A review by machelriller
External Forces by Deborah Rix
3.0
External Forces imagines a world 100 years in the future, 100 years after a meteor hit earth, causing widespread tsunamis that wiped out most of the world’s population. The American coastlines have receded, and the government has closed its borders under the Genetic Integrity Act. The goal, what is perceived as God’s will: to achieve the ideal human population through genetics, and eliminate all those who would contaminate the genetic pool. Outside the new American borders, Deviants live--their DNA is corrupted, and they are horrible, grotesque, barely human, a threat to the survival of the human race.
At least, that’s what everyone is taught to believe.
Jess Grant is sixteen when she decides to pursue a career in the military, hoping this will allow her the most possible choice in her life. The military is the one place in this society where individuals are not constantly monitored by the Department of Evolution--or Devotees. But even in her new life, Jess has to hide. There is a new mark on her skin that keeps spreading, and Jess keeps having fits of almost supernatural strength that she can’t explain -- except that she must be a Deviant.
With such a fraught and layered premise, I could not put External Forces down. Deborah Rix balances action scenes with dialogue, and creates a varied web of characters around Jess. Despite seriously chilling darkness and brutal violence, Jess’ voice is often funny; it was refreshing in the heaviness of the plot. The relationships that Jess develops, especially with Sheree, another girl in her squad who fills the book with personality, keep the story human and engaging. Not many books can make me wince in sympathy pains in one scene, and laugh the very next. Rix certainly succeeds at striking that delicate balance.
External Forces calls upon some tropes of the young adult dystopia genre, and uses most of them in a unique way and to great effect--except for one. Jess’ romantic interest is her Sergeant and teacher, Matt. Matt is a great character--tough, yet compassionate; a little shy with girls, but sexy. My problem with this storyline has more to do with greater trends in the genre than with External Forces itself. Why are so many strong female heroines involved in relationships with men who hold a position over power over them? In External Forces, Matt was consistently the pursuer, flirting with Jess while in private training sessions, touching her hair or her shoulder and then reverting to Sergeant mode. While Jess certainly welcomed his advances, their relationship left me feeling uneasy; when they finally did get together, I still couldn’t shake the creepy feeling, rather than enjoying the payoff of their tension.
Even though I struggled with that aspect of the plot, there was plenty going on in External Forces to keep me turning the pages. Just as I thought I had the whole society, and Jess’ condition, figured out, a big reveal completely challenged my preconceived idea. The premise of the society is compelling, combining classic elements of the genre with contemporary global problems, creating a vision of a disturbing future. However, for a book with heavy themes of eugenics, I was looking for a more frank approach to issues of race. The lack of any mention of the racial history of this society stood out to me--it’s a question I hope is addressed in the sequels.
As this and other aspects of the world are revealed, this series will have the potential to not only be an engaging read, but to confront important and tough themes. I look forward to seeing where Deborah Rix takes Jess Grant and her world next.
3 stars for characters, especially Jess’ friends, who I would like to befriend
4 stars for ambitious (and terrifying) world building
2 stars for suggesting big themes--I hope they will be more fully confronted in the next installment
3 stars for Rix’s addictive writing
External Forces by Deborah Rix: 3/5 stars
At least, that’s what everyone is taught to believe.
Jess Grant is sixteen when she decides to pursue a career in the military, hoping this will allow her the most possible choice in her life. The military is the one place in this society where individuals are not constantly monitored by the Department of Evolution--or Devotees. But even in her new life, Jess has to hide. There is a new mark on her skin that keeps spreading, and Jess keeps having fits of almost supernatural strength that she can’t explain -- except that she must be a Deviant.
With such a fraught and layered premise, I could not put External Forces down. Deborah Rix balances action scenes with dialogue, and creates a varied web of characters around Jess. Despite seriously chilling darkness and brutal violence, Jess’ voice is often funny; it was refreshing in the heaviness of the plot. The relationships that Jess develops, especially with Sheree, another girl in her squad who fills the book with personality, keep the story human and engaging. Not many books can make me wince in sympathy pains in one scene, and laugh the very next. Rix certainly succeeds at striking that delicate balance.
External Forces calls upon some tropes of the young adult dystopia genre, and uses most of them in a unique way and to great effect--except for one. Jess’ romantic interest is her Sergeant and teacher, Matt. Matt is a great character--tough, yet compassionate; a little shy with girls, but sexy. My problem with this storyline has more to do with greater trends in the genre than with External Forces itself. Why are so many strong female heroines involved in relationships with men who hold a position over power over them? In External Forces, Matt was consistently the pursuer, flirting with Jess while in private training sessions, touching her hair or her shoulder and then reverting to Sergeant mode. While Jess certainly welcomed his advances, their relationship left me feeling uneasy; when they finally did get together, I still couldn’t shake the creepy feeling, rather than enjoying the payoff of their tension.
Even though I struggled with that aspect of the plot, there was plenty going on in External Forces to keep me turning the pages. Just as I thought I had the whole society, and Jess’ condition, figured out, a big reveal completely challenged my preconceived idea. The premise of the society is compelling, combining classic elements of the genre with contemporary global problems, creating a vision of a disturbing future. However, for a book with heavy themes of eugenics, I was looking for a more frank approach to issues of race. The lack of any mention of the racial history of this society stood out to me--it’s a question I hope is addressed in the sequels.
As this and other aspects of the world are revealed, this series will have the potential to not only be an engaging read, but to confront important and tough themes. I look forward to seeing where Deborah Rix takes Jess Grant and her world next.
3 stars for characters, especially Jess’ friends, who I would like to befriend
4 stars for ambitious (and terrifying) world building
2 stars for suggesting big themes--I hope they will be more fully confronted in the next installment
3 stars for Rix’s addictive writing
External Forces by Deborah Rix: 3/5 stars