’m relatively new in the game, mine are all in digital form. But ever now and then I look back on those emails and remember the sting. The crushed hope. The sense that something just slipped through my fingers.

So much of my writing journey – and everyone’s journey – is about the If Onlys. The Sliding Doors moments where life takes one turn rather than another. The agent that loved my first book but left to become an editor. The editor who took my next book to acquisition, only to have it turned down…

And GLAZE was so very nearly an If Only.

It went out to a few publishers who rejected it, very kindly, saying they had something similar to it in the pipeline, or that the market for YA SF was dead.

And so, GLAZE was very nearly destined to a lonely life in my bottom drawer. And I’ll be honest – this set back nearly broke me. I believed in GLAZE so hard, the idea that I wouldn’t be able to share it with readers was heart breaking. I came so very close to giving up on it and the writing dream all together.

And then, something happened. I realised I had a choice. I could let GLAZE become another regret, or I could take control of the dream myself.

Which is why I decided to self publish the book. And as soon as I made that choice, everything fell into place. A small publisher stepped in to publish glorious hardback editions of the book. An amazing editor stepped up to edit it. And the support for my decision became as overwhelming as people’s excitement about the book.

It’s been an incredible journey. And one that so very nearly didn’t happen.

The whole thing reminds me of one of my favourite Twain quotes:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Regrets are in some ways choices. They can crush our dreams. Or they can push us on to dream bigger. Bolder. Braver.

And that’s what I’m going to keep on doing.

***

I have to say, I’m very glad that GLAZE isn’t languishing at the bottom of one of Kim’s drawers. It’s a strong book, about social networks, technology, peer pressure, politics and growing up – so really covering the bases.

Petri Quinn is counting down the days till she turns 16 and can get on GLAZE – the ultimate social network that is bringing the whole world together into one global family. But when a peaceful government protest turns into a full-blown riot with Petri shouldering the blame, she’s handed a ban. Her life is over before it’s even started.

Desperate to be a part of the hooked-up society, Petri finds an underground hacker group and gets a black market chip fitted. But this chip has a problem: it has no filter and no off switch. Petri can see everything happening on GLAZE, all the time.

Including things she was never meant to see.

As her life is plunged into danger, Petri is faced with a choice. Join GLAZE… or destroy it.

With shades of Doctorow’s Little brother in the storyline, this is a book that is thought provoking on the nature of community, social networks and technology. Would interconnectedness help us become a closer, happer society or world? Or would it open us up to (more) manipulation from above?

Although there are violent scenes, this is by no means as dark as other YA dystopians I’ve encountered recently. It’s also not quite so tick the boxes – no plot points feel wedged in, unlike other titles I’ve encountered (usually to do with having romantic interludes that seem quite out of place in a violent setting). This is a book that deserves to be read, and talked about, and with a bit of luck, that will happen, given the excellent blog tour you’re currently experiencing.

Now available: GLAZE on Kindle (affiliate link)

Do make sure you check out other stops on the tour – you can find them all at Day Dreamer’s thoughts. Enjoy the giveaway too, there’s some great prizes on offer. And find out more about Kim on

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Youtube

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Independent Study (The Testing 2) Joelle Charbonneau

19th February 2014 by Jax Blunt 5 Comments

Independent Study is the second in The Testing series by Joelle Charbonneau. I reviewed the Testing last summer, and said at the time I thought that some of the comparisons with the Hunger Games were a little overplayed and a bit harsh.

Do I still feel that way?

Yes and no.

This is a different set of books. Cia is a very different lead character, and in some regards I prefer her to Katniss, who is a bit on the cold side at times. However Cia lacks self awareness in some ways, it seems implausible after everything she’s been through so far that she can still be going around pretending to herself that she isn’t the cleverest person on the planet. And the clues as to this are coming thick and fast now, with everyone else having noticed it.

I found that a bit of a strain to be honest. Other than that, the political machinations are becoming more apparent, *and* more entangled. It would be nice, I suppose, for one of these dystopian series to not end up quite so tangled? And the deaths are coming thick and fast, and somehow quite casually. It’s nowhere near as gruesome or graphic as some of the other YA dystopian I’ve read, but I’m not sure that necessarily excuses the mounting body count.

Do I recommend this? Yes. Though it feels to me that this book is a little weaker than the first. The good news though is that there isn’t all that long to wait for the series finale, which is out in the summer. Much better than having to wait a year for the next one.

If I had to give it a score out of 5, I think I’d be going 3. Slightly strained in places, but engaging lead character and enough going on for me to want to read on. And no, I’m not going to go back and add in scores on all my previously read books.

If you’ve read it, let me know what you think? This is my ninth read this year, so I’m well on track for my Read52 target.

Red Rising. Pierce Brown

28th January 2014 by Jax Blunt Leave a Comment

Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars, generations of people who spend their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that, one day, people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.

Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. That Mars has been habitable – and inhabited – for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down at Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield – and Darrow isn’t the only student with an agenda.

Ender’s Game meets The Hunger Games in this, the first in an extraordinary trilogy from an incredible new voice.

I do wish marketers didn’t feel the need to get a reference to those two books into every new dystopian book description.

At the same time, with Red Rising, it’s easy to see why those two particular parallels are chosen. Darrow, undercover as a Gold, passes the tests to the Academy. And within the doors, the situation deteriorates rapidly – survival of the fittest, political machinations, murder and mayhem rank high on the techniques for social advancement in the highest class – and if Darrow is going to survive and what’s more, beat the rest, he’s going to have to be just as murderous as everyone else.

For me, the parts before the Academy, the depiction of the life of the Reds below the surface of Mars, the frequent excursions into Darrow’s own thought processes are what kept me reading this, despite the gore and violence. There’s plenty of gore and violence if that’s what floats your boat, but there’s also lots of interesting political development, and the psychology of a system that oppresses people without a second thought, because that’s all that they’re good for, is utterly fascinating.

As ever, it’s interesting to read dystopians, and look up at the world around you. It’s not too far a stretch to say that playing people against each other to hold them in their place is a technique successfully employed by every ruling class through history and the present, although I wonder to what extent other people actually recognise that.

While overall I enjoyed Red Rising, I did have some problems with the pacing. I’m not *quite* sure why there is such a fashion for trilogies at the moment, and it seemed to me that there was a long drawn out part of this book that felt just like gory padding. I’m hoping for less interpersonal killing and a bit more of the political development that I thought was so fascinating as the trilogy develops.

Definitely one to watch. Oh, and unlike recent dystopians, strong male lead – I daresay someone is already planning a film. Not so much scope for romance though it feels, which is part of the draw for many readers of both Hunger games and Divergent trilogy I suspect. There seems to be more consideration of the political situation from Darrow himself, which is a different perspective to how I remember the main slants of HG and Divergent. That could of course be just my memory – would be interested to hear from anyone else who has read them all.

Disclosure: I received an e proof of this book for review via Netgalley. Book link above is an affiliate link to Hive, support your independent bookshop and this reviewer 😉 Red Rising available now.

Read 52 book 5.

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