Siobhan Adcock

Siobhan Adcock has written a compelling novel set in a near-future in which infertility has caused a dramatic decrease in the birth rate, environmental disasters have caused catastrophic collapse, and water is no longer naturally available but must be engineered. She builds this world piece by piece, never descending to that annoying habit some authors have of just explaining everything up front. We learn how this new world works through various details that combine to paint a devastating show more portrait.

At heart, this story is about family and the love and conflict that binds parents and children and brothers and sisters. Carter is a Marine, recently back from two years at war in what used to be California. His oldest sister is pregnant – a minor miracle – and his younger sister is missing. In his search for her, he learns just how far society goes to protect the few children who are born and what the cost of that protection is. Carter is a mess – he’s been badly wounded in war, has developed a severe drinking problem, and can’t seem to make a good or responsible choice most of the time. But he loves his sisters fiercely, and it is this love that redeems him as a character. Adcock writes him very realistically – flaws and all – and he is hard to like or root for. But in his insistence on learning what happened to his missing sister and on protecting his other sister as much as he can, we see that at his core, he is a good man.

The Completionist started off a bit slow for me, but I am glad I persevered. It’s an intriguing premise, and while nothing is resolved neatly, the ending was satisfying in a way a lot of novels aren’t – it was in keeping with the story and the characters and the world that Adcock created.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley. It is scheduled for publication in the US in June. show less

Good dystopian novels leave you wanting more in spite of the chills that occur from a relatively realistic future that one can easily envision. They make you think of the ways you can avoid such a fate and inspire you to promote change within your sphere of influence. Mediocre dystopian novels are ones that leave a bit too much to the imagination, never completely bridging the gap between the current present and the fictional future. They are uninspiring because you cannot envision such a show more future happening. Both are enjoyable at the time of reading. However, good dystopian novels are the ones that never completely leave your consciousness. Mediocre dystopian novels become nothing more than a blip on your personal radar of life.

It is important to distinguish between the two because while I may have enjoyed reading The Completionist and may have been more favorable towards it immediately upon finishing it, it is not the type of novel that will influence me in any regard.

The Completionist lies firmly in the mediocre dystopian novel category for me for a myriad of reasons, but the largest reason is the fact that I never completely believed the near-future presented in the story. Perhaps it is my own penchant for wanting to believe the good in people and in situations, but I found it difficult to believe that within fifty years the world will essentially be a wasteland brought about by nothing but environmental factors. I think one of the reasons I struggled with this is because we wait so long before we get some semblance of understanding about what happened to desiccate the world. Once we do get the backstory, it feels incomplete and too simple to explain the drastic changes. This is a world in which the Great Lakes are mostly evaporated, and there is not a drop of drinkable water on the planet. Yet people use wearable technology and self-driving cars and drink manufactured water which is not real water somehow but highly valuable. I just don’t buy it.

One other reason I consider The Completionist a mediocre novel is the supporting cast of characters. Carter, as the main character, is well-developed. We get a full understanding of the depths of his trauma and his driving need to prove himself worthy to his oldest sister by finding his other one. We discern the reasons for his antipathy towards his father well before he verbalizes them. Carter has a depth to him that the rest of his family is missing, and the story suffers. Ms. Adcock tries to alleviate this disparity in treatment by providing some much-needed backstory in the form of electronic communications between the siblings. However, these letters are too slow to reveal anything of significance about the sisters or father, and you never reach a point of comprehending their family dynamic in its entirety until it is too late. As Carter is one of the highlights of the novel with his mental, physical, and emotional trauma, it is a shame that the other characters are not at the same level as him to truly support his story.

Mediocre stories are still ones that are easy to enjoy reading, and I did enjoy reading The Completionist. It is a rather bizarre futuristic world, but that makes it no less intriguing for a few moments. Carter and his struggles are the strongest elements of the story, and you keep reading to make sure that he is going to be okay. While he alone is not enough to save the novel, he provides just enough interest to keep you going through to the end without feeling any regret about wasting your time reading it. show less

It has that non genre thing where the ghost is just a little too symbolic for my tastes, but it was properly terrifying and I really enjoyed having a novel about two women, neither of whom were very nice.

Bridget is a stay-at-home mom. She worked for years as an attorney but now spends her time devoted to her daughter Julia. Bridget loves being at home with her daughter but her thoughts have recently turned to the macabre and she thinks about the unimaginable, death. Is it possible that her thoughts have manifested a ghost in their home? What makes the situation even more bizarre is that her husband, Mark, doesn't seem able to see the ghost. Their home is newly constructed, so how is it show more possible a ghost could appear in their home? What does this ghost want and even more importantly, can Bridget give this ghost what it wants?

When we are introduced to Bridget, she comes across as a tired, yet loving mother. She is rocking her daughter to sleep and thinking about death when she first notices a strange smell. She then hears several thumps before finally seeing what appears to be a ghost. At first she is sure that she has imaged this vision until the ghost begins to move further into the room. As the days and nights go by, only Bridget and her infant daughter Julia are able to see the ghost. What scares Bridget the most is that the ghost always seems to appear around the baby. Just as the anxiety begins to build with Bridget and the presence in her home, the author switches perspective and voice by introducing the reader to Rebecca. Rebecca is a young woman, being raised in the city around the turn of the century. She is newly engaged to a young farmer and is thinking about becoming a new bride and life on the farm. Unfortunately Rebecca isn't quite sure she's cut out to be a farmer's wife and she winds up breaking her newly wedded husband's heart on their wedding night. After she gives birth to her son, Rebecca's perspective on life, family, and home seem to change but it seems to be too little too late to save her marriage.

The Barter is an interesting blend of contemporary and historical fiction with a paranormal theme. It is told in alternating voices of Bridget and Rebecca. We're never quite sure if there is a connection between these two ladies other than the fact they are both young first-time mothers without a clue. Who is the ghost and what exactly does it want? What happened to Rebecca and her family in the past? What will happen to Bridget and her family in the present? All of these are questions that arose in my mind as I was reading this story. I'd love to say that I enjoyed reading The Barter, but there was just something about it that didn't quite do it for me. I was often frustrated with Rebecca's naïveté, as well as Bridget's "woe is me" mentality. Are the characters well developed? Yes. Is the story well crafted? Yes. I don't know if it was the paranormal aspect of the story or not, but I simply found it hard to connect. It is quite possible that since I don't read a lot of paranormal-horror I was just unable to appreciate the finer points of this genre. Now having said all of that the question that remains is can I recommend The Barter? My answer is yes. If you enjoy paranormal or ghost stories with a slight horror twist or if you're looking for something a little outside of your comfort zone, then I urge you to add The Barter to your reading list. show less