4 out of 4 stars
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What do a highly-trained assassin, the vice-president of the United States of America, a young boy looking to make some extra cash for his family, and an AI military defence system have in common? They are all somehow involved in a series of events which will change the world as we know it. Going Gone by Abraham Lopez is at times fast-paced, at times more introspective, but it is always gripping.
This is a dystopian novel with a twist. Unlike most novels in this genre, which are set after the world-shattering event has already occurred, Going Gone offers a glimpse into the lives of eleven different characters while this event is actually happening. Essentially consisting of a series of short stories covering a timespan of about a year, each one follows a different person experiencing this end-of-days scenario. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say, while this definitely falls into the category of science-fiction, it’s scary how possible much of it seems.
I loved everything about this book. I actually read the sample when it was Book of the Day and bought it immediately. Right from the first chapter, which follows an assassin sent to kill a beloved political leader in the Middle East, you are sucked into the action. I started and finished it within two days. What Lopez does best, however, is character creation. Not all the stories are as fast-paced as the first, but each of them manages to give you a deep insight into the person or people they follow. Often, even full-length novels struggle with this, so it’s particularly impressive that Lopez manages to do this in a short story collection.
There wasn’t a single chapter I didn’t enjoy, but a few stood out in particular. “Jessie and the LARGOnauts” tells the story of an undercover journalist who finds herself in too deep with a doomsday cult. “Hollywood Ending” follows a former celebrity comedian and talk show host, who finds himself trapped in a nightmare situation reminiscent of The Purge. “DaRWIn’s Dilemma” is an almost philosophical reflection on humanity and artificial intelligence. While all three chapters are very different, each is exquisitely written and would easily hold-up outside the context of this anthology.
The final chapter is the only one that does not focus on a particular person, and perfectly wraps up the book as a whole. It fills in almost all the blanks left by the other chapters and offers a glimmer of hope. Overall, I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The only complaint I can make is that I did notice a few errors, and there was one chapter that I didn’t feel fitted in particularly well with the others but was still enjoyable on its own. I recommend this to anyone who likes short story collections, political thrillers, or apocalyptic scenarios. Fair warning, while the story is wrapped up at a macro level, we don’t actually find out specifically what happens to most of the individual characters, so if that is something that’s likely to bother you this book might not be for you.
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Going Gone
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