In the near future, Ireland enacts the Emergency Powers Act for an unspecified "ongoing crisis facing the state." This has granted the power to the Garda National Services Bureau to detain so-called dissidents and restrict citizen freedoms. Eilish Stack's husband Larry, the deputy general secretary of the Teachers' Union of Ireland, is taken into custody and soon disappears into the system. Frantic and trying to protect her four children, Eilish tries to discover what happened to Larry. What follows is a portrayal of a country in decline as more citizens' rights are taken away in the name of national security. It is a frightening scenario.
I don't know what the author was attempting to do with this writing experiment, but it failed. There are few paragraphs, no breaks for dialogue, no quotation marks, just long paragraphs with thoughts, descriptions, and dialogue mixed together. Although the story is engaging and moves along rapidly, it is depressing to watch Ireland turn into a dictatorship. My opinions are in the minority, but I can't see why this book is so highly rated.
2.5/5 stars.
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