Review of Fog
Posted: 01 Sep 2022, 13:24
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fog" by Audeep Cariens.]
Fog, by Audeep Cariens, is set many years into the future. The world is divided by a border of toxic fog. On one side, people of colour struggle for survival in a hostile environment in which there are no luxuries and few material comforts. They all speak the same language and share the same culture, but a legend that has been passed down the generations speaks of a long-forgotten past, one where there were different peoples with different languages and customs. The legend also says that on the other side of the border there are people ‘white as light’ (page 19) with the ability to banish the fog and put the world back together again.
Abloh is a young man of colour who has stopped believing the legend. He has seen too much death and has too many responsibilities to indulge such fantasies. On a routine ore-hunting mission inside the fog, he gets separated from his group. Lost in the impenetrable gloom, he meets Kaia, a wealthy young woman from the white side of the border who is similarly lost. Together, they must find a way to safety. They must also find a way to accommodate their differences and reconcile their divided histories. Where should they head to find safety? Is either side of the border safe enough for both?
This is a gripping story that holds the reader’s attention from the very start. I liked how the author alternates the first-person narrative between Abloh and Kaia, each taking a chapter in turn to advance the story. The tale itself is sophisticated and operates on different levels. It has elements of a rite of passage story in which two young people are uprooted from their normal environment, tested in unfamiliar and dangerous circumstances, and experience the first stirrings of romantic attraction.
On a different level, the story prompts the reader to reflect on the issues of division and strife that bedevil the modern world, particularly those issues that have racism, sectarianism, and the mistreatment of minorities at their core. There is also a final twist in the story that leads the reader to consider other issues, but I’d have to break the ‘no spoilers’ rule to discuss that here!
If I have one criticism to make, it is that the author doesn’t seem to have used the services of a professional editor or proofreader. As a result, there are quite a few grammatical mistakes and typos scattered across the text. These didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story, but a book is always better without them.
This is a very good book that I am happy to recommend to other readers. I am giving it three out of four stars, deducting one star on account of the number of errors I came across while reading it. The book is suitable for teenagers and adults who like dystopian tales of the future that also make the reader think about contested issues in contemporary society.
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Fog
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Fog, by Audeep Cariens, is set many years into the future. The world is divided by a border of toxic fog. On one side, people of colour struggle for survival in a hostile environment in which there are no luxuries and few material comforts. They all speak the same language and share the same culture, but a legend that has been passed down the generations speaks of a long-forgotten past, one where there were different peoples with different languages and customs. The legend also says that on the other side of the border there are people ‘white as light’ (page 19) with the ability to banish the fog and put the world back together again.
Abloh is a young man of colour who has stopped believing the legend. He has seen too much death and has too many responsibilities to indulge such fantasies. On a routine ore-hunting mission inside the fog, he gets separated from his group. Lost in the impenetrable gloom, he meets Kaia, a wealthy young woman from the white side of the border who is similarly lost. Together, they must find a way to safety. They must also find a way to accommodate their differences and reconcile their divided histories. Where should they head to find safety? Is either side of the border safe enough for both?
This is a gripping story that holds the reader’s attention from the very start. I liked how the author alternates the first-person narrative between Abloh and Kaia, each taking a chapter in turn to advance the story. The tale itself is sophisticated and operates on different levels. It has elements of a rite of passage story in which two young people are uprooted from their normal environment, tested in unfamiliar and dangerous circumstances, and experience the first stirrings of romantic attraction.
On a different level, the story prompts the reader to reflect on the issues of division and strife that bedevil the modern world, particularly those issues that have racism, sectarianism, and the mistreatment of minorities at their core. There is also a final twist in the story that leads the reader to consider other issues, but I’d have to break the ‘no spoilers’ rule to discuss that here!
If I have one criticism to make, it is that the author doesn’t seem to have used the services of a professional editor or proofreader. As a result, there are quite a few grammatical mistakes and typos scattered across the text. These didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story, but a book is always better without them.
This is a very good book that I am happy to recommend to other readers. I am giving it three out of four stars, deducting one star on account of the number of errors I came across while reading it. The book is suitable for teenagers and adults who like dystopian tales of the future that also make the reader think about contested issues in contemporary society.
******
Fog
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
