Official Review: Friction by K. L. Beckmeyer
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CataclysmicKnight
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Official Review: Friction by K. L. Beckmeyer
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Friction" by K. L. Beckmeyer.]
2 out of 4 stars
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Sci-fi and fantasy have always been my favorite genres. They're also often my least favorite books due to bloated world building, complicated names and far too much detail given to unimportant things. While Friction: A Novelette by K. L. Beckmeyer does a good job avoiding the latter two issues, the setting was rather confusing most of the time.
Friction: A Novelette is just under 50 pages but still attempts to build quite a "post-apocalyptic" world. The quotes are used because this isn't a decimated world, one with barely any survivors or one with zombies or other terrifying creatures. Instead, the heroes are hidden in a school often referred to as "the house", hiding from the "evil one" who has some unknown sinister plot. What's made clear, though, is that once one becomes 15 they're forced into a spinal procedure that releases serotonin, making the person constantly, uncharacteristically happy. There are other forces at play as well, but it's evident that the children at the house must somehow find a way to fight back against the evil one and Façade.
The confusion with the plot kicks off from the first paragraph and doesn't end even when the book ends, although some questions do get answered along the way. There are some really interesting things going on - some of the kids have learned to "carve" into others minds, and can even replace memories at will - but it's never really made known how or why the world ended up the way it did or even what the rules of the world are. Events often happen very rapidly, although it's easy to get sucked into a few tense moments, and I still felt a connection with at least a couple of the main characters. Beckmeyer's ability to make characters feel unique so quickly is masterful, I just wish it also translated over into the plot itself.
There are also some fantastic themes at play here. There's nagging temptation to fall in line with Façade and get the spinal procedure, as it'd be so much easier and more enjoyable to simply be happy all the time instead of hide and fight. On the other side of the spectrum is the point that without the pain and difficulty we as humans face, blind joy wouldn't have the weight and greatness to it that it does. Once more, the fact that these points can be made and pulled off so well in less than 50 pages while trying to decipher the main plot is quite spectacular.
In the end, however, I was seeking answers for a lot of this book. Perhaps with an introductory chapter that fleshed out the past the scene would be set, events would have more weight to them and things would flow more smoothly. Even though this was my only real problem with the book (I only saw one grammatical error the whole time), in its current state I have to give it 2 out of 4 stars. With some changes, this could easily be worthy of 3 stars, perhaps even 4. Even now, I can still suggest it to kids (there's no sex or foul language and the main characters are almost all under 15) or adults who need a quick sci-fi fix. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from K. L. Beckmeyer though, there's some great potential here!
******
Friction
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2 out of 4 stars
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Sci-fi and fantasy have always been my favorite genres. They're also often my least favorite books due to bloated world building, complicated names and far too much detail given to unimportant things. While Friction: A Novelette by K. L. Beckmeyer does a good job avoiding the latter two issues, the setting was rather confusing most of the time.
Friction: A Novelette is just under 50 pages but still attempts to build quite a "post-apocalyptic" world. The quotes are used because this isn't a decimated world, one with barely any survivors or one with zombies or other terrifying creatures. Instead, the heroes are hidden in a school often referred to as "the house", hiding from the "evil one" who has some unknown sinister plot. What's made clear, though, is that once one becomes 15 they're forced into a spinal procedure that releases serotonin, making the person constantly, uncharacteristically happy. There are other forces at play as well, but it's evident that the children at the house must somehow find a way to fight back against the evil one and Façade.
The confusion with the plot kicks off from the first paragraph and doesn't end even when the book ends, although some questions do get answered along the way. There are some really interesting things going on - some of the kids have learned to "carve" into others minds, and can even replace memories at will - but it's never really made known how or why the world ended up the way it did or even what the rules of the world are. Events often happen very rapidly, although it's easy to get sucked into a few tense moments, and I still felt a connection with at least a couple of the main characters. Beckmeyer's ability to make characters feel unique so quickly is masterful, I just wish it also translated over into the plot itself.
There are also some fantastic themes at play here. There's nagging temptation to fall in line with Façade and get the spinal procedure, as it'd be so much easier and more enjoyable to simply be happy all the time instead of hide and fight. On the other side of the spectrum is the point that without the pain and difficulty we as humans face, blind joy wouldn't have the weight and greatness to it that it does. Once more, the fact that these points can be made and pulled off so well in less than 50 pages while trying to decipher the main plot is quite spectacular.
In the end, however, I was seeking answers for a lot of this book. Perhaps with an introductory chapter that fleshed out the past the scene would be set, events would have more weight to them and things would flow more smoothly. Even though this was my only real problem with the book (I only saw one grammatical error the whole time), in its current state I have to give it 2 out of 4 stars. With some changes, this could easily be worthy of 3 stars, perhaps even 4. Even now, I can still suggest it to kids (there's no sex or foul language and the main characters are almost all under 15) or adults who need a quick sci-fi fix. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from K. L. Beckmeyer though, there's some great potential here!
******
Friction
View: on Bookshelves
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Lisalovecraft
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Sounds like this book has some potential...but needs a little work! Nice review!
Latest Review: "A Devil of a Time" by Gretchen Jeannette
