Effacement by Hieronymus Hawkes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Only a couple of weeks ago Goodreads blacked out for me, and I realised I had my whole to-read-list on here, and nowhere else. Panic struck a little. Obviously that was nothing compared to what Cole, the main character of 'Effacement', went through - but for me it was something that brought the setting of this book a bit closer to reality. Already we are practically nothing without our phones. When I go to the gym, I need a chip to log in and use everything, and my fitbit helps tracking my pulse. We usually pay everything digitally. What if everything was combined in one chip, and one day you wake up with that chip removed? What if that chip is used to kill people?

The setting being so close makes this book very interesting. I had a great time reading it, but also that nagging feeling that comes with great plot lines like the one of 'Effacement'. The only thing that made it a bit slow for me sometimes, especially at the start, is that there were too descriptive parts about how the chips and the interface worked. Especially since we all have experience, not with chips, but with smartphones and such, I think it would have been better to let us as a reader fill in these parts ourselves.

I received a free copy through Netgalley, so that I could write an honest review.

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