Janine Frances

This was a great dystopian story. It draws you in, and before you know it, you're completely surrounded by the world the characters are living...surviving in. Frances is a great storyteller, and has done a wonderful job with world building and giving the characters depth. Although I can't speak to the current state of affairs in Australia, knowing what's happening in the US makes this dystopian world so much more believable, and gave me chills. If you're a fan of dystopian reads, then this will be the perfect addition to your shelf!… (más)

I really enjoyed the first part of this dystopian thriller. The Bladerunner meets 1984, with an Aussie twist, made for a great set up, and I found the scenes based in Sydney easy to visualize and very hard to put down. I found Shareen a very good portrayal of an exhausted mother in an impossible situation, and I liked the strong faith in family and the importance of everyone being together. The family hits the road and escapes to the hidden town of ‘Omniscience’ in a search for a safe haven free from government over reach and following an old clue to the location of the mother of Shareen and Layla, and unfortunately, this is where my interest in the plot dwindled. It went from big moves in desperate positions, to your classic, post apocalyptic, off the grid, big alpha male boss and drama with in the camp, which led to a hundred pages of details boring enough to make me not care what happens either way to the characters.
Overall strong set up and hook, but not quite enough to keep me engaged. With a decent plot and strong family vibes and decent writing style, I give this thriller a 3/5.… (más)

I really wanted to love this thriller, i truly did. Every chapter i found something interesting that made me want to turn the page, but with each page turn i was disappointed as these flutters of intrigue were dismissed or made mundane. The bones of this novel are strong, but it is much too short for the content it wishes to cover. This is not to day this debut novel is not worth a read, however be aware as you read it you might find yourself thinking "This could be better."

Spoilers throughout the rest of the review. We follow our ensemble cast of Shareen's family as they first navigate the constricting aspects of a authoritarian Sydney and then desperately make their way a uncertain haven in the outback. The underlining relationships are strained and interesting, but the drama between them often falls flat. This is sometimes limited due to the rudimentary prose which doesn't always give nuance to the interactions. Other times it is because of the disagreements that seemingly get overblown due to the lack of natural conflict between them. There is some real gems somewhere in here, especially in the relationship of Lauren, Shareen and their absent mother. Sadly though it can be hard to appreciate.

The dystopian future painted by the author is as grim as it is inconsistent. We find Australia and our western allies involved in a war of attrition with China, with things not much better on the homefront. A authoritarian government rules Australia with a iron fist. In some senses quite literally with robot police (Auto-Enforcers) and most front facing bureaucracy run by basic AI systems(Virts). All citizens are now required to wear earpieces connected to government agencies at all times, a deep invasion of privacy with huge consequences for how we interact as people. Unfortunately this is one of the many times a great idea is presented, but then rushed through as a mere obstacle to the plot. The main theme of the book is the control of technology over our lives both dismisses and underestimates our humanity. This is the strongest aspect of the book, which is unfortunately undermined by the author's limited understanding of how these technologies operate. However the reflection in the end that even when a benevolent AI is on the side of humanity, it can't truly understand the human spirit. A interesting concept to explore and was satisfying to read. In fact this AI (The Collective) is the biggest loss in terms of concepts in this novel. When revealed it is explained in less than two pages, when its seeding of humanity across the globe brings up so many questions that would be amazing to explore. What does it priorities for these settlements? Does it trust the opinions of its charges? Is it viewed as a god by its people or a tool? All skated over in the novel.

Overall a interesting if disappointing debut. I will be looking out for their next book, as i believe the makings of great novel was here somewhere and may be found in their next book.… (más)