A dystopian YA novel set in a city where self-expression is illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self\/less <\/em>by Aviva is a dystopian YA novel about seventeen-year-old Teddy Veodrum who lives in the great city of Metropolis. In the Metropolis, every aspect of life is carefully controlled, embodied in the city slogan: We watch because we care. Teddy is going through the Occasions that mark her coming-of-age and adulthood; she has just been given her job placement and will soon meet her Partner, with whom she will go on to lead a productive life contributing to the great city. But self-expression and creativity are illegal in the Metropolis, and if a person is found to be \u2018infected\u2019 \u2013 by humming, drawing, playing, dancing, or any other self-expressing activity \u2013 they are sent away to be \u2018sanitised\u2019. As she\u2019s on the cusp of having the rest of her life set in stone, Teddy follows a shadowy figure in the middle of the night and discovers that there is much more to her city than she ever knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aviva brings together many well-known tropes to create a dystopian world ripe for every shade of teenage angst. The worlds in and out of the sanctioned city are polar opposites, and Teddy\u2019s eyes are soon opened to everything she has never been permitted to do, see, and experience. The action is few and far between, the story instead focusing on the inner turmoil of Teddy as she struggles to learn who she can trust, both within the city\u2019s system and outside of it. Friends, family, enemies, allies \u2013 anyone could betray her at any moment, and she must stay strong and believe in herself if she\u2019s going to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019d recommend this book to adolescents who are new to the YA genre, as it\u2019s a story of difficult friendships, untrustworthy family, and a world that will literally kill anyone who puts a foot wrong. These all-or-nothing, adolescent versus the world stakes are a very recognisable genre marker for YA, and Aviva has used them extensively within the story. As such, it\u2019s a difficult book to enjoy if you\u2019re not really interested in angst and want a bit more action. Aviva creates a very interesting dystopian world, but we don\u2019t see much of it beyond the protagonist\u2019s immediate oppression and persecution; readers may be left wanting when it comes to knowing more about the world she lives in and how other people survive it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the story ends wide open with very little resolution, so maybe we\u2019ll find out more in the next book \u2013 it\u2019s the first in Aviva’s Self\/less series, so keep an eye out for further instalments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n