I received an advanced review coy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Truth Effect is a dystopian sci-fi novel set in the year 2030 where some drastic changes are taking place, especially concerning information technology and journalism.
I had a little trouble getting into this story at first, but I stayed with it and enjoyed it to the end. My chief trouble was keeping track of who the characters are, but that's probably just me. I also felt the pacing was a little slow, with too much detail in the setup.
The characters are good, solid, and well written. I got little background on them, but I found I cared a lot about a couple of them enough to keep me in the story.
As a thriller, this is a great story. The principal character is in danger from the beginning and every corner she turns is full of more and more jeopardy.
Set in England, in the not too distant future, the government passes Truth Laws that regulate how information is sent to the population. The laws are to regulate all online activity and is enforced by an intricate network of surveillance and a group of thugs that arrest truth breakers. The government defines what is truth, and as one might guess, if it makes them look bad, it isn't to be reported.
Kelly Blackwell is the first victim of these Truth Laws when she accused of libeling a prominent government official. As she investigates more deeply, she gets into more and more trouble. Not only is her livelihood threatened, but so is her very life. When it is discovered that there is also a plot to control people's thoughts under the Truth Laws, Kelly and her friends decide they need to expose the sinister nature of what is happening and shut it down.
Kelly is a hard-charging reporter who loves her job. She is relentless in finding the truth and even when in personal danger, she will not give up. She and her network of hackers figure out what is happening and work to get to the actual truth, but it is her tenacity that puts her in the most dangerous position of being hunted by the government, who is in control of vast technology.
While I like Kelly, I really didn't become wholly invested in her character. She seemed somewhat one-dimensional to me. At the same time, I found her to be a heroic figure who is willing to put herself in harm’s way to fight against injustice.
This story reads like Orwell's 1984 on steroids. In the world created by the author, the government seems bent on controlling every aspect of everyone's life. It serves to be a thought provoking to heighten awareness to readers at a time when distrust of the government seems to be a growing concern.
My takeaway from Truth Effect is that people in a democratic society must be ever vigilant and realize stories such as these, touted as fiction, can become reality when power is left unchecked.
There was a time when I would have said we would never let things like the events in this story happen. Unfortunately, that time has passed and stories such as Truth Effect seem all too plausible. The current media aims their reporting at one end of the political spectrum or other and are inviting governments to intervene on behalf of the public to ensure the truth bubbles to the top. Of course, if this happens, there is more than enough corruption to be sure to put those working in the government in the best light.
Truth effect is a disturbing story for a society that needs to be disturbed.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Anne now lives in London with her loving husband and gentle tabby, Meli. She is writing her second novel.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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