Jack Richards (2)

For the most part I really liked this title. It’s very different from dystopian that I’ve read in the past. I liked the premise; a mother doing everything that she can to prevent her child from being enrolled in a mandatory school program that she doesn’t believe in. What I found most interesting throughout the novel was the idea that the parents chose the courses of study and even the religion and politics that their children were exposed to in this program. It was fed off the idea that what the parents really want is a clone of themselves.
I can certainly relate to Susan’s contempt for this program. While the idea of learning without distractions (whether it be peers or other things), I really hated the idea that while the parent’s could choose what they’re child studied, they no longer had the legal right to decide how their child should be educated.

It’s a quick engaging read. I liked that the scenes changed rather quickly. It was interesting to read about Australia, California, Dallas and California all in one novel. I did have some clarity issues during a few scenes near the end of the novel. I had to go back and reread a few times to make sense of what happened. I also felt that a lot was crammed into the last ten pages. There was also a rather vague ending. It is somewhat implied what was about to happen, but at the same time it could be something else. It would actually be a great starting point for a sequel, but the huge THE END rules that out.

I liked the short chapters and overall length of the novel. I finished it in a couple hours. It’s definitely not a fluffy read. I like when shorter works give you a lot of things to think about, which Dormant Enhancement does. Overall I liked this title but wasn’t completely in love with it. I would read more from this author though. I do think that someone would have to be a fan of the science fiction or thriller genres to fully enjoy this book though.… (mer)