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_viscosity_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
arjohnson5623's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
elliemayxox's review against another edition
Too slow paced for me. I don't feel connected to the characters, although I guess this is partly intentionally as the main character is pretending to be Theo Miller and other characters are seems as faceless and worthless but the company and the of society.
konsgard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katykelly's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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.
crimsoncor's review against another edition
4.0
Bleak and depressing. The world building actually reminds me a lot of the Bold as Love series by [a:Gwyneth Jones|7272|Gwyneth Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1277604289p2/7272.jpg], but as many terrible things happen in that series, there is a least a core of hope and faith in a (maybe) better world. This is just flat-out depressing. Incredible novel.
lddlb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
theqwerty's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
mela_gella's review against another edition
4.0
Even though it was hard to follow at times, 84K is a great read and easy to recommend for those who like a futuristic suspenseful thriller. Its Black Mirror-esque look at a society under the rule of a single company is so relevant! Especially with what’s going on in he world now.
The implications North explores through the life and times of the protagonist are simultaneously hard to stomach and completely plausible. She created a society where every crime has a price, and those who can pay roam free, while those who can’t are relegated to a cycle of servitude and impoverishment.
One of the few critiques I have is that while the premise and story are gripping, the writing style got distracting at times. Unfinished sentences and thoughts were frequent; and while in most instances it was contextually unchallenging to fill in the spaces, I found that at times the dialogue was lost in translation.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 84k. I was happy to read that Clare North would be involved in some sort of a Black Mirror literary anthology. Her imagination and skill are impossible to ignore.
The implications North explores through the life and times of the protagonist are simultaneously hard to stomach and completely plausible. She created a society where every crime has a price, and those who can pay roam free, while those who can’t are relegated to a cycle of servitude and impoverishment.
One of the few critiques I have is that while the premise and story are gripping, the writing style got distracting at times. Unfinished sentences and thoughts were frequent; and while in most instances it was contextually unchallenging to fill in the spaces, I found that at times the dialogue was lost in translation.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 84k. I was happy to read that Clare North would be involved in some sort of a Black Mirror literary anthology. Her imagination and skill are impossible to ignore.
dancinrio's review against another edition
5.0
There is nothing more terrifying when it comes to dystopias than when they are only a tiny step away from where we are right now.
This novel is set in a frighteningly easy to imagine world. I would have given it lots of stars just for this but Claire North also creates some great characters and a cracking story.
This novel is set in a frighteningly easy to imagine world. I would have given it lots of stars just for this but Claire North also creates some great characters and a cracking story.