I am delighted to share my review today for No Child of Mine by Olga Gibbs. This was a fabulous dystopian thriller that had a strong Orwellian feel and I really enjoyed it.

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloo’s Book Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of the book.

“No Child of Mine” is a story of a father’s journey to save his child from a totalitarian regime, who is in order to bury the truth prepared to exterminate an entire generation.

57th Year of the true leadership of The Ordained Liberating Party; or Year 2273 by the old calendar.

“The Collapse” took millions of lives and most of the country’s farming lands, bringing the surviving population of the island to the brink of starvation.

Out of the aftermath of the chaos and anarchy, a new state had emerged, known as The Federation Britannia, run by the single and unopposed Ordained Liberating Party.

The division of the country’s orphanages for children of “the true citizens” and children of “the enemies of the state” began the clearance of the questionable element, and bloody years of the Age of Cleansing had finished the purge, leaving behind a perfectly obedient electorate that marched every year in the Liberation Day parades, praising the Party’s leadership and following the Party’s every directive.

The rule of the Party is absolute. Its tool of compliance, the State Security Unit, is feared.

Tom isn’t a frightened follower, he is a true believer. He loves the Party with all his heart. He trusts in the Party’s wisdom. The Party had raised him, rewarding his devotion and love with a lucrative engineering job, and after the approval for the Procreation licence, it also granted him a family.

But the unexpected midnight visit by the State Security to his flat, questions asked and blood samples collected, unsettles Tom more than he likes to admit, and the following day, whilst investigating the “black uniforms” interest, Tom witnesses the State Security troops, led by the familiar officer, marshalling the children from his daughter’s nursery, packing them into trucks and taking them into the unknown.

At that moment Tom is forced to make a decision: either to follow the Party directive and to surrender his child into its plenary care or to protect what he loves and run.

But there’s nowhere to run. There’s no escape from the island or from the complete control of the Ordained Liberating Party.

PURCHASE LINKS – Amazon UK or US

MY REVIEW

I do enjoy a dystopian thriller that has an opening that sets the tone of the story to follow. No Child of Mine sets that tone so well in the opening pages.

In a state-run system, everything and everyone is controlled for the betterment of the population and for the good of the country. It has been 57 years since the birth of The Federation of Britannia, there had been years of crime and chaos and now there is peace and law-abiding citizens. People work and are given incentives to better themselves.

As I read this book I was immediately reminded of Orwell’s 1984, the state-run country, the timings, the Big Brother-style ruling and the obedience of the citizens. It gives the reader a dark, atmospheric and intriguing read.

But within this story, there is something more sinister going on. Not immediately obvious but I knew something wasn’t right. I mean why round up children? They are the future in this story. What followed was something that I didn’t expect, but that I found completely compelling.

I really liked this story, it gave a mundane dreariness to the people that are subservient with the monotony of their lives. Tom is the main character and he believes wholly in the state system, he had been brought up on it and trusts it completely. SO, why would he suddenly doubt what he has known and trusted?

The author has woven a wonderful tale, one full of mystery, suspense and intrigue. Having a single ruling party for this story and for the actions that follow was brilliant. I admit it is not a society I would ever want to live in, but reading a story about it makes a really interesting read.

This is one for those readers who like dystopian novels, especially those with the Orwellian influence. I think this one has been done very well indeed and I found it to be really addictive and I adored it. I would definitely recommend it. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Olga Gibbs is a mental health expert who has experience of working with disturbance in adolescents and young people. Using her Masters in Creative Writing, she explores taboo topics such as borderline personality and social effective disorder, effects of abuse and insecure attachment in young people and the inner world which is so rarely spoken about. She was born and raised in USSR and now lives in UK. Olga Gibbs is also a creative writing coach and mentor. Please visit author website for more information on upcoming books.

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