meg_ray's review against another edition
2.0
Recieved a copy of this to review from NetGalley.
In the Golden State, there are no lies, only truth. This dystopian fiction sounded right up my street but unfortunately it starts slow and I found the main character, Laz, quite unlikeable. I found it difficult to be drawn into this story and the world where no lies can be told.
I would have liked more world setting at the start. I really enjoyed the twist and the ending section, and feel these could have been expanded upon more.
Overall a good story, but takes too long to get going.
In the Golden State, there are no lies, only truth. This dystopian fiction sounded right up my street but unfortunately it starts slow and I found the main character, Laz, quite unlikeable. I found it difficult to be drawn into this story and the world where no lies can be told.
I would have liked more world setting at the start. I really enjoyed the twist and the ending section, and feel these could have been expanded upon more.
Overall a good story, but takes too long to get going.
brianna_4pawsandabook's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
I’ll come back to this to do a more thorough review but let’s just say I’ve never had more questions at the end of a stand-alone novel in my life... this book needs another 500 pages to wrap up and actually complete the story. Or a sequel. So many plot holes. So many foreshadows that didn’t come to fruition. So many tropes of characters doing things that don’t make sense for their character. At the beginning I was thinking this was easily a 4 star read. And it went way downhill from there.
I’ll come back to this to do a more thorough review but let’s just say I’ve never had more questions at the end of a stand-alone novel in my life... this book needs another 500 pages to wrap up and actually complete the story. Or a sequel. So many plot holes. So many foreshadows that didn’t come to fruition. So many tropes of characters doing things that don’t make sense for their character. At the beginning I was thinking this was easily a 4 star read. And it went way downhill from there.
lindy_b's review against another edition
1.0
Over the last few years, I've seen the idea tossed around that there is gap between what modern totalitarian states actually are and how they function and what most people think totalitarian states look like and consequentially represent them in fiction. Specifically, we seem to be stuck in the middle of the last century; that is, within the anxieties of the Cold War. Golden State illustrates this very well. Indeed, the works people keep telling me it most resembles (and it does)-- Orwell's [b:1984|40961427|1984|George Orwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532714506s/40961427.jpg|153313], Bradbury's [b:Fahrenheit 451|13079982|Fahrenheit 451|Ray Bradbury|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1383718290s/13079982.jpg|1272463], and PK Dick's [b:The Minority Report|581125|The Minority Report|Philip K. Dick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390719396s/581125.jpg|63086]-- were first published in 1949, 1953, and 1956 respectively.
Of course, building on and referring to an established canon is fine, even expected, and in my experience usually enhances a reading of a book. The problem is that Golden State doesn't do any building, just referring; it's retrofuturist by accident, rather than by design. There's no commentary, just rehashing of what we have all already been told about oppressive societies as imagined in the past. I just... do not understand why we're heralding what effectively reads as a piece of Cold War fiction as so relevant to today's political landscape.
I told myself I wasn't going to yell about plot stuff because others seem to have it covered but:
Also, while others have remarked that the ending is weird and unsatisfying, I would like to add that the reason it feels that way is that it's a complete disruption of the themes as the author developed them. Dystopian fiction and noir share a strain of fatalism, and up until the last thirty pages Winters is playing these genres straight. We were all led to believe that it would end with Ratesic reaffirming his love for Big Brother.
Of course, building on and referring to an established canon is fine, even expected, and in my experience usually enhances a reading of a book. The problem is that Golden State doesn't do any building, just referring; it's retrofuturist by accident, rather than by design. There's no commentary, just rehashing of what we have all already been told about oppressive societies as imagined in the past. I just... do not understand why we're heralding what effectively reads as a piece of Cold War fiction as so relevant to today's political landscape.
I told myself I wasn't going to yell about plot stuff because others seem to have it covered but:
Spoiler
it really would have been sufficient (and actually intriguing) to have Arlo tell Ratesic that he has no special abilities, that all people are made uncomfortable by lying and have the ability to speculate, and that the power of Speculation is propaganda project that enables the police to do whatever the hell they want, but no, Ratesic's inability to discern lies from truths at crucial plot moments remains unresolved.Also, while others have remarked that the ending is weird and unsatisfying, I would like to add that the reason it feels that way is that it's a complete disruption of the themes as the author developed them. Dystopian fiction and noir share a strain of fatalism, and up until the last thirty pages Winters is playing these genres straight. We were all led to believe that it would end with Ratesic reaffirming his love for Big Brother.
kristen_eden's review against another edition
4.0
This is the #FakeNews dystopic novel I didn't know I needed. Such a compelling read, leaves you with a lot to chew on. Kinda meh ending, unless there's a sequel coming. (Which would be awesome!!) Highly recommended reading.
nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great premise with a great protagonist in a book which took a little bit too long to get going. Don’t get me wrong, I wound up loving the book in the end, but I had to keep moving ahead at times.
The world is one of the main draws of the book- you cannot lie as it is against the law, everything is recorded, and there are people who can detect lies. Greetings are done by stating facts. Fiction doesn’t exist in books. There is film of every moment of your life.
A apparent suicide happens, but something isn’t right. A book is found with a false cover and inside is fiction. Film is missing. Someone has been lying and lying in a big way.
The world is one of the main draws of the book- you cannot lie as it is against the law, everything is recorded, and there are people who can detect lies. Greetings are done by stating facts. Fiction doesn’t exist in books. There is film of every moment of your life.
A apparent suicide happens, but something isn’t right. A book is found with a false cover and inside is fiction. Film is missing. Someone has been lying and lying in a big way.
dpiegaro's review against another edition
5.0
This was a quick read. It was an fresh take on dystopian societies. Citizens in the Golden State cannot lie. If they do, they are arrested and jailed for years. Totally recommend!
danielcrogers's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and engaging exploration of the definitions and realities of truth. And I’m kind of a sucker for detective fiction...
yannyyanyan26's review against another edition
3.0
Up until the climax of Part II, this book had all the makings of a legendary science fiction dystopian novel, with better implications than 1984 and Fahrenheit 451.
Then Arlo mucked things up. What the heck was that ending? It threw me for a loop and I was so taken aback by how brazenly the story changed at the end.
The implications are there. The US reached a point of no return and nuclear fallout led to the federation separating into different societies. One can presume that each state had their own way of operating, essentially jacking up their most identifiable traits to the nth degree (imagine being a Speculator in Montana!) and some were more productive and successful than others. The impact of a lack of emphasis (and perhaps an overemphasis on it) was too much for the nation’s people to bare.
I really enjoyed this read. I would have preferred it if Lazslo actually killed his brother, because thematically, it would have followed to the end. Still, I’m a fan of the author’s style and will check out his other books.
Then Arlo mucked things up. What the heck was that ending? It threw me for a loop and I was so taken aback by how brazenly the story changed at the end.
The implications are there. The US reached a point of no return and nuclear fallout led to the federation separating into different societies. One can presume that each state had their own way of operating, essentially jacking up their most identifiable traits to the nth degree (imagine being a Speculator in Montana!) and some were more productive and successful than others. The impact of a lack of emphasis (and perhaps an overemphasis on it) was too much for the nation’s people to bare.
I really enjoyed this read. I would have preferred it if Lazslo actually killed his brother, because thematically, it would have followed to the end. Still, I’m a fan of the author’s style and will check out his other books.
starryeved's review against another edition
2.0
An intricate, cleverly-spun dystopia about truth and sacrifice. Ben H. Winters crafts a noir-esque detective mystery thriller (if the labels fit) with a (in retrospect) fitting twist that meshes together the aesthetics of Blade Runner 2049, the unsettling atmosphere of 1984, and the futility of Chinatown. Expectantly bleary.
Very you can't handle the truth!, you know?
I think it was a little complex for my taste (or, I was too distracted when I read it), but I won't deny its strength as a novel. However, I kept feeling like things were meandering, stewing in wait, yet never fully bubbling to the surface. I wanted to feel the sheer magnitude of the powerlessness and corruption, but Winters only granted us a sliver of it.
Either this could have been shortened, or drawn out into a full series. Leave us wanting more, or give us more. Golden State unfortunately falls right in the unhappy medium.
Very you can't handle the truth!, you know?
I think it was a little complex for my taste (or, I was too distracted when I read it), but I won't deny its strength as a novel. However, I kept feeling like things were meandering, stewing in wait, yet never fully bubbling to the surface. I wanted to feel the sheer magnitude of the powerlessness and corruption, but Winters only granted us a sliver of it.
Either this could have been shortened, or drawn out into a full series. Leave us wanting more, or give us more. Golden State unfortunately falls right in the unhappy medium.