Cover image from Goodreads.com
Sara is on her way back from a work trip when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pulls her aside for further review. Using data gleaned from 200 data points, the RAA determines she’s too high of a risk and may commit a crime against her husband, so she’s sent to a facility for observation for 21 days, until her risk score goes down.
There, she learns that the rules shift without notice and any violations add time to her observation.
In addition, her Dreamsaver, a neuro unit that helps her feel fully rested after only a few hours of sleep, records her dreams for the RAA to use against her.
One day, a newbie arrives in the middle of the night and leaves after exactly three weeks, something that’s almost unheard of. This new person sets Sara on a course to rebellion.
This novel is horrifyingly possible. Not the dream part, technology isn’t there yet, but definitely the risk assessment part. Imagine having a distant cousin’s political views affect your score, or that one time you lost your temper at work would cause your score to increase. With an administration sorting through the data, they can find anything if they look hard enough.
I was glued to the pages throughout. The author does a fantastic job of showing the sliding rules, the privileges dressed up as rights, and how difficult it can be to conform to what the person in authority believes you should be.
I enjoyed this novel immensely.
Should Be Writing 