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Fake
A thrillingly paced, timely novel about identity and our digital lives from the award-winning author of Refugee 87
Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess's world.
But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the 'real' world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is 'perfect' after all.
Back home, her sister Chloe's life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down.
It's up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe's survival depends on it.
Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess's world.
But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the 'real' world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is 'perfect' after all.
Back home, her sister Chloe's life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down.
It's up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe's survival depends on it.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 6, 2023
26 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Ele Fountain
11 books38 followersEle Fountain worked as an editor in children’s publishing where she was responsible for launching and nurturing the careers of many prize-winning and bestselling authors.
She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she was inspired to write Boy 87, her debut novel. Ele lives in what she describes as a “not quite falling down house” in Hampshire with her husband, two young daughters and lots of spiders.
She lived in Addis Ababa for several years, where she was inspired to write Boy 87, her debut novel. Ele lives in what she describes as a “not quite falling down house” in Hampshire with her husband, two young daughters and lots of spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 23, 2025
Fantastic dystopian novel for young adults, possibly even 10-11. (Any thoughts anyone? Need to decide which age group to target on my reading lists.)
Very well read on audible, a fast listen and a great story.
Very well read on audible, a fast listen and a great story.
June 9, 2022
It was a good written story, you felt connected with the main character Jess. The idea of how the future might look like was also plausible set out.
I do think the writer could have gained more of it, could have go into depth more with the already set out angles….
It also felt like the story was quite short. It suddenly ended. While the plot could have thickened; like once the problem was solved I kind of expected this to be false and more was going on within her family. Which was not the case …. unfortunately.
So overall the story had good potential to be a fantastic and thrilling story but kept a bit ‘on the surface’ to me.
I do think the writer could have gained more of it, could have go into depth more with the already set out angles….
It also felt like the story was quite short. It suddenly ended. While the plot could have thickened; like once the problem was solved I kind of expected this to be false and more was going on within her family. Which was not the case …. unfortunately.
So overall the story had good potential to be a fantastic and thrilling story but kept a bit ‘on the surface’ to me.
October 3, 2024
Semu—Fake (Indonesia): Sebuah ulasan dan kesan berdasarkan pandangan pribadi (5/5)
Novel ini cukup mengingatkan saya tentang kejadian empat tahun silam, saat wabah COVID-19 sedang marak-maraknya menjadi suatu topik hangat. Bedanya, di novel Semu, pembaca akan dihadapkan oleh wabah bernama Demam Scarlet. Wabah yang mematikan apabila memiliki luka atau flu perut.
“... uang membuat dunia berputar. Bukan kebenaran. Orang-orang yang menghasilkan semua uang itu pintar” (halaman 112)
“Kita tidak bisa mengutarakan kebenaran kepada pemegang kekuasaan“ (halaman 242)
Di novel karya Ele Fountain ini, pembaca tidak hanya diajak berpetualang tentang tegangnya kehidupan Jessica sebagai peretas. Namun juga diajak berpikir bahwa dunia yang mereka jajaki saat ini sudah penuh dengan campur tangan yang tidak sehat. Semakin engkau naik ke piramida paling atas, maka semakin tumpul pula puncaknya. Well, beberapa hal di novel ini membuat saya sedikit de javu dengan beberapa konflik serta isu yang pernah melanda empat tahun lalu. Dimana beberapa anggota kelas atas justru malah mengambil kesempatan emas di sebuah bencana yang hampir menghabisi populasi dengan sedemikian ganas. Seolah kesehatan bukan menjadi sebuah prioritas utama lagi. Materi di atas segala-galanya
Setelah membabat tuntas novel ini, saya tersadar bahwa ternyata teknologi digital bisa sangat mengerikan. Dan secara tak sadar sudah banyak orang yang ”dibodohi“ oleh ini. Rasa-rasanya semua hal yang berbau digital sudah tidak bisa dianggap lagi sebagai pendamping keberlagsungan, tetapi malah menjadi sebuah kebutuhan.
Rasa-rasa novel ini akan sangat cocok untuk memenuhi pasar film. Dalam kata lain, plot juga ide dari penulis cukup menjual. Meskipun besar harapan saya bahwa jika memang benar bisa diadaptasi ke layar lebar, dana yang dituangkan akan cukup lumayan karena novel ini menanggung beban imajinasi yang cukup besar.
Dan, ya, kembali saya bilang bahwa novel ini cukup seru. Tapi saya masih belum cukup puas di beberapa babak terakhir. Apa yang terjadi setelahnya kepada Violet? Seberapa besar masalah yang harus ia pertanggungjawabkan? Apakah di akhir nanti Jess akan direkrut sebagai cyber-minder? Dan bagaimana tentang kelangsungan kelas musik Jess dengan Jack? Saya harap akan ada novel selanjutnya yang akan ditulis oleh Ele Fountain tentang keberlanjutan dari cerita mereka.
”Perubahan tidak harus dimulai dari hal-hal besar. Karena hal-hal kecil pun bertumbuh. Namun, perubahan hanya bisa dimulai jika kau memiliki keinginan untuk mewujudkannya” (halaman 243)
Novel ini cukup mengingatkan saya tentang kejadian empat tahun silam, saat wabah COVID-19 sedang marak-maraknya menjadi suatu topik hangat. Bedanya, di novel Semu, pembaca akan dihadapkan oleh wabah bernama Demam Scarlet. Wabah yang mematikan apabila memiliki luka atau flu perut.
“... uang membuat dunia berputar. Bukan kebenaran. Orang-orang yang menghasilkan semua uang itu pintar” (halaman 112)
“Kita tidak bisa mengutarakan kebenaran kepada pemegang kekuasaan“ (halaman 242)
Di novel karya Ele Fountain ini, pembaca tidak hanya diajak berpetualang tentang tegangnya kehidupan Jessica sebagai peretas. Namun juga diajak berpikir bahwa dunia yang mereka jajaki saat ini sudah penuh dengan campur tangan yang tidak sehat. Semakin engkau naik ke piramida paling atas, maka semakin tumpul pula puncaknya. Well, beberapa hal di novel ini membuat saya sedikit de javu dengan beberapa konflik serta isu yang pernah melanda empat tahun lalu. Dimana beberapa anggota kelas atas justru malah mengambil kesempatan emas di sebuah bencana yang hampir menghabisi populasi dengan sedemikian ganas. Seolah kesehatan bukan menjadi sebuah prioritas utama lagi. Materi di atas segala-galanya
Setelah membabat tuntas novel ini, saya tersadar bahwa ternyata teknologi digital bisa sangat mengerikan. Dan secara tak sadar sudah banyak orang yang ”dibodohi“ oleh ini. Rasa-rasanya semua hal yang berbau digital sudah tidak bisa dianggap lagi sebagai pendamping keberlagsungan, tetapi malah menjadi sebuah kebutuhan.
Rasa-rasa novel ini akan sangat cocok untuk memenuhi pasar film. Dalam kata lain, plot juga ide dari penulis cukup menjual. Meskipun besar harapan saya bahwa jika memang benar bisa diadaptasi ke layar lebar, dana yang dituangkan akan cukup lumayan karena novel ini menanggung beban imajinasi yang cukup besar.
Dan, ya, kembali saya bilang bahwa novel ini cukup seru. Tapi saya masih belum cukup puas di beberapa babak terakhir. Apa yang terjadi setelahnya kepada Violet? Seberapa besar masalah yang harus ia pertanggungjawabkan? Apakah di akhir nanti Jess akan direkrut sebagai cyber-minder? Dan bagaimana tentang kelangsungan kelas musik Jess dengan Jack? Saya harap akan ada novel selanjutnya yang akan ditulis oleh Ele Fountain tentang keberlanjutan dari cerita mereka.
”Perubahan tidak harus dimulai dari hal-hal besar. Karena hal-hal kecil pun bertumbuh. Namun, perubahan hanya bisa dimulai jika kau memiliki keinginan untuk mewujudkannya” (halaman 243)
August 23, 2025
Ok.. I have to admit that Ele Fountain has become my favourite older children’s YA writer in recent years- stories that are contemporary and diverse in content, Fake takes us beyond the world of a pandemic to a future where home learning is the norm and big pharma/ technology companies control everyone’s lives and how money is spent. Jess is a hacker and is sent to a school where children can actually learn together .
She has the technology to stay in contact with her family but with a younger sister who is I’ll, Jess attempts to hack into the system which controls the price of medicine. She is confronted with a system that can delete people - their online identity and money.- her family. She needs to save them and her sick sister .
With a fast moving plot Ele Fountain has created another page turner that I’ll certainly recommend to teaching colleagues, learners and enthusiastic readers.
Another original winner that makes you consider where is humanity heading - very much like previous books focusing on climate change, poverty and refugees.
She has the technology to stay in contact with her family but with a younger sister who is I’ll, Jess attempts to hack into the system which controls the price of medicine. She is confronted with a system that can delete people - their online identity and money.- her family. She needs to save them and her sick sister .
With a fast moving plot Ele Fountain has created another page turner that I’ll certainly recommend to teaching colleagues, learners and enthusiastic readers.
Another original winner that makes you consider where is humanity heading - very much like previous books focusing on climate change, poverty and refugees.
May 30, 2022
Welcome to a dystopian near future so close to that you can almost taste it. The failure of antibiotics and an epidemic of scarlet fever has made this a world where drastic changes in the way children are brought up and educated have become necessary. Before the age of fourteen it is forbidden for children to mix with each other, beyond contact with their own siblings. to reduce the risk of infection. Lessons are all taken via an online learning service, and children only ever see their friends through the medium of a computer screen.
The time has now come for fourteen-year-old Jess to leave the quiet safety of her rural home with her parents, and sister Chloe who suffers from a chronic respiratory condition that requires ever more expensive medicine that they can barely afford. Jess is both excited and nervous about what lies ahead, afraid to leave her family and her close friend Finn, who they have been mixing with against the rules. Jess is the only one from her local learning cohort who is being sent away to a different school, and she will be among strangers for the first time in her life.
School is a revelation to Jess, for reasons both good and bad. Most of her classmates have never met another child face to face, and it is difficult to find things in common with these strangers - especially since their leisure hours revolve around shopping and virtual games that they all seem to have the money to indulge in freely, unlike Jess. She finds herself with an unexpected edge, having grown up in an environment where physical activity is a way of life, something her classmates who have spent all their time in a virtual world really struggle with. School also allows Jess to develop her innate musical talent, and display her programming skills - programming skills that have made her into an accomplished hacker.
Determined to put her skills to work to help her family cope with the cost of Chloe's treatment, Jess hacks into the central system that controls their lives, and accidentally stumbles across a shocking secret. What she has done sets in motion a chain of events that put her family in danger, revealling secrets about her own father, and the sinister reason why she has been sent to this school. It's time for Jess to discover who she can trust, and what's real or fake about the way they are all forced to live..
It's rare for me to be tempted by a YA novel these days, but sometimes I come across a little gem of a concept aimed at younger readers and Fake by Ele Fountain is indeed such a treasure.
Fountain has crafted a deceptively clever dystopian novel here, with a well-conceived, page-turning story-line infused with mystery and suspense, that is pitched perfectly for the YA audience and above. I'm very impressed by the way she introduces a myriad of thought-provoking themes throughout this tale, exploring issues around antibiotic resistance, chronic medical conditions, big-pharma, consumerism, and corporate greed, in such an engaging way, and really opens up the opportunity for conversation about them - all while carrying you along on the tide of a cracking story. There are very interesting threads about isolation and loss too, which resonate with the tricky pandemic times we have all had to negotiate in recent times.
I love the premise of this novel, making the virtual world the focus of the story and examining the advantages, and critically the harsh pitfalls, of relying too heavily on living our lives online - especially the way algorithms can be manipulated to control us. There is plenty of heart here too, and you get very caught up in the human side of the story, which plucks nicely at the heart-strings. There is also scope for an intriguing sequel that I really want to read, as I am not ready to let go of these characters quite yet. I very much hope Ele Fountain picks up their story again, because a follow-up could be very exciting indeed.
The time has now come for fourteen-year-old Jess to leave the quiet safety of her rural home with her parents, and sister Chloe who suffers from a chronic respiratory condition that requires ever more expensive medicine that they can barely afford. Jess is both excited and nervous about what lies ahead, afraid to leave her family and her close friend Finn, who they have been mixing with against the rules. Jess is the only one from her local learning cohort who is being sent away to a different school, and she will be among strangers for the first time in her life.
School is a revelation to Jess, for reasons both good and bad. Most of her classmates have never met another child face to face, and it is difficult to find things in common with these strangers - especially since their leisure hours revolve around shopping and virtual games that they all seem to have the money to indulge in freely, unlike Jess. She finds herself with an unexpected edge, having grown up in an environment where physical activity is a way of life, something her classmates who have spent all their time in a virtual world really struggle with. School also allows Jess to develop her innate musical talent, and display her programming skills - programming skills that have made her into an accomplished hacker.
Determined to put her skills to work to help her family cope with the cost of Chloe's treatment, Jess hacks into the central system that controls their lives, and accidentally stumbles across a shocking secret. What she has done sets in motion a chain of events that put her family in danger, revealling secrets about her own father, and the sinister reason why she has been sent to this school. It's time for Jess to discover who she can trust, and what's real or fake about the way they are all forced to live..
It's rare for me to be tempted by a YA novel these days, but sometimes I come across a little gem of a concept aimed at younger readers and Fake by Ele Fountain is indeed such a treasure.
Fountain has crafted a deceptively clever dystopian novel here, with a well-conceived, page-turning story-line infused with mystery and suspense, that is pitched perfectly for the YA audience and above. I'm very impressed by the way she introduces a myriad of thought-provoking themes throughout this tale, exploring issues around antibiotic resistance, chronic medical conditions, big-pharma, consumerism, and corporate greed, in such an engaging way, and really opens up the opportunity for conversation about them - all while carrying you along on the tide of a cracking story. There are very interesting threads about isolation and loss too, which resonate with the tricky pandemic times we have all had to negotiate in recent times.
I love the premise of this novel, making the virtual world the focus of the story and examining the advantages, and critically the harsh pitfalls, of relying too heavily on living our lives online - especially the way algorithms can be manipulated to control us. There is plenty of heart here too, and you get very caught up in the human side of the story, which plucks nicely at the heart-strings. There is also scope for an intriguing sequel that I really want to read, as I am not ready to let go of these characters quite yet. I very much hope Ele Fountain picks up their story again, because a follow-up could be very exciting indeed.
February 11, 2025
Battle of the Books 2025 #4
I don’t know…clunky writing, didn’t feel incredibly novel at any point, didn’t connect with the characters (and I know…I’m not a middle-schooler but there should be something). The futuristic world seemed realistic and a bit scary in its portrayal of what could happen.
I don’t know…clunky writing, didn’t feel incredibly novel at any point, didn’t connect with the characters (and I know…I’m not a middle-schooler but there should be something). The futuristic world seemed realistic and a bit scary in its portrayal of what could happen.
September 16, 2023
Fake mengusung genre science fiction dalam kategori teen literature. Di dunia Fake, Jess bisa bersekolah secara luring ketika usianya sudah mencapai 14 tahun. Kehidupan di asrama, bertemu dengan orang-orang secara langsung, mendengar guru memberikan pembelajaran bukan dalam bentuk hologram, semuanya terasa baru dan agak menakutkan sebenarnya karena anak-anak terbiasa melakukan secara daring.
Fake bukan hanya menyajikan kehidupan remaja ketika dikenalkan dengan dunia baru, tetapi juga rasa penasaran seorang remaja, hasrat untuk membantu keadaan keluarganya yang kurang beruntung sampai menggunakan cara ilegal. Jess memang pintar, tetapi juga sangat berhati-hati. Tetapi, kehati-hatiannya nggak luput dari masalah dan masalah itu yang membuat keluarga Jess justru berada dalam ambang bahaya.
Sebagian besar buku ini menceritakan kegiatan Jess di sekolah barunya, bagaimana dia belajar dan senang ketika mendapat pujian dari guru, bertemu teman baru (sungguhan, bukan virtual), mengalami persaingan sehat dalam pelajaran, dll. Fokusnya sebagian besar ke homesick dan pengenalan dunia baru. Tapi, soal keluarganya nggak banyak.
Konflik diselesaikan. Nggak ada yang bikin terkesan, malah rasanya seperti diburu-buru. Ketegangannya juga kurang dibangun. Entah karena hanya diceritakan dari sisi Jess atau memang dialog (atau pun narasinya) kurang nendang jadinya flat. Begitu sampai ke plot twist rasanya juga kurang. Gesture karakter ketika twist-nya datang juga kurang ekspresif.
Overall, okelah buat bacaan ringan. Suka sama Jess yang sayang banget keluarga, terutama adiknya.
Fake bukan hanya menyajikan kehidupan remaja ketika dikenalkan dengan dunia baru, tetapi juga rasa penasaran seorang remaja, hasrat untuk membantu keadaan keluarganya yang kurang beruntung sampai menggunakan cara ilegal. Jess memang pintar, tetapi juga sangat berhati-hati. Tetapi, kehati-hatiannya nggak luput dari masalah dan masalah itu yang membuat keluarga Jess justru berada dalam ambang bahaya.
Sebagian besar buku ini menceritakan kegiatan Jess di sekolah barunya, bagaimana dia belajar dan senang ketika mendapat pujian dari guru, bertemu teman baru (sungguhan, bukan virtual), mengalami persaingan sehat dalam pelajaran, dll. Fokusnya sebagian besar ke homesick dan pengenalan dunia baru. Tapi, soal keluarganya nggak banyak.
Konflik diselesaikan. Nggak ada yang bikin terkesan, malah rasanya seperti diburu-buru. Ketegangannya juga kurang dibangun. Entah karena hanya diceritakan dari sisi Jess atau memang dialog (atau pun narasinya) kurang nendang jadinya flat. Begitu sampai ke plot twist rasanya juga kurang. Gesture karakter ketika twist-nya datang juga kurang ekspresif.
Overall, okelah buat bacaan ringan. Suka sama Jess yang sayang banget keluarga, terutama adiknya.
November 18, 2025
it was surprisingly good! I just feel like ending was a bit rushed.
May 20, 2022
Fantastic. Scary. Far to close to real life. But an absolutely brilliant read.
April 11, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley, Pushkin Press and Ele Fountain for an early copy of this book.
It’s interesting to read this book just after reviewing The Herd as it is a story set in the near future, where antibiotic resistance means that children no longer mix until they are aged 14 and have fully developed immune systems. Clearly current fiction has been influenced by the pandemic!
In this dystopian reality, everyone lives in fear of contracting illnesses that can no longer be easily cured. So until they reach 14, most children learn online, with no physical contact with anyone their own age. Jess however, has a real life friend, Finn and also a little sister, Chloe, who is lives with a condition (asthma?) that is treatable with expensive drugs. Her family are also different as they avoid online shopping and try to be self-sufficient.
Jess, like other teenagers, goes to real life boarding school (a different one to Finn) to engage in face to face learning for the first time. Some children have never met anyone their own age!
Jess navigates the new world of boarding school and through her eyes we view this potential future. We watch as the way that the students at her school then use something very reminiscent of Amazon (online shopping with drones) and have an online world that distracts from offline life. Due to the cost of the drugs that Chloe needs, Jess cannot afford to mindlessly consume.
She has another secret too, Jess is a hacker and at night she breaks codes for fun. Will the other students find out about her clandestine activity?
I very much enjoyed the future gazing, although some of the ideas feel very close to reality. My only minor criticism is that the ending felt a bit abrupt. I would like to know what happens next to Jess and her friends and whether they manage to bring down ‘big business.’ I’m hoping this is a series! 😁
Our students are already big fans of Ele Fountain and I’m sure this will be very popular with them. I should add that whilst Jess is a teenager, this book is definitely suitable for younger readers/middle-grade.
It’s interesting to read this book just after reviewing The Herd as it is a story set in the near future, where antibiotic resistance means that children no longer mix until they are aged 14 and have fully developed immune systems. Clearly current fiction has been influenced by the pandemic!
In this dystopian reality, everyone lives in fear of contracting illnesses that can no longer be easily cured. So until they reach 14, most children learn online, with no physical contact with anyone their own age. Jess however, has a real life friend, Finn and also a little sister, Chloe, who is lives with a condition (asthma?) that is treatable with expensive drugs. Her family are also different as they avoid online shopping and try to be self-sufficient.
Jess, like other teenagers, goes to real life boarding school (a different one to Finn) to engage in face to face learning for the first time. Some children have never met anyone their own age!
Jess navigates the new world of boarding school and through her eyes we view this potential future. We watch as the way that the students at her school then use something very reminiscent of Amazon (online shopping with drones) and have an online world that distracts from offline life. Due to the cost of the drugs that Chloe needs, Jess cannot afford to mindlessly consume.
She has another secret too, Jess is a hacker and at night she breaks codes for fun. Will the other students find out about her clandestine activity?
I very much enjoyed the future gazing, although some of the ideas feel very close to reality. My only minor criticism is that the ending felt a bit abrupt. I would like to know what happens next to Jess and her friends and whether they manage to bring down ‘big business.’ I’m hoping this is a series! 😁
Our students are already big fans of Ele Fountain and I’m sure this will be very popular with them. I should add that whilst Jess is a teenager, this book is definitely suitable for younger readers/middle-grade.
April 8, 2023
Nothing really happened. A very dull narrative with too little action.
July 26, 2023
Jess is off to her first ever experience of boarding school. No, make that just school – apart from home-schooling by screen, that is. For this world has been wrecked by covid – oh, sorry, my bad, scarlet fever which resulted in mass antibiotic resistance – and it's thought nobody ought to mingle with anyone else until they're fourteen and healthy enough to stay alive. So being a teenager and meeting your peers for the first time is going to be a shock for all the pupils – but that's certainly not the only one.
Jess is also, it turns out, a maestro at codes, musical composition and programming, and at least the last of these will be vital to the story in this near-future world. I think the issue is that some of the shocks and surprises aren't as big as we need them to be, though – it is obvious from the start that someone in the dorm will have an ulterior motive, or worse, and it's just going to be a matter of time before the big reveal.
Before then, just perhaps as the same author's Melt (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) doesn't hark on about climate change, so this book reins in the 'lesson' it might have borne, about the online world, smart watches and screens and suchlike taking over our existence. Beyond Jess' poorly baby sister the illness is barely brought up. In fact, while we're on about it, shall we compare this with other Fountain books? The same snappy chapter length, the same easily-read, page-turning qualities? The same presence of honey? I wonder if the title chapter isn't in exactly the same spot in proceedings, too.
All told, with the gently-wrought sci-fi influences, I felt this a bit like a Scott Westerfeld book minus the flying hang-up. It's about teens finding their place, questioning what of their past is needed for their future, and whether they should not just enjoy real world events as opposed to the online existence. For pointing out covid was very handy for certain people to be very rich and very controlling, I'm surprised some people didn't want this cancelled. But as I say, any such considerations should be had as secondary to the entertainment here, and – if we don't feel annoyed at certain aspects being so obvious – that entertainment is a given. Four stars, and congrats for being by far one of the better post-covid novels.
Jess is also, it turns out, a maestro at codes, musical composition and programming, and at least the last of these will be vital to the story in this near-future world. I think the issue is that some of the shocks and surprises aren't as big as we need them to be, though – it is obvious from the start that someone in the dorm will have an ulterior motive, or worse, and it's just going to be a matter of time before the big reveal.
Before then, just perhaps as the same author's Melt (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) doesn't hark on about climate change, so this book reins in the 'lesson' it might have borne, about the online world, smart watches and screens and suchlike taking over our existence. Beyond Jess' poorly baby sister the illness is barely brought up. In fact, while we're on about it, shall we compare this with other Fountain books? The same snappy chapter length, the same easily-read, page-turning qualities? The same presence of honey? I wonder if the title chapter isn't in exactly the same spot in proceedings, too.
All told, with the gently-wrought sci-fi influences, I felt this a bit like a Scott Westerfeld book minus the flying hang-up. It's about teens finding their place, questioning what of their past is needed for their future, and whether they should not just enjoy real world events as opposed to the online existence. For pointing out covid was very handy for certain people to be very rich and very controlling, I'm surprised some people didn't want this cancelled. But as I say, any such considerations should be had as secondary to the entertainment here, and – if we don't feel annoyed at certain aspects being so obvious – that entertainment is a given. Four stars, and congrats for being by far one of the better post-covid novels.
December 18, 2022
'Fake' follows the story of Jess, a young girl who lives in a society where illness and disease is feared, and all connection to the outside world is online. Jess lives with her ill sister before she is sent away to a boarding school at 14, where her secrets are suddenly uncovered. All while her sister's medication is becoming more and more expensive.
I really enjoyed this book, I think it was, in a way, relatable; staying at home and connecting with people online reminded me of the covid lockdowns. I loved the dystopian theme, it was a big reason why I chose to pick up this book and I'm glad I did. I think the plot as a whole was engaging and at some points it did have me on the edge of my seat. The plot twists were all quite unexpected which made this an even better read.
The characters were well written in my opinion, I think that they were all very different and even the background characters had thought put into them. I also think that the different events, which were not exactly linked to the main plot, really helped to display the characters' personalities. I liked how the friendships between them developed (specifically between Violet, Mae and Jess). However, I would have liked more interaction with Jack, as it seemed as though he was cast aside towards the end of the book.
However, I do have a problem with this book. The reason I have given it a rating of 4/5 and not 5/5 is because of the ending. The last chapter felt very rushed and out of place compared to the other chapters, and the story as a whole. I also feel that the solution to the problem in the book was a temporary one, and reading through other reviews I can see that this is a shared opinion. As others have said, I wouldn't have minded this ending as much as I do if this was the first book of a series. But as far as I know this is a standalone book.
To conclude, I recomend reading this book. It's a fun read that I found myself speeding through with a good plot and good characters.
I really enjoyed this book, I think it was, in a way, relatable; staying at home and connecting with people online reminded me of the covid lockdowns. I loved the dystopian theme, it was a big reason why I chose to pick up this book and I'm glad I did. I think the plot as a whole was engaging and at some points it did have me on the edge of my seat. The plot twists were all quite unexpected which made this an even better read.
The characters were well written in my opinion, I think that they were all very different and even the background characters had thought put into them. I also think that the different events, which were not exactly linked to the main plot, really helped to display the characters' personalities. I liked how the friendships between them developed (specifically between Violet, Mae and Jess). However, I would have liked more interaction with Jack, as it seemed as though he was cast aside towards the end of the book.
However, I do have a problem with this book. The reason I have given it a rating of 4/5 and not 5/5 is because of the ending. The last chapter felt very rushed and out of place compared to the other chapters, and the story as a whole. I also feel that the solution to the problem in the book was a temporary one, and reading through other reviews I can see that this is a shared opinion. As others have said, I wouldn't have minded this ending as much as I do if this was the first book of a series. But as far as I know this is a standalone book.
To conclude, I recomend reading this book. It's a fun read that I found myself speeding through with a good plot and good characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2022
this book didnt make a difference in my life whatsoever. there were no quotes that i would want to keep in my memory. it was the epitome of mid. i mean, the idea of it is fantastic but i wouldnt read it again. i dont like how the brilliant idea was executed.
there was also a major question at the end that i still had. i wont say the exact question because of spoilers but i also thought that this specific thing was so irrelevant to the story that my question doesn’t actually matter that much. but if the author made a point about it, surely she should tell us how this specific thing ends.
it also felt as if the author rushed all of the major surprises in the last few pages. i do like the idea portrayed in the book where you cant change something big all at once, but at the end of the book nothing had changed at ALL.
i rated it 3 stars because that is neutral. this book wasnt BAD. there wasnt anything wrong with it. getting going, it is a bit boring but by the middle i still wanted to find out about the secrets in the book, but thats just because as a person, i like answers.
i also think that the blurb is a bit misleading. on that point, everything in the blurb actually does happen. but the ‘learning at home’ thing on the blurb made me think there would be a lot of that. their entire world was online, mostly true but the technology wasnt that exciting. it just was similar to what we have now adays.
there was also MANY hints of romance ( which i picked up on, but maybe there wasnt actually anything ) yet no romance actually happened in the end.
i can understand why people would really like this book. the characters are most definitely interesting and very cool but that was it. we learnt lots about them but it felt so rushed. the cover looked so cool yet the book did not compare in the slightest.
one last note : this is a book review, meaning, you wont necessarily have the same opinion as me but i am free to voice mine even if you do not relate to what i am saying.
thank you !!
there was also a major question at the end that i still had. i wont say the exact question because of spoilers but i also thought that this specific thing was so irrelevant to the story that my question doesn’t actually matter that much. but if the author made a point about it, surely she should tell us how this specific thing ends.
it also felt as if the author rushed all of the major surprises in the last few pages. i do like the idea portrayed in the book where you cant change something big all at once, but at the end of the book nothing had changed at ALL.
i rated it 3 stars because that is neutral. this book wasnt BAD. there wasnt anything wrong with it. getting going, it is a bit boring but by the middle i still wanted to find out about the secrets in the book, but thats just because as a person, i like answers.
i also think that the blurb is a bit misleading. on that point, everything in the blurb actually does happen. but the ‘learning at home’ thing on the blurb made me think there would be a lot of that. their entire world was online, mostly true but the technology wasnt that exciting. it just was similar to what we have now adays.
there was also MANY hints of romance ( which i picked up on, but maybe there wasnt actually anything ) yet no romance actually happened in the end.
i can understand why people would really like this book. the characters are most definitely interesting and very cool but that was it. we learnt lots about them but it felt so rushed. the cover looked so cool yet the book did not compare in the slightest.
one last note : this is a book review, meaning, you wont necessarily have the same opinion as me but i am free to voice mine even if you do not relate to what i am saying.
thank you !!
September 2, 2023
Sempat kepikiran akan DNF buku ini, karena jujur... aku bingung dengan ceritanya. Ini tentang dunia di masa depan dimana antibiotik tidak lagi berguna untuk manusia. Semua orang jadi takut ketularan penyakit dan lain sebagainya. Membayangkan dunia dilakukan lewat ROOM tanpa tatap muka langsung, bahkan dilarang bertemu dengan orang lain, belajar online, pokoknya semua secara daring -mengerikan. Bahkan buku fisik saja sudah langka. Peta dan kompas sudah menjadi barang antik. Idenya sudah sangat bagus sebenarnya!
Beberapa bab pertama memang berisi pendahuluan cerita sehingga alurnya sangat lambat. Coba terus baca, tapi ga yang bikin penasaran banget gitu. Trus menurutku cerita puncaknya kurang klimaks, masalahnya oke seperti itu, lalu penyelesaiannya sesingkat itu. Kayak, udah nih, gini doang? Semuanya terlalu dipaksakan dan dipadatkan di akhir. Entah karena genrenya yang memang tidak cocok denganku atau bagaimana, tapi yang pasti ini tidak sesuai ekspektasiku. Mungkin akan lebih baik jika ceritanya lebih panjang dan detail lagi sehingga tidak ada kesan terburu-buru dalam penyelesaian masalahnya.
Beberapa bab pertama memang berisi pendahuluan cerita sehingga alurnya sangat lambat. Coba terus baca, tapi ga yang bikin penasaran banget gitu. Trus menurutku cerita puncaknya kurang klimaks, masalahnya oke seperti itu, lalu penyelesaiannya sesingkat itu. Kayak, udah nih, gini doang? Semuanya terlalu dipaksakan dan dipadatkan di akhir. Entah karena genrenya yang memang tidak cocok denganku atau bagaimana, tapi yang pasti ini tidak sesuai ekspektasiku. Mungkin akan lebih baik jika ceritanya lebih panjang dan detail lagi sehingga tidak ada kesan terburu-buru dalam penyelesaian masalahnya.
November 3, 2023
aku sebetulnya suka banget sama cerita yang seperti ini. hampir semua bagian dari cerita ini aku suka, tema masa depan yang futuristik, petualangan yang memicu adrenalin, nggak ketinggalan narasi yang mengalir.
tapi, aku merasa endingnya buru buru banget :( aku butuh penjelasan lebih tentang beberapa hal. aku tau bakalan ada plot twist, tapi aku nggak nyangka plot twist nya menyangkut hal hal itu.
topik yang diangkat terasa begitu dekat dengan kehidupan sehari hari. aku merasa seperti mengenang kembali masa masa covid. bercerita tentang resistensi antibiotik, orang orang hanya bertemu secara virtual. tubuh baru akan kebal jika anak sudah berusia 14 tahun.
semua mengalami hal itu, termasuk jessica. jessica tinggal bersama adik perempuan, chloe, dan orangtuanya. karena jess sudah 14 tahun, ia bisa mengikuti pembelajaran offline/secara tatap muka.
jess menutup kehidupan pribadinya dari teman teman sekamar di asrama. jess merasa rahasia itu tak perlu jess ceritakan pada siapapun. sampai sampai rahasia yang ia punya mengancam keselamatan chloe.
aku sangat menikmati membaca cerita ini sampai sampai aku nggak nyadar ending sudah dekat. aku merasa seperti kekenyangan menyantap makanan pembuka dan utama, sampai aku lupa bahwa aku masih punya makanan penutup yang tersisa.
tapi, layaknya di all you can eat, aku nggak punya cukup waktu untuk menghabiskan makanan penutupku.
tapi, aku merasa endingnya buru buru banget :( aku butuh penjelasan lebih tentang beberapa hal. aku tau bakalan ada plot twist, tapi aku nggak nyangka plot twist nya menyangkut hal hal itu.
topik yang diangkat terasa begitu dekat dengan kehidupan sehari hari. aku merasa seperti mengenang kembali masa masa covid. bercerita tentang resistensi antibiotik, orang orang hanya bertemu secara virtual. tubuh baru akan kebal jika anak sudah berusia 14 tahun.
semua mengalami hal itu, termasuk jessica. jessica tinggal bersama adik perempuan, chloe, dan orangtuanya. karena jess sudah 14 tahun, ia bisa mengikuti pembelajaran offline/secara tatap muka.
jess menutup kehidupan pribadinya dari teman teman sekamar di asrama. jess merasa rahasia itu tak perlu jess ceritakan pada siapapun. sampai sampai rahasia yang ia punya mengancam keselamatan chloe.
aku sangat menikmati membaca cerita ini sampai sampai aku nggak nyadar ending sudah dekat. aku merasa seperti kekenyangan menyantap makanan pembuka dan utama, sampai aku lupa bahwa aku masih punya makanan penutup yang tersisa.
tapi, layaknya di all you can eat, aku nggak punya cukup waktu untuk menghabiskan makanan penutupku.
September 23, 2022
Set in a dystopian future where people are reliant on tech and anti biotics are no longer working meaning kids are home schooled until they are 14 to allow their immune systems to be robust. At 14 Jess now finds herself at at boarding school with other kids some of whom aren’t used to be around real live kids as they only interacted online with them! Every week she communicates online with her family but one week she is unable to contact them and she knows that something is wrong and it might even be her fault. So along with her new found friends has to figure out a way to find out what is wrong and fix it, which proves rather dangerous and it may test her new friendships to the max! I love the exploration of the impact tech could have on us and in many ways already does but also the idea of living in a world where anti biotics don’t work is interesting. The story felt like a fantasy novel but also something that could potentially happen given what we have been through in the last few years! This book will definitely make for some interesting classroom discusions.
May 3, 2025
Dunia dalam novel ini adalah dunia pascawabah. Mirip seperti era Covid, semua orang jadi lebih banyak menghabiskan waktu di rumah dan jadi sangat bergantung dengan dunia digital. Anak-anak belajar secara online dan baru boleh masuk sekolah secara offline di usia 14 tahun, ketika ketahanan tubuh mereka sudah makin kuat.
Jess diam-diam belajar meretas. Jess mempertanyakan mengapa obat asma untuk adiknya, Chloe, selalu naik tiap bulan. Maka dia pun meretas data perusahaan farmasi untuk mencari tahu apa penyebabnya. Sayangnya, dia ketahuan, meninggalkan jejak yang mengarah pada nama orangtuanya sebelum berhasil kabur.
Gara-gara itu keberadaan orangtuanya dihapus Global Connections dari dunia digital. Itu artinya orangtuanya tak bisa lagi mengakses kredit untuk melakukan berbagai transaksi, termasuk membeli obat Chloe. Global Connections adalah perusahaan raksasa yang mengatur itu semua.
Tentu akan asyik jika plotnya bisa berkembang jadi bagaimana Jess dan teman-temannya melawan Global Connection. Sayangnya itu tak terjadi di sini. Berakhir begitu saja.
Jess diam-diam belajar meretas. Jess mempertanyakan mengapa obat asma untuk adiknya, Chloe, selalu naik tiap bulan. Maka dia pun meretas data perusahaan farmasi untuk mencari tahu apa penyebabnya. Sayangnya, dia ketahuan, meninggalkan jejak yang mengarah pada nama orangtuanya sebelum berhasil kabur.
Gara-gara itu keberadaan orangtuanya dihapus Global Connections dari dunia digital. Itu artinya orangtuanya tak bisa lagi mengakses kredit untuk melakukan berbagai transaksi, termasuk membeli obat Chloe. Global Connections adalah perusahaan raksasa yang mengatur itu semua.
Tentu akan asyik jika plotnya bisa berkembang jadi bagaimana Jess dan teman-temannya melawan Global Connection. Sayangnya itu tak terjadi di sini. Berakhir begitu saja.
July 8, 2024
This dystopian middle grade novel takes place in a world not too far off from our post pandemic life. When antibiotics fail to stop the spread of a scarlet fever outbreak, families are forced to live their lives online and kids learn from home
until they are able to attend in person schooling at 14. Jess is excited for school but sad to leave her family; particularly her little sister Chloe who suffers from a chronic respiratory condition. When a misstep from Jess causes her family to be deleted from the online grid, she must figure out a way to get them back online and able to access Chloe's medication. Personally I was not a fan of this novel, there is nothing fresh about the premise and there wasn't enough world building, action or character development to carry the story. The ending was incredibly abrupt and offered little to no closure. Students who are interested in programming or coding may gravitate towards this one, but may have difficulty maintaining interest.
until they are able to attend in person schooling at 14. Jess is excited for school but sad to leave her family; particularly her little sister Chloe who suffers from a chronic respiratory condition. When a misstep from Jess causes her family to be deleted from the online grid, she must figure out a way to get them back online and able to access Chloe's medication. Personally I was not a fan of this novel, there is nothing fresh about the premise and there wasn't enough world building, action or character development to carry the story. The ending was incredibly abrupt and offered little to no closure. Students who are interested in programming or coding may gravitate towards this one, but may have difficulty maintaining interest.
October 15, 2024
A thrillingly paced, timely novel about identity and our digital lives from the award-winning author of Boy 87.
Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess’s world. But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the ‘real’ world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is ‘perfect’ after all. Back home, her sister Chloe’s life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down. It’s up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe’s survival depends on it.
Overall, this book is the best choice for avid readers who enjoy science fiction and want to explore how the digital world can affect our everyday lives.
Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess’s world. But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the ‘real’ world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is ‘perfect’ after all. Back home, her sister Chloe’s life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down. It’s up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe’s survival depends on it.
Overall, this book is the best choice for avid readers who enjoy science fiction and want to explore how the digital world can affect our everyday lives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2022
Another great novel by Eli Fountain. Set in the post-pandemic future, the main character, Jess, can't wait to start school. Following a scarlet fever epidemic all children are kept at home until they are 14, ostensibly to keep them safe. They then attend a state boarding school. this isolation has ensured that the virtual world is as important as the real world. However, once she arrives school is not quite what Jess imagined, and when things start to go wrong, at home and at school, she realises that the world is not as she imagined and she starts to question her upbringing on a small holding. A great page turner and beautifully written, it allows the reader to imagine themselves in Jess' position and consider what choices they would have made ... A great addition to a school library or for use as a class read for years 6 or 7.
January 29, 2023
A perfectly servicable YA sci-fi story. It didn't do much for me personally, but it's competently written and I can see it appealing to others. It's dystopian, but not oppressively so, and comments a lot on the Covid pandemic and the social response to that (although it isn't Covid that prompted the lockdowns of the story). If I could, I'd probably have given it three and a half stars, because I like the message of the ending - - but that wasn't enough for me to rate it four stars.
June 4, 2024
Because of a Scarlet Fever epidemic, schools were closed and it was decreed that no child should meet with another child until the 14th year. Then, and only then, is the child allowed to go to a Face-to-face learning facility and learn with other children.
Not only is the protagonist excited about this fact, she has a secret that she will not tell anyone. She is a hacker ...not for bad, but wondering how she can get medicine for her younger sister. The price has gone up so much, her parents can hardly afford it.
At school she meets and makes friends with the most unlikely characters. Together they try to solve the medicine problem and the fact her family has been "deleted."
Good story and great premise. This simply did not run long enough to flush out loose ends.
Not only is the protagonist excited about this fact, she has a secret that she will not tell anyone. She is a hacker ...not for bad, but wondering how she can get medicine for her younger sister. The price has gone up so much, her parents can hardly afford it.
At school she meets and makes friends with the most unlikely characters. Together they try to solve the medicine problem and the fact her family has been "deleted."
Good story and great premise. This simply did not run long enough to flush out loose ends.
January 5, 2023
Plus and minus for this book:
PLUS
Lots of good things going on here - interesting dystopian setting, with fear of disease and limited human contact, a futuristic boarding school (love a school story), some fascinating thoughts about uses of technology.
The overall plot works really well.
But...
MINUS
With awareness that it is a middle grade novel and that it's been kept as a short and approachable length, it all feels just a bit rushed.
Scene setting takes a while, which is fine, but some of the main action parts, and the final denouement seem to be over in a flurry and not made the most of.
Still - a great read, probably most suitable for 9-12 years olds.
PLUS
Lots of good things going on here - interesting dystopian setting, with fear of disease and limited human contact, a futuristic boarding school (love a school story), some fascinating thoughts about uses of technology.
The overall plot works really well.
But...
MINUS
With awareness that it is a middle grade novel and that it's been kept as a short and approachable length, it all feels just a bit rushed.
Scene setting takes a while, which is fine, but some of the main action parts, and the final denouement seem to be over in a flurry and not made the most of.
Still - a great read, probably most suitable for 9-12 years olds.
April 26, 2023
Four stars but only just, and mainly for the concept. I am not the target audience for this book. It seems more aimed at pre-teen girls for whom friends and family are so important. It is written in short, easily digested chapters that would seem to fit with daily reading or bedtime stories.
Re the key concept of the novel - the rise of antibiotic resistant infections causing increasing isolation and on-line interaction, all shopping on-line and the manipulation of this - it is a more complex concept and better explored than in many adult focussed novels. Well done the author for developing an up to date and original concept well worthy of further exploration.
Re the key concept of the novel - the rise of antibiotic resistant infections causing increasing isolation and on-line interaction, all shopping on-line and the manipulation of this - it is a more complex concept and better explored than in many adult focussed novels. Well done the author for developing an up to date and original concept well worthy of further exploration.
July 20, 2024
“Mom says that money makes the world go round, not truth“.
A great quote from a really good book featured on this year‘s. #SSYRA6–8List. This book was not what I expected it to be based on the title and the description on the jacket but, I really enjoyed it.
Makerspace ideas:
Coding, create cyphers , puzzle books, anagrams, word games
Knitting, crochet, amigurumi toys
Music! Learn an instrument. Create instruments from household items.
Container gardening (food & flowers)
Enrichment topics to research:
Virtual learning, access to healthcare, cost of medicine, scarlet fever, antibiotic resistance, responses to epidemics/pandemics, cashless society
Farming, home-steading
A great quote from a really good book featured on this year‘s. #SSYRA6–8List. This book was not what I expected it to be based on the title and the description on the jacket but, I really enjoyed it.
Makerspace ideas:
Coding, create cyphers , puzzle books, anagrams, word games
Knitting, crochet, amigurumi toys
Music! Learn an instrument. Create instruments from household items.
Container gardening (food & flowers)
Enrichment topics to research:
Virtual learning, access to healthcare, cost of medicine, scarlet fever, antibiotic resistance, responses to epidemics/pandemics, cashless society
Farming, home-steading
October 22, 2025
Appropriate for middle school students and better than I anticipated.
After antibiotics become useless, students spend their lives in virtual learning until they go to school at the age of 14. Jess goes to school and excels in her computer science and music classes, but her younger sister sickens while she is away. In a world where everything depends on a virtual economy, how can Jess help her family when they are "deleted"?
Short chapters pull readers quickly through the book. Some plot points, such as Jess's music composition contest, aren't fully resolved. Explanatory details are missing, especially towards the end of the book.
After antibiotics become useless, students spend their lives in virtual learning until they go to school at the age of 14. Jess goes to school and excels in her computer science and music classes, but her younger sister sickens while she is away. In a world where everything depends on a virtual economy, how can Jess help her family when they are "deleted"?
Short chapters pull readers quickly through the book. Some plot points, such as Jess's music composition contest, aren't fully resolved. Explanatory details are missing, especially towards the end of the book.
August 31, 2022
A curious book. Ive been Impressed with Fountain’s other books, but not as much with this one. The second half felt rushed, there were several coincidences that lowered the believability of it all and the plot line was a little unfocused. Subject matter, MG dystopian, was a bit of a departure from her usual area. I liked the set up in the first half though and there is lots in there that the target market are able to relate to, learning at home, screens etc and then being transported to an in person school.
July 22, 2024
The book started off very strong with a pandemic and medical crisis worldwide that changed people’s lives forever. It was written to appeal to younger audiences and did a great job of explaining the situation and impact of the crisis.
You can tell early on in the story that Jess’s family may be living differently than others in this new society, but it is et clear exactly how until later in the book. I would argue that the explanation falls too late in the book. It leaves only a few pages for an unsatisfactory resolution of the story.
You can tell early on in the story that Jess’s family may be living differently than others in this new society, but it is et clear exactly how until later in the book. I would argue that the explanation falls too late in the book. It leaves only a few pages for an unsatisfactory resolution of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2024
I was pretty uninspired by this short book. But I'm sure it's great for younger readers. The premise is that in the future antibiotics are useless (a scary possible reality) and that children can't mix until they're older and safer. Society is mainly run online with evil money-grabbing corporations controlling things like medicine and using algorithms to work out what they can charge you the most for.
An interesting premise, but it just felt too short to become attached to the characters and it was all neatly tied up at the end.
An interesting premise, but it just felt too short to become attached to the characters and it was all neatly tied up at the end.
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