Reviews

When the aliens first arrived on Earth, everyone was relieved that they weren’t invading. In fact, the vuvv not only came in peace, they came offering technology and medicine so advanced that it could cure all known human diseases and make menial labour a thing of the past - it seemed too good to be true. It was.

Vuvv technology has made many Earth jobs obsolete. Unemployment and poverty is epidemic, people have to find new ways to get by. The vuvv are obsessed with “classic” Earth culture (specifically 1950s America), so 17 year olds Adam Costello and Chloe Marsh decide to earn a living by going on and recording 1950s-style dates for the entertainment of the vuvv (“Gee, Chloe”, “Golly, Adam”). However, it’s hard to whisper sweet nothings when, with each new episode, you hate each other more and more. And as their families’ only source of income, can they afford to stop?

Landscape With Invisible Hand is a dark satire on colonialism, capitalism, culture, art, class, race, education and society, in the tradition of writers like Kurt Vonnegut. This short novel is simply and straightforwardly told, but there is a boiling cauldron of ideas that bubble under the surface that make this story far more than the sum of its parts. On the surface, the book’s message is traditional YA fare: be true to yourself. But Landscape With Invisible Hand is also one of the best critiques of paternalistic colonialism and late capitalism I’ve read in a YA book.

This is definitely a book for more mature readers. While there are occasional strong swears, this guidance is more informed by the satire of Landscape With Invisible Hand, which is so subtle and sophisticated that it could well be lost on younger children - and probably a good many adults, too.

deathcabforkatey's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

catcervone's review against another edition

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3.0

Novella that reads like middle grade. As others have said, it’s not entirely bleak and could be good for classroom discussion. I’m curious to see the movie and how it translates to the screen.