Masterclass - Christina Dalcher

Dystopian Fiction

Rating: 7.5/10

Just in case the title of this book doesn’t hint at the plot overtly enough for you, allow me to put a finer point on it. Somewhere in the not to distant future, society is living with a colour coded intelligence ranking that puts children into groups.  Groups that will determine a future potential based on some hierarchical and tyrannical system of who’s fit to be what.  As you can imagine, it’s a thin line from this sort of separation to others of race, religion and gender. 

The book’s examination of the way people will acquiesce to more and more social change until the system becomes something unrecognizable is at the heart of this novel.

Framed around a mother desperate to protect her children and trying to claw her way back to a life she can find pride and joy in will draw the reader into the depths of her struggles.  As her story plays out, a shameful chapter of history is highlighted and the question of the likeliness of a resurgence laid bare.

Footnote: This horrifying “system” is born out of small school aged group of outsiders being bullied who decide on this rather diabolical method of revenge.  I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…kids are freaking terrifying.