Summary:
Retreating from an airborne virus with a uniquely
unsettling symptom, property developer Jason escapes London for his country
estate, where he is forced to negotiate a new way of living with an assortment
of fellow survivors.
Far in the future, an isolated community of descendants
continue to farm this same estate. Among their most treasured possessions are a
few books, including a copy of Jane Eyre, from which they have
constructed their hierarchies, rituals and beliefs. When 15-year-old Agnes
begins to record the events of her life, she has no idea what consequences will
follow. Locked away for her transgressions, she escapes to the urban ruins and
a kind of freedom, but must decide where her future lies.
These two stories interweave, illuminating each other in
unexpected ways and offering long vistas of loss, regeneration and wonder.
The Book of
Air is a story
of survival, the shaping of memory and the enduring impulse to find meaning in
a turbulent world.
Release Date: April 2017
Age Group:
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Reviewed By: Nat
Review:
For me, the Gold Standard for any dystopian novel revolves around 2 things: originality and possibility. My two absolute favorites are The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood and and The Giver quartet by Lois Lowery. The Book of Air will be added to this prestigious list. This story is so clever and original that I started recommending it to friends 3% into it!
The storyline is unique to anything I've read in that the POV is simultaneously driven by two characters, Jason & Agnes, one of past and one of present. It did take me a few chapters to figure this out but when I did, I was hooked. Once I fell into the two storylines and they started to unfold, it really moved at a steady pace. With each chapter the reader gets a little more of what created the post-apocalyptic world that Agnes knows.
When I figured out what The Book of Air actually was, my level of excitement skyrocketed. I don't want to spoil anything. I just can't. Seriously, such a clever twist on what humanity will deem important. The anticipation of trying to figure out the link between Jason and Agnes was torture (but in a fun emoji face kind of way).
Simply put, The
Book of Air is original, compelling and hopeful. A must-read for all dystopian fans.
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About
Joe Treasure
Joe Treasure currently lives in South West
London with his wife Leni Wildflower. As an English teacher in Wales, he ran an
innovative drama programme, before following Leni across the pond to Los
Angeles, an experience that inspired his critically acclaimed debut novel The
Male Gaze (published by Picador). His second novel Besotted (also published by
Picador) also met with rave reviews.
Website - http://www.joetreasure.com/
Twitter: - https://twitter.com/joetreas
Get your copy of The Book of Air HERE.
This sounds like a great read. I love reading reviews before buying the book. Sometimes it changes my mind on what to buy.
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Thanks for the summary and review :-)
ReplyDelete