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reading_yarn's review against another edition
4.0
That ending killed me. Great book, definately read it.
jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
The society London establishes in Proxy is a fascinating one and it’s the reason why I chose to read this book in the first place. Debt and credit aren’t about money in this book. Instead, they’re about years: how many years you have to surrender yourself as a proxy or how many years you can purchase a proxy. The Patrons are the wealthiest people in society, the minority, who benefit from this system. A patron can purchase the debt of a proxy and, in so doing, pass on the responsibility for their misdeeds. Anytime a patron needs to be punished the proxy receives that punishment while the patron watches via a live feed.This is done to “teach them a lesson” and is the extent of the punishment they receive. Why would someone sign on to be a proxy? Not every proxy volunteers, and those who do have good reasons. The protagonist, Syd, was found as a baby and sent to an orphanage. His rescue automatically earned him years of service as a proxy. Anytime a proxy needs medical care, or wants to improve her/his life in any way, it’s done by adding years of service onto what s/he already owes. It’s very difficult, and often impossible, for a proxy to pull her/himself out of debt. London does a good job of showing how it’s not just patron vs. proxy in this society with his vivid portrait of life in the Valve. The people at the bottom of the social hierarchy turn against each other as they try to lift themselves up out of the muck. The Valve is crowded and noisy and, if you haven’t got someone to watch your back, a pretty terrifying place to live. I wish that the story had spent more time in the Upper City and the Valve, because it pretty quickly takes the characters out of the world they know as they run away from the people who want to stop them and run towards something they’re not sure of. I wanted to see more of these twin existences.
Syd is a fantastic protagonist. He was savvy and complicated and kind and, despite his efforts to avoid connections with anyone and keep his head down, someone that people turned to for help. He expertly navigates life in the Valve, keeping his head down and doing his best to stay off of anyone’s radar. He has plans for his life, and those plans are taken from him in one breathtaking instant. Syd is the kind of character you instantly bond with and root for. Syd is also gay, and that’s a major reason why I wanted to read this book. I love that London made the protagonist of a sci fi/adventure book such a strong gay character.
London does a good job of letting his characters wrestle with issues of guilt and responsibility. In particular, Knox’s struggle feels very real. He knows how the proxy system works in terms of the mechanics of it, but he doesn’t really understand what living within such a system means, for himself or for others. It was interesting to watch him begin to comprehend that as he starts to understand the world from Syd’s perspective. He didn’t have a magic moment when he just “got it,” and I appreciated that.
I could have done without the “Chosen One” storyline, as I feel it’s being done to death in YA literature (especially the dystopian variety). Granted, there isn’t something inherently powerful about Syd, it’s because of something done to him that he’s special. Still, the idea that there has to be something uniquely different about you to make you important is one I’m growing tired of. Having said that, London does a good job of showing how Syd struggles with his role.
While there were many things I liked about the book, the second half really dragged for me. The book ends with one heck of a cliffhanger, and the second book in the series is already out. I'm not sure if I want to read the second book or not.
Syd is a fantastic protagonist. He was savvy and complicated and kind and, despite his efforts to avoid connections with anyone and keep his head down, someone that people turned to for help. He expertly navigates life in the Valve, keeping his head down and doing his best to stay off of anyone’s radar. He has plans for his life, and those plans are taken from him in one breathtaking instant. Syd is the kind of character you instantly bond with and root for. Syd is also gay, and that’s a major reason why I wanted to read this book. I love that London made the protagonist of a sci fi/adventure book such a strong gay character.
London does a good job of letting his characters wrestle with issues of guilt and responsibility. In particular, Knox’s struggle feels very real. He knows how the proxy system works in terms of the mechanics of it, but he doesn’t really understand what living within such a system means, for himself or for others. It was interesting to watch him begin to comprehend that as he starts to understand the world from Syd’s perspective. He didn’t have a magic moment when he just “got it,” and I appreciated that.
I could have done without the “Chosen One” storyline, as I feel it’s being done to death in YA literature (especially the dystopian variety). Granted, there isn’t something inherently powerful about Syd, it’s because of something done to him that he’s special. Still, the idea that there has to be something uniquely different about you to make you important is one I’m growing tired of. Having said that, London does a good job of showing how Syd struggles with his role.
While there were many things I liked about the book, the second half really dragged for me. The book ends with one heck of a cliffhanger, and the second book in the series is already out. I'm not sure if I want to read the second book or not.
emilyclaire007's review against another edition
4.0
That ending. Oh my god. I had a thing. I was going to write about the fact it was fast paced, interesting concept. Queer MoC protagonist. Good things. But all I can think about is how completely and utterly unprepared I was for that ending, and how completely it managed to wreck me. Oh my God.
tregina's review against another edition
3.0
I was actually quite surprised by home much I liked this, because the premise had me dubious but I'd heard good things and it looked to be a quick read. I wasn't wrong about it being a quick read, but I'd definitely underestimated my interest.
I find myself comforted when a dystopian society is somewhat implausible, because I can tell myself it would never come to that, but I was not comforted in this case at all. All environmental ravage aside, I could buy things going in this direction and I thought the various characterisations based on being raised in that sort of society rang true.
And it was nice to have a gay main character who wasn't safely non-sexual but also wasn't there for the romance (that said, I wouldn't mind seeing him get some play later).
I find myself comforted when a dystopian society is somewhat implausible, because I can tell myself it would never come to that, but I was not comforted in this case at all. All environmental ravage aside, I could buy things going in this direction and I thought the various characterisations based on being raised in that sort of society rang true.
And it was nice to have a gay main character who wasn't safely non-sexual but also wasn't there for the romance (that said, I wouldn't mind seeing him get some play later).
dreaming_ace's review against another edition
4.0
This was a book which was hard to put down. The story highlighted the fact that today we already have systems which seems to punishes those at the bottom for the misdeeds of those at the top.
outoftheblue14's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Just wow. Loved the Tale of Two Cities references.
emrodav's review against another edition
4.0
I was super excited to read Proxy. It has so much going for it in its premise: dystopia, a world run on technology, the central idea that the privileged use the poor for the execution of punishments. And even a gay person of color as the protagonist! I had super high hopes for the book, and, for the most part, it delivered.
The book starts out with Syd, a proxy, who is responsible for handling the punishments of his patron Knox. The whole system is complicated and focused on debt: Syd owes debt for school and other things, and Knox's family has bought the debt so that they can use Syd as a proxy. Yes, it is as complicated and sometimes confusing as it sounds. But it's interesting, I swear! (Especially after Knox's car accident.)
Anyway, a lot of things happen that are too spoilery for me to really add to the review, and it's all really interesting. The first half of the book is really great. You get interested in the system and the characters and it's a really fun, fast-paced read.
The issues I had with the book started once the main characters left the city. The plot starts to fall apart and seems contrived. Too many things happen at once, too many characters (mostly very minor) die in quick succession. It's too much to handle, and you stop caring a little bit. Even the climax fight, and. You're bombarded with action and it just doesn't work.
However, the premise was so strong, and I enjoyed most of the book so much that I can't give it fewer than 4 stars. After all, I read the book mostly in two days. You will need to know what's happening. So despite the weaknesses of the second half, I really loved Proxy, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the next book.
The book starts out with Syd, a proxy, who is responsible for handling the punishments of his patron Knox. The whole system is complicated and focused on debt: Syd owes debt for school and other things, and Knox's family has bought the debt so that they can use Syd as a proxy. Yes, it is as complicated and sometimes confusing as it sounds. But it's interesting, I swear! (Especially after Knox's car accident.)
Anyway, a lot of things happen that are too spoilery for me to really add to the review, and it's all really interesting. The first half of the book is really great. You get interested in the system and the characters and it's a really fun, fast-paced read.
The issues I had with the book started once the main characters left the city. The plot starts to fall apart and seems contrived. Too many things happen at once, too many characters (mostly very minor) die in quick succession. It's too much to handle, and you stop caring a little bit. Even the climax fight, and
Spoiler
when Knox disappears/dies/whatever (I'm not totally sure) it happens in two pages! The entire huge ending gets less page time than the introduction to the starving children they meet en route to Old DetroitHowever, the premise was so strong, and I enjoyed most of the book so much that I can't give it fewer than 4 stars. After all, I read the book mostly in two days. You will need to know what's happening. So despite the weaknesses of the second half, I really loved Proxy, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the next book.
mtzbookworm64's review against another edition
5.0
Good read into a futuristic, dystopia world where the male protagonist happens to be gay. Fast paced action with great twists and turns will be you turning the pages. I would not recommend for elementary school readers – middle school and up.
bookshelfd's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75