Matt McAvoy Book Review

I’m in two minds about this book.  First, its author Amy Ayres is a wonderful talent; her writing is so endearing it feels almost friendly and even familiar.  She absolutely draws you into a genuine concern for and engagement with the characters.  On the less positive side, however, is the fact that, so commonly these days for a book in the sci-fi genre, nothing is resolved and it leaves a completely open end – and this reader very irate as a result.  Those who read my reviews will know this is probably one of my pet hates, being someone who is not going to invest in a series or universe, as a younger generation of fantasy and sci-fi fans are more likely to do nowadays.  I admit that it has influenced notably my rating of the book.

The storyline of this instalment (being the first in a series, it would appear) is a touch tricky to follow, but ultimately quite gripping; despite its scattered narrative I found it very easy to stick with, reading the whole thing in just a couple of short sittings.  The premise is a clever one, too, and I would suggest something of a future urban legend.  But Amy brings these tropes together very well, if perhaps the non-linear, multi-strand timeline is a touch difficult to follow at times; this book undoubtedly requires full attention.  In it, we learn that our young heroine’s mother was in some way involved in one of the two past (in our future) apocalypses (and, yes, Amy does address the fact that, by its nature, there can only be one apocalypse; she is a very intelligent author, after all).  Unfortunately, however, our protagonist Luccee, despite being old enough at the time, knows nothing about it, as the population’s memory is periodically wiped by the earpieces they are compelled to wear.  Combined with the fact that books are effectively banned, as are people being allowed to keep written records of any sort, this means that very few people know what actually happened and who was to blame/benefit from it.  I suspect we will discover it is our very rulers themselves that were to blame, but you’ll have to wait a little longer to find out, for there is no resolution at all in Star Lost.

There are some interesting characters, and the unfolding plot does promise to be a fascinating one.  There are some contemporary cautionary elements, such as the rise of the potential of A.I., and the gradual eradication of the written word which challenges the official narrative.  More notably, though, is that Amy’s writing is so enjoyable.  I’ll be honest, I felt that past tense was misused a little throughout, and sometimes I was a touch thrown from my focus by it.  Other than this, though, the author is good.  The book itself has enormous promise, but don’t expect it to be realized until later in the series.