In a crumbling old mansion in the English countryside, eleven people gather, each one famous in their field. They have been invited for a three-day house party, to celebrate the launch of a groundbreaking virtual reality game that promises to unite the worlds of technology, politics and the environment.
DCI Maarten Jansen has been summoned to join the house party. His instructions are to offer police protection in case of an outside attack. Instead, he finds simmering tensions, long-buried secrets – and a murderer in their midst…
My review
This book was straight up addictive. Packed across three tense days, it jumps between height of the crisis and the build-up. The chapters are short and suspenseful, divided into the perspectives of Maarten, Filip, Lois, and Iqbal. There is a sense of watching each scene through a smudged magnifying glass. I felt simultaneously imbued with the heightening tension between the characters and kept at arm’s length from the truth simmering beneath them – right up until the last moment.
The secluded countryside mansion setting adds a layer of claustrophobia to the taut atmosphere. The threads binding the guests together wind tighter with each conversation. Each page vibrates with energy. Rachael Blok’s writing has an urgency that keeps the reader almost stumbling in excitement to read the next sentence.
Into the Fire hits that spot between a totally unputdownable mystery and a fascinating delve into human emotion and relationships. It totally engrossed me and gave me a much-needed shake from my lockdown lethargy.
Thank you to Midas PR and Head of Zeus for having me on the blog tour!
London, 2060: Following a series of deadly pandemics, devastating environmental disasters and a violent surge in cyber terrorism, the UN has made it compulsory for every tax paying citizen to login to the Perspecta Universe: a totally safe, pollution free, environmentally friendly virtual reality world. Eighteen years later, ‘The Upload’ is complete, and billions of people all around the world exist in massive dormitory complexes surrounding the major cities, all totally unconscious of the crumbling world around them. Apart from the renegades, the ‘Offliners’ who live in London’s silent wasteland, making the disused Piccadilly Circus Tube station their home: a fully self-sufficient, subterranean community. When Josh ‘Kid’ Jones, a young Offliner, discovers that an antiquated piece of technology called an ‘iPhone left to him by his father seems able to communicate with the past through social media. He strikes up a friendship with Isabel Parry, a 16-year-old living in 2021, and the two begin communicating through time and space via Instagram. But what Kid and Izzy don’t realise is that by doing so they are not only changing their own fate, but also the fate of the rest of the world…
My review
For a dystopian novel involving time travel and a virtual reality universe, there’s a realism to KID that hits incredibly close to home. The Offliners’ world is a haunting glimpse into what our future could hold should we fail to take action. 2078 London is desolate and deserted, but Josh ‘Kid’ Jones and the other Offliners reject the offer of the ‘Perspecta’ virtual reality universe and refuse to abandon reality.
KID is immersive from its opening pages, filled with vivacious characters, punchy dialogue, and a finely drawn world. Jumping between both Kid and Izzy’s perspectives in 2078 and 2021, the novel is varied and rich with emotion. The pages of DMs between the two main characters add an urgency that makes the book impossible to put down. Cultural references are scattered through the pages, tapping into both the readers’ and characters’ nostalgia. The book has an incredible sense of place, reaching right into London’s heart and drawing out the vibrant details that form its character. Following Kid and his friends through the city’s vestiges is a harrowing reminder of the fragility of our world.
Sebastian de Souza binds the present and future together with poignance, humour, and skill. It’s a book that will carry emotional weight for every age group, but particularly strikes a chord with the issues younger generations are facing today. An original and brilliant debut.
Thank you to much much to Midas PR and Offliner Press for having me on this blog tour!
About the author
Sebastian de Souza is an actor, producer, screenwriter and musician. Sebastian can currently be seen on Channel 4, playing the leading role of Leo in the Hulu Original series The Great, opposite Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, written by Oscar-nominated and BAFTA award-winning writer Tony MacNamara (The Favourite). Previous roles include Gareth in the BBC/Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s best-selling novel Normal People directed by Oscar-nominated Lenny Abrahamson (Room); in Netflix’s Medici, playing the iconic painter Sandro Botticelli; Alfonso d’Aragona in Showtime’s Emmy award-winning The Borgias, opposite Jeremy Irons and Holliday Grainger; and in the multiple BAFTA award- winning Skins, as lead Matty Levan. Sebastian has also played the lead role of Rafa in Paramount Pictures’ Brit-Crime thriller Plastic, opposite Will Poulter and Alfie Allen, and can currently be seen on Netflix playing Edmund in Ophelia opposite Naomi Watts, DaisyRidley and Clive Owen. As a writer, at the age of 20 Sebastian wrote the feature film Kids In Love, which he also starred in opposite Will Poulter and Cara Delevingne. The film was produced by Ealing Studios, the oldest and most prestigious studio in the UK. He wrote and directed the short ‘Evelyne’s World’, starring Evelyne Brochu at Korda Studios in Budapest. His debut YA novel KID: A History of the Future is published by Offliner Press in Spring 2021.
Indie bookseller West End Lane Books is running a special pre-order promotion, where readers can get a SIGNED & DEDICATED copy of Kid if purchased through their website
Following Jared as he learns to navigate the world as a bot with emotions was 10/10, a delightful experience. Imbued with humour and pathos, the book made me both frequently laugh out loud and tear up. The split structure of novel and screenplay adds another layer to Jared’s understanding of the world around him, and made for an original and enjoyable read.
Jared’s joy in the most mundane of experiences is infectious; I found myself becoming aware of those small, ever so human moments in life that usually brush by unnoticed. The book is also a love letter to old movies, which are important companions to Jared’s emotional awakening. I loved the emphasis on the incredible role art – in any form – plays in developing empathy. The way it enables us to fall into thousands of different lives and feelings. Sometimes they’re completely removed from our own experiences, but we’re always left with a new perspective, a new understanding of someone’s journey through life. And this book was a powerful reminder of that.
Set My Heart To Five gifts the reader with a fresh appreciation for the unique adventure of being human. It’s funny, it’s heartbreaking, and the storyline is addictive. A breathtaking book I absolutely recommend.
Thank you so much to Midas PR and 4th Estate Books for having me on the blog tour for Set My Heart To Five!
Mila's Bookshelf 