The Flow

by Caroline J. Martin

The Flow is a mystery story for children aged 11 and upwards. The heroine, Lexi Drachmann is growing up in Oxford, but an Oxford now controlled by a religious cult. The cult has destroyed all the books and instead provides a digital information system, The Flow, to the population. Lexi has always thought the Flow gave her everything she needed - comedy clips, homework facts and music downloads. But then she meets a group of disillusioned young people who tell her that there is something wrong with the facts on the system. When a lethal epidemic breaks out and people she knows start dying, Lexi agrees to help find out what the cult is keeping from them. And in doing so, she also makes some startling discoveries about her family and herself. The Flow is the first part of a trilogy.

278 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2013

About the author

Caroline studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University and Epidemiology at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
She loves science and thinks that there ought to be more of it in children's books so that they will be inspired to become scientists and engineers themselves.
She loves to read, cook and travel.
She is married with two children.

Reviews

[Milliebot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lexi lives in a world where all the information and entertainment anyone could need is available on The Flow. She is contacted by a group who feels information is disappearing from The Flow, around the same time a deadly fly beings to spread in her community. She must figure out what's happening and try to save her friends and neighbors.

This book has potential, but I feel it's sorely underdeveloped. Lexi seems to enjoy life as it is, then she is contacted by a group of adults because they need her help to figure out what's going on with the missing info on TF, so she agrees. There was very little justification behind her choice - we are also told they want her because of her deductive mind. After this statement, Lexi seems to be the only one capable of connecting the dots, despite the fact that the adults in the group seem to be quite smart. She wasn't believable as a teenager or as some sort of prodigy.

The other issue I had was the world building. There's this vast pool of knowledge that people seemingly rely on, and the book is named after it, but no one seems to use it often. And when Lexi and her gang discover some issues, they don't even seem concerned. The world is also ruled by The Party, who has installed a strange form of social classes and segregation, as well as twice daily religious services. They also have cameras everywhere and Enforcers who watch people to spot any rule breaking. It's a very Orwell-esque dystopia, but it feels like an after thought.

The book is mostly dialogue, and it's very simple - it was lacking in action, mystery and character development. I think there's something good in there but it needs more development. There's definitely going to be a sequel, but I'll pass.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's set in a time where people lives revolve around a system called 'the flow' and they have dedicated their lives to 'the creator'. Right from the start it is clear that something is not right within the community, and of course we have our hero Lexi who teams up with a group of people who want to investigate 'the flow'.
I loved the mix of science within the book, reading about Darwin's theory was so well incorporated into the book and I particularly loved the idea of the hidden library where all the information was found.
Lexi's relationship with Lucas was so cute I was so ready for it to go a bit further BUT I'm glad it didn't (for now) because that would have been a total cliche. Even though we didn't get too much information about Ben I sort of kind of fell in love with him. oops.
I was however disappointed with the ending, especially since this will be carrying on into other books, I was waiting for a really dramatic cliffhanger.
Overall, I really did enjoy the book, it was a really fun read and thank you Caroline for holding the giveaway!

[Parz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly don't think I can finish this book.
I received this book free from a Goodreads giveaway, and I was looking forward to reading it.
In hindsight, the main reason I think I haven't enjoyed this book is due to my age, although I'm only 17, I think this book is aimed at a much younger audience.
The writing was my main problem; honestly, I think it was just terrible. (I'm really sorry Ms Martin!) The conversations were rigid and unnatural and I just don't know how to describe how truly awful it was. It felt like I was reading the attempt of a story written by a young teenager who knows little to nothing about writing.
But, looking at some of the books I enjoyed when I was younger, I can't say that the writing would bother a younger audience.

All in all, I doubt I'll finish this book, and I will probably pass it down to a younger friend/relative and see what their thoughts on this book are.
(if I do, I will be sure to update this review with their thoughts, unless they have an account and wish to write one themselves.)

[Jordan jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved this free through goodreads first reads and im glad I did. This was a fantastic, intracate and fast paced book that kept me wanting more.

I will definitely be reading more by this author