Book Review: A Better World by Sarah Langan
Genre: Sci-Fi – Thriller - Dystopia
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
I enjoyed Langan’s A Better World, and there were some really interesting ideas and themes covered here, especially the way it presents the climate crisis, corporations, and the way religion can be used as a means of control. However, I do think it went on just a little too long, and by the last quarter I found the main character Linda to be really infuriating. She’s the type of character who always does the Right Thing, no matter what, but in the process of doing so she manages to thrust her whole family into the path of danger, and never actually seems to think things through.
The Farmer-Bowens are given the opportunity of a lifetime when Russell is offered a job in Plymouth Valley, a company town that is clean and prestigious. Despite Linda’s misgivings, she knows they have to take this chance and fly through the trial that’ll allow them to remain in PV, and keep their family – husband, wife, and their teen twins – safe and protected while the world outside falls apart. But fitting in isn’t easy in a town not used to outsiders, and where underlying, unspoken rules govern everything. When Linda helps the family make leaps and bounds to fit in, however, she discovers something else going on in this otherwise idyllic town.
I liked the general creepy vibe to the town, and the way Langan manages to keep you off balance with the characters Linda is surrounded by. It’s never really clear where the other characters stand, and it feels like, especially at the beginning, we’re as clueless as the Farmer-Bowens as to what they should actually do. Linda does end up befriending some pretty powerful women, who help her ‘fit in’ more than she’s been doing up to that point. These women were initially interesting, too, but it soon got frustrating trying to keep track of so many names and how the different ‘company’ families were linked to each other – I felt like I could have done with a corkboard and some red string!
Linda starts to uncover some information that puts her on a path of destruction, and while Langan lays out the odd clue, it feels like Linda misses some obvious, key information. For a long while, she bumbles along, coming across information and plot points in increasingly contrived, strange ways, which she then proceeds to ignore for a time. At points, it made for a confusing narrative, and none of Linda’s family seem to have any real self-preservation instincts. Linda herself seems to ignore a lot, and puts her own family in danger a fair bit without actually thinking through the consequences.
It felt like Linda was supposed to be smarter than she is. Russell is a really bland character, whereas the other characters who did initially come across as intriguing quickly felt really flat. By the end, I was almost hoping for some sacrificial moment from Linda to get her kids out. The most interesting character is Linda’s daughter, Josie, who tries to fit in but never quite manages it, despite being popular ‘back home’, and gets frustrated at how easily things happen for her brother. The dynamic between the twins could have been interesting if explored more, but it feels like Linda and Russell pay so little attention to the both of them, unless they’re pretty much jumping up and down waving.
Overall, I think this book starts off pretty solid, but gradually becomes more monotonous and repetitive, could have done with being a bit shorter, with characters who grew either frustrating or too bland to really care about.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
www.elleturpittediting.com
I received this ebook from Titan Books via NetGalley for review consideration.
