felinity's review
4.0
A unique concept, and one that worked well: a group of writers, each writing a short story about the same dystopian current/near-future event, but instead of making a disparate anthology it's actually a novel, building one large story from multiple different pieces. It's almost like a spiraling mosaic path, where each piece is different but the pieces together take you on a journey, occasionally crossing but all the while progressing.
It reminds you that despite depictions in movies there are no NPC. Each person is a friend, a father, a sister, a child.
The characters are diverse in age, outlook, location and preparedness, but all face the same issues: who to trust, who to blame, where to go, and naturally what happens now. (You probably shouldn't read it if you feel paranoid.) The writing was generally good - there was only one that felt notably weaker than the others - and flowed well, with no jarring stylistic changes. The writers were all new to me, which was also a pleasant surprise.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It reminds you that despite depictions in movies there are no NPC. Each person is a friend, a father, a sister, a child.
The characters are diverse in age, outlook, location and preparedness, but all face the same issues: who to trust, who to blame, where to go, and naturally what happens now. (You probably shouldn't read it if you feel paranoid.) The writing was generally good - there was only one that felt notably weaker than the others - and flowed well, with no jarring stylistic changes. The writers were all new to me, which was also a pleasant surprise.
Spoiler
I just wish there had been a couple more sections about the effects outside the United States, as this was a worldwide event. It would have made the effect even stronger, and increased the impact.Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
More...