Proxy

You know how sometimes you have 1.7 million books on your TBR list but then someone comes along and recommends a book you've never heard of and you just drop everything and read it??That happened to me with Proxy.And you know what....It was an excellent decision. Sometime you just have to trust your book buying gut!! Proxy is a fantastic story and an exciting read. It broke my heart in all the right ways and made me think. I love when that happens!!I must confess I also love it when an author takes a classic story or theme and reimagines it. Proxy it turns out is a dark and dynamic take on The Whipping Boy (which was already pretty dark). It has been a very long time since I read that book but I remember it stuck with me enough that it has a place on my bookshelf to this dayAnyway, Proxy is set in a futuristic, high-tech, post-apocalyptic, dystopian America (my favorite). Where the rich are insanely outrageously in control of the lives and assets of the entire society and the poor are so deeply in debt (often from the moment they are born) that many are forced to pay their "debt" as Proxies (or whipping boys) to the wealthy. While the idea of legalized torture as a means to teach lessons to snotty rich kids may seem absurd the vast disparity of wealth distribution and the overwhelming debt situation facing the average young american is not...Maybe I sound a little pessimistic and paranoid and my liberal is showing for sure....But is it really that hard to imagine a time in the not so distant future where we would sell ourselves to companies in exchange for the latest technology or more importantly life saving medications and treatment? Perhaps that's why I love these dystopian books so much. I love the what if's and even more than that I love the stories of the people who fight the system and save the world. I like the darkness but I love the hope (maybe I'm not such a pessimist after all).As much as I gravitate to these stories for the subject matter at the end of the day I don't love a book unless I connect with the characters. The three main characters in Proxy are amazing. I love them. (*****WARNING***** From here on out things are a little spoilery, not much but a little soo...reader beware).Knox was that guy you love to hate until you suddenly realize you actually love him. Exactly one second into this book I was thinking "Ugh, ew! I certainly hope this isn't the main character." (this may have had something to do with the seemingly vapid girl he was in the car with and the annoying text conversation they were having). But he was a main character and his story was arguably the most important.Knox is the poor little rich boy you have zero sympathy for until you start to understand the deep dark emptiness this character carries around in his soul. Still, his internal suffering wouldn't be enough to conquer his horrifying apathy if he didn't have a pretty extraordinary character arch. Which he does. Whew!Sydney (Syd) on the other hand is instantly likeable; strong and sympathetic he has the terrible misfortune of being Knox's Proxy (Knox was basically a demon child and Syd has paid in blood sweat and tears for it...literally). Syd is also chapter 11 (gay) and that brings a really interesting dynamic to the story. I appreciate how the author treated Syd's sexual orientation like it was just part of life, just who Syd is...it wasn't a huge deal and the story did not revolve around it. That's not to say the author doesn't tackle some of the tough stuff... he just did it in a natural and understated way.I felt for Syd, a lot. It was pretty darn impossible not to. His life story was tragic and it pulled at my heart strings in almost every chapter. Syd however. was made of stronger stuff than someone like me. He didn't much see the point in self pity and so you the reader don't either... And it makes you love him all the more.One of the very best parts of this book was watching the brotherhood that forms between Knox and Syd develop. In my last review I confessed that sibling relationships are often the lifeblood of a good book for me and this one was no different. While Knox and Syd are not technically brothers eventually they begin to see each other that way and when they do the truth of it is undeniable. The protectiveness that Knox (and Marie) feel for Syd by the end of this story is right on par with that of any blood sibling.Which brings me to Marie. Marie was fascinating because she was smart and sassy with a good head on her shoulders.... but she was a crusader and the author had interesting points to make about her stance. Marie's character certainly spoke to those of us (coughMEcough) who have a tendency to hop right up on our soapboxes and spout wisdoms about issues we may not truly understand. (I maaaayyyy have done that in this very review) I think I have a lot to learn from Marie....And then there was the ending.....Holy hell. I finished the book and just stared...stared at the last page for a good five minutes. I was all "NOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!" But on the other hand, the tiny sad voice in my heart who loves symmetry and appreciates the beauty of self sacrifice when it is truly necessary thought.... "yes. that was how it needed to be...there was no other way." The love and growth that sacrifice demonstrated was just gorgeously moving...and of course heartbreaking.

A great hook. ‘Proxy’ is fabulously paced with some great action scenes and kept me riveted from start to finish.A minor issue I found around the main characters becoming a little annoying over time. I wanted them to grow. Become a little more mature in the light of the challenges they faced. When certain reactions and tone of their narrative became repetitive it impeded the chance to establish a strong emotional connection, and destroyed some relevance to me as a reader.However, I liked that ‘Proxy’ wasn't focused on a romance storyline and had a gay protagonist. But I wanted a bit more of a personal connection with Syd other than him just trying to save his life. I wanted some fun and anxiety to make him more relatable, heck a fart joke would’ve make a huge difference.Knox was bothersome through most of the novel and I wasn’t quite convinced of his motivations, I feel there could have been a stronger underlying motive added to give more strength and conviction to his character. He felt superfluous- until he wasn’t. I understand he starts out as superficial due to his every whim being catered for, but I wanted a stronger sense of drive for his character – social status, street cred, ambition – something for me to really sink my teeth into.I enjoyed the aspect of teens struggling through a world they didn’t want to be in, wanted to rebel against. I think I was craving that stronger emotional connection to the characters and their mission. More angst. Less triviality. Something to really hammer home the bleakness of the world on an emotional level.I did find myself questioning Marie's presence. It felt a tad fabricated at times. I guess it boils down to ‘Proxy’ being a plot driven story and therefore the character driven part is the weaker aspect of the novel. You can feel the author’s hand guiding the story.The amount of gore, murder, and senseless killing definitely painted a desperate picture of how brutal this world is. The cutthroat struggle for survival, you can definitely see Alex London’s experiences as a journalist reporting from conflict zones supporting this story.Loved the world building and technology, the class structure. I have questions about how the world came to be, how it developed into what it is, and how things will go after the cliff-hanger at the end of ‘Proxy.’ Now keen to read the sequel ‘Guardian’ asap.Themes of class, race, power, and sexuality were a great addition to this narrative, but some of it felt disjointed in a technologically advanced civilization. Like gay discrimination just seemed a little redundant. And with the level of genetic manipulation and technological intervention through bloodwork, there would have been a larger evolution in self-expression/adaptation/specialisation to link into the class structure. How beauty standards of today expressed in the novel wouldn’t necessarily be the same in the world of ‘Proxy’ with all this technology at their fingertips. Like more extremes of genetic manipulation and integrated technology would express wealth and stature, and therefore some of the wealthy could seem almost alien.Alex London’s writing style was effortless, I was able to slip into the imaginary world easily and only got pulled out from some grammatical errors – which his editing team at Philomel Books let him down on. Words out of place or missing. Maybe between 5-10… I feel like London deserves much better.Wonderfully unpredictable. Though I guessed the twist very early on. It was just a very bumpy ride. Thoroughly enjoyed this – one of the better dystopian novels I’ve read in a while in YA. An active protagonist.

Amazing book, quality too

Wirklich ein erschreckendes futuristisches Drama, mit einem Hauch von Romantik, Zuneigung und Verlangen auf dem Weg sich selbst zu finden, das System zu ändern, trotz Hürden und Hindernisse das vermeintlich Gute zu erreichen.

Such a great book! I couldn't put it down. Dystopian sci-fi with a superb, fast-paced plot, characters you care about and a gay protagonist. Except, the book isn't in any way about his sexuality - it's just a sci-fi book, with a main character who happens to be gay. Buy it now!

I could not put this down. I was recommended it to everyone I know by the time I was half way through. Fresh science fiction, a world that is scary in its predictions of where our current technology is takings us - with twist after twist of action, fantastically real charaters. I wish I could pitch this to become a movie.

Sehr spannendes Buch. Gefällt mir sehr!