Claire is awesome

What an author. Always a great story with people to love that you did not think you would while discussing hard subjects in a human and lovely way. That said this is bleak so watch out. And of course our rave fave Peter nails the reading. Special stuff indeed.

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Alternative timeline / modern dystopia

Other reviews have covered the plausible modern dystopia portrayed in Claire North’s book. She has taken a number of modern trends and twisted them beautifully to create a world that is so close to ours but just maybe one step removed. Shades of “1984” or “Brave New World” but closer to 21st century Britain.

The narrative style switches timelines and points of view in a complexity that appears to mirror the memories and recollections of the characters rather than a linear sequence. This tangle unravels in the closing chapters. The narrator has to make similar leaps between events and people. I found this to be well done. Other reviewers have said that it is confusing. It is challenging and on occasion I had to ”rewind” to make sure I was in the right place when the story and maybe also the character or their timeline jumped. Maybe in the physical book these changes are indicated somehow, but I was listening to the audio book.

Ultimately it is a story of one man looking for his daughter. But is he also doing much, much more?

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1 person found this helpful

I'm glad I didn't give up!

I found the beginning of the book quite confusing, even slightly annoying. Now I've just finished the book, after sitting and listening eight hours today. What a great story - and a storyteller!

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1 person found this helpful

Well I thought it was great!

As usual Peter Kenny's performance is flawless and completely engaging and I was pulled into the world of 84K.

I thought the writing style was brilliant and built the tension and highlighted the poignant moments beautifully. It certainly requires you to let go and let Claire lead the way, which I felt she does with her usual aplomb. The many plot lines that Claire opens I were closed elegantly and without cliché.

I believed in the characters and the situation, whilst disturbing, could almost be imagined and a warning call for us not to let our society slip into such a state.

There were points where I thought the deprivation was going to get to me, but then a deeply human act or subplot would warm my heart. Reminded me of Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch.

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3 people found this helpful

Frightening fee-based society, murder and dystopia

Excellent construction of the ultimate capitalistic dystopia, for me though the story petered out.

3.5 stars

Claire North has brought to life some of my favourite science fiction of the past few years, and as such I will always have make room for her new work. Each new work seems to bring to life a unique and fascinating concept.

Her latest is a more typical dystopia, with a whole world gone to hell rather than a unqiue character surviving with their differences in a known world.

This is a world in which everything has a number... a price. The police will come and help you - if you have insurance. The courts will work in your favour - if you have money. If you commit a crime, the cost of this will be worked out and charged to you. Theo's job is to work out how much each is worth.

At the Criminal Audit Office, which reminded me of Winston Smith's work in 1984, there are plenty of numbers, every crime and victim is just one number, one total to be worked out. Until his old friend Dani's name appears on his list.

I adored the world of 84K, it came instantly to life for me and was possibly one of the most terrifying I've seen, as it really is just an extension of a capitalist one with a few tweaks and policies...

What started to lose me part-way through was Theo's 'murder mystery' plot. I was listening to the Audible version and found myself drifting sometimes, and less than driven to hear how it ended, it never reached any sort of crescendo but limped on for quite a while.

The bright points as we saw more glimpses of Theo's world were the high points, and I found myself longing for the end. I do wonder if I would have been more caught up in this had I read it on paper or as an e-book.

The reader, Peter Kenny, does a good job of voicing Theo, as we see his present world as he tries to make sense of Dani's death and do something about it, and back to his past at school, as he and Dani struggle to find their way in the adult world and their paths diverge.

I was disappointed that I couldn't engage with Theo more, that this didn't live up to North's other excellent output for me. Incredible world, and it won't put me off trying again.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

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2 people found this helpful

Very Disappointed

Claire North's earlier books are amongst my favourites, which makes my inability to even finish this one all the more frustrating.
As others have mentioned, the curtailing of nearly every thought from a character is more than a little...
Not that this was my only frustration, the narritave is difficult to follow and the characters one dimensional. Sadly, I found myself just not caring what happened.

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1 person found this helpful

Good story but very lengthy and frustrating stle

Plot - great.
Narration and acting - excellent

Problem js that the book is full if "hanging sentences" that get more and more frustrating as the story unfolds, ruins the character interactions and makes most if the characters seem very similar.

The descriptions are detailed, at times unpleasant and very lengthy descriptions of extreme violence and physical and psychological violence, and even the detail if people and places is so bloated at times that it ruins a good plot and story.

I suspect this is one of those books that is better read in person than as an audiobook.

Shame as i love everything Claire North has written otherwise...

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Hmmm!

Well that was an interesting read although I cannot say I actually enjoyed it. The non linear story can be confusing and the ending is rather frustrating but I was never bored.

Narration was good.

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Hard to follow

Not my favourite North book. The story is told in mixed timelines (and they mix a lot, without warning) and it is very difficult to follow in audiobook format.

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went on a bit

Great narration but the story itself was a very slow burner. It picked up in the second half but still took ages to reach the end. Interesting principle and idea behind the story, which made it thought provoking even so.

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