Self/less

By: AVIVA

ISBN: 978-1-76098-489-2

Pan Macmillan (2021)

“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 which protects its’ inhabitants from the deadlands outside, Metropolis is ruled by a repressive regime which 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.

It’s impossible to read this novel without hearing the echoes of many other novels, 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. How much that matters will depend on the reader; a well told story can be successful re-using ideas, themes, and tropes seen before.

Older readers, particularly those who’ve read many novels set in repressive regimes, will probably find that this sounds just a bit too familiar and a bit too shallow to stick in the mind as an outstanding novel. It is readable and enjoyable, however.

Still, 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.

The other weakness of the novel – perhaps betraying the fact that it’s a debut – is that details jar. It’s as though AVIVA hasn’t quite got her world building in focus, with the result that there are glitches for the reader. Some are minor (the author seems to have forgotten a bedroom is on the second floor and that falling out the window would hurt. A lot.) and have little impact. Others are more significant – for example, at Teddy’s job assignment “over a hundred people” sit down. This relatively small number is at odds with many other details describing the event, such as Teddy being in row 57, the number of people her age she doesn’t even know by sight, and the described size of the auditorium. These raise unanswered questions about the city and the society, and those nagged at me throughout my reading.

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.

Overall, this was a readable adventure well aimed at young adults. Older readers won’t find it overly memorable, but will enjoy the reading experience. It’s a strong debut that many will enjoy.

An edited version of this review appeared on www.beautyandlace.netas part of their bookclub.