Literature™

In Literature(R), the written word has been taken over by the corporate world and reduced to a method of transportation. Billy's job as a journalist takes him on a tour of Gripping Tails, the company about to release a new transit line. He catches management's eye, and he's offered a very lucrative job. I use the term “offered” loosely. After he leaves to consider this job offer, Billy is followed by some pretty hefty muscle, either trying really hard to convince him to take the job or to kill him, take your pick.

You see, Billy is “Lit” - he's a reader. And reading is illegal in his world. Are the powers that be at Gripping Tails on to him? Do they know about his habit?

It took me a little bit to get into Literature, but once I did, it was a fascinating read. Guillermo Stitch has created a dystopian/sci-fi world where reading is wrong, creativity is stifled, and books - lovely, glorious books - are reduced to use as a mundane function of everyday life. I liked Billy. I could relate to Billy. He's just a guy, trying to get along, doing what he has to in order to survive (and sometimes that's right, and sometimes that's wrong). It all came together for me near the end of the book, and that was the point at which I loved Literature.

Minus one star for the appalling text speak used for communication between Billy and his girlfriend. Of course, if you live in a world where reading is discouraged, I guess it makes sense that many people wouldn't know how to spell.

This was a quick read, and one I'm glad I picked up.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book through BookSirens. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.