Seems to be the year of infestations. I've had mushrooms,ants and now it's time for ticks. Not just any ticks though, these little bitey devils burrow into your flesh, lay eggs that spread throughout your body, and then tear their way out in an impressive pile of gore. And after all that, some of the things even carry disease in a similar manner to mosquitos. So even if you survive the time bomb from the first bite, you might keel over anyway.
The threat of these ticks have driven a future world into "zones", which are protected by massive physical and energy barriers, and in which finite resources and fanatical political control have inevitably lead to social injustice and general misery. Which the rich typically like to avoid thinking about, generally by taking up extreme hobbies.
And nothing is more extreme than heading outside of the "Salt Line" (that barrier I mentioned earlier, though there are a couple of different meanings hidden in there) and enjoying nature red in tick and claw. Which is how Edie, a poor waitress, ends up outside of the salt line with her pop star partner. Of course, this being a thriller, the bugs aren't the only threat out there.
Which is how we get a slightly confusing tale of multiple threats crashing down, one upon another, until it's really a miracle anyone is alive at the end of it. There are many sources of conflict in this world, but none of them really make much of an impression. It all feels very much like surface, with little connection between the wider world and the story we see.
The action is exciting, and tends to run at a decent clip, but the book runs oddly both too long and too short. There are many different threads that could have been pulled and aren't, and some events are skimmed over with a speed which makes you wonder whether the author felt a deadline getting a little too close. But at the same time, there are sequences that run far too long, and a few too many prolonged staggers through dangerous territory. They get a little repetitive.
I also found myself putting off readiing it, which is never a good sign. Has a few redeeming features, but as a whole, not exceptional.
Not recommended.
Tagged: Book Science fiction Environmental disaster Novel Print