IBBMP 2010 REVIEW #3: The Unit

by
Ninni Holmqvist

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Other Press (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590513134
• ISBN-13: 978-1590513132
• Source: received it from Lenore
  
• My rating: 3/5 

One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state of the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty–single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries–are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders. In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and…well, then what?

The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of an experiment, in which the “dispensable” ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the “necessary” ones. Ninni Holmqvist has created a debut novel of humor, sorrow, and rage about love, the close bonds of friendship, and about a cynical, utilitarian way of thinking disguised as care. 

 The trouble with this book is that I can't make up my mind whether I love it or not. During the course of reading it it's had so many ups and downs. When I finished it, I was quite impressed, and terribly angry at the same time. I'm still trying to figure out where I stand so please bear with me while I try to explain (mostly to myself) what's wrong/great about this novel.

First and foremost--when you read a dystopian novel, like this one is supposed to be, you expect thrill, excitement, tension. There is NONE in this one. It's too slow in pacing and narration, told in a pretty dull,  passionless, monotonous voice. It felt as if the walls of the Unit started to close down on me and it was not the writers purpose to make it feel this way. Whenever there is a spark of emotion, it's done very shallow, leaving you emotionally unsatisfied.

Second thing. The MC. I've expected her to be more rebellious, more aware of the moral issues concerning the Unit. Basically, it's a human slaughterhouse, where "dispensable" people are kept happy and healthy to donate organs, tissue and stuff for the "needed". Dorrit's voice is too silent, she does absolutely nothing but accept the things as they are. Even when she gets her chance to escape, with a hell of a reason to stay alive (yes, I'm trying to avoid spoilers), she subdues herself to the idea of the Unit. That part made me feel cheated. Even if the purpose was to show the dominance of social rules, it's done slackly because I don't understand her motifs to remain a part of the project.

Problem number 3; I don't see where the author is standing concerning the issue of being forced to donate yourself away bit by bit. Throughout the novel there are extremely juxtaposed opinions are expressed, from justifying to degrading the concept. At one moment Holmqvist is full of praise for the system as a beneficial, fair one, next moment she shows the other side of the medal, how it affects the rest of the society... I understand that it's a slippery slope, but I would have liked some more resoluteness.

Now the fabulous things. The Unit raises millions of questions about the morality of organ donation, freedom, love, aging, democracy. Is it fair to "force" single people to be dissected in favor of someone who has "better" reasons to live? What makes an individual a worthy member of the society? Who has the right to decide that maybe I'm not? Is it a free choice if we're not forced to do something, but there's no alternative, and so we have to accept what we're offered? Do the faults of a system devalue the benefits and vice versa, do we tolerate the bad stuff to exploit the good ones? And just how easily does it all get out of hand?

And there you have me confused on issue # 3. If you asked me what I personally thing of this kind of social  arrangement, I'd have no idea what I'd say to you. So Holmqvist is forgiven for that.

Obviously, this book is perfect for book clubs and discussions. It IS a good book with a good story and depth, if it only weren't for the wee bit sloppy and clumsy execution.

IBBMP 2010 REVIEW #2 Before I Fall

by
Lauren Oliver

• Reading level: Young Adult
• ARC: 472 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006172680X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061726804
• Source: received the ARC from Lenore
• My rating: 5/5

Summary: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

This novel has been on my radar for a while, one that I was very eager to read. Imagine my joy when Lenore offered to send it to me. It didn't disappoint me, it ranked far above my expectations and is now one of my favorite reads this year. 

Samantha Kingston is reliving the day of her death seven times. She's done it all; from the "I simply won't be there" phase to "I don't give a damn, I'm going to die anyway" attitude. Somewhere in between, she's realized that it's not at all so simple. Someone has to pay the price. The best thing Sam can do is to be the best of herself and to live the last day in the way she wants to be remembered as by her family and friends.

 I was slightly surprised by the length of this novel. It consists of seven chapters, one for each day. Soon I found that it's unbelievably easy to read. The pages are just flipping as you race through this great novel. The pacing is not so much the reason; it's the style, simple and easy, that makes the story flow. Yet, knowing that it's kind of a voice from the grave, many times I felt chills down my spine. There's nothing gory or gruesome about it. It's the tragedy of a young girl who could be just any teenager you know. It's the (un)predictability that scares-because, let's face it- we always believe that these kind of things happen to some other people.

There's a powerful message to the novel, which makes me recommend it to everyone, being a YA or not. It got me thinking long after I've finished the book. What would you do on your last day? How can you ever tell that this is not your last day? Sounds depressing, but it's not; it has to happen; the question is only what we leave behind.

The change in Sam's personality is wonderfully done. All the other character are well-crafted nicely layered as well. They quite bothered me at first; four shallow, superficial party animals. Later, as they unravel, they gain on credibility and depth.

If you can't tell already, I really loved this novel. Entertaining and deep at the same time, an amusing read with a life lesson... The ending has left me with swirling emotions; the mix of "this can't be the end" and "I guess it had to happen", the inevitability of death and wanting...more.

IBBMP 2010 REVIEW #1 : Still Missing

by
Chevy Stevens

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312595670
• ISBN-13: 978-0312595678
• ARC: 342 pages
• Source: received it from Lenore
• My rating: 5/5

Summary (Amazon) :
On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel. 

All I want to say about this novel is DROP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND GO...RUN....GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK!  I rarely cry over books (sure, some give you misty eyes and that "aw" feeling), but after I've read the final line of this novel, I cried like a baby for all the mixed feelings it spawned in me.

The story of her abduction and captivity is told by Annie herself in form of sessions with her therapist. We never get to hear the therapist, though; one of the first rules Annie sets is that there are no questions like "How do you feel about that?" The POV works miracles to the proximity of the story which would probably be very cliche- like if it weren't for Annie's hurting and strong voice. She talks about the time spent with The Freak in a mountain cabin, repeated raping and molesting, and the aftermath of her escape. Annie learns to live again, struggles to get used to freedom and regaining trust in people. The big twist is a very movie-like moment, as seen in many TV dramas. I wasn't so happy about that part, but then again, Stevens offers near-perfect psychological insight to make even that twist seem kind of logical. 

(While we're at it, there's no doubt someone will pick it up for movie adaptation. It makes a great movie script.)

The saddest aspect of the novel is Annie's pregnancy, childbirth and (short) motherhood. Stevens' writing is already touching and powerful, so you can imagine what an impact everything child-related in this novel had on me, being a mom myself. It's the last sentence that reveals her name which Annie never said out loud, and believe me, there's no way you will keep your cool when you hear it. When I read it, I wanted to go back to the beginning and read the whole novel again.

Still Missing is easy to read, but very powerful and moving. It's hard to believe that it's a debut; the voice is crystal-clear and the writing great. I'm already looking forward to Stevens' second novel, Never Knowing (coming summer 2011). I found this great article about Chevy Stevens which goes to show what everyone who read this novel already know--that's she's a star in the ascendant.