Review of 2084

[Ludovica Peruzzi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "2084" by Kadon Landon Peterson.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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2069, the first book in the 2084 series, is definitely not for everyone. It's got a fair amount of body horror and gore which, while consistent with the dystopian genre and its themes of transhumanism, may come off as shocking or even disturbing if you’re not sufficiently prepared, and the sexual content, though implicit, is integral enough to the plot and to the novel’s main thesis that you will not be able to skip it.

2069 is set in a dystopian future where humanity has been taken over by the World Peace Association (WPA), an organization set to eliminate all difference by subjecting everyone to “treatment” and taking away their reproductive abilities, instead growing new humans in vitro. Society is then torn between people who have been treated (Treats) and people who haven’t (Nats). Our protagonist, Dune, is a Nat who despises the WPA – which his parents helped create – and who is asked to lend his knowledge and expertise to NatOrg, a God-fearing organization fighting the WPA for a return to normal.

Dune emerges from the very first pages as an anti-hero with loose allegiances, not aligned with the ideas of NatOrg but using them as a means to achieve his own goals - goals which lead him to think of himself as the devil, corrupting the people around him in the name of reinstating desire and collective liberation. While the ends might be noble, Dune’s mind is a dark place, the functionings of which are bared to the readers again and again in long expositions detailing the scientific and philosophical bases of his worldview; the reader sometimes shivers to know what he’s thinking and how he justifies it all to himself, and yet the novel seems to have no choice but to frame it, even in its objective evil, as the only thing that can stand against the totalitarian regime trying to control people’s bodies and minds.

Here’s my main qualm with the novel. All good dystopia paints a picture of what our future could be if the seeds of the present were allowed to grow; but I did not feel particularly connected to the world of 2069, nor did I think it warned me off my current reality. Instead, it felt like the author was taking common “anti SJW” talking points such as “Allowing people to transition will be a slippery slope to people wanting to become animals” or “The people preaching tolerance and inclusivity are the real intolerants here” and giving them form in the WPA to justify his outrage. On the editing/proofreading side of things, the text also seems to be adverse to the word “said”, using every synonym known to man instead to take you right out of the flow, and I’ve lost count of how many times the author wrote “must had” instead of “must have”, which got really grating after a while.

I don’t want to be too harsh on this book, though. While I initially didn’t know what to make of it, and am still sorting my thoughts out hoping the next two books will provide a more definite answer as to what the series is advocating for, 2069 was a masterclass of immersive writing: the very first sentence drags you in and introduces you to a world for which little to no explanation is given and which you have to slowly figure out for yourself. It could be terribly confusing, especially when paired with pages upon pages of Dune’s long winded rants – but terribly engaging, as well.

4/5 stars for a good and satisfying read.

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2084
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[Tomy Chandrafrost]

Another dystopian story about future. Reading your review make me intrigued to read the book more. Hope I get the good experience as you explain there. Thanks for writing the review

[Ludovica Peruzzi]

Another dystopian story about future. Reading your review make me intrigued to read the book more. Hope I get the good experience as you explain there. Thanks for writing the review

Thanks for your reply! Despite everything I still think it's a book worth reading. Enjoy!

[Gerry Steen]

It sounds like this book will be quite thought and emotion provoking. You review has me intrigued with this book. I am adding it to my bookshelves. Thank you.

[Ludovica Peruzzi]

It sounds like this book will be quite thought and emotion provoking. You review has me intrigued with this book. I am adding it to my bookshelves. Thank you.

Definitely thought-provoking. It's hard to say where it all will lead, but I'm excited to find out eventually. Thanks for your reply and I hope you enjoy the book, if you ever do read it!

[Dana Lawrence Lohn]

The protagonist is named Dune - that is current and I’m sure intentional. I also like how you gave credit for innovative writing in this review, even as the book was way “out there.” Cool review!