Literature Review

So, as I've mentioned before, I greatly enjoy the genres of utopia and dystopia, as well as post-apocalyptia (e.g. The Road, Anthem, 1984, etc). I came across The Age of the Conglomerates by Thomas Nevins at B&N the other day and decided to give it a try.

The prologue was eerie, as it almost perfectly describes the current financial crisis going on.

The story itself is about two generations of a family currently living in America, which is under the rule of a political party known as the Conglomerates. Paper money has become underground and back market, people can discard their trouble children and trade up for designer ones, and the elderly, or Coots, are all shipped out to the desert to die. This story follows George and Patsy Salter, two Coots being sent out to the west, Christine Salter (George and Patsy's granddaughter), a Conglomerate doctor in charge of genetic manipulation and designer babies, and Xamina "X" Salter (Christine's little sister) who has been discarded by her mother.

While the story itself was a little slow to start, after thirty pages or so, I was hooked. Political intrigue, dystopian society (1984 is heavily present here), and medical drama, I was excited to read what was happening to these people.

But then the story ended. Half way, I would say, through the climax. I turned the last page of the book and thought, what the hell? That was it? There literally was no denouement.

So, I guess I would say read this book if you're into this genre, but don't expect to be satisfied. It was a great book, but there was no ending. (very Hitchcockian, now that I think about it).