T S Welti

I do not recall another novel, for which the cover meant so much to me; more so because I was originally put off by it. But I started to think about the smiling face differently after reading a third of the book.

How interesting to consider how flat a smile can become in a society where "suffering is optional." The protagonist, Sera Fisk, is told that she is tainted through heredity and relationship to her father and great-grandmother, who were each infamous because of their connection to show more life before "suffering is optional." Sera's eventual interaction with the arch-antagonist, Jane Locke, is both unlikely and perfect for this story. show less

I received a copy of this book as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer. The story of a dystopian future where 'suffering is optional' and where war and drought have left the population dependent on daily 'rations' was interesting. The concept of 'Darklandia' itself was also interesting. The book is well-written and I liked the characters. BUT, there are some logical inconsistencies in the story which would be easy to overlook if it weren't for the ending - WTF??? Really, that's where the author show more chose to go? I will not provide any spoilers so suffice to say the ending is ridiculous and as a reader who was quite enjoying the story until the last two pages I felt very cheated - I don't think I would bother with this author again. show less

This is an amazing novel, a utopian-dystopian world and a teenager slowly becoming aware that the world around here is not as she's been led to believe. I found it reminiscent of young adult sci fi I loved as a kid, such as Devil on My Back by Monica Hughes, or more recent takes on the genre such as Maria V. Snyder's Inside Out. Perhaps Brave New World would be a closer match to the Felicity-medicated world in Darklandia, but regardless, Darklandia walks the careful line of feeling familiar show more without feeling unoriginal.

What blew me away the most is that even though I was noticing clues that should have led me to the shocking ending, I didn't make the connection until the very end. Masterfully done, and while I could see how others might feel unsatisfied, I thought it was brilliant.

It's quite the page turner: I caught myself finishing it hours past my bedtime. I highly recommend this one, especially to fans of this type of speculative/science fiction, just make sure not to start it too late in the evening!

I was fortunate enough to win this in a LibraryThing member giveaway, but regardless of how I obtained the book, I can honestly say that this is among the top books I've read this year... and it's nearly November! The rest of my reading list will have a lot to live up to. show less

This was a really quick read (more like a novella or short story than a novel) and I loved it! The story can be compared to Orwell's 1984 and also shares similarities with movies such as Matrix, Open Your Eyes and Equilibrium. It has a nice twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all (love it when that happens!). Actually, I wouldn't mind reading this again to clear up a couple of things I might understand better now that I realise what was happening.
I really liked the characters. show more Considering the shortness of this book the characters were developed really well and I had no trouble getting to know them as the story progressed.
I also loved the darkness of this story, as I do with any story that gives a bit of insight into how our society might work in future if certain protocols were implemented to control and subdue the populace. The future world explored in Darklandia got me thinking and it was scary to see just how possible this scenario is.
Hope to see more work from this talented author. show less