Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey - Book Review

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4 out of 5 stars

In 2189, AIDS.
And in 2235, the last members of the human race traveled to a distant planet to begin the next chapter of humanity. 

Several hundred years after their arrival, the remainder of humanity lives in a utopian colony in which every want is satisfied automatically, and there is no need for human labor, struggle or thought. But when the machines that regulate the colony begin to malfunction, the colonists are faced with a test for the first time in their existence. 

With the lives of the colonists at stake, it is left to a bright young man named Samuel to repair these breakdowns and save the colony. Aided by his determined friend Penny, Samuel rises to meet each challenge. But he soon discovers a mysterious group of people behind each of these problems, and he must somehow find and defeat these saboteurs in order to rescue humanity.

Well this book really took me by surprise! I was gifted this book for an honest review and an honest review I will give. You know the run down - Dislikes, Likes, and Spoilers at the end.

Dislikes:

I really didn't have much to complain about with this book. I loved it. I can say that I felt the ending was a little too soft for me. It built up all this anticipation and then while the conclusion was complete (didn't feel I needed any more information or had questions left unanswered) I felt it fell a little flat, I guess I wanted a bit more drama, which for me is actually unusual! Also, I would have loved to see the ending details that line out what happened before the story begins at the beginning and the time line at the end for reference. I felt more connected to the story when I finally got to read what happened in a sort of re-telling account rather than as a year by year timeline. Other than that I will say I really got into this story!

Likes:

The plot was really good. A lot of people that have given reviews complained about the lack of dialog between people but for me that was perfectly fine and didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. I mean it makes perfect sense why there is no dialogue and as you read along you really understand that. I really like that struggle between Utopia and Dystopia that played out for our protagonist. To some their way of life in this story was simple and uneventful and that's what they liked. I think honestly that way of life would have continued forever but alas, as they say, all good things..

I fell in love with Samuel, I thought is strive to first watch those who were "heroes" and then as he slowly became one too and that fine line between enjoying how things are and feeling caged in by it (Utopia Dystopia struggle).

I think my favourite part was that the villain wasn't really a villain at all and that there reasoning for why the were disrupting lives and essentially doing "evil" things was all for legitimate purposes. That if you looked at it from the antagonists point of view then they and those before them had been forced into a dystopian life. From the villagers stand point they had been blessed with a utopian life and the heroes had to choose which side they fell on.

All in all a wonderful telling of the struggles of life no matter where you are and how ones predecessors can be the downfall or the evolution of lives that didn't have much say in the choices that were made for them. This whole book's story happened because people no longer wanted a life they once lived.

But what do you think? Does this sound like a story for you? Is it on your TBR, or have you already read it??? Let me know in the comments below!

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SPOILERS
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So was it just me or did you just want Samuel to just say the words he chocked on at the end. I mean I get where the antagonists were coming from. To be forced into an unthinking would when you posses thought is like torture but no everyone would choose that life and they took choices away when implementing some of their more disastrous plans! And that's truly what I wanted more of at the ending, I wanted to see Samuel really find his voice. And I know that him walking away and saying no the way he did was point enough, but because he didn't have much of a voice for the entire story that felt like it would have been the comeuppance needed to truly satisfy me!!! Let me know how you feel though below!!


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