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grahamdowns's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
When I first started reading this book, I was a little concerned. I thought it would turn into an anti-Covid rant where Covid wasn’t real and lockdowns were about control and nothing else.
I was wrong; it’s much deeper than that. In this story, lockdown in South Africa has lasted for seven years. The rest of the world has developed a vaccine, administered it to their people, and Covid is a thing of the past. But South Africa has become a dystopia, and the people have become totally reliant on an evil, manipulative government. Covid is real and the initial lockdowns were totally necessary, but it came to be used for political gain.
It’s a stark picture of what a nightmare this could have turned into.
And it’s pretty good. It tells the story of one man living his life under the thumb of this tyranny, until he gets embroiled in something bigger than himself and, well, I won’t spoil the rest.
From the book’s description, you get the impression that this is a comedy, and although there are some lighthearted moments, and the protagonist is quite sarcastic, it’s not actually a funny story. Rather, it’s a scary one... but I think that’s because, while the author wrote it near the beginning of the South African lockdown, reading it now, two years in, it’s perhaps a bit more real than it intended to be.
The editing’s good, too, much better than many other indie books these days. There’s just that annoying “alright”, which if you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ll know I can’t stand. But that’s a matter of preference.
If you like dystopian stories, and you’re interested in Covid and lockdowns, I think you’ll enjoy this. Especially if you’re South African: I really enjoyed the references to real places that I’ve actually been to, and real people that I actually know. It’s a welcome break from all the American-centric fiction.
Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy: https://books2read.com/u/boaQJV
* Note: That's an affiliate link, so if you click through to a store and end up buying anything, I might earn a commission from your purchase.
I was wrong; it’s much deeper than that. In this story, lockdown in South Africa has lasted for seven years. The rest of the world has developed a vaccine, administered it to their people, and Covid is a thing of the past. But South Africa has become a dystopia, and the people have become totally reliant on an evil, manipulative government. Covid is real and the initial lockdowns were totally necessary, but it came to be used for political gain.
It’s a stark picture of what a nightmare this could have turned into.
And it’s pretty good. It tells the story of one man living his life under the thumb of this tyranny, until he gets embroiled in something bigger than himself and, well, I won’t spoil the rest.
From the book’s description, you get the impression that this is a comedy, and although there are some lighthearted moments, and the protagonist is quite sarcastic, it’s not actually a funny story. Rather, it’s a scary one... but I think that’s because, while the author wrote it near the beginning of the South African lockdown, reading it now, two years in, it’s perhaps a bit more real than it intended to be.
The editing’s good, too, much better than many other indie books these days. There’s just that annoying “alright”, which if you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ll know I can’t stand. But that’s a matter of preference.
If you like dystopian stories, and you’re interested in Covid and lockdowns, I think you’ll enjoy this. Especially if you’re South African: I really enjoyed the references to real places that I’ve actually been to, and real people that I actually know. It’s a welcome break from all the American-centric fiction.
Click here to find out where you can get your hands on a copy: https://books2read.com/u/boaQJV
* Note: That's an affiliate link, so if you click through to a store and end up buying anything, I might earn a commission from your purchase.
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