Stuart Kenyon

Set in a dystopian Britain of the near future or alternative present, the novel concentrates on brothers Tommy and Paul, although much time is given over to the surrounding characters also. Their thread is the central focus and the one that holds the narrative together. Britain has been inching by stealth towards a totalitarian state, where those citizens branded “subnormal” - including: the infirm, those with certain conditions, individuals labelled as troublemakers, petty criminals, and all those who are considered as not contributing to society at a level they should - face being sent to specialised zones where a regimented routine is implemented. Those who continue to question their place or the fairness of the system, or are perceived to be doing so, are transported to a more remote facility, designed to dispense harsher treatment, with the aim of shocking those taken there into compliance. Meanwhile, the prime minister (a thoroughly nasty and larger than life villain, drawn with great enthusiasm by the author) rules by intimidation, increasingly displaying the hallmarks of the demagogue, leading to equal displays of loyalty and concern within her own party. As events move towards a darker path, a politician must make a choice - whether to stick his neck out, and risk having it slashed; or betray his country in exchange for assurance of his personal comfort.

A bleak picture of when power is consolidated to excess, the novel presents an unsettling vision of a Britain in the grip of a would-be autocrat, and demonstrates very effectively how small concessions by the civilian population when it comes to basic freedoms, rights and responsibilities can very quickly be used as a launching pad for sinister vested interests. The book reads as a solid thriller, switching vantage points at all the right moments, keeping the tangled web of the narrative easy to follow and be gripped by. Another aspect that marks this out is the representation of Asperger’s Syndrome with regard to the character of Paul. Throughout I felt it a layered and nuanced take. For something with the potential for misunderstanding, the insights into how this particular character deals with Asperger’s Syndrome, and also how certain facets of it are advantageous in certain situations, underlines how vast the variations in how it manifests can be.

A smart and tense genre novel, with an unusual premise and execution. Great balance of more conventional structuring with themes less common for a book of this type. Enjoyed.… (meer)