Unsettling speculative dystopian fiction.
In near-future UK, society is straining under resource shortage and environmental collapse. The revolutionary Merge procedure is meant to allow two consciousnesses to blend into one body to conserve and pool the benefits. Amelia, the daughter of an activist, signs up to merge with her mother, Laurie, who is in the first stages of Alzheimer's. What could go wrong?
The premise grabbed me immediately -- Amelia's desperate move driven by love. What profound scientific achievement is this where a daughter wants to keep her mother's memories and connection and The Combine has found a way to do it by putting it all into one body. I couldn't wait to dive in to understand the methods and practical aspects of the procedure and this integration. And then it went so flat so fast. Why can't we ever get cool new things? That don't end up being so bad.
The first part just drags on forever as the pair prepares for their merge. They meet others that are also in the process which takes months. The whole section was mainly character development without the significant details about the actual procedure that I was looking for. Lots of nothing happens. Then the two are in recovery with a gap between their pre and post transition phases. The exposition goes on and on with Amelia unhappy until the rush to the completely unsatisfying conclusion with so many unresolved situations and no answers other than -- oops, no spoilers.
I wasn't a fan and the main reason was that this is basically just a big ethical question about identity, selfhood, and sacrifice. The result is a narrative that felt unfinished and inconsistent, focused on the mundane instead of realizing provocative its medical, scientific, and dystopian potential.
So more frustrated than fascinated, and ultimately disappointing at the execution of what could have been a really good story. I'm giving this 2.5 stars.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Tamaryn Payne and Pearl Hewitt, were adequate but sometimes it was very hard to differentiate their voices from other characters. This production would have benefited from a larger cast since all the characters blended together, especially in light of a plot where consciousness and inner voices are combined.
This is a standalone debut and not part of any series. Nor would I want more of it.
Tags and genre - speculative dystopian fiction, medical procedures, mind melding, activism, ethics and morrals
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