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The Doubt Factory
A YA thriller about a teenage girl who discovers that her father is at the helm of an organization providing dangerous false messaging to society about global warming and other issues.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
114 people are currently reading
2779 people want to read
About the author
Paolo Bacigalupi
133 books4,939 followersPaolo Bacigalupi is an award-winning author of novels for adults and young people.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
His debut novel THE WINDUP GIRL was named by TIME Magazine as one of the ten best novels of 2009, and also won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. Internationally, it has won the Seiun Award (Japan), The Ignotus Award (Spain), The Kurd-Laßwitz-Preis (Germany), and the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire (France).
His debut young adult novel, SHIP BREAKER, was a Micheal L. Printz Award Winner, and a National Book Award Finalist, and its sequel, THE DROWNED CITIES, was a 2012 Kirkus Reviews Best of YA Book, A 2012 VOYA Perfect Ten Book, and 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. The final book in the series, TOOL OF WAR, will release in October of 2017.
His latest novel for adults is The New York Times Bestseller THE WATER KNIFE, a near-future thriller about climate change and drought in the southwestern United States.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
December 29, 2014
I wish every kid in the US had to read this before they graduated high school.
October 2, 2021
Well that was very disappointing and quite frankly boring in parts.
The main character, Alix, was a muppet and there was far too much time spent on thoughts such as "he is a bad guy but so very hot and I am drawn to him even though he kidnapped me but I can't stop thinking about him blah blah blah."
I will say that the concept of the book was really interesting. It just needed a jolly good edit and a less annoying main character.
On to the next book!
The main character, Alix, was a muppet and there was far too much time spent on thoughts such as "he is a bad guy but so very hot and I am drawn to him even though he kidnapped me but I can't stop thinking about him blah blah blah."
I will say that the concept of the book was really interesting. It just needed a jolly good edit and a less annoying main character.
On to the next book!
dnf
July 22, 2014I don't think I care to finish this. It is rather boring so far and plagued by an i-am-hot-for-my-criminal-stalker romance plot. Didn't expect that from Bacigalupi. Maybe it gets better and maybe I will try it again some other time.
October 14, 2014
Recommended for fans of Cory Doctorow's YA fiction.
The theme and feel here seriously reminded me more of Doctorow than Bacigalupi. Now, I quite like Doctorow, so that's no insult. It's got hackers, activists, and thoughts on information (and disinformation).
But I have to admit - this just wasn't as good as I expected. I've absolutely loved pretty much everything else Bacigalupi has published, so I had very high expectations.
Here, we've got Alix, a rich, white, privileged private school kid. She's sort of the stand-in for the audience that Bacigalupi is hoping to convince, here. (And make no mistake, the aims of this book are #1. to convince, and only #2. to tell an entertaining story.) Unfortunately, Alix and her life are not wholly convincing. She and her family feel like "the 1% as imagined by the 99%." (It's no Donna Tartt - now she can write spoiled brats.) But of course, Alix isn't like the other spoiled brats at her elite school. She's Special and Different.
These qualities are immediately seen by the hacktivist who's stalking her - an orphaned black teen, who just happens to be super-duper-hot. He and his radical alternative crew have an agenda that involves Alix - who will soon find her loyalties torn between her loving family, and the guy who calls himself "2.0" (because, y'know, he's hot.)
The main plot points hinge on the idea of "everyone thinks anyone challenging the status quo must be a conspiracy theorist, but that's not always true." It aims to encourage people (hopefully, the wealthy, influential youth who will be tomorrow's leaders) to challenge accepted ideas, and become activists. It talks about how it's important to present your ideas in such a way that you won't be perceived as a whack-job.
I agree with all this, incidentally.
Unfortunately, the book is not 100% successful at not sounding conspiracy-theory-ish. It is very good at introducing the concepts of these two books - referenced in-text - to younger readers:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
However, it's very vague about how to actually sort out 'junk science' from actual science. It is very dismissive about the possibility that frivolous lawsuits really do exist. It makes a little bit of an effort to show how regular people can accomplish 'evil' goals - but in the end, it ends up painting the villains as pure evil and the opposition as pure good, in such a way that I felt it was unconvincing, and weakened the book's arguments.
Overall - it's not bad. But it really could've been better.
Copy provided by NetGalley - many thanks for the opportunity to read.
The theme and feel here seriously reminded me more of Doctorow than Bacigalupi. Now, I quite like Doctorow, so that's no insult. It's got hackers, activists, and thoughts on information (and disinformation).
But I have to admit - this just wasn't as good as I expected. I've absolutely loved pretty much everything else Bacigalupi has published, so I had very high expectations.
Here, we've got Alix, a rich, white, privileged private school kid. She's sort of the stand-in for the audience that Bacigalupi is hoping to convince, here. (And make no mistake, the aims of this book are #1. to convince, and only #2. to tell an entertaining story.) Unfortunately, Alix and her life are not wholly convincing. She and her family feel like "the 1% as imagined by the 99%." (It's no Donna Tartt - now she can write spoiled brats.) But of course, Alix isn't like the other spoiled brats at her elite school. She's Special and Different.
These qualities are immediately seen by the hacktivist who's stalking her - an orphaned black teen, who just happens to be super-duper-hot. He and his radical alternative crew have an agenda that involves Alix - who will soon find her loyalties torn between her loving family, and the guy who calls himself "2.0" (because, y'know, he's hot.)
The main plot points hinge on the idea of "everyone thinks anyone challenging the status quo must be a conspiracy theorist, but that's not always true." It aims to encourage people (hopefully, the wealthy, influential youth who will be tomorrow's leaders) to challenge accepted ideas, and become activists. It talks about how it's important to present your ideas in such a way that you won't be perceived as a whack-job.
I agree with all this, incidentally.
Unfortunately, the book is not 100% successful at not sounding conspiracy-theory-ish. It is very good at introducing the concepts of these two books - referenced in-text - to younger readers:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
However, it's very vague about how to actually sort out 'junk science' from actual science. It is very dismissive about the possibility that frivolous lawsuits really do exist. It makes a little bit of an effort to show how regular people can accomplish 'evil' goals - but in the end, it ends up painting the villains as pure evil and the opposition as pure good, in such a way that I felt it was unconvincing, and weakened the book's arguments.
Overall - it's not bad. But it really could've been better.
Copy provided by NetGalley - many thanks for the opportunity to read.
August 15, 2014
Having read both Ship Breaker and Pump Six, both of which I admired, respected, and enjoyed, I am a huge fan of Paolo Bacigalupi's work, and I was thrilled to get a chance to read an e-arc of this one.
Because I like his other work so much, I had high expectations. And I want to be kind. So here's the kind version: a disappointing misfire from one of SF's most talented writers. What could have been like a really good teen version of Leverage ultimately doesn't work as a thriller.
But I invested a bunch of time in this, so here comes the less kind version:
This is a terrible book. It is earnest and well-intentioned, but if those were the same things as being good, The Indigo Girls would be the greatest band of all time.
You've got the best friend who starts every sentence with "Girl,.." you've got characters speechifying instead of interacting, and you've got major plot holes all over the place. And you've got a suspense novel with precious little suspense and absolutely glacial pacing through the second half.
And then there are the really problematic sexual politics. It just squicked me out to have a young woman persistently attracted to someone who consistently engages in threatening behavior towards her. She keeps seeing something special in his dark eyes, which had me rolling mine. (And isn't the "white private school girl falls for a black guy whose very race signifies danger" just a little retrograde and overdone?)
And then there's the ragtag band of poorly-differentiated secondary characters--the hacker! The Asian overachiever! And the gay one!
What kills me here is that Bacigalupi has, in his science fiction, been incredibly effective in showing the potential horrors of climate change without ever resorting to didacticism. Here he applies the sledgehammer, winding up with a heavy-handed, obvious, ultimately failed novel.
Because I like his other work so much, I had high expectations. And I want to be kind. So here's the kind version: a disappointing misfire from one of SF's most talented writers. What could have been like a really good teen version of Leverage ultimately doesn't work as a thriller.
But I invested a bunch of time in this, so here comes the less kind version:
This is a terrible book. It is earnest and well-intentioned, but if those were the same things as being good, The Indigo Girls would be the greatest band of all time.
You've got the best friend who starts every sentence with "Girl,.." you've got characters speechifying instead of interacting, and you've got major plot holes all over the place. And you've got a suspense novel with precious little suspense and absolutely glacial pacing through the second half.
And then there are the really problematic sexual politics. It just squicked me out to have a young woman persistently attracted to someone who consistently engages in threatening behavior towards her. She keeps seeing something special in his dark eyes, which had me rolling mine. (And isn't the "white private school girl falls for a black guy whose very race signifies danger" just a little retrograde and overdone?)
And then there's the ragtag band of poorly-differentiated secondary characters--the hacker! The Asian overachiever! And the gay one!
What kills me here is that Bacigalupi has, in his science fiction, been incredibly effective in showing the potential horrors of climate change without ever resorting to didacticism. Here he applies the sledgehammer, winding up with a heavy-handed, obvious, ultimately failed novel.
September 3, 2020
'The Doubt Factory' is a thriller with the soul of an uncompromising investigative journalist, leavened by youthful optimism and presented with the dash and flair of a Vegas magic show.
It tells the story of a diverse group of talented young people who take on the 'Product Defense' firm that has helped to obscure the actions of big companies whose sometimes lethal products have broken their lives.
The hook into the story is the trap that they set for Alex, the daughter Simon Banks, the man who founded and runs the Product Defense firm. She is young, bright, privileged and thinks her father makes his living helping big companies tell their side of the story.
I liked the imagery at the start of the book when the young man leading the group has Alex under observation as she attends her posh school and hangs out with her friends by the pool at her expensive house. He imagines her as fish swimming in a tank, unaware of the hammer that is about the shatter the glass it doesn't know defines its world.
A little later, after the hammer has fallen, Alex has her father's work explained to her. She's told that Simon Banks' clients call his firm 'The Doubt Factory'
'It's a good name, right? Because, really, that's what your dad produces. He doesn't make products, he makes doubt.
If you want everyone to ignore those FDA studies that say you're killing people with your drug, you go to Simon Banks and buy a little doubt. You sprinkle it all over the issue. You spread it around. Pretty soon, the Doubt Factory has everyone so confused that you can go on selling whatever the hell it is for just a little longer."
If you're as old and cynical as I am, then there's nothing new here except the outrage that it keeps happening and the focus on the enablers and not just on the big companies they enable. If you're the young adult audience this book is aimed at then there's a lot here that may make you look again at how you think the world works.
I liked that the people doing the Product Defense work aren't painted as evil. They're nice people, who love their kids and go to Little League games and support charities. They're just doing their job. But their job gets people killed.
I also like the idea of a 'gold standard for the truth'. Documented facts on which decisions can be taken. In the six years since this novel was written, Doubt Factories have become mainstream. Divisive doubt has been weaponised. Truth has been turned into a unicorn only fantasists believe in. Science has been relegated to crazy-cult status and experts have been either silenced or marginalised in the name of a better narrative. 'The Doubt Factory' at least provides some hope that we might not need to accept this. That it can be challenged.
'The Doubt Factory' was the fourth piece of fiction I've read by Paolo Bacigalupi. 'The Windup Girl', 'The Water Knife' and 'Shooting The Apocalypse' are all vivid, hard-edged, uncompromising visions of the brutal realities of a near future in which climate change has started to bite. Knowing that 'The Doubt Factory' was targetted at the Young Adult reader, I was intrigued to see how his style would change.
Obviously, the brutal violence had to go. The bleak do-what-you-need-to-to-survive-but-don't-expect-anything-but-trouble tone of those apocalypse-in-slow-motion-progress books is also absent here. But then, 'The Doubt Factory' is set in the present day when, perhaps, there is still room to hope.
It turned out that the biggest difference in style was that this is a real page-turner thriller with at least three I-didn't-see-that-coming twists that propel the story forward.
What 'The Doubt Factory' has in common with Paolo Bacigalupi's previous books is that the story is founded on a well-researched understanding of how the powerful protect themselves at the expense of the rest of us and how that lets us continue to slide towards avoidable disaster.
I listened to the audiobook version of 'The Doubt Factory', narrated by Emma Galvin. Normally, I like Emma Galvin's style but I had difficulty settling into her narration at the start of the book. She reads in a very emphatic way that works well once the action of the story starts but which I found jarring in the first part of the book, which is more reflective.
Click on the SoundCloud link below and decide for yourself if the audiobook version is for you.
https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/...
It tells the story of a diverse group of talented young people who take on the 'Product Defense' firm that has helped to obscure the actions of big companies whose sometimes lethal products have broken their lives.
The hook into the story is the trap that they set for Alex, the daughter Simon Banks, the man who founded and runs the Product Defense firm. She is young, bright, privileged and thinks her father makes his living helping big companies tell their side of the story.
I liked the imagery at the start of the book when the young man leading the group has Alex under observation as she attends her posh school and hangs out with her friends by the pool at her expensive house. He imagines her as fish swimming in a tank, unaware of the hammer that is about the shatter the glass it doesn't know defines its world.
A little later, after the hammer has fallen, Alex has her father's work explained to her. She's told that Simon Banks' clients call his firm 'The Doubt Factory'
'It's a good name, right? Because, really, that's what your dad produces. He doesn't make products, he makes doubt.
If you want everyone to ignore those FDA studies that say you're killing people with your drug, you go to Simon Banks and buy a little doubt. You sprinkle it all over the issue. You spread it around. Pretty soon, the Doubt Factory has everyone so confused that you can go on selling whatever the hell it is for just a little longer."
If you're as old and cynical as I am, then there's nothing new here except the outrage that it keeps happening and the focus on the enablers and not just on the big companies they enable. If you're the young adult audience this book is aimed at then there's a lot here that may make you look again at how you think the world works.
I liked that the people doing the Product Defense work aren't painted as evil. They're nice people, who love their kids and go to Little League games and support charities. They're just doing their job. But their job gets people killed.
I also like the idea of a 'gold standard for the truth'. Documented facts on which decisions can be taken. In the six years since this novel was written, Doubt Factories have become mainstream. Divisive doubt has been weaponised. Truth has been turned into a unicorn only fantasists believe in. Science has been relegated to crazy-cult status and experts have been either silenced or marginalised in the name of a better narrative. 'The Doubt Factory' at least provides some hope that we might not need to accept this. That it can be challenged.
'The Doubt Factory' was the fourth piece of fiction I've read by Paolo Bacigalupi. 'The Windup Girl', 'The Water Knife' and 'Shooting The Apocalypse' are all vivid, hard-edged, uncompromising visions of the brutal realities of a near future in which climate change has started to bite. Knowing that 'The Doubt Factory' was targetted at the Young Adult reader, I was intrigued to see how his style would change.
Obviously, the brutal violence had to go. The bleak do-what-you-need-to-to-survive-but-don't-expect-anything-but-trouble tone of those apocalypse-in-slow-motion-progress books is also absent here. But then, 'The Doubt Factory' is set in the present day when, perhaps, there is still room to hope.
It turned out that the biggest difference in style was that this is a real page-turner thriller with at least three I-didn't-see-that-coming twists that propel the story forward.
What 'The Doubt Factory' has in common with Paolo Bacigalupi's previous books is that the story is founded on a well-researched understanding of how the powerful protect themselves at the expense of the rest of us and how that lets us continue to slide towards avoidable disaster.
I listened to the audiobook version of 'The Doubt Factory', narrated by Emma Galvin. Normally, I like Emma Galvin's style but I had difficulty settling into her narration at the start of the book. She reads in a very emphatic way that works well once the action of the story starts but which I found jarring in the first part of the book, which is more reflective.
Click on the SoundCloud link below and decide for yourself if the audiobook version is for you.
https://soundcloud.com/penguin-audio/...
dnf
October 22, 2014See more reviews on my blog.
I only got to about the 20% mark, but it's taken me over a week to get there. There is no rating, since I only rate books after 50% or more.
I just...wasn't thrilled by this thriller. It had stuff that could have been interesting, and it did a fair job of establishing a tone of "something isn't right" from the start, but the delivery was quite bland and didn't spark my interest. I think the problem was the main character, Alix, and her focus on how attracted she is to her stalker. It's really hard to keep a "creepy" tone going in a novel when so many words are given over to "I don't know why, but against all reason, that guy is just so cute, omg!" I think I wouldn't have minded it as much if it didn't start literally from the first second she saw this guy, because any time that sort of rhetoric gets started that soon, the characters stop feeling real to me. Instead they're just...tropes.
But not tropes bad enough to keep my interest. All I had was a too-slow "thriller," characters that failed to grip me, and a vague sense of discomfort. It's time for me to throw in the towel on this one.
I only got to about the 20% mark, but it's taken me over a week to get there. There is no rating, since I only rate books after 50% or more.
I just...wasn't thrilled by this thriller. It had stuff that could have been interesting, and it did a fair job of establishing a tone of "something isn't right" from the start, but the delivery was quite bland and didn't spark my interest. I think the problem was the main character, Alix, and her focus on how attracted she is to her stalker. It's really hard to keep a "creepy" tone going in a novel when so many words are given over to "I don't know why, but against all reason, that guy is just so cute, omg!" I think I wouldn't have minded it as much if it didn't start literally from the first second she saw this guy, because any time that sort of rhetoric gets started that soon, the characters stop feeling real to me. Instead they're just...tropes.
But not tropes bad enough to keep my interest. All I had was a too-slow "thriller," characters that failed to grip me, and a vague sense of discomfort. It's time for me to throw in the towel on this one.
March 11, 2018
Read more at Sarcasm & Lemons
the basics
The Doubt Conspiracy is, in my mind, the perfect concept subverted by ham-fisted politics, thin plotting, and a faceless cast. The first half is arguably the most interesting, with the strange attacks on Alix's school and a mysterious stalker. Then it's all ruined because of course he has a magnetism that she can't resist. Pro tip: Stalkers aren't good boyfriends. Alix's fascination leads her into the headquarters of 2.0, a gang of teenagers set on avenging their losses. While the first half caught my attention, had a few twists and some mystery, the story drags on languidly after Alix's introduction to 2.0. The suspense built by the setup deflates into a string of investigative journalism, making out, and a rushed ending. While I loved the concept and enjoyed many moments, I was too frustrated; this book could have been great, could have been powerful, but it felt more like a teenage romance disguised as techno-thriller disguised as statement about corporate greed. I imagine it'll appeal to people who can get more on board with Alix and Moses, but in the end, it's a book I probably won't remember.
plot . 2/5
A good suspense novel required extremely tight plotting. Details must be interwoven carefully, tension must be maintained, and there must be a moment where the reader holds their breath and speed-reads to see what happens next. This book read more like a defanged version of Twilight that happens to be punctuated by long dissertations on the evils of corporate PR and the occasional explosion. The twists and turns are too dragged out to cause any tension. And then there were the parts that irked me. First, Alix is presented as a smart do-gooder whose self-control is contrasted to her brother's impulsivity. Then, a random teenager breaches her school and punches the headmaster in the face. Love at first blood? I can see Alix being intrigued by Moses, but she goes on to chase him, confront him, and let him into her house. Of course he's guilty of vandalism and assault, but she just trust him for some reason, obviously. The impulsive attachment just doesn't gel with Alix's initial portrayal. Also 16-year-olds with CIA hacking skills. Also the truncated chase scene followed by a neverending ending. All the good pieces are there, but they're jumbled up and mixed in with too much chaff.
concept . 5/5
As a staunch opponent of Big Pharma, it's pretty cool to see an author drawing attention to the numerous ways in which these companies trade lives for profits. The industry of uncertainty is famous for tobacco research that says you can't prove smoking skills, trial drugs that never reach production because the population they treat, though severely ill, is too small for a good profit margin. Even rebranding old pills with new names and new marketing to fight against the cheaper generics. It's a sickening industry that should be exposed, and it's amazing to see all of the lies and tricks laid out so plainly.
characters . 2/5
I liked Alix initially. She seemed normal. Not your typical outcast or tragedy. Then her character fell apart and I couldn't latch on to a consistent kernel of Alix-ness. She's cautious but she chases a stalker to his secret hideout. She loves her father and has a wonderful relationship with him, but when 2.0 tells her about his job, she flips from loving daughter to avenging rebel without even bothering to doubt 2.0, to confront her father and ask for his side. On the other hand, Moses has moments that try to make him complex, but he's your pretty standard brooding bad boy with a rough life and a noble cause. There were other characters, but they didn't really stick in my mind. Honestly, I think the person I liked most was Alix's little brother, because at least he was interesting and consistent.
style . 3/5
I've heard wonderful things about Bacigalupi's writing, but it seems even his fans are bemoaning this work. It's not particularly bad writing. It's just fine. The dialogue is a little stilted. There weren't any places where I thought, "Wow. This is really beautiful or apt or illuminating." It was solid, but unremarkable.
mechanics . 1/5
Can I talk about pacing? I've mentioned it before, but this book just drags on. Or rather, it seems to move in jerks and then to linger too long before jerking ahead to the next part. Little is accomplished in the entire first half except: Alix crushes on Moses, Alex tries to find Moses, Alix gets a bodyguard, Alix falls into the hands of 2.0, 2.0 let's Alix go, 2.0 fails in an act of rebellion. That may sound like a lot, but it amounts to very little progress in the way of plot or character progress. Oh yes, and they soliloquize a great deal about corporations and conspiracies. Then we have the second half, which is mostly Alix investigating corporate PR scandals and getting drunk on a boat. Oh, right, and then she and Moses attempt to pull off a dangerous heist that involves guns, decryption software, neurotoxins, and pulling the wool over the eyes of numerous highly trained professions. Which takes all of a sliver of book. I think if they had cut out a third of the book, it would have been far more exciting, if not well plotted.
take home message
The Doubt Factory explores the timely and terrifying culture of corporate disinformation, but falls flat from slow plotting and thin characterization.
the basics
The Doubt Conspiracy is, in my mind, the perfect concept subverted by ham-fisted politics, thin plotting, and a faceless cast. The first half is arguably the most interesting, with the strange attacks on Alix's school and a mysterious stalker. Then it's all ruined because of course he has a magnetism that she can't resist. Pro tip: Stalkers aren't good boyfriends. Alix's fascination leads her into the headquarters of 2.0, a gang of teenagers set on avenging their losses. While the first half caught my attention, had a few twists and some mystery, the story drags on languidly after Alix's introduction to 2.0. The suspense built by the setup deflates into a string of investigative journalism, making out, and a rushed ending. While I loved the concept and enjoyed many moments, I was too frustrated; this book could have been great, could have been powerful, but it felt more like a teenage romance disguised as techno-thriller disguised as statement about corporate greed. I imagine it'll appeal to people who can get more on board with Alix and Moses, but in the end, it's a book I probably won't remember.
plot . 2/5
A good suspense novel required extremely tight plotting. Details must be interwoven carefully, tension must be maintained, and there must be a moment where the reader holds their breath and speed-reads to see what happens next. This book read more like a defanged version of Twilight that happens to be punctuated by long dissertations on the evils of corporate PR and the occasional explosion. The twists and turns are too dragged out to cause any tension. And then there were the parts that irked me. First, Alix is presented as a smart do-gooder whose self-control is contrasted to her brother's impulsivity. Then, a random teenager breaches her school and punches the headmaster in the face. Love at first blood? I can see Alix being intrigued by Moses, but she goes on to chase him, confront him, and let him into her house. Of course he's guilty of vandalism and assault, but she just trust him for some reason, obviously. The impulsive attachment just doesn't gel with Alix's initial portrayal. Also 16-year-olds with CIA hacking skills. Also the truncated chase scene followed by a neverending ending. All the good pieces are there, but they're jumbled up and mixed in with too much chaff.
concept . 5/5
As a staunch opponent of Big Pharma, it's pretty cool to see an author drawing attention to the numerous ways in which these companies trade lives for profits. The industry of uncertainty is famous for tobacco research that says you can't prove smoking skills, trial drugs that never reach production because the population they treat, though severely ill, is too small for a good profit margin. Even rebranding old pills with new names and new marketing to fight against the cheaper generics. It's a sickening industry that should be exposed, and it's amazing to see all of the lies and tricks laid out so plainly.
characters . 2/5
I liked Alix initially. She seemed normal. Not your typical outcast or tragedy. Then her character fell apart and I couldn't latch on to a consistent kernel of Alix-ness. She's cautious but she chases a stalker to his secret hideout. She loves her father and has a wonderful relationship with him, but when 2.0 tells her about his job, she flips from loving daughter to avenging rebel without even bothering to doubt 2.0, to confront her father and ask for his side. On the other hand, Moses has moments that try to make him complex, but he's your pretty standard brooding bad boy with a rough life and a noble cause. There were other characters, but they didn't really stick in my mind. Honestly, I think the person I liked most was Alix's little brother, because at least he was interesting and consistent.
style . 3/5
I've heard wonderful things about Bacigalupi's writing, but it seems even his fans are bemoaning this work. It's not particularly bad writing. It's just fine. The dialogue is a little stilted. There weren't any places where I thought, "Wow. This is really beautiful or apt or illuminating." It was solid, but unremarkable.
mechanics . 1/5
Can I talk about pacing? I've mentioned it before, but this book just drags on. Or rather, it seems to move in jerks and then to linger too long before jerking ahead to the next part. Little is accomplished in the entire first half except: Alix crushes on Moses, Alex tries to find Moses, Alix gets a bodyguard, Alix falls into the hands of 2.0, 2.0 let's Alix go, 2.0 fails in an act of rebellion. That may sound like a lot, but it amounts to very little progress in the way of plot or character progress. Oh yes, and they soliloquize a great deal about corporations and conspiracies. Then we have the second half, which is mostly Alix investigating corporate PR scandals and getting drunk on a boat. Oh, right, and then she and Moses attempt to pull off a dangerous heist that involves guns, decryption software, neurotoxins, and pulling the wool over the eyes of numerous highly trained professions. Which takes all of a sliver of book. I think if they had cut out a third of the book, it would have been far more exciting, if not well plotted.
take home message
The Doubt Factory explores the timely and terrifying culture of corporate disinformation, but falls flat from slow plotting and thin characterization.
July 17, 2014
I genuinely enjoyed this book filled with intrigue and conspiracy theories! Yes, I received an ARC at BEA, but I think I would have picked it up anyway. This is an unusual tale in the YA world: a story of the back door peddling that works to keep the corporate wheels of profit turning.
It starts with a moderately rich teenage girl who witnesses an unusual event at her private, upscale high school. Before she knows it, she has been drawn into a web of subterfuge and conniving... All to undo the supposed machinations of her supposedly ruthless father.
There are constant twists and turns in the plot line that add up to an engrossing tale. Yes, there is a bit of righteous indignation bleeding from the author's pen, but it is important for teens to be aware of the behind-the-scenes activities that often happen in today's world. This book does that with some clever characters, action-packed plot, and a touch of romance. I definitely recommend it!
It starts with a moderately rich teenage girl who witnesses an unusual event at her private, upscale high school. Before she knows it, she has been drawn into a web of subterfuge and conniving... All to undo the supposed machinations of her supposedly ruthless father.
There are constant twists and turns in the plot line that add up to an engrossing tale. Yes, there is a bit of righteous indignation bleeding from the author's pen, but it is important for teens to be aware of the behind-the-scenes activities that often happen in today's world. This book does that with some clever characters, action-packed plot, and a touch of romance. I definitely recommend it!
August 29, 2015
I absolutely loved Drowned Cities and Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi, so I was very excited to hear he had a new YA book coming this fall. And while there were many strengths to The Doubt Factory, it didn't blow me away like his previous dystopias.
The Doubt Factory is a very educational, well-researched book that has some good characters and a decent plot. But even if you agree with his message (which I do), it is so prevalent that it becomes a little off-putting. As readers we often like our books to have messages (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and arguments (The Da Vinci Code); however, the narrative drive has to be strong enough to carry the reader along - we need to feel the plot, characters and message on a very visceral level. Unfortunately, Bacigalupi has not achieved the correct balance (as he did in Drowned Cities), and as a result, The Doubt Factory comes off as far too message-y.
To start, The Doubt Factory is a very conventional narrative of a privileged teen girl growing up in California. She goes to a good private school, studies hard, has friends, and takes care of her brother. However, a mysterious stranger named Moses has been watching her. To him, she is another pretty fish in a tank, one who can't even see the walls around her, and he is about to smash all those boundaries. She is his target, although his real goal is to take down her father - the CEO of a image-consultant company that sells its services to any corporation needing help to mask the harmful things they are doing. This company is "The Doubt Factory," which uses careful techniques to cast doubt on any science attacking a company or its product. Although this is an accepted practice, the result is that far to frequently dangerous chemicals and drugs continue to be sold to unsuspecting consumers for a several years, or even indefinitely. A warning label delayed for three years can make a company millions in continued sales, meanwhile costing dozens or hundred lives. All because truths were called into question and doubts were created by these consultant companies.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the plot turns on a mystery and several fairly well-executed capers. As always, Bacigalupi is a strong writer with some great moments. The main relationship is standard teen drama, as are some of his characters, which I found a little disappointing. Mostly, I find myself admiring Bacigalupi for what he is trying to do - create an engaging and believable fiction that also explains a complicated political argument. The effort is impressive, though the success is slightly less so. Anyone who reads this book will certainly learn something. And though I cannot recommend it as a truly riveting read, it is in its own way a fairly solid book that casts light on an often overlooked subject.
-Kirsten
The Doubt Factory is a very educational, well-researched book that has some good characters and a decent plot. But even if you agree with his message (which I do), it is so prevalent that it becomes a little off-putting. As readers we often like our books to have messages (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) and arguments (The Da Vinci Code); however, the narrative drive has to be strong enough to carry the reader along - we need to feel the plot, characters and message on a very visceral level. Unfortunately, Bacigalupi has not achieved the correct balance (as he did in Drowned Cities), and as a result, The Doubt Factory comes off as far too message-y.
To start, The Doubt Factory is a very conventional narrative of a privileged teen girl growing up in California. She goes to a good private school, studies hard, has friends, and takes care of her brother. However, a mysterious stranger named Moses has been watching her. To him, she is another pretty fish in a tank, one who can't even see the walls around her, and he is about to smash all those boundaries. She is his target, although his real goal is to take down her father - the CEO of a image-consultant company that sells its services to any corporation needing help to mask the harmful things they are doing. This company is "The Doubt Factory," which uses careful techniques to cast doubt on any science attacking a company or its product. Although this is an accepted practice, the result is that far to frequently dangerous chemicals and drugs continue to be sold to unsuspecting consumers for a several years, or even indefinitely. A warning label delayed for three years can make a company millions in continued sales, meanwhile costing dozens or hundred lives. All because truths were called into question and doubts were created by these consultant companies.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the plot turns on a mystery and several fairly well-executed capers. As always, Bacigalupi is a strong writer with some great moments. The main relationship is standard teen drama, as are some of his characters, which I found a little disappointing. Mostly, I find myself admiring Bacigalupi for what he is trying to do - create an engaging and believable fiction that also explains a complicated political argument. The effort is impressive, though the success is slightly less so. Anyone who reads this book will certainly learn something. And though I cannot recommend it as a truly riveting read, it is in its own way a fairly solid book that casts light on an often overlooked subject.
-Kirsten
January 25, 2015
...What we are left with is a suspenseful novel with occasionally very good characterization. It's a novel with an important message, one that, despite the mechanism being clear for anyone willing to connect the dots, doesn't get nearly enough attention. I enjoyed reading it but after finishing The Doubt Factory it still left me with the feeling that the novel made it too easy to dismiss it as a conspiracy theory. It's unfair to expect a work of fiction to come up with the answer to one of the major challenges facing American democracy but I would have liked to see it reach out a bit more, rather than just condemning shameful corporate behaviour. If simply exposing it would be the answer, we'd have solved a lot of problems by now. Still, it is a message that needs to be spread, and as such the novel is very much worth reading. Just be aware that you will never see a political statement or an article in the news quite the same way after you finish this book. The pattern Bacigalupi describes is everywhere.
Full Random Comments review
Full Random Comments review
March 27, 2015
"My family's deaths aren't on you. The next one who dies though? That is on you. Because now you know something is wrong, and you're not doing anything about it."'The Doubt Factory' by Paolo Bacigalupi is a unique and riveting YA novel full of action and plot twists. It begins with Alix, a teenage girl from a wealthy background, being targeted by a mysterious boy from an activist group known as 2.0. But Alix soon learns that it's not her 2.0 are after. It's her father, a man Alix is forced to see different light, if anything 2.0 tells her is true. Alix has to choose. Protect her father? Or expose what his company has done (and are still doing)?
Bacigalupi's writing style is relatively uncomplicated, in past tense third person. The real impressor here is the way he seamlessly weaves copious amounts of factual information into the story. This is a book that teaches, not just entertains. It also conveys powerful messages about truth, different types of love and making the 'right' choice.
Strongly recommended to avid readers of 13+ who enjoy sci-f. and thrillers with a touch of romance.
October 25, 2014
Simply talking about an important social issue does not a good novel make. Unlikely plot, poor and sometimes downright sloppy writing and overall a really dull and boring read. Probably wouldn't have bothered to finish it if I hadn't been trapped on a plane. I've loved all of Paolo Bacigalupi's other work - so have no idea what went wrong here.
Read
December 4, 2014I want to buy this for all the young people in my life so we can talk about it after they've read it.
dnf
October 13, 2014Chapters read: 8
I wasn't really feeling The Doubt Factory to begin with. After putting it down for the weekend, I wasn't really looking forward to picking it back up again. The chapter that I read gave me additional trepidation. Then I saw that April had reviewed it and I checked with her on whether I would like it. The answer was no.
Here's my issue with the doubt factory and it all comes down to the romance:
"Meeting" One: Moses punches a school administrator while Alix looks on through the classroom window. He seems to notice her.
Interlude One: When everyone is interviewed by the cops, it turns out everyone describes the guy differently. Only Alix could see him clearly.
Meeting Two: Alix's school is closed because of a bomb threat. Millions of rats flood out and the guy's calling card is painted on the windows in red. While this is going on, he appears behind her in the crowd, looking completely different, and tells her he did it for her. Then she chases him away, he manhandles her, she bites him, and he tells her to ask her father what it was about.
Interlude Two: Alix tells her friend Cynthia about what happened during the prank and the friend rightly tells her how messed up it is. Alix is unafraid of this guy, we learn, and has to be forced to tell her father, even though she knows that's what she should do.
Interlude Three: Moses' partners in crime and activism tell him he's too interested in Alix and making dangerous decisions as a result. Oh, the attraction, it's palpable.
Meeting Three: Moses shows up outside her house at night, despite the fact that there is now a security detail watching the place. ALIX LETS HIM IN.
I cannot even with this book. I'm so fucking sick of heroines instatrusting shady guys. I'm sure he'll end up to be good and her dad to be evil. That's pretty fucking obvious. The fact that she'll no doubt end up being right about him doesn't make her behavior at this point any less idiotic. I'm not remotely interested in the outcome and already loathe the TSTL main character. I'm out.
I wasn't really feeling The Doubt Factory to begin with. After putting it down for the weekend, I wasn't really looking forward to picking it back up again. The chapter that I read gave me additional trepidation. Then I saw that April had reviewed it and I checked with her on whether I would like it. The answer was no.
Here's my issue with the doubt factory and it all comes down to the romance:
"Meeting" One: Moses punches a school administrator while Alix looks on through the classroom window. He seems to notice her.
Interlude One: When everyone is interviewed by the cops, it turns out everyone describes the guy differently. Only Alix could see him clearly.
Meeting Two: Alix's school is closed because of a bomb threat. Millions of rats flood out and the guy's calling card is painted on the windows in red. While this is going on, he appears behind her in the crowd, looking completely different, and tells her he did it for her. Then she chases him away, he manhandles her, she bites him, and he tells her to ask her father what it was about.
Interlude Two: Alix tells her friend Cynthia about what happened during the prank and the friend rightly tells her how messed up it is. Alix is unafraid of this guy, we learn, and has to be forced to tell her father, even though she knows that's what she should do.
Interlude Three: Moses' partners in crime and activism tell him he's too interested in Alix and making dangerous decisions as a result. Oh, the attraction, it's palpable.
Meeting Three: Moses shows up outside her house at night, despite the fact that there is now a security detail watching the place. ALIX LETS HIM IN.
I cannot even with this book. I'm so fucking sick of heroines instatrusting shady guys. I'm sure he'll end up to be good and her dad to be evil. That's pretty fucking obvious. The fact that she'll no doubt end up being right about him doesn't make her behavior at this point any less idiotic. I'm not remotely interested in the outcome and already loathe the TSTL main character. I'm out.
December 27, 2014
This was just not up to Bacigalupi's usual standards for YA.
The characters felt flat all the way through. It was more like Pilgrim's Progress for Radicals than a novel--you had your Status Quo, your Righteous Truth, your Innocent Orphan, and so on. They would speechify at each other, there would be a not-very-intersting action scene, and then they would speechify some more. Info-dumps all over the place.
This needed to be more fleshed out with a few more revisions, to turn the stereotypes into characters and come up with a more plausible sequence of events.
The characters felt flat all the way through. It was more like Pilgrim's Progress for Radicals than a novel--you had your Status Quo, your Righteous Truth, your Innocent Orphan, and so on. They would speechify at each other, there would be a not-very-intersting action scene, and then they would speechify some more. Info-dumps all over the place.
This needed to be more fleshed out with a few more revisions, to turn the stereotypes into characters and come up with a more plausible sequence of events.
October 24, 2014
All I have to say is FUCK YEAH BACIGALUPI. Exactly THREE people are writing subversive, idea-packed, politically activated thrillers for teens right now, and they are Alex London, Cory Doctorow, and Paolo "Read the Label" Bacigalupi. Bonus points to Sandy and to Paolo for misting their compelling novels of ideas with little wafts of realistic romance and friendship. Rock on, brothers.
May 28, 2018
We really might have hit some kind of Singularity, because this novel was published in 2014, and I am having a hard time caring not because it’s bad but just because certain elements of what’s happening right now seem like they’re out of the worst-conceived conspiracy theories ever. The Doubt Factory is an attempt by Paolo Bacigalupi to distill the dangerous, pay-to-play nature of many industries into a thriller for young adults. He examines the role that media and marketing play in sowing doubt (hence the title) about the dangers of things like pharmaceutical drugs. Although this is a topic I’m sympathetic to, and I actually enjoyed the book while I was reading it, The Doubt Factory is much less memorable or moving than it should be.
Alix Banks is the daughter of Simon Banks, a leading PR strategist for companies too rich to be named. She goes to an elite private school, which begins to be the target of increasingly elaborate stunts/pranks by a vandal named 2.0. When 2.0 makes it clear he is interested in Alix, the Banks family goes into protection mode, with a private security company, FBI involvement, etc. Nevertheless, Alix finds herself attracted to this mysterious 2.0, enough to hear him out and eventually contemplate joining forces with him to take down her father. But is that really what she wants? And if it is, could they really have any hope of succeeding?
What begins as a “wake up sheeple” kind of plot escalates gradually. In this respect, Bacigalupi does a great job: his pacing is on point. Rather than drawing out the suspense, he just keeps handing us more and more revelations, raises the stakes, and moves on to the next step in the plot. As a result, even though this is on the longer side for the types of thrillers I will read, he kept me interested.
It’s hard for me to tell what someone less aware of the issues of corruption and misinformation within these kinds of industries might make of the themes herein. None of this is that new to me. And I don’t know how a teenager reading this, whether they are versed in this stuff or not, will react. I think Bacigalupi makes a valiant effort to highlight why this is important, with appeals to all three modes of persuasion. So in a didactic sense, The Doubt Factory might be effective.
Where the book loses my interest is the relationship between Alix and Moses/2.0. It isn’t even the way in which she starts to come around to him (although, ugh, the whole “woman falls for mysterious rebel with a cause” trope, please). I respect how Bacigalupi shows Alix’s gradual awakening from her sheltered position as Simon’s daughter. Yet she never fully graduates to the proactive role of protagonist that I was looking for. She assists Moses, sure. That’s about it, though. And I find these protagonists are the ones I am least interested in following in books like this. I can understand a main character needing to be brought around as part of their character arc … but I want them to seize the day and actually do something.
This exacerbates the other obvious flaw of The Doubt Factory, and the reason I often paint thrillers with an ungenerous genre brush: the other characters here are shallow, stereotypical, and stock. Lisa, aka “Death Barbie” is this cold-hearted merc. Kook is a gothy/punky hacker type who deliberately wants to keep you off balance but has a heart of gold somewhere in there. Even Alix’s dad is basically just a PR Suit Who Had Kids and Thinks He Knows Best. Everyone in this story acts or reacts exactly like they need to in order to keep this plot going, rather than in organic ways that would make sense if they are people. It’s like Bacigalupi watched one too many Jason Bourne movies, then slammed back some Ocean’s Eleven, and said, “Imma make these, but it’s a book.” It’s just … not good.
The Doubt Factory isn’t bad, either. It has its moments. But I think, in general, it relies too much on the idea that the message it contains will be strong enough to sustain interest in a paper-thin plot propelled by cardboard cutouts for characters. I think this is a shame, because this subject deserves much more compelling characterization, and YA novels in general deserve that. I loved the way that Bacigalupi developed his star-crossed characters in Ship Breaker , but it just doesn’t happen here. This is not a book I’m in any hurry to recommend.
Alix Banks is the daughter of Simon Banks, a leading PR strategist for companies too rich to be named. She goes to an elite private school, which begins to be the target of increasingly elaborate stunts/pranks by a vandal named 2.0. When 2.0 makes it clear he is interested in Alix, the Banks family goes into protection mode, with a private security company, FBI involvement, etc. Nevertheless, Alix finds herself attracted to this mysterious 2.0, enough to hear him out and eventually contemplate joining forces with him to take down her father. But is that really what she wants? And if it is, could they really have any hope of succeeding?
What begins as a “wake up sheeple” kind of plot escalates gradually. In this respect, Bacigalupi does a great job: his pacing is on point. Rather than drawing out the suspense, he just keeps handing us more and more revelations, raises the stakes, and moves on to the next step in the plot. As a result, even though this is on the longer side for the types of thrillers I will read, he kept me interested.
It’s hard for me to tell what someone less aware of the issues of corruption and misinformation within these kinds of industries might make of the themes herein. None of this is that new to me. And I don’t know how a teenager reading this, whether they are versed in this stuff or not, will react. I think Bacigalupi makes a valiant effort to highlight why this is important, with appeals to all three modes of persuasion. So in a didactic sense, The Doubt Factory might be effective.
Where the book loses my interest is the relationship between Alix and Moses/2.0. It isn’t even the way in which she starts to come around to him (although, ugh, the whole “woman falls for mysterious rebel with a cause” trope, please). I respect how Bacigalupi shows Alix’s gradual awakening from her sheltered position as Simon’s daughter. Yet she never fully graduates to the proactive role of protagonist that I was looking for. She assists Moses, sure. That’s about it, though. And I find these protagonists are the ones I am least interested in following in books like this. I can understand a main character needing to be brought around as part of their character arc … but I want them to seize the day and actually do something.
This exacerbates the other obvious flaw of The Doubt Factory, and the reason I often paint thrillers with an ungenerous genre brush: the other characters here are shallow, stereotypical, and stock. Lisa, aka “Death Barbie” is this cold-hearted merc. Kook is a gothy/punky hacker type who deliberately wants to keep you off balance but has a heart of gold somewhere in there. Even Alix’s dad is basically just a PR Suit Who Had Kids and Thinks He Knows Best. Everyone in this story acts or reacts exactly like they need to in order to keep this plot going, rather than in organic ways that would make sense if they are people. It’s like Bacigalupi watched one too many Jason Bourne movies, then slammed back some Ocean’s Eleven, and said, “Imma make these, but it’s a book.” It’s just … not good.
The Doubt Factory isn’t bad, either. It has its moments. But I think, in general, it relies too much on the idea that the message it contains will be strong enough to sustain interest in a paper-thin plot propelled by cardboard cutouts for characters. I think this is a shame, because this subject deserves much more compelling characterization, and YA novels in general deserve that. I loved the way that Bacigalupi developed his star-crossed characters in Ship Breaker , but it just doesn’t happen here. This is not a book I’m in any hurry to recommend.
April 27, 2022
This was a great break from all the other types of books I've been reading recently. It was a faster read and thoroughly engrossing. I had read one of Bacigalupi's books before, and enjoyed it immensely. I now want to read more of his work, since his books have such great plots and fascinating characters.
October 28, 2014
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
Paolo Bacigalupi’s most recent stand-alone novel is a modern day young adult thriller. It’s about a rich girl named Alix who attends an elite highschool (uh oh, it’s already starting off wrong for me) who meets a mysterious sexy bad boy (oh gosh) who leads a diverse gang of socially conscious teenage vandals (ugh) who hope to change the world by taking down a public relations company that works for industries like Big Pharma. They hope to do this by stalking Alix and showing her how bad her father, one of the owners of the company, is.
At first Alix, after she finally figures out what the mystery stalker is all about, isn’t willing to believe that her father, a man who takes such good care of his family, could be so cold-hearted toward the rest of the world. Ah, but Alix has the hots for the sexy bad boy stalker (it wouldn’t be a YA novel otherwise), so she begins to investigate his claim. Could her awesome father be such a villain? And, if so, should she blow the whistle?
Up to this point I have loved everything I’ve read by Paolo Bacigalupi. His excellent story collection Pump Six and Other Stories is one of my favorite collections because it’s full of unique and fascinating stories. The Doubt Factory, on the other hand, doesn’t live up to my expectations because of its clichéd YA tropes and its heavy-handed message. However, it’s exciting and I may still find myself recommending the book to my Research Methods students because it sheds light on important issues that I care and teach about: how industries such as Big Pharma are able to confuse “truth” in such a way as to either get dangerous products on the market or delay getting them removed. Sometimes they use shoddy research techniques, biased reporting, shameless lobbying and deceitful advertising, all to make money off an ignorant populace. All they have to do, as the title of Bacigalupi’s book suggests, is to create doubt. The people who do this may be very nice people who are just doing what their job requires. Bacigalupi asks at what point we should hold them personally accountable and shows us that even a teenage girl can make a difference.
I like this message, but wish it had been delivered with more nuance. After finishing The Doubt Factory, I had learned something, but I felt like I’d been flattened with a steamroller. And I definitely could have done without all the icky teenage stalker bits. Alix lets the stalker into her house at night, goes to meet him in an abandoned factory, gets in his car, and other things…. I thought she was stupid. Meanwhile Sexy Stalker thinks she’s amazing, not a “sheep” like all the other girls, and that she’s going to change the world. His evidence is that when confronted with the news about her father, she starts Googling to find out the truth. I feel like Bacigalupi doesn’t give teenage girls enough credit if he thinks that’s all it takes to make a girl stand out from the crowd.
So, while I appreciated Bacigalupi’s Message, and while I admit that the story will be educational and probably thrilling for most teenage readers, I wished for less typical YA drama and more subtlety. I may recommend the book to my students because of the Message about research ethics, but not to my kids because sleeping with your stalker just isn’t cool.
I listened to Listening Library’s audio version of The Doubt Factory which is 12 hours long and read by Emma Galvin. Ms Galvin gave a terrific performance. Her voices and pacing were excellent. If you plan to read The Doubt Factory, I recommend this version.
Paolo Bacigalupi’s most recent stand-alone novel is a modern day young adult thriller. It’s about a rich girl named Alix who attends an elite highschool (uh oh, it’s already starting off wrong for me) who meets a mysterious sexy bad boy (oh gosh) who leads a diverse gang of socially conscious teenage vandals (ugh) who hope to change the world by taking down a public relations company that works for industries like Big Pharma. They hope to do this by stalking Alix and showing her how bad her father, one of the owners of the company, is.
At first Alix, after she finally figures out what the mystery stalker is all about, isn’t willing to believe that her father, a man who takes such good care of his family, could be so cold-hearted toward the rest of the world. Ah, but Alix has the hots for the sexy bad boy stalker (it wouldn’t be a YA novel otherwise), so she begins to investigate his claim. Could her awesome father be such a villain? And, if so, should she blow the whistle?
Up to this point I have loved everything I’ve read by Paolo Bacigalupi. His excellent story collection Pump Six and Other Stories is one of my favorite collections because it’s full of unique and fascinating stories. The Doubt Factory, on the other hand, doesn’t live up to my expectations because of its clichéd YA tropes and its heavy-handed message. However, it’s exciting and I may still find myself recommending the book to my Research Methods students because it sheds light on important issues that I care and teach about: how industries such as Big Pharma are able to confuse “truth” in such a way as to either get dangerous products on the market or delay getting them removed. Sometimes they use shoddy research techniques, biased reporting, shameless lobbying and deceitful advertising, all to make money off an ignorant populace. All they have to do, as the title of Bacigalupi’s book suggests, is to create doubt. The people who do this may be very nice people who are just doing what their job requires. Bacigalupi asks at what point we should hold them personally accountable and shows us that even a teenage girl can make a difference.
I like this message, but wish it had been delivered with more nuance. After finishing The Doubt Factory, I had learned something, but I felt like I’d been flattened with a steamroller. And I definitely could have done without all the icky teenage stalker bits. Alix lets the stalker into her house at night, goes to meet him in an abandoned factory, gets in his car, and other things…. I thought she was stupid. Meanwhile Sexy Stalker thinks she’s amazing, not a “sheep” like all the other girls, and that she’s going to change the world. His evidence is that when confronted with the news about her father, she starts Googling to find out the truth. I feel like Bacigalupi doesn’t give teenage girls enough credit if he thinks that’s all it takes to make a girl stand out from the crowd.
So, while I appreciated Bacigalupi’s Message, and while I admit that the story will be educational and probably thrilling for most teenage readers, I wished for less typical YA drama and more subtlety. I may recommend the book to my students because of the Message about research ethics, but not to my kids because sleeping with your stalker just isn’t cool.
I listened to Listening Library’s audio version of The Doubt Factory which is 12 hours long and read by Emma Galvin. Ms Galvin gave a terrific performance. Her voices and pacing were excellent. If you plan to read The Doubt Factory, I recommend this version.
August 17, 2017
Let's start with a confession. I've been a fan of Paolo Bacigalupi's science fiction ever since reading The Windup Girl, which I regard as one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read. The future scenario the author portrays is compelling and strikingly imaginative, and I've found much the same evidence of creativity in his other science fiction novels. So I turned to another of Bacigalupi's books, The Doubt Factory, expecting more of the same. It's not. This one, set in the United States today, is a contemporary young adult thriller, pure and simple. Combining the author's clever plotting and fluid prose with deft development of characters who are unique and believable, The Doubt Factory is an accomplished example of his craft. I liked it a lot even though it isn't science fiction!
Alix Banks is a 17-year-old senior at an exclusive Connecticut prep school, daughter of the founder and chief executive of a public relations firm, Banks Strategy Partners. She lives with her parents and hyperactive younger brother, Jonah, in a luxurious suburban home near other wealthy executives and professionals. Alix is a top student and track star at Seitz Academy, but she has to work to get the top grades she and her parents expect. By contrast, her friend Cynthia effortlessly earns all As. Cynthia spends evenings and weekends "partying," and routinely invites Alix to duck her parents and come along.
Meanwhile, a young man named Moses Cruz is somehow monitoring Alix's every move at home and at school through surveillance devices that are obviously well hidden. Then Moses shows up in the quad at Seitz Academy in the midst of a massive prank that draws all eyes to him. Someone, somehow, has caused an enormous red tag ("2.0") to show up on the side of the chemistry lab and released a prodigious number of white rats inside. As the rats scurry away over the quad, the headmaster attempts without success to detain Moses. A tall black man dressed in fatigues, he's obviously out of place at Seitz, where students wear uniforms. Alix is fascinated and runs after him as he makes his escape from campus security and the police who've been called to the scene.
Moses calls his team 2.0. Like him, the other three are all brilliant teenage renegades: a Goth coder, a young gay man, and a 12- or 13-year old mechanical genius. They're obviously up to something, but we won't learn what until much later in the story. Whatever it is, it has something to do with the "Doubt Factory" of the title, but that name doesn't show up until nearly halfway through the novel.
The Doubt Factory is an action-packed young adult thriller and the story of an unlikely romance as well. It's all based on a monumental secret and the lies that are told to protect it.
Alix Banks is a 17-year-old senior at an exclusive Connecticut prep school, daughter of the founder and chief executive of a public relations firm, Banks Strategy Partners. She lives with her parents and hyperactive younger brother, Jonah, in a luxurious suburban home near other wealthy executives and professionals. Alix is a top student and track star at Seitz Academy, but she has to work to get the top grades she and her parents expect. By contrast, her friend Cynthia effortlessly earns all As. Cynthia spends evenings and weekends "partying," and routinely invites Alix to duck her parents and come along.
Meanwhile, a young man named Moses Cruz is somehow monitoring Alix's every move at home and at school through surveillance devices that are obviously well hidden. Then Moses shows up in the quad at Seitz Academy in the midst of a massive prank that draws all eyes to him. Someone, somehow, has caused an enormous red tag ("2.0") to show up on the side of the chemistry lab and released a prodigious number of white rats inside. As the rats scurry away over the quad, the headmaster attempts without success to detain Moses. A tall black man dressed in fatigues, he's obviously out of place at Seitz, where students wear uniforms. Alix is fascinated and runs after him as he makes his escape from campus security and the police who've been called to the scene.
Moses calls his team 2.0. Like him, the other three are all brilliant teenage renegades: a Goth coder, a young gay man, and a 12- or 13-year old mechanical genius. They're obviously up to something, but we won't learn what until much later in the story. Whatever it is, it has something to do with the "Doubt Factory" of the title, but that name doesn't show up until nearly halfway through the novel.
The Doubt Factory is an action-packed young adult thriller and the story of an unlikely romance as well. It's all based on a monumental secret and the lies that are told to protect it.
July 8, 2024
I wish I loved it, but I didn't. I don't even object to didactic fiction! I wish I could say I even liked it, but I can't even give it more than two stars. That is not "okay." It might get a tiny bit better as it goes on and it certainly is well-intentioned. It focuses on how manufacturers hire PR teams and wrangle research to promote doubt about safety and keep products on the market in order to continue making profit off dangerous products from tobacco and prescription meds, to aspirin and climate change.
I wanted to love it because the "conspiracies" he exposes are all pretty much real, so no revelation there. But most students are blissfully unaware that while they are worrying about mass-media inspired conspiracies, companies are exploiting their fears to keep them distracted. It would have been wonderful if Bacigalupi had written a book to get YA readers up in arms over something real.
Sadly, he did not write a book strong enough to accomplish much of anything. Most readers will dismiss the conspiracies as fiction and miss the only thing of value in the novel. The tobacco companies DID hide their knowledge of the damage their poison was doing to live human beings. Aspirin manufacturers DID drag their feet about warning labels about Reyes Syndrome and aspirin, especially for boys. MANY pharmaceutical companies have hidden, disguised, or simply lied about the dangers of their products. (The irony is that the book focuses on aspirin, a relatively safe product now getting short shrift because it's not as profitable as . . . just about anything else.)
The cliché characters never flew for me. The romance was . . . tedious if not downright dangerous by perpetuating romanticized stalkers who are cute and charming. I struggled to finish it and only did in order to fairly call it done. The intended lesson of this book is admirable, but this is not the sort of Bacigalupi novel we expect or are likely to enjoy. This is not Windup Girl, Pump Six and Other Stories, or even Ship Breaker (also a YA book). Go read those books.
I wanted to love it because the "conspiracies" he exposes are all pretty much real, so no revelation there. But most students are blissfully unaware that while they are worrying about mass-media inspired conspiracies, companies are exploiting their fears to keep them distracted. It would have been wonderful if Bacigalupi had written a book to get YA readers up in arms over something real.
Sadly, he did not write a book strong enough to accomplish much of anything. Most readers will dismiss the conspiracies as fiction and miss the only thing of value in the novel. The tobacco companies DID hide their knowledge of the damage their poison was doing to live human beings. Aspirin manufacturers DID drag their feet about warning labels about Reyes Syndrome and aspirin, especially for boys. MANY pharmaceutical companies have hidden, disguised, or simply lied about the dangers of their products. (The irony is that the book focuses on aspirin, a relatively safe product now getting short shrift because it's not as profitable as . . . just about anything else.)
The cliché characters never flew for me. The romance was . . . tedious if not downright dangerous by perpetuating romanticized stalkers who are cute and charming. I struggled to finish it and only did in order to fairly call it done. The intended lesson of this book is admirable, but this is not the sort of Bacigalupi novel we expect or are likely to enjoy. This is not Windup Girl, Pump Six and Other Stories, or even Ship Breaker (also a YA book). Go read those books.
November 10, 2014
The Doubt Factory is an exciting page turner, that also gets you thinking about our legal system and how it can be manipulated.
Alix leads a pretty normal life, for a rich teenager. She attends a private school, has some friends, and her home life is pretty normal even though her father is a work-a-holic.
Things fall apart when Alix realizes she is the target of a stalker. Strange things happen at school, but the same kid keeps appearing, and Alix is confused. All he says is, "ask your dad -- he knows what this is about." So, she asks her dad. But he doesn't know anything.
As things come to a head, the stalker tries to convince Alix that her dad is the president of a public relations company that has caused hundreds of people's deaths, because they keep the truth about dangerous products from the public He tries to get Alix to help them expose her father for what he truly is. He and his rag-tag crew have all been hurt by something her father has made millions of dollars on by covering up the dangers.
So, should she believe him? Does she believe all these horrible things about her dad? Alix begins to do some investigating herself, and what she finds puts her in a lot of danger.
I really loved this story. Bacigalupi really makes you feel for these characters. The gang of misfits who are highly intelligent come up with some creative ways to elude the authorities. I also loved Alix's brother, who is the trouble maker in the family, but ends up being an OK kid.
There's some romance, and I won't go into detail, but it's OK. I feel like since this is YA, it is a requirement, but I didn't feel it necessary.
The story is well paced and interesting. Although you think you may know what is going to happen, I think you will be surprised.
Recommend The Doubt Factory to those who like adventure, suspense, and survival stories, with a little spying mixed in.
Alix leads a pretty normal life, for a rich teenager. She attends a private school, has some friends, and her home life is pretty normal even though her father is a work-a-holic.
Things fall apart when Alix realizes she is the target of a stalker. Strange things happen at school, but the same kid keeps appearing, and Alix is confused. All he says is, "ask your dad -- he knows what this is about." So, she asks her dad. But he doesn't know anything.
As things come to a head, the stalker tries to convince Alix that her dad is the president of a public relations company that has caused hundreds of people's deaths, because they keep the truth about dangerous products from the public He tries to get Alix to help them expose her father for what he truly is. He and his rag-tag crew have all been hurt by something her father has made millions of dollars on by covering up the dangers.
So, should she believe him? Does she believe all these horrible things about her dad? Alix begins to do some investigating herself, and what she finds puts her in a lot of danger.
I really loved this story. Bacigalupi really makes you feel for these characters. The gang of misfits who are highly intelligent come up with some creative ways to elude the authorities. I also loved Alix's brother, who is the trouble maker in the family, but ends up being an OK kid.
There's some romance, and I won't go into detail, but it's OK. I feel like since this is YA, it is a requirement, but I didn't feel it necessary.
The story is well paced and interesting. Although you think you may know what is going to happen, I think you will be surprised.
Recommend The Doubt Factory to those who like adventure, suspense, and survival stories, with a little spying mixed in.
March 12, 2018
This experience, along with his zombie baseball book, have given me a reason to be cautious about Bacigalupi books going forward. From now on, before renting or purchasing his books, I'm going to have to check the description to see if it takes place in present day.
I loved The Windup Girl, the Shipbreaker books, and the Water Knife. Part of what worked for me in those books was the excellent but not excessive world-building, the high-stakes, and the pacing. Sadly, in both this and Zombie Baseball Beatdown, the author sets stories in the theoretical real world.
I'm not entirely sure if that's all that's to blame, as if he feels somehow more restricted by a normal setting, or if it's merely coincidence, but both books have similar issues.
I reached about 20% in this book and realized I didn't really care about Alix, the protagonist. I didn't care about her family, or 2.0, the young man in charge of a goofy hacker collective that feels ripped out of hacker collective from the 90's, or anyone else involved. Very little had actually happened, everyone's goals were obscured, and the writing seems to overestimate how interesting I found the principle mystery.
Sometimes obscurity can create a compelling mystery, but for me it more often leads to not having enough information to care about what characters are doing or have a stake in their actions. It's worth noting that the blurb for the book on the Goodreads description gave me more information on the premise than the first quarter of the book did.
I loved The Windup Girl, the Shipbreaker books, and the Water Knife. Part of what worked for me in those books was the excellent but not excessive world-building, the high-stakes, and the pacing. Sadly, in both this and Zombie Baseball Beatdown, the author sets stories in the theoretical real world.
I'm not entirely sure if that's all that's to blame, as if he feels somehow more restricted by a normal setting, or if it's merely coincidence, but both books have similar issues.
I reached about 20% in this book and realized I didn't really care about Alix, the protagonist. I didn't care about her family, or 2.0, the young man in charge of a goofy hacker collective that feels ripped out of hacker collective from the 90's, or anyone else involved. Very little had actually happened, everyone's goals were obscured, and the writing seems to overestimate how interesting I found the principle mystery.
Sometimes obscurity can create a compelling mystery, but for me it more often leads to not having enough information to care about what characters are doing or have a stake in their actions. It's worth noting that the blurb for the book on the Goodreads description gave me more information on the premise than the first quarter of the book did.
July 20, 2015
This is the kind of YA that requires a healthy suspension of disbelief to get anywhere. I was totally okay with that until the climax, when my brain kept getting the better of me and nitpicking. Which is a shame, because I liked this book, liked the weird central relationship between Moses and Alix, liked Alix's internal dilemma about her father. A strong concept, just wish the denouement worked a bit better and lived up to the rest of the book.
October 6, 2023
OH MY GOD, the last few chapters omg.
You don't even know how happy I was when the 2.0s showed up (the 2.0's were my favourites and made the rating higher for this book (I loved Tank so much and Adam being a little shit cos he knows he's hot shit gave me life), I was giggling, just wow but there was also some ick that I could have done without, Moses and Alix's relationship was very Stockholm syndrome and I'm sorry but I couldn't get over the fact that 1. the author wrote about her pissing in the cage and 2. that the guy was still into her after realising she did that like what no thank you. (WHY HAVE NONE OF THE REVIEWS I'VE READ MENTIONED THIS, WAS THE BOOK I HAD JUST A WEIRD VERSION AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS BLESSED NOT TO HAVE TO READ THAT.)
Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of Alix either and just kind of tolerated some of the dumb shit she did (if she just put the USB in the computer like she was told to, boom the extra 100 pages gone, also the fact that Tank could of die cos she was a dumbass, no way I'd forgive her if Tank died.)
The 2.0's povs were my favourites but I enjoyed Alix's pov more when Jonah was there, he gave me so much life, he was amazing and I was so upset that she left without him, she should have taken him with her not leave him with the shitty dad. Jonah was one of the best characters faxs.
Overall I know I did hate on this book a lot but it was still a decent read, it was entertaining and very fast-paced with good parts that shocked me and made me enjoy the book just a bit more. I did really like the concept I think it just could have been done differently and I would have loved it. e.g. no romance it just felt very forced and the story still could have worked (the whole arc of her trying to find them again) without them being in love as well.
If you couldn't tell I just really didn't like the romance in this, it wasn't cute or anything like that it was forced and weird because let's be honest I don't know anyone who would fall in love with someone who stalked and then kidnapped them, THATS NOT ROMANTIC ITS CREEPY.
You don't even know how happy I was when the 2.0s showed up (the 2.0's were my favourites and made the rating higher for this book (I loved Tank so much and Adam being a little shit cos he knows he's hot shit gave me life), I was giggling, just wow but there was also some ick that I could have done without, Moses and Alix's relationship was very Stockholm syndrome and I'm sorry but I couldn't get over the fact that 1. the author wrote about her pissing in the cage and 2. that the guy was still into her after realising she did that like what no thank you. (WHY HAVE NONE OF THE REVIEWS I'VE READ MENTIONED THIS, WAS THE BOOK I HAD JUST A WEIRD VERSION AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS BLESSED NOT TO HAVE TO READ THAT.)
Honestly, I wasn't a big fan of Alix either and just kind of tolerated some of the dumb shit she did (if she just put the USB in the computer like she was told to, boom the extra 100 pages gone, also the fact that Tank could of die cos she was a dumbass, no way I'd forgive her if Tank died.)
The 2.0's povs were my favourites but I enjoyed Alix's pov more when Jonah was there, he gave me so much life, he was amazing and I was so upset that she left without him, she should have taken him with her not leave him with the shitty dad. Jonah was one of the best characters faxs.
Overall I know I did hate on this book a lot but it was still a decent read, it was entertaining and very fast-paced with good parts that shocked me and made me enjoy the book just a bit more. I did really like the concept I think it just could have been done differently and I would have loved it. e.g. no romance it just felt very forced and the story still could have worked (the whole arc of her trying to find them again) without them being in love as well.
If you couldn't tell I just really didn't like the romance in this, it wasn't cute or anything like that it was forced and weird because let's be honest I don't know anyone who would fall in love with someone who stalked and then kidnapped them, THATS NOT ROMANTIC ITS CREEPY.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2020
Young adult thriller that was not very thrilling AT FIRST. The first fourth of the book was just dull. I didn’t care about any of the characters at first, but right before the break at part two it started picking up. All in all I am glad a friend pushed me to finish because it turned out to be a good little thriller.
July 5, 2019
His uncle always used to say there is a fine line between clever and stupid.
July 4, 2022
Really liked the storytelling and the message of the book. I did see the twist coming but still loved every second of the plot
April 16, 2015
I was very surprised at the number of negative reviews of this book on Goodreads. I liked it. But then again, I never read YA: I read it only because I think Bacigalupi is such an excellent writer. And he breaks the rules of YA--multiple points of view, some scenes from the POV of adults--making things more readable by at least this adult.
Some of the criticism levied by others: no smart girl would ever be attracted to a dangerous guy. Uh, I'm a high school teacher. Not buying that one. It happens all the time. The kids sounded well over their age; no kid would research corporations like these kids do. I call bullshit on that one too. Depends on the kid. Etc.
So, what I liked most about this is the emotional story. A bright, one percenter girl at a private high school whose Dad works in using public relations to confuse the public on the atrocious acts of corporations is confronted with the truth about her life, faces it, and acts. And falls in love at the same time.
Okay, some of the plot points would be a stretch if this was meant to be a realistic novel. But Bacigalupi writes mostly science fiction and some fantasy. The fantasy is necessary here. He's writing for the one-percenters kids, realizing that no revolution ever occurred without them, because they are the ones sufficiently free of want that they can conceive of radical change while young. It has to be a fantasy. The villains need to be evil at their core.
He shoves the dilemmas in the kid reader's face: my Dad loves me and is great to the people around him, how could he be a monster? Some of the Nazi leaders in WWII were also considered great parents (not all).
Is there such a thing as objective truth, in the Internet era of multiple opinions? The elephant in the room is climate change denial, but he makes this point with other examples. And smart kids need to hear that, that objective science and subjective opinion both exist in the world.
It's contemporary--the underage female protagonist's use of drugs/alcohol and choice to initiate a sexual relationship are presented not as shocking but as merely a fact of life. And she's a smart kid who studies hard and is heading for a good college. Again, I teach high school. This is reality.
Okay, there were flaws. Adam was a bit of a 2-dimensional character, except for the bit about the cheese, which I found hysterical. Tank also wasn't drawn with much nuance. But Alix, Cynthia, Moses, Kook and Jonah--excellent character work. I believed all five of these characters.
Some of the plot twists were masterful. Others were a bit far-fetched. But again, this had to go the way it did, or the fantasy of being able to strike back wouldn't have worked.
Here's my big issue with the book: Bacigalupi stops short of the logical conclusion. Sure, inspiring a one percenter girl to win a battle against "the man" might have created a fully alive, socially conscious, beautiful person. But sticking with their tiny cell? Those reading this who aren't teens remember Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang. Sure, most of the action was with that small cell, but they did encounter the much larger movement.
The enormous list of companies the kids encounter would lead one to the logical conclusion that the system can't be fought battle by battle. But Bacigalupi pulls back from declaring capitalism dead and the enemy of the people.
However, he doesn't go the liberal route either. There are no stories of the good things that any of these corporations do or did.
My knocking off a star was for the lack of courage to make a definitive statement. Reform or revolution? Liberals banding together to fight the excesses of the corrupt plutocracy or radicals banding together to overthrow it--both are sensible political programs. But implying the system can only be jabbed at and then having the protagonists remain in isolation? What's the message for your one-percenter readers, Mr. Bacigalupi?
This is the type of book that can start the ball rolling in terms of teenagers thinking, knock down some blinders, inspire some questions. It's also a fast moving story with compelling characters. A good read, but if you are an adult new to his work, start with The Windup Girl, and if you are younger than fifteen, start with Drowned Cities. Those are his two best.
Some of the criticism levied by others: no smart girl would ever be attracted to a dangerous guy. Uh, I'm a high school teacher. Not buying that one. It happens all the time. The kids sounded well over their age; no kid would research corporations like these kids do. I call bullshit on that one too. Depends on the kid. Etc.
So, what I liked most about this is the emotional story. A bright, one percenter girl at a private high school whose Dad works in using public relations to confuse the public on the atrocious acts of corporations is confronted with the truth about her life, faces it, and acts. And falls in love at the same time.
Okay, some of the plot points would be a stretch if this was meant to be a realistic novel. But Bacigalupi writes mostly science fiction and some fantasy. The fantasy is necessary here. He's writing for the one-percenters kids, realizing that no revolution ever occurred without them, because they are the ones sufficiently free of want that they can conceive of radical change while young. It has to be a fantasy. The villains need to be evil at their core.
He shoves the dilemmas in the kid reader's face: my Dad loves me and is great to the people around him, how could he be a monster? Some of the Nazi leaders in WWII were also considered great parents (not all).
Is there such a thing as objective truth, in the Internet era of multiple opinions? The elephant in the room is climate change denial, but he makes this point with other examples. And smart kids need to hear that, that objective science and subjective opinion both exist in the world.
It's contemporary--the underage female protagonist's use of drugs/alcohol and choice to initiate a sexual relationship are presented not as shocking but as merely a fact of life. And she's a smart kid who studies hard and is heading for a good college. Again, I teach high school. This is reality.
Okay, there were flaws. Adam was a bit of a 2-dimensional character, except for the bit about the cheese, which I found hysterical. Tank also wasn't drawn with much nuance. But Alix, Cynthia, Moses, Kook and Jonah--excellent character work. I believed all five of these characters.
Some of the plot twists were masterful. Others were a bit far-fetched. But again, this had to go the way it did, or the fantasy of being able to strike back wouldn't have worked.
Here's my big issue with the book: Bacigalupi stops short of the logical conclusion. Sure, inspiring a one percenter girl to win a battle against "the man" might have created a fully alive, socially conscious, beautiful person. But sticking with their tiny cell? Those reading this who aren't teens remember Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang. Sure, most of the action was with that small cell, but they did encounter the much larger movement.
The enormous list of companies the kids encounter would lead one to the logical conclusion that the system can't be fought battle by battle. But Bacigalupi pulls back from declaring capitalism dead and the enemy of the people.
However, he doesn't go the liberal route either. There are no stories of the good things that any of these corporations do or did.
My knocking off a star was for the lack of courage to make a definitive statement. Reform or revolution? Liberals banding together to fight the excesses of the corrupt plutocracy or radicals banding together to overthrow it--both are sensible political programs. But implying the system can only be jabbed at and then having the protagonists remain in isolation? What's the message for your one-percenter readers, Mr. Bacigalupi?
This is the type of book that can start the ball rolling in terms of teenagers thinking, knock down some blinders, inspire some questions. It's also a fast moving story with compelling characters. A good read, but if you are an adult new to his work, start with The Windup Girl, and if you are younger than fifteen, start with Drowned Cities. Those are his two best.
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