“Self/Less” by AVIVA is an interesting novel well suited to the young adult audience it’s aimed at. Although not particularly original, it’s entertaining and well told.
Teddy is 17, and a privileged citizen of Metropolis. A walled city that protects its’ inhabitants from the deadlands outside, Metropolis is ruled by a repressive regime that rigidly controls all aspects of citizen’s lives. Teddy’s father works closely with the Mayor, and her mother is editor of the only news magazine in town.
Despite her privileges, Teddy is unsettled. Perhaps it’s just that she’s about to be assigned her lifetime job and her life partner. But then again, she’s never quite toed the line, wearing clothes that aren’t approved, defying the rules to make art, and trying to find a small piece of privacy.
Then Teddy makes a number of upsetting discoveries in quick succession. People “infected” with bad ideas who are taken away to be “sanitised” are never seen again. There’s a whole city living under Metropolis, made up of assorted outcasts or escapees. There are sympathisers who support them. And her parents are not the people she thought they were.
When you read this novel you may hear echoes of many others, from “1984” to “The Hunger Games”. AVIVA is interested in telling Teddy’s story in particular, and it will absorb many readers, but there’s not a lot of originality here. But a well-told story can be successful in re-using ideas, themes, and tropes seen before.
This is a young adult novel, and is a stronger novel for people who are newer to the themes. Teddy is a strong character who many readers will empathise with, and her adventures are interesting.
They’re also very relevant to the age group; articulating your values, separating yourself from your parents, first romance, taking responsibility. Many young people are grappling with similar issues.
Although it’s not labelled as such, “Self/Less” is actually the first in a series. This ends on a cliffhanger; not much is resolved. Although I don’t mind this, I prefer to know it from the cover or title page. Discovering it on the last page makes the story feel a little unbalanced.
I enjoyed this novel, despite it feeling like a story I’d read many times before. The world-building could be stronger, but characters are strongly defined and the pace is well judged.
This is a readable adventure well-aimed at young adults. More experienced readers won’t find it overly memorable but will enjoy the reading experience. It’s a strong debut that will have many waiting for the sequel.
Author: AVIVA
ISBN: 978-1-76098-489-2
Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan (2021)
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Self/less by AVIVA. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.
My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.
I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.
More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .
I very much enjoyed the concept of this book.
Living life where you are not allowed to express yourself in any way. No drawing, writing of stories, singing or dancing. You can not even express yourself with fancy hair styles, makeup or the way you dress. Your life is controlled and if you dare to break the rules you put your life at risk.
Being a bit of a rebel myself, I like to think that I would be one of those brave humans who decided to throw caution to the wind and look for a different way.
This is an interesting and throught provoking read. It is to be continued in 2022 and I very much look forward to the next book in this series.
I was drawn to this story as soon as I saw the cover and couldn’t wait to start reading it.
Although the book explores already-covered terrain from other books in this genre, Aviva adds her own unique touch which results in a compelling story. The characters are very well developed with a strong and feisty heroine. The only issue I had with the book – small though it is – is that it ends on a cliffhanger and leads into the next book. I’m happy for this to happen if I know in advance that it’s not a stand alone story and is continued on but I don’t like it sprung on me at the end. This is a personal preference of mine and I know that it won’t bother other readers, it also didn’t bother me enough to lower the score I gave it. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Thanks Beauty & Lace, Pan Macmillan and AViVA for a copy of this book, hopefully book 2 won’t be too far away!
I found self/less quite an interesting read. Set in a dystopian future where self expression is forbidden the novel sees Teddy move from a future she is dreading to an underground community of expression.
It’s quite a dark story, with much of it played out in limited or no light, adding to its sombre feel. It’s attention to detail make it easy to picture, and I could see it making its way to a cinema.
It ends with a promise of more to come and I can see this story growing across many volumes.
The book (and potential series) is definitely aimed at an older YA audience, but even then I think for some, the violence may be too much.
Self-Less is a Dystopian YA that could easily be compared to other great series like the Hunger Games or Divergent which happen to be some of my favourite books.
Teddy is the heroine of this book and she definitely lives in an interesting world where very few choices you make can be your own. It’s not the most original of stories but I still really enjoyed how it all played out. This is the first in a series so I look forward to reading what happens next.