Reviews are a gift to a writer, and so I like to do my bit, especially when it’s a book I’ve particularly enjoyed. For any book lovers out there yet to discover Goodreads, I highly recommend it as a treasure trove for championing books and discovering new reading material.
Two dystopian titles come to mind when I think about recent great reads.
Border 7 by Pauline Kirk.
I have met Pauline several times since we are both published by Stairwell Books, and first heard about Border 7 at FantasyCon, where I listened to her give a reading. What is it that draws us to a particularly book? For me, with this book, I was intrigued upon hearing the end of the extract she read:
“Call for Officer Judith Shah, serving number 11690, member of the Family Support Corps. You are asked to meet your father urgently at Border Seven.”
Nothing intriguing about that, you might say, except for the fact that Judith Shah’s father is dead.
When I finally got around to reading this book, almost 2 years later, I was not disappointed.
The planet is overcrowded, resources are dwindling, and dominant corporations control food, medicine, housing and work. The world inside sky scraper refuges demands conformity, while those on the outside scrabble to survive.
Set in the north of England, 150 years in the future, the story follows Jude, a skilled and loyal member of The Corporation’s security force. She is preparing for life with the man she is supposed to bond with, until she is sent on a secret mission deep into the heart of the Corporation, to report on possible corruption. It’s a chilling account of the power of propaganda, as Jude’s courage, loyalty and humanity are tested.
As with all good dystopia, the stark world created feels not too far away. it’s a thought-provoking read, raising the question: what is the value of human life, and are any lives expendable? For full review, click here.
The Power, by Naomi Alderman.
This book was chosen for me by a member of a book club I used to go to, when they gifted me with a free copy. It has received many positive, high-profile reviews, including being described as a cross between The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale. I can’t comment on The Hunger Games since I’ve never read it, as for The Handmaid’s Tale, feminist speculative fiction, yes, but this is more like the world in reverse.
With a twist of nature, all over the world women are discovering a new-found power. With a flick of the fingers they can inflict terrible pain, even death. With this immense physical power, men suddenly find they’ve lost control, and as women assume dominance, the world built on patriarchy is upturned.
Dystopian fiction gives great opportunity to subvert the status quo, whether it’s racism as in Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series, or in this case, sexism/misogyny. The Power quite simply redefines power: ‘It doesn’t matter that she shouldn’t, that she never would. What matters is that she could, if she wanted.’ And with its surprising, thought-provoking ending, this story stayed with me for a long time after. For full review, click here.
What are you reading?
