Official Review: The chip of knowledge by Vaggelis Kaliosis

[mmm17]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The chip of knowledge" by Vaggelis Kaliosis.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Chip of Knowledge, written by Vaggelis Kaliosis, revolves around the story of Citizen A. It takes place during the first quarter of the 21st century and gets narrated by the protagonist’s grandson in the year 2100. The setting is a city of five million people, whose democratically elected government has become corrupt and self-serving.

Right at the beginning, the young protagonist, “a sensitive soul at the age of twenty-five,” falls madly in love with a tall, blond, and beautiful woman he sees in a café. She soon leaves, but Citizen A feels bewitched and decides to call her Elf. A waiter lets the protagonist know that she is the governor’s daughter, and the men accompanying her are bodyguards. To try to improve his chances with Elf, Citizen A, who is a self-taught computer geek, starts to work for the government in an extensive surveillance network that monitors everything. What follows is a vibrant love story that unfolds against a tumultuous political backdrop.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the cast of well-developed characters. I grew particularly fond of Citizen B, a popular investigative journalist who broadcasts witty radio shows. The author did a great job of portraying this secondary character as an idealist who used music and speech as tools to promote awareness. Also, I appreciated how the main character gets torn by a moral dilemma: how far would he be willing to go to conquer his beloved Elf? Besides, the book has interesting sci-fi elements. I enjoyed the idea of the Implantable Knowledge System (I.K.S.), a tiny device also known as the Chip of Knowledge. Above all, I felt that this device got well used by the author as a metaphor.

On the other hand, there were a couple of negatives worth mentioning. Firstly, I felt that the political commentary throughout the book was sometimes overdone and borderline preachy. Additionally, the aspect I disliked the most was the ending. Although it wrapped things up nicely, it lacked believability. I felt that the author pushed the suspension of disbelief a bit too far. But I’m not going to give away any spoilers!

Lastly, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. I am taking a star away due to the negatives previously explained. Still, I thought it was an enthusiastic and thoughtful tale. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy stories that resemble a parable. If you’re not fond of political commentary or moral tales, you might want to skip this one.

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The chip of knowledge
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[Wuoketch]

I like well-developed stories with well introduced characters. This story is so captivating and I would like to try this. Nice review.

[LinaJan]

This is a very thorough and well-rounded review! I was almost put off by the fact that there's a mention of year 2100, but I soon learnt that there are many things about this book that intrigued me! As you point out, the character development is worthy of a mention. That is one of the main aspects I enjoy in any given book.

Onto my shelf this goes. Thank you!

[Elvis Best]

The love story piques my interest. I'd love to find out how things went between Citizen A and Elf. I guess I'd have to read the book then. Thanks for a thorough review.

[Christabel Uzoamaka]

This story already seems intriguing from your review. The passion between Citizen A and Elf is something I would especially like to read about, especially how Citizen A plans to conquer their love in such a tumultuous setting.
Your review really has me wanting to read this one, thank you.

[NetMassimo]

When a novel include political elements, there's often the risk that they're heavy-handed. Despite that and the other flaws you mentioned, the story seems intriguing. Thank you for your great review!

[Usma Khann]

Well, I was not wrong. The story does sound as promising as its title, despite its shortcomings. Appreciate the review.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

This sounds like an intriguing mix of romance and sci-fi. I wonder if Elf will reciprocate Citizen A's feelings, and how the chip of knowledge is weaved into the story. Thanks for the lovely review.

[Marion Jepkosgei]

The story sounds great. I am passing it though. This review is amazing.

[Amy Murdoch Coleman]

Excellent review! Though I love sci-fi and fantastical elements in stories, I doubt I'll pick this one up.

[Gabrielle Sigaki]

This book contains a bit of science fiction that interests me. I'm curious to see what Citizen A is going to do to get closer to Elf. The development of the premise also seems great! I'm going to sample it. Thanks for the great review!

[catss]

I like it when the characters are well-made. I also like novels about when the government is either crashed, split apart, or gone. Thanks to your review, I have a better sense of whether or not I want to read this book. I know that I would like the characters, the storyline, the setting, and know what to expect relating to the cons of this book. That was a good review and thanks.

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

This is an interesting dystopian political fiction novel on classism, corruption, the real value of knowledge, and philosophy. The book is free on Kindle Unlimited and has a well-written OnlineBookClub review. Congrats @VKaliosis and @BooksOntime on the BOTD selection.

[Sally_Heart]

Political stories can be very tedious reads. It's worth noting on what we should expect. Otherwise, this is a well-rounded review. Great work.

[Ade-bello]

A political love story. Sounds interesting