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Title: Pills and Starships
Publisher: Black Sheep/ Akashic Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Dystopian
Release Date: June 10, 2014
Source: ARC, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.
Set less than 100 years after Earth's fall you meet (around the 22nd century or so) Nat and her brother Sam as they begin the process of saying goodbye to their parents. Like many adults, their parents have opted into a form of assisted suicide after battling depression due to the demise of Earth. See, their parents still remember the olden days. They remember what it means to have a yard, a home, clean water, to touch other people, etc. without fear of illness and death. Having purchased a contract Nat's parents head a resort in Hawaii to transition out, they go as a family. Told through her diary over seven days, Nat battles the feeling of mood-altering drugs, her rebellious brother, and the loss of her parents before they're even gone.
I loved the world building. I don't want to live in the world but this dystopia is more of a very scary, realistic probability. Taking into consideration what we know about global warming, overpopulation, pollution and a number of human destructions I felt the pain of Nat's parents. The population is then sated by mood-altering drugs called "pharmas" to keep depression at bay, specifically for older people. Corporations are selling "contracts" for adults to enter into an assisted suicide program where the family receives counseling, loads of drugs, a coping kit and ride out their last goodbyes as the contracted choose their resting place. All very spooky but totally believable in 200 years. The technology is not new with items such as "face" which act as a form of Google Glass and a few other gadgets which are not far off from today's offerings. Needless to say the premises exploits many real issues we're dealing with today.
Each diary day is broken up by entry and addressed to a future reader living in space. This format effected the pacing which led to me walking away from the read, letting it marinate and then picking it back up again. When I started reading again, around day 4 things began to get a lot more interesting as Sam begins to search for the truth and brings Nat into the fold. I wish I could go more into how it all pans out but the last three days are way more exciting, filled with action, conspiracy and hope for a better tomorrow.
I would have preferred this not been in "diary" format but just told in present day first person. It is really hard for me to believe that Nat had time to write all this down. She's busy, especially once the ball starts rolling with action and unstable conditions. In some spots I find it hard to believe she even has paper, a pen or light to see.
Even if it was touch-and-go there for a minute, I'm glad I finished it and wish I could see more of the world Lydia created.
Fav Quote
I wondered: what if it was less what you believed in that made the difference in your life than whether you believed at all?
- subject to change in finished edition
- subject to change in finished edition
In a Tweet
A dystopian novel that paints a horrifying realistic future by exploiting the truths of today. #amreading
— Meghann (@BecomingBooks) June 12, 2014
3 Stars – A very interesting and scary world but the pacing and point-of-view made this a rocky read. If you're into global ecosystems, sustainability, politics or are looking for a different dystopian.
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