Author: Will McIntosh
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: Data Runner by Sam Patel
The Silence of Six by EC Myers
Rating:
 |
| could have been better |
Summary (provided by publisher): In this terrifyingly timely tale for fans of The Eye of Minds, a teen and his group of friends find themselves on the run after using a genius lie-detector contraption to expose their corrupt government.
In a Putin-esque near-future America, the gifted and talented high school has just been eliminated, and Sam and his friends have been using their unexpected free time to work on a tiny, undetectable, utterly reliable lie detector. They're all in it for the money--except Theo, their visionary. For Theo, it's about creating a better world. A BS-free world, where no one can lie, and the honest will thrive.
Just when they finish the prototype and turn down an offer to sell their brainchild to a huge corporation, Theo is found dead. Greedy companies, corrupt privatized police, and even the president herself will stop at nothing to steal the Truth App. Sam sets his sights on exposing all lies and holding everyone accountable.
But he and his friends quickly realize the costs of a BS-free world: the lives of loved ones, and political and economic stability. They now face a difficult question: Is the world capable of operating without lies, or are lies what hold it together?
My opinion: I wanted this book to be political intrigue and technological advancement and fighting against big shadow government. That seems to be what McIntosh wants as well, but it doesn't really get there. Theo's death, the inciting incident, doens't have much emotional impact. We're TOLD that the group is devastated but we don't really see it. We don't experience that devastation with them. Really, Theo existed only to die and fulfill a sort of "too good for this world" role. He never feels like a real person, but rather an ideal. The lack of connection is the basis of most of my complaints. We see events but they never really matter to the reader.
McIntosh does raise some interesting ideas. We've got a severely economically depressed future, funding cuts to vital services laws governing who can work, totalitarian govenrment. All of this is fairly standard. The more interesting part is the exploration of truth and lies, of kindness and cruelty, of honesty and etiquette. The idea of radical cultural change and how something meant to help can cause immeasurable harm. These ideas make it worth reading, especially in a group setting.
More information: The Future Will Be BS Free releases July 24.
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