Zero stars, do not recommend / MJ Wassmer
What it is: Lord of the Flies in the dark
Did I like it: thumbs up
By sheer coincidence this is the second book in a row I read that has an emoji on the cover.
By extra coincidence this book also gave me strong vibes of familiarity, of basically being a retelling.
Dan and his girlfriend Mara were enjoying their second day of a holiday in the Bahamas when the sun exploded. Or melted. Nobody knows exactly how it happened but one thing is for sure: the light’s gone out.
The newly opened resort and the island it is on are owned by a billionaire youngster who doesn’t know what to do or how to handle the crowd. So, Lilyanna Collins steps forward. She’s a fitness guru and influencer and a guest staying in Building C.
The resort contains three different buildings, originally named A, B, and C. Building A offers basic facilities with just staircases, rooms with small tv’s and no balconies. B offers elevators, bigger tv’s and balconies. C is all about luxury and if you’re not staying at C you won’t know what it contains because you’re not welcome there.
In record-breaking time Lilyanna turns into a James Bond baddie, running the resort-in-crisis with an iron fist and only caring about getting herself and her husband off the island and back home by whatever means and at whatever cost.
This could have made Dan the James Bond of the resort, if only he hadn’t already been preoccupied by a bit of an existential crisis. He’s been feeling stuck in a job that prevents him from becoming something “more”, and fears he never grew into a “real” man and that he doesn’t deserve someone like Mara in his life. Mara, in the meantime, isn’t aware of any of his feelings and simply loves him for who he is, imperfections and all.
Their room neighbours Alan and Charles suggest they team up, find a way to get home themselves, and have each other’s backs all the way. Dan is hesitant but Alan assures him this conversation is happening all over rooms at the resort and they can’t waste any time. Because the two couples are getting along and Alan seems to be a “real” man with a plan, Dan agrees.
Except the plan keeps changing because the circumstances keep changing and self-doubting Dan learns to make some tough decisions along the way.
The story is a retelling of Lord of the Flies with adults and in the dark, and with hints of Animal Farm thrown in. (It is also very much something else that I won’t mention here as it would spoil everything.)
Seeing as the world is a pretty dark place at the moment and humanity is not exactly treating the planet with the best intentions, it’s kind of scary how this book seems not too futuristically dystopian. Putting that aside, it’s an easy read that contains plenty of snarky-ness to keep it entertaining. Although Dan started out on a four-out-of-five on my annoyance radar, he redeemed himself by showing growth and letting go of his dick-y behaviour. I guess some people need a near-apocalypse to become a decent human being. I started out by liking Mara more than Dan, but eventually I rooted for them as a couple.
All in all it was an entertaining read and if you’re in for some light-hearted dystopian adventure reading, look no further than this book!
Bookworm in the City 