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unit's review
5.0
This is a superb novel. I've admired JL George's writing since I read 'Homecoming Again' in the Gair Rhydd - 13 years ago - so I knew it would be well-written, but I didn't anticipate how well-structured, propulsive, and thought-provoking it would be.
Set in a hideously believable near-future dystopia, the novel follows a group of young people gifted with the Word, the power to compel others to obey. Imprisoned and experimented upon by a government eager to harness their power, they attempt to escape.
What sets The Word apart from other dystopian narratives is the quality of the writing and the characterisation. Some of the sentences are so beautifully written I want to project them on the side of a building. The characters are well-drawn and compelling; they became very real to me. I deeply regretted this during the novel’s (many) nerve-shreddingly tense moments!
This is a novel of resistance, of hope when faced with overwhelming odds. Harrowing and inspiring in equal measure, the questions it confronts us with, about the direction the UK is going, and the morality of bringing children into the grey reality of contemporary Britain, are deeply uncomfortable – as they should be.
Patrick Jones is absolutely right: JL George is a vital new voice. The Word reflects our time and transcends it, offering us a glimpse of something more – something better.
I can't wait to read her next book.
Set in a hideously believable near-future dystopia, the novel follows a group of young people gifted with the Word, the power to compel others to obey. Imprisoned and experimented upon by a government eager to harness their power, they attempt to escape.
What sets The Word apart from other dystopian narratives is the quality of the writing and the characterisation. Some of the sentences are so beautifully written I want to project them on the side of a building. The characters are well-drawn and compelling; they became very real to me. I deeply regretted this during the novel’s (many) nerve-shreddingly tense moments!
This is a novel of resistance, of hope when faced with overwhelming odds. Harrowing and inspiring in equal measure, the questions it confronts us with, about the direction the UK is going, and the morality of bringing children into the grey reality of contemporary Britain, are deeply uncomfortable – as they should be.
Patrick Jones is absolutely right: JL George is a vital new voice. The Word reflects our time and transcends it, offering us a glimpse of something more – something better.
I can't wait to read her next book.
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