I received a copy of this book
for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Now and then, one reads a book
that delves into their very being and creates nightmares. The Controlled is one
of those books. This one gets me on two levels. First, as a sci-fi reader, I
found this a terrifying story where technology goes wrong and creates a group
of relentless monsters who unwillingly want to destroy everything and everyone
in their path. However, as a teacher in a public school, it hit me on a
different level. This tale is a metaphor for the direction I see education
taking; instead of letting those of us who are trained to teach do our jobs, it
is the oversight of school boards, parents, and legislatures who want it done
their way, even though most haven't even been in a classroom since they
graduated from high school.
Now I must apologize because I
digress. My view on schools is a subject for another time and place.
This tale definitely scared me
as an educator because there is nothing more frightening to a teacher than the
concept of the inmates taking charge of the asylum.
From the opening line, I was
hooked on this story, not just because it involved my chosen profession, but
because it is a well-written story full of swerves and one never knows what
will happen on the turn of the next page. It is gritty and graphic;
descriptions of violence and its aftermath are plainly shown in the prose and,
in themselves, are disturbing.
Be warned, even though this
story is about high school-aged students, it is NOT a young adult novel.
Welcome to Rego Ed Site 102
operated by the Rego Corporation.
In the near future, schools
will be turned over to corporations and trusted to clean up the mess schools
are supposedly in everywhere. Schools are referred to as "sites," and
students have become "clients" to receive a much trimmed down
curriculum of English, Math, Fundamental Values, and Occupational Preparation.
Clients are not divided by grade level, but by how well they perform in school
in four levels. There are high, medium, and low performers and at the lowest
level are the "subs." Subs are the ones who are incorrigible. They
are lacking in respect for any system, and they have deep-seated behavioral
problems. Subs are, in a word, rebellious.
Rego's solution to helping the
suns integrate into society as useful, contributing citizens is the creation of
an app (called CTRL) designed to modify behaviors through a device called a
"Halo." The Halo is a VR headset that is used to pacify clients with
video such as "The Woodland Parable," an animated depiction of
pleasant, calming woodland creatures going about their daily lives. Site
directors claim they have had much success with this method of training, but
that is the company line all employees (a.k.a. teachers/administrators) are
required to repeat of asked.
At some point, something goes
wrong with the app and clients go on a rampage of behaviors above and beyond
what they have displayed before, and are powerless to stop themselves when in
the grips of the app.
The story unfolds through
following several principal characters. We get snapshots of their personal
lives and then we see how their strengths, or weaknesses, fit into the big
picture. Each character has his/her own quirks and things they need to suppress
when on the job, which is difficult for some.
Dickie is the CEO
(superintendent) of the site. His job is to deal directly with Rego and see to
daily operations. He is a nervous sort that no one seems to take seriously. He
is arrogant and condescending and is completely out of touch with what is
happening on his site.
Sophie is the General Manager
(principal) of the site and oversees the teachers and discipline issues. She
has a bad home life, but is genuinely wanting to educate clients, but she isn't
happy about the way it is currently being handled.
Tom is a teacher who has been
traumatized and is returning to work after a long period of recovery from an
incident that threatened his career. He is unsure of himself and nervous about
the new teaching methods.
Dean and Ren are two clients
who are considered subs, but they are not under the control of the CTRL app or
have the ability to not be affected by it as others are. They like each other,
but Dean has relationship problems. As you read, you will get to know these
characters best.
Each character has their own
chapter to make their acquaintance and better understand how they think and
act.
My favorite point of plot for
The Controlled is the focus on each character in their own chapter. Each one is
a nearly complete picture of their lives outside of the site and who they are
as real people. This technique of writing is one of my favorites because we get
a lot of backstory in a small space, and the other chapters allow the author to
tell the rest of the story using the unique points of view of the people
involved.
Another plot point I enjoyed
was the spiraling down into the depths. When I first started reading, I thought
I was reading a comedy. I love British humor and the opening chapters struck me
as having a tongue-in-cheek feel to them. As the prose moved along, it
gradually became darker, with each scene revealing just how serious the whole
affair was.
One thing I also noted was how
the author focused more on the characters than the sci-fi elements. There isn't
a lot of jargon to get through and the purity of the tale is preserved.
My takeaway from this story is
to think one can control others are in for a huge disappointment, especially if
one is trying to modify behaviors. Education has tried for decades to modify
undesirable behaviors and have tried nearly everything, including drugs, with
some, but limited success. Perhaps the focus on engaging students by taking the
individual into account might be more successful.
Another takeaway is that
education should be left to the professionals. Those with the training and
understanding might do a better job if they are supported and trusted to do so.
Even though it was a terrifying story to me, I enjoyed it immensely. It is a real page turner that includes a plethora of plot twists and turns that were a delight. The Controlled is a great first novel and I look forward to further work from this author. Again, I will say that this story is not for youngsters. It is full of graphic scenes of violence and injuries to characters. The characters use a lot of language that many will consider inappropriate. None of those points are gratuitous in nature, they are necessary for illustrating the attitudes of the characters. If you can handle those sorts of things, I think one will enjoy this book.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Controlled is his debut
novel - inspired by his years attending and teaching in depraved schools, and
his love for science fiction and horror.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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