What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Harmony
From the award-winning, best-selling Claire North comes a brand new stand-alone novella - a clever and unnervingly plausible dystopian tale set five minutes into the future....
Harmony is tired. Tired of working so hard, tired of the way she looks, tired of being average. But all that changes when she decides to splash out and upgrade her nanos.
And why not? Everyone's doing it now. With a simple in-app purchase, you can update the tech in your bloodstream to transform yourself - get enhanced brain power, the perfect body or a dazzling smile.
Suddenly, everything starts going right for Harmony. She's finally becoming the person she always wanted to be. But when she ends up running too many upgrades on her body all at once, the effects will be more catastrophic than she could have imagined.
With Sweet Harmony, Claire North proves yet again that she is one of the most innovative and original voices in modern fiction.
Harmony is tired. Tired of working so hard, tired of the way she looks, tired of being average. But all that changes when she decides to splash out and upgrade her nanos.
And why not? Everyone's doing it now. With a simple in-app purchase, you can update the tech in your bloodstream to transform yourself - get enhanced brain power, the perfect body or a dazzling smile.
Suddenly, everything starts going right for Harmony. She's finally becoming the person she always wanted to be. But when she ends up running too many upgrades on her body all at once, the effects will be more catastrophic than she could have imagined.
With Sweet Harmony, Claire North proves yet again that she is one of the most innovative and original voices in modern fiction.
Audible Audio
First published September 22, 2020
100 people are currently reading
788 people want to read
About the author
Claire North
27 books4,214 followersClaire North is actually Catherine Webb, a Carnegie Medal-nominated young-adult novel author whose first book, Mirror Dreams, was written when she was just 14 years old. She went on to write seven more successful YA novels.
Claire North is a pseudonym for adult fantasy books written by Catherine Webb, who also writes under the pseudonym Kate Griffin.
Claire North is a pseudonym for adult fantasy books written by Catherine Webb, who also writes under the pseudonym Kate Griffin.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
February 27, 2021
I have never rated anything by this author at less than four stars and more normally five. But I just could not get into the subject matter of this novella.
Harmony lives at a time when nanos are being marketed to fix all of your physical problems. You want shiny hair and a perfect skin? Sign a contract and keep paying the bills and all will be fine. Of course there is the temptation to sign up for more than you can afford and then the results may not be pretty.
As usual North writes an intelligent and highly imaginative story and I am giving three stars for that. For me personally there was no connection and I was left underwhelmed.
Harmony lives at a time when nanos are being marketed to fix all of your physical problems. You want shiny hair and a perfect skin? Sign a contract and keep paying the bills and all will be fine. Of course there is the temptation to sign up for more than you can afford and then the results may not be pretty.
As usual North writes an intelligent and highly imaginative story and I am giving three stars for that. For me personally there was no connection and I was left underwhelmed.
September 23, 2020
This is a difficult review – I was torn between DNFing the story because of the disgusting and difficult topics, and praising it because the author did such a remarkable job portraying a broken character and using such an effective prose to demonstrate the cause. The resulting three stars don’t reflect my enjoyment of the story, which is nil-zero-nada, but admiration of the author’s skill. The story would work better for less sensitive readers in happier times. But these Covid19 traumatized era full of depressions contrasts the story’s harsh uses of shit, piss, puke, and pus with a failed mother-daughter relationship, technology abuse, and excessive indebtness. While the author shines in painting a realistic and believable picture of the protagonist, I constantly asked myself if I wanted to endure the confrontation with the predictable plot.
The First fifteen Lives of Harry August by the same author was a highlight read this year for me. But now, I will take care of sensitive issues with her writing and won’t stumble into the next book naively. Because she deserves to be read and also to be enjoyed.
Readers who don’t have problems with the gory details of the human body’s fluids or psychological traumas will enjoy this SF persiflage.
The First fifteen Lives of Harry August by the same author was a highlight read this year for me. But now, I will take care of sensitive issues with her writing and won’t stumble into the next book naively. Because she deserves to be read and also to be enjoyed.
Readers who don’t have problems with the gory details of the human body’s fluids or psychological traumas will enjoy this SF persiflage.
October 23, 2020
A heartfelt look at some of the applications of nanotech within the human body and its chilling implications. Used to treat disease and save lives it can certainly be a positive, but it can also quickly become a slippery slope into the realms of vanity and obsession. Not only do the endless options of physical "upgrades" become addicting in their own right, but once that technology is available to everyone it becomes a necessity for climbing the social ladder. Life, after all, is easier when you're beautiful.
The story unfolds as a tragedy, invoking a strong sense of pathos, as the protagonist struggles to bolster her sagging self-confidence through the use, and eventual abuse, of expensive nanotech fueled body upgrades, even as she continues to sink deep into debt and despair. Eventually, she loses touch with any notion of who she really is, or even wants to be. The commercialization of the technology is chilling in its own right, with companies able to weaponize the nanotech by imposing physical punishments for late payments. These include the removal or blunting of a person's "non-essential" senses, like smell, taste or the ability to see colors.
This would make a great episode of Black Mirror!
The story unfolds as a tragedy, invoking a strong sense of pathos, as the protagonist struggles to bolster her sagging self-confidence through the use, and eventual abuse, of expensive nanotech fueled body upgrades, even as she continues to sink deep into debt and despair. Eventually, she loses touch with any notion of who she really is, or even wants to be. The commercialization of the technology is chilling in its own right, with companies able to weaponize the nanotech by imposing physical punishments for late payments. These include the removal or blunting of a person's "non-essential" senses, like smell, taste or the ability to see colors.
This would make a great episode of Black Mirror!
September 17, 2020
I’ve been doing a lot of reading over the past few months. Short stories, long stories, pacey thrillers, you name it. Most of my reading choices go by whim, but, luckily, only a few disappointed me. I hope to read more exciting titles this year but I doubt more than one or two will top Sweet Harmony. It's perfect. And terrifying.
Harmony doesn't have hobbies or deep thoughts, but she has ambitions.
In her timeline, not far in the future, everyone can pursue and attain perfection by upgrading their Nanos - apps controlling nanobots influencing and improving physiological and nervous functions. Possibilities are countless, as long as you can afford them. No More Dentists will keep your teeth white and your breath minty-fresh. Elevation, the ultimate pack for the sexual woman, will enhance your libido and bring your hormones into perfect balance. Powerful Poise develops a muscular definition combined with feminine sensuality, no training required.
For £39.99 a month you'll get a perfect stubble and a further £82.99 will secure you the latest pheromone enhancement technology.
Successful people and aspiring professionals keep their Nanos up to date and always look for new improvements. Before they realize it, they start to spend staggering sums on continuous self-improvement. Healthcare providers feel morally and contractually obliged to ensure their clients' immunization packages remain functional even in times of financial strain. At the same time, they feel comfortable with disabling non-essential services (like smell or color-vision) until payment is received.
Sweet Harmony is a great study of perspective, ambition, privilege, and addiction – short chapters set in converging timelines present Harmony's path to a dire situation. There is a super great social commentary here as well as a deep and terrifying character study. It offers a scathing look at how well-meaning people can ruin themselves and their close ones.
North's sobering take on the culture of debt and want-driven society terrifies because it's plausible and true. Tech companies base their marketing strategies on deep understanding of consumers' fears and desires. Ultimately, though, people can only blame themselves for falling for it and for decisions they make. Harmony's emotional and financial struggles are heart-wrenching, but were they really undeserved?
Times being what they are, I should probably pick more optimistic titles. But I have no regrets. Claire North has mastered the novella format. In Sweet Harmony, every word counts, every scene serves a goal, and Harmony's decisions have a cost. North's take on nano-upgrades, a sense of identity, and addiction is terrifying, plausible, and intelligent. An outstanding novella.
ARC through NetGalley
Harmony doesn't have hobbies or deep thoughts, but she has ambitions.
She is excited for the future; she has dreams, ambitions; she has chosen the house she’s going to buy when she’s got the money; she has chosen, if not the man she’ll marry, then certainly the car he’ll drive, and the white cashmere jumper he’ll wear on casual Sundays at garden parties.
In her timeline, not far in the future, everyone can pursue and attain perfection by upgrading their Nanos - apps controlling nanobots influencing and improving physiological and nervous functions. Possibilities are countless, as long as you can afford them. No More Dentists will keep your teeth white and your breath minty-fresh. Elevation, the ultimate pack for the sexual woman, will enhance your libido and bring your hormones into perfect balance. Powerful Poise develops a muscular definition combined with feminine sensuality, no training required.
For £39.99 a month you'll get a perfect stubble and a further £82.99 will secure you the latest pheromone enhancement technology.
Successful people and aspiring professionals keep their Nanos up to date and always look for new improvements. Before they realize it, they start to spend staggering sums on continuous self-improvement. Healthcare providers feel morally and contractually obliged to ensure their clients' immunization packages remain functional even in times of financial strain. At the same time, they feel comfortable with disabling non-essential services (like smell or color-vision) until payment is received.
Sweet Harmony is a great study of perspective, ambition, privilege, and addiction – short chapters set in converging timelines present Harmony's path to a dire situation. There is a super great social commentary here as well as a deep and terrifying character study. It offers a scathing look at how well-meaning people can ruin themselves and their close ones.
Only a few models and actresses could pull off the naturalist’s look these days, and even then most fashion magazines tended to agree that while it was all very impressive and that, it wasn’t the choice of the true superstar. The trend-setting idols were the ones who were getting custom nanos programmed directly by the health product designers; from the rock stars with the shimmer of scaled snakeskin translucence on their skin, through to the eagle-eyed, black-tongued bad boys of the studios, programmed to shock, surprise or just to have the perfect build for their next explosive blockbuster.
North's sobering take on the culture of debt and want-driven society terrifies because it's plausible and true. Tech companies base their marketing strategies on deep understanding of consumers' fears and desires. Ultimately, though, people can only blame themselves for falling for it and for decisions they make. Harmony's emotional and financial struggles are heart-wrenching, but were they really undeserved?
Times being what they are, I should probably pick more optimistic titles. But I have no regrets. Claire North has mastered the novella format. In Sweet Harmony, every word counts, every scene serves a goal, and Harmony's decisions have a cost. North's take on nano-upgrades, a sense of identity, and addiction is terrifying, plausible, and intelligent. An outstanding novella.
ARC through NetGalley
September 22, 2020
Despite being just over 100 pages in length, Sweet Harmony is a powerful gut-punch of a novel and a damning indictment of our obsession with our appearance, self-improvement and remaining youthful-looking in whatever way we can, including surgical enhancements. The plot revolves around Harmony Meads, a young, high-flying and highly successful estate agent, who is disgusted when she awakes from her slumber one morning to find a ghastly spot on her chin. She had previously upgraded her body with nanobot technology due to her dissatisfaction with her appearance but the spot tells her that her upgrades are no longer working. In a world that values perfection over everything else, why wouldn't you purchase nano implants that make your teeth whiter, help you to maintain a healthy weight, increase your libido and even prevent disease? Each of the nanos is controlled by an app where you can also purchase extras to add onto the basic package but it's easy to fall into economic ruin when you become addicted to self-improvement and are trapped in contracts you can't afford. It doesn't take long before Harmony’s situation goes from bad to worse...
This is an original, riveting and absolutely terrifying novella from one of the best speculative fiction writers around today. Although this is a character-driven story, North hasn't neglected the worldbuilding as it's some of the most intricate and immersive I've come across to date. I love that she writes tales that could very much represent the way we may be living in the not too distant future, so in that sense it is a realistic and believable world. It's also easy to draw parallels between the nano upgrades that Harmony becomes addicted to and the current plastic surgery epidemic where people seem to end up in the same dire situation; their lives shattered by forking out thousands of pounds to create the image they want to see in the mirror each morning. There are some humorous moments at the beginning of the book but they become few and few between when Harmony starts to fall into debt and it's all really quite sad, to be honest. This, at its heart, is social commentary on our obsession with our appearance but in book form and it had me thoroughly captivated and engrossed throughout. A unique and chilling must-read for fans of Black Mirror and close to the bone sci-fi. Many thanks to Orbit for an ARC.
This is an original, riveting and absolutely terrifying novella from one of the best speculative fiction writers around today. Although this is a character-driven story, North hasn't neglected the worldbuilding as it's some of the most intricate and immersive I've come across to date. I love that she writes tales that could very much represent the way we may be living in the not too distant future, so in that sense it is a realistic and believable world. It's also easy to draw parallels between the nano upgrades that Harmony becomes addicted to and the current plastic surgery epidemic where people seem to end up in the same dire situation; their lives shattered by forking out thousands of pounds to create the image they want to see in the mirror each morning. There are some humorous moments at the beginning of the book but they become few and few between when Harmony starts to fall into debt and it's all really quite sad, to be honest. This, at its heart, is social commentary on our obsession with our appearance but in book form and it had me thoroughly captivated and engrossed throughout. A unique and chilling must-read for fans of Black Mirror and close to the bone sci-fi. Many thanks to Orbit for an ARC.
February 13, 2021
4.5 stars, swaying between 4 and 5.
North does a really nasty take on the yearning to be perfect, to be all shine, but little substance. Nano technology makes sure that people have glowing skin, a joyous smile, lustrous hair, are detoxified after drinking alcohol, etc. Everything one can think of is available with the click of an app - and the corresponding money.
The POV Harmony has everything, until she becomes so encumbered with debts that the nano tech provider starts to mute app by app until she'll be able to pay.
In two timelines the novella tells the tale of Harmony becoming her perfect self and then losing it all, trying to get on with her life nonetheless.
Don't expect compassion here. The story is mean and obnoxiously honest with a lot of mentions of the downside of bodily functions. This makes it hard to swallow in some moments, but ultimately North-good.
North does a really nasty take on the yearning to be perfect, to be all shine, but little substance. Nano technology makes sure that people have glowing skin, a joyous smile, lustrous hair, are detoxified after drinking alcohol, etc. Everything one can think of is available with the click of an app - and the corresponding money.
The POV Harmony has everything, until she becomes so encumbered with debts that the nano tech provider starts to mute app by app until she'll be able to pay.
In two timelines the novella tells the tale of Harmony becoming her perfect self and then losing it all, trying to get on with her life nonetheless.
Don't expect compassion here. The story is mean and obnoxiously honest with a lot of mentions of the downside of bodily functions. This makes it hard to swallow in some moments, but ultimately North-good.
December 19, 2020
Wie kann man nur so viel in 100 Seiten packen?
Diese Novelle spielt in einer Zukunftswelt, in der es mittels Nanotechnologie möglich ist, den Körper auf vielfältigste Weise zu optimieren. Dies wird von den Menschen intensiv genutzt, sowohl zu medizinischen Zwecken als auch zur ästhetischen Perfektionierung von Körper und Libido.
Claire North thematisiert hierbei eine Vielzahl von Themen: die Fokussierung der Gesellschaft auf die äußere Fassade des Menschen und der daraus resultierende Druck auf die Selbstoptimierung. Toxische Beziehungen, Kontrollverlust durch Überschuldung, die Verzweiflung von Eltern erwachsener Kinder, die den Beschützerinstinkt zeitlebens nicht abstellen können. Und vieles mehr...
Wunderschön geschrieben, aber gleichzeitig absolut deprimierend.
Gäbe eine perfekte Folge von „Black Mirror“ ab.
Diese Novelle spielt in einer Zukunftswelt, in der es mittels Nanotechnologie möglich ist, den Körper auf vielfältigste Weise zu optimieren. Dies wird von den Menschen intensiv genutzt, sowohl zu medizinischen Zwecken als auch zur ästhetischen Perfektionierung von Körper und Libido.
Claire North thematisiert hierbei eine Vielzahl von Themen: die Fokussierung der Gesellschaft auf die äußere Fassade des Menschen und der daraus resultierende Druck auf die Selbstoptimierung. Toxische Beziehungen, Kontrollverlust durch Überschuldung, die Verzweiflung von Eltern erwachsener Kinder, die den Beschützerinstinkt zeitlebens nicht abstellen können. Und vieles mehr...
Wunderschön geschrieben, aber gleichzeitig absolut deprimierend.
Gäbe eine perfekte Folge von „Black Mirror“ ab.
September 21, 2020
4.5 Stars, a terrific novella from the utterly brilliant Ms North.
Ms North is a genre unto herself, in her astonishing ideas and superb prose. Her other books are equally imaginative and powerful, frightening and insightful. I highly recommend all her books.
This ARC courtesy NetGalley
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
This novella is a sharp future exposé of both the coming brilliance of medical technology, and the rotten core of a society led by the greedy. She has imagined a near future where greedy corporations own your health, and can withdraw it at any time.
Ms North focuses on the coming miracles of medicine, but ties it to our hearts as obscenely owned by ruthless corporations of jungle capitalism. The ONLY aim is to squeeze as much money from people as they can, even if it kills them. Ruthless marketing increases the agony and terror of its body-aware victims.
The lovely but sad Harmony Meads has unwisely taken the plunge into body modification "improvement", a victim of the body-shaming marketing campaigns of the near future.
As bad financial times befall her, her monthly subscription to her "improved body and mind" are withdrawn, and the terror of her disintegrating health is on display. Her pain and fear, her hopes for a good life, are destroyed little by little by the greedy corporations that now own her health.
The world is a farm. The citizens are the animals to be milked and bled and slaughtered for the profit of the corporations and the rich. The politicians are paid by the corporations and the rich to make sure the animals stay in their places and obey.
- myself
Great humour, or perhaps not. Perhaps the cheerful way the marketing people describe the effects of possible failures of the nanobots just seems funny. Poignant and wry? Or just sad and inevitable in a society based on rabid jungle capitalism. Personally, I don't have much hope in a bright future, unless we can exterminate the mental illness of greed.
GREED is truly the most terrible challenge of our times, and capitalism is its tool, its means to power and more greed.
Greed is a (contagious) mental illness, an unfillable hole, a hunger that denies justice, a brutal expression of broken egos.
Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.
Greed consumes the earth without respite, and is a cancer on humanity.
Greed destroys us and our children and their future.
Greed is death.
- myself
Nano-robots, nanobots, or simply nanos
Full size image here
Notes and quotes:
Ms North's story, and her words, truly bring home the horror of being chained to the greedy:
For hours, she stood in front of the mirror, practising the contortions of her face, trying to find the combination of powerful, strong, funny, witty, droll, dry, sarcastic, knowing, excited, naive and charming that a woman’s smile ought to convey.
-
She doesn’t like the way her bum sticks out; knows it’s because she genuinely does have big hips, an actual genetic thing, but also understands that when she says it out loud people laugh, because “big boned” doesn’t mean “big boned” any more, even if you do, in fact, have big bones.
-
One week later, her debt to Fullife for unpaid medical services hit £1000, and to encourage swift repayment while still supporting essential medical services, they cut off her sense of smell.
-
Elevation–the ultimate pack for the sexual woman. Enhance your libido, bring your hormones into perfect balance and unleash the real woman inside! Use at your own risk.
-
Dazzling Smile–no more sad mornings! Before we created Dazzling Smile, women would have to regularly inject themselves with a deadly, paralysing toxin to bring the joy of youth back to their faces. How relieved they are to have a better, nano choice! In the event of sudden blindness, contact your healthcare provider.
-
They shall dream of matter, that needs no name, and of sense that has no weight upon it greater or lesser than the act of seeing. They shall dream of the colour red, and it will not be warning, blood, fear or death, but it shall simply be crimson extraordinary, a drowning thought.
-
They shall dream of the smell of the sea, and find in it no notion of storms and terrors, of the roar of the ocean against the crumbling beach, but see only water, infinite. They shall dream of language, and with it they shall express themselves and the infinity of their creation, the boundless limit of imagination and thought, and in their language there will be no prisons, only life without end.
Catherine Webb, writing as Claire North
Full size image here
.
Ms North is a genre unto herself, in her astonishing ideas and superb prose. Her other books are equally imaginative and powerful, frightening and insightful. I highly recommend all her books.
This ARC courtesy NetGalley
As usual with my reviews, please first read the publisher’s blurb/summary of the book. Thank you.
This novella is a sharp future exposé of both the coming brilliance of medical technology, and the rotten core of a society led by the greedy. She has imagined a near future where greedy corporations own your health, and can withdraw it at any time.
Ms North focuses on the coming miracles of medicine, but ties it to our hearts as obscenely owned by ruthless corporations of jungle capitalism. The ONLY aim is to squeeze as much money from people as they can, even if it kills them. Ruthless marketing increases the agony and terror of its body-aware victims.
The lovely but sad Harmony Meads has unwisely taken the plunge into body modification "improvement", a victim of the body-shaming marketing campaigns of the near future.
As bad financial times befall her, her monthly subscription to her "improved body and mind" are withdrawn, and the terror of her disintegrating health is on display. Her pain and fear, her hopes for a good life, are destroyed little by little by the greedy corporations that now own her health.
The world is a farm. The citizens are the animals to be milked and bled and slaughtered for the profit of the corporations and the rich. The politicians are paid by the corporations and the rich to make sure the animals stay in their places and obey.
- myself
Great humour, or perhaps not. Perhaps the cheerful way the marketing people describe the effects of possible failures of the nanobots just seems funny. Poignant and wry? Or just sad and inevitable in a society based on rabid jungle capitalism. Personally, I don't have much hope in a bright future, unless we can exterminate the mental illness of greed.
GREED is truly the most terrible challenge of our times, and capitalism is its tool, its means to power and more greed.
Greed is a (contagious) mental illness, an unfillable hole, a hunger that denies justice, a brutal expression of broken egos.
Greed is having a million times as much as the poor and still feeling you don't have enough.
Greed consumes the earth without respite, and is a cancer on humanity.
Greed destroys us and our children and their future.
Greed is death.
- myself
Nano-robots, nanobots, or simply nanos
Full size image here
Notes and quotes:
Ms North's story, and her words, truly bring home the horror of being chained to the greedy:
For hours, she stood in front of the mirror, practising the contortions of her face, trying to find the combination of powerful, strong, funny, witty, droll, dry, sarcastic, knowing, excited, naive and charming that a woman’s smile ought to convey.
-
She doesn’t like the way her bum sticks out; knows it’s because she genuinely does have big hips, an actual genetic thing, but also understands that when she says it out loud people laugh, because “big boned” doesn’t mean “big boned” any more, even if you do, in fact, have big bones.
-
One week later, her debt to Fullife for unpaid medical services hit £1000, and to encourage swift repayment while still supporting essential medical services, they cut off her sense of smell.
-
Elevation–the ultimate pack for the sexual woman. Enhance your libido, bring your hormones into perfect balance and unleash the real woman inside! Use at your own risk.
-
Dazzling Smile–no more sad mornings! Before we created Dazzling Smile, women would have to regularly inject themselves with a deadly, paralysing toxin to bring the joy of youth back to their faces. How relieved they are to have a better, nano choice! In the event of sudden blindness, contact your healthcare provider.
-
They shall dream of matter, that needs no name, and of sense that has no weight upon it greater or lesser than the act of seeing. They shall dream of the colour red, and it will not be warning, blood, fear or death, but it shall simply be crimson extraordinary, a drowning thought.
-
They shall dream of the smell of the sea, and find in it no notion of storms and terrors, of the roar of the ocean against the crumbling beach, but see only water, infinite. They shall dream of language, and with it they shall express themselves and the infinity of their creation, the boundless limit of imagination and thought, and in their language there will be no prisons, only life without end.
Catherine Webb, writing as Claire North
Full size image here
.
April 10, 2021
4.5 stars
February 17, 2022
Thanks, I hated every minute. Don’t get me wrong - it’s brilliantly executed, a disturbingly near-future evisceration of cosmetic culture, toxic relationships and smothering debt. I can admire the craft, but I didn’t enjoy it at all. Claire North writes great prose, peopled with believable characters who I found very easy to despise – in this case (as with 84K) in a near-future setting that cuts awfully close to the bone. Sweet Harmony is a tale of making peace with who you are and making it work for you, but don’t be misled into thinking it’s in any way feel-good or wholesome. Harmony Meads's journey – whilst tragic – is a car crash from opening meltdown to final, character-defining choice.
If you’re looking for dark, cynical tales of tomorrow, this could be one for you. If you’re looking for a ray of hope to keep your flickering faith in humanity alive, best steer clear.
Full review
If you’re looking for dark, cynical tales of tomorrow, this could be one for you. If you’re looking for a ray of hope to keep your flickering faith in humanity alive, best steer clear.
Full review
November 12, 2021
Dark story that could become reality one day. Who knows?
Despite having all the books of Claire North figuring on my 'to be read'-list, I never came around to actually read one of them. Till March 2021.
This story is all about the dangers of pursuing perfection.
Harmony wants to be perfect and doesn't hesitate to pay a high price for it.
The present storyline alternates with flashbacks to show us how Harmony became the woman she is today.
The only thing that bothered me a bit was the overuse of the ellipsis (...) to emphasize unspoken thoughts.
Although personally I don't care much for appearance (which forms the main theme of the book), the story was able to hold my attention thanks to the intriguing ideas and the dark tone.
January 24, 2025
Quand Harmony Meads se réveille avec un bouton sur le visage, c’est le drame. Avec son extension Derméclat, elle est pourtant censée avoir une peau parfaite en toutes circonstances ! Mais voilà, Harmony a du retard dans le paiement de ses extensions, à tel point que ce bouton va vite devenir le cadet de ses soucis. C’est son corps entier qui va finir par lui faire des misères…
⠀
J’ai vraiment passé un bon moment avec cette novella, bien qu’elle soit quand même assez plombante. Elle a beau commencer de manière un peu absurde avec cette problématique complètement superficielle de bouton, le sous texte (et le texte tout court en fait) gagne vite en profondeur et en sérieux.
⠀
Sweet Harmony est la définition de la satire sociale. On y parle de notre besoin de plaire et de paraître être ce qu’on n’est pas forcément, de notre addiction à la technologie, et de notre impatience qui nous pousse à vouloir prendre des raccourcis pour avoir tout ce qu’on veut tout de suite en fournissant un effort minimal. On nous parle aussi d’endettement, de la facilité avec laquelle on peut se laisser dépasser par une situation et de notre capacité à nous enfermer dans le déni pour ne pas avoir à affronter nos problèmes (spoiler : ça ne marche pas et ça ne fait qu’empirer les choses). Et puis on parle aussi de relations toxiques, parce que sinon il aurait manqué quelque chose hein.
⠀
Ça paraît beaucoup dit comme ça (et ça l’est) mais finalement la plupart de ces choses sont assez liées et ça montre bien comme il est facile de tomber dans une spirale de problèmes et de négativité. Et comme c’est difficile d’être un adulte et d’avoir la vie qu’on veut.
⠀
J’ai envie de voir une petite touche d’espoir quand même à la fin de la novella mais ça reste une lecture assez glaçante et déprimante. Et si c’est aussi glaçant, c’est parce que ce qui arrive à Harmony est finalement un peu banal. Harmony, c’est un peu nous tous et ça, ça n’est pas facile à admettre.
⠀
J’ai vraiment passé un bon moment avec cette novella, bien qu’elle soit quand même assez plombante. Elle a beau commencer de manière un peu absurde avec cette problématique complètement superficielle de bouton, le sous texte (et le texte tout court en fait) gagne vite en profondeur et en sérieux.
⠀
Sweet Harmony est la définition de la satire sociale. On y parle de notre besoin de plaire et de paraître être ce qu’on n’est pas forcément, de notre addiction à la technologie, et de notre impatience qui nous pousse à vouloir prendre des raccourcis pour avoir tout ce qu’on veut tout de suite en fournissant un effort minimal. On nous parle aussi d’endettement, de la facilité avec laquelle on peut se laisser dépasser par une situation et de notre capacité à nous enfermer dans le déni pour ne pas avoir à affronter nos problèmes (spoiler : ça ne marche pas et ça ne fait qu’empirer les choses). Et puis on parle aussi de relations toxiques, parce que sinon il aurait manqué quelque chose hein.
⠀
Ça paraît beaucoup dit comme ça (et ça l’est) mais finalement la plupart de ces choses sont assez liées et ça montre bien comme il est facile de tomber dans une spirale de problèmes et de négativité. Et comme c’est difficile d’être un adulte et d’avoir la vie qu’on veut.
⠀
J’ai envie de voir une petite touche d’espoir quand même à la fin de la novella mais ça reste une lecture assez glaçante et déprimante. Et si c’est aussi glaçant, c’est parce que ce qui arrive à Harmony est finalement un peu banal. Harmony, c’est un peu nous tous et ça, ça n’est pas facile à admettre.
March 3, 2021
This is a really hard book to review as while the writing is amazing and incredibly effective, it's also very much not a book for me.
It's set in a 15 minutes in the future style world and the comparisons to Black Mirror are very apt. This world has normalised nanos that smooth out imperfections, treat every medical malady going and can, if you're willing to pay, control every hormone and chemical driven process in the human body.
The descriptions of bodies and thought processes are incredibly effective in all their messiness and unpredictability, with intense word choices and repetition. The world that creates the incentives to use the nanos makes perfect sense, reflecting a lot of modern-day issues and drives, dead-end jobs, other people being brighter, prettier, more. And finally, the structure hammers home the predictability, the numerous other avenues not taken and barely seen by Harmony.
This is a book that's calculatedly angry and has some very poignant things to say about society and consumption, and self-acceptance.
However, where it doesn't work for me is I just didn't care about Harmony. This is not a failure of the book, you're not meant to. The first chapter sets her up as a vain, self-involved person and while the story adds depth and nuance to her as it goes on, that still exists throughout the book. She is a reflection of a society that values only how people look and the immediate and tangible impact it has within this world's life choices and opportunities. It also captures the relentless gnawing, of wanting things to be better, of just keeping your head above water until you don't, and there's little hope in this book. Again, the structure lets you know this is happening and that to expect that. So, a powerfully compelling story for the right reader. I'm just not that reader
Great for: people who love Black Mirror, modern horror stories and seeing a society through a fractured lens
Avoid if: you need a character to root for and an element of optimism
It's set in a 15 minutes in the future style world and the comparisons to Black Mirror are very apt. This world has normalised nanos that smooth out imperfections, treat every medical malady going and can, if you're willing to pay, control every hormone and chemical driven process in the human body.
The descriptions of bodies and thought processes are incredibly effective in all their messiness and unpredictability, with intense word choices and repetition. The world that creates the incentives to use the nanos makes perfect sense, reflecting a lot of modern-day issues and drives, dead-end jobs, other people being brighter, prettier, more. And finally, the structure hammers home the predictability, the numerous other avenues not taken and barely seen by Harmony.
This is a book that's calculatedly angry and has some very poignant things to say about society and consumption, and self-acceptance.
However, where it doesn't work for me is I just didn't care about Harmony. This is not a failure of the book, you're not meant to. The first chapter sets her up as a vain, self-involved person and while the story adds depth and nuance to her as it goes on, that still exists throughout the book. She is a reflection of a society that values only how people look and the immediate and tangible impact it has within this world's life choices and opportunities. It also captures the relentless gnawing, of wanting things to be better, of just keeping your head above water until you don't, and there's little hope in this book. Again, the structure lets you know this is happening and that to expect that. So, a powerfully compelling story for the right reader. I'm just not that reader
Great for: people who love Black Mirror, modern horror stories and seeing a society through a fractured lens
Avoid if: you need a character to root for and an element of optimism
July 30, 2020
This has to be the most gut punching story I've read this year.
I am in awe of the authors talent, there is so much content packed into this story.
The characters and their relationships are so perfectly written. The standout, true to life relationship for me is the one between Harmony and her mother.
If you replace nano tech with clothes, beauty treatments / products, gambling, general shopping - everyone one of us either is Harmony or knows a Harmony and that is what makes the story so heart wrenching.
The nano tech described can only be a few years away from being a reality and that is both exciting and terrifying.
Overall there isn't a single wasted word and the whole thing just hangs together wonderfully.
I am in awe of the authors talent, there is so much content packed into this story.
The characters and their relationships are so perfectly written. The standout, true to life relationship for me is the one between Harmony and her mother.
If you replace nano tech with clothes, beauty treatments / products, gambling, general shopping - everyone one of us either is Harmony or knows a Harmony and that is what makes the story so heart wrenching.
The nano tech described can only be a few years away from being a reality and that is both exciting and terrifying.
Overall there isn't a single wasted word and the whole thing just hangs together wonderfully.
October 5, 2024
Une satyre sociale sur le consumérisme. Que ferions-nous si en un clic nous pouvions gommer chacun de nos complexes ? Jusqu'où irions-nous pour plaire et pour suivre les diktats de la beauté ? A quel prix ?
Une claque monumentale ❤️❤️❤️
Une claque monumentale ❤️❤️❤️
September 26, 2020
There is so much to say about this book! Claire North truly achieves greatness in her new book! She had let me down a bit with my last read from her, I saw that she try to introduce social criticisms, but the story suffer from it a lot, getting buried by her ideas. Here, she did both right. Providing a solid and fun story while still presenting a magnificent portrait of everything wrongs in our modern world. Over consumerism, fake plastic appearance, unrealistic beauty standard, overachieving and the need to show-brag about it, getting buried into debt for something we don’t need and not even want, credit system that encourage vice and unhealthy consumer habit and so much more. How does she fits all of it in a 120 pages novella, I don’t know, but she did brilliantly! The writing as usual is good, maybe even a bit better, I think she might continue improving. Still a bit of struggle in the ending, the resolution of the main story, but her final touch, the last direction her story end, going into, is just awesome! I highly recommend reading it! Claire North is an author worth discovering and reading and with a short novella like this book, this might do a nice entry point for readers. Read it!
September 19, 2025
Après un début très long et un peu redondant (c'est le comble pour un roman court) j'ai été plus embarqué par la seconde moitié du texte. Toutefois, ça n'est pas très original je trouve sur le thème et j'avais un peu l'impression de lire une dystopie des années 2000 du genre Uglies.
October 29, 2020
This is a depressingly bleak but very sharp story.
Harmony Meads is a woman in a very near future in which "nanos" (upgrades for your body) are commonplace, and society values success and beauty more than ever.
The world is so familiar and Harmony is at first very relatable. To be honest, I think this would’ve worked better in a linear format because knowing how it all plays out from the beginning is so very discouraging to read. There’s that sense of dread running through the entire novella, and with such a dark outlook, you can guess how it all ends clearly enough (although that doesn't lessen the absolutely gut-wrenching impact).
However, this is such a well written commentary on the obsession over ideals and how one can so easily give in and take the easy route that society pressures you into. Claire North really did it again. I’m *slightly* terrified of her imagination, but this is a truly impressive, albeit difficult read.
Harmony Meads is a woman in a very near future in which "nanos" (upgrades for your body) are commonplace, and society values success and beauty more than ever.
The world is so familiar and Harmony is at first very relatable. To be honest, I think this would’ve worked better in a linear format because knowing how it all plays out from the beginning is so very discouraging to read. There’s that sense of dread running through the entire novella, and with such a dark outlook, you can guess how it all ends clearly enough (although that doesn't lessen the absolutely gut-wrenching impact).
However, this is such a well written commentary on the obsession over ideals and how one can so easily give in and take the easy route that society pressures you into. Claire North really did it again. I’m *slightly* terrified of her imagination, but this is a truly impressive, albeit difficult read.
February 20, 2025
3,5
Le texte est très bien écrit. Les sujets abordés sont bien traités.
Mais c’était un peu trop crade à mon goût. C’était parfois très perturbant. On ressort de cette lecture avec un goût amère et une peur de l’avenir.
Le texte est très bien écrit. Les sujets abordés sont bien traités.
Mais c’était un peu trop crade à mon goût. C’était parfois très perturbant. On ressort de cette lecture avec un goût amère et une peur de l’avenir.
March 19, 2024
Voici une nouvelle de science-fiction poignante dont la fin m’a particulièrement touchée.
La question abordée à travers le texte de Claire North est assez simple : pourrions-nous aller jusqu’à perdre notre identité pour mieux contrôler notre corps ?
Harmony est une jeune femme de presque 30 ans, qui n’a pas à se soucier de son apparence. Elle paye un service de nanotechnologies chaque année qui lui permet de contrôler le moindre aspect de son apparence. Sauf que voilà, un beau jour, elle se retrouve avec un bouton. Un bouton qui ne devrait pas exister. Rapidement, sa vie bascule et Harmony entame sa longue descente vers les enfers.
Dans Sweet Harmony, les chapitres courts donnent le rythme. Avec une alternance passé/présent, on se retrouve emporté dans un récit qui se lit vite et bien.
Ce récit d’anticipation interroge la société du paraître et son fonctionnement, la volonté de tout contrôler et l’impression de posséder du pouvoir et de l’exercer. Claire North offre une histoire intéressante et critique sur l’horreur qui se cache derrière la perfection.
La question abordée à travers le texte de Claire North est assez simple : pourrions-nous aller jusqu’à perdre notre identité pour mieux contrôler notre corps ?
Harmony est une jeune femme de presque 30 ans, qui n’a pas à se soucier de son apparence. Elle paye un service de nanotechnologies chaque année qui lui permet de contrôler le moindre aspect de son apparence. Sauf que voilà, un beau jour, elle se retrouve avec un bouton. Un bouton qui ne devrait pas exister. Rapidement, sa vie bascule et Harmony entame sa longue descente vers les enfers.
Dans Sweet Harmony, les chapitres courts donnent le rythme. Avec une alternance passé/présent, on se retrouve emporté dans un récit qui se lit vite et bien.
Ce récit d’anticipation interroge la société du paraître et son fonctionnement, la volonté de tout contrôler et l’impression de posséder du pouvoir et de l’exercer. Claire North offre une histoire intéressante et critique sur l’horreur qui se cache derrière la perfection.
September 2, 2020
This is definitely the novella North wrote for the Black Mirror anthology that never happened, right? Because it out-Black Mirrors the actual show. This is easily the bleakest book I've read by North. You can feel the anger seeping off the page and in your bones (I had to put it down a few times to calm down, and that's as someone who lacks much of the personal experience this book will resonate with).
It's a brutal examination of abusive relationships, society's standards of beauty, the commercialization of medicine, the predatory nature of credit companies, and so much more.
Also there's a haggis orgy.
It's a brutal examination of abusive relationships, society's standards of beauty, the commercialization of medicine, the predatory nature of credit companies, and so much more.
Also there's a haggis orgy.
February 11, 2024
Sweet Harmony est une très bonne novella qui interroge les faux-semblants, les préjugés et la société du paraître dans un récit d’anticipation qui va au-delà de ce qu’il semble proposer de prime abord. Le récit se dévore sans peine grâce à une construction en aller-retour passé-présent qui nous permet de déconstruire nous aussi nos idées reçues.
Critique complète sur yuyine.be!
Critique complète sur yuyine.be!
November 22, 2020
3.5/5.0
January 23, 2023
If the 18th century social satirist Jonathan Swift (“Gulliver's Travels”), who used fantasy to critique society and government, had been writing in the 21st century, he would have been named Claire North.
Many of North's books are vicious takedowns of different aspects of society, usually government and corporations. Her book “84K” lambasts the insurance industry, putting a monetary value on each person's life. “The Pursuit of William Abbey” is an examination of the corrosive effects of colonialism and is a form of 'revenge fantasy' of retribution, told as a horror story.
This novella, “Sweet Harmony” is a critique of consumerist society that insists that consumers (especially women) need to buy their way to beauty, admiration, promotion and success.
Harmony Meads doesn't have much of a life, earning just about minimum wage and having no love life, until she succumbs to getting the nanos that everyone seems to be getting that make them physically attractive and healthy. Of course, they are provided under long term contract at a monthly service fee, and there never seems to be an end to the type Harmony needs to keep up with her new life and new boyfriend.
Easy credit means that she can charge beyond her means, and eventually it catches up with her when she falls behind on payments and the nanos start to be removed from her body. Did I mention that the story is also a fierce lashing of the credit card business and the debt traps that they lead to?
This is a razor-sharp novella that takes us for a ride on the descent that is Harmony's life. It all comes to a head when her mother has a stroke and Harmony is pressured to get the nanos necessary for her mother's recovery.
Did I mention that it's also a slap at the healthcare industry?
I don't think North (pen name for Catherine Webb) is an angry woman, but there is a core of white heat that underlays so many of her stories. It reminds me of the anecdote that Neil Gaiman told about his friend Terry Pratchett, when Terry was incensed and admitted that it was anger that fueled the furnace that produced his books. As funny as they are, there is a through-line of angry criticism that underlies them, which regular readers will notice.
The same is true of Claire North. As fantastical as her conceits are (and some are doozys), there is a solid line of fierce commentary that runs through them.
It provides the sharp edge to her plots and characters.
Many of North's books are vicious takedowns of different aspects of society, usually government and corporations. Her book “84K” lambasts the insurance industry, putting a monetary value on each person's life. “The Pursuit of William Abbey” is an examination of the corrosive effects of colonialism and is a form of 'revenge fantasy' of retribution, told as a horror story.
This novella, “Sweet Harmony” is a critique of consumerist society that insists that consumers (especially women) need to buy their way to beauty, admiration, promotion and success.
Harmony Meads doesn't have much of a life, earning just about minimum wage and having no love life, until she succumbs to getting the nanos that everyone seems to be getting that make them physically attractive and healthy. Of course, they are provided under long term contract at a monthly service fee, and there never seems to be an end to the type Harmony needs to keep up with her new life and new boyfriend.
Easy credit means that she can charge beyond her means, and eventually it catches up with her when she falls behind on payments and the nanos start to be removed from her body. Did I mention that the story is also a fierce lashing of the credit card business and the debt traps that they lead to?
This is a razor-sharp novella that takes us for a ride on the descent that is Harmony's life. It all comes to a head when her mother has a stroke and Harmony is pressured to get the nanos necessary for her mother's recovery.
Did I mention that it's also a slap at the healthcare industry?
I don't think North (pen name for Catherine Webb) is an angry woman, but there is a core of white heat that underlays so many of her stories. It reminds me of the anecdote that Neil Gaiman told about his friend Terry Pratchett, when Terry was incensed and admitted that it was anger that fueled the furnace that produced his books. As funny as they are, there is a through-line of angry criticism that underlies them, which regular readers will notice.
The same is true of Claire North. As fantastical as her conceits are (and some are doozys), there is a solid line of fierce commentary that runs through them.
It provides the sharp edge to her plots and characters.
September 12, 2020
In Sweet Harmony North has created a monster, a monster I initially felt some empathy for but who - ultimately - learns nothing from her situation.
A succinct yet damning indictment of our obsession with youth, physical health and the ‘quick fix’ solution. Sweet Harmony tells the story of one very normal woman living in a world where everything can be fixed...at a price.
Harmony has upgrade after upgrade to keep her body looking its best. Nothing needs to be worked at in the traditional sense and all is good, if you can pay for it. Our only clue that something is not right is that Harmony has a spot...and before we know it we see the full truth of her situation exposed.
Faced with spiralling debt we see Harmony slowly shutting down. Around her, difficult choices have to be made. The reaction to her plight when she shares it shows the casual callousness that we seem to take for granted in so many circumstances.
Until the closing stages part of me felt Harmony was a victim, and I felt sympathy of sorts for her predicament. However, the decision she makes at the end made me feel that she was rather more complicit in her demise than I’d been prepared to accept. I closed the story feeling somewhat tainted, angry that such a situation could come about but also miserable to recognise so much of the mindset prevalent in the book as being all around us now.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.
A succinct yet damning indictment of our obsession with youth, physical health and the ‘quick fix’ solution. Sweet Harmony tells the story of one very normal woman living in a world where everything can be fixed...at a price.
Harmony has upgrade after upgrade to keep her body looking its best. Nothing needs to be worked at in the traditional sense and all is good, if you can pay for it. Our only clue that something is not right is that Harmony has a spot...and before we know it we see the full truth of her situation exposed.
Faced with spiralling debt we see Harmony slowly shutting down. Around her, difficult choices have to be made. The reaction to her plight when she shares it shows the casual callousness that we seem to take for granted in so many circumstances.
Until the closing stages part of me felt Harmony was a victim, and I felt sympathy of sorts for her predicament. However, the decision she makes at the end made me feel that she was rather more complicit in her demise than I’d been prepared to accept. I closed the story feeling somewhat tainted, angry that such a situation could come about but also miserable to recognise so much of the mindset prevalent in the book as being all around us now.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.
September 21, 2020
This is an interesting book as it’s concept is completely futuristic but the problems Harmony faces could be in the present day.
In the book we learn that there are apps to enhance your skin, prevent disease, keep you in shape etc and these are called ‘nanos’.
You can buy as little or as much as you like and Harmony gets swept along with it all and ends up in serious debt.
Harmony gets a spot which is what alerts her to the fact her skincare Nano is not working. When she calls the company they tell her she owes a lot of money and they are stopping all non-essential nanos.
There’s some flashback chapters so we learn how Harmony ended up in this situation and then the present day when she has to move back with her mum.
This is a novella so is not very long but it has quite a lot built into the story.
This is a futuristic book with a strong message for the present day.
I enjoyed this book as it was refreshingly different to my normal reads.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
In the book we learn that there are apps to enhance your skin, prevent disease, keep you in shape etc and these are called ‘nanos’.
You can buy as little or as much as you like and Harmony gets swept along with it all and ends up in serious debt.
Harmony gets a spot which is what alerts her to the fact her skincare Nano is not working. When she calls the company they tell her she owes a lot of money and they are stopping all non-essential nanos.
There’s some flashback chapters so we learn how Harmony ended up in this situation and then the present day when she has to move back with her mum.
This is a novella so is not very long but it has quite a lot built into the story.
This is a futuristic book with a strong message for the present day.
I enjoyed this book as it was refreshingly different to my normal reads.
Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
June 25, 2024
J'avais beaucoup aimé la trilogie de novellas de la maison des jeux et j'attendais donc cette nouvelle livraison de la collection UHL avec impatience.
Et, une nouvelle fois, je n'ai pas été déçu !
Pour faire très court, ce récit pourrait servir de synopsis à un épisode un peu trash d'un épisode de la série Black Mirror.
Mais au-delà de cette apparence, se cache un court roman rempli à ras bord de réflexions sur les travers actuels de notre société : l'addiction, le surendettement, l'humain augmenté, les effets du néo libéralisme sur nos vies et sur le creusement des inégalités, l'emprise...
C'est intelligent, c'est parfois provocant, j'adore ce format quand il concentre autant de bonnes idées en si peu de mots.
Dévoré en quelques heures !
Et, une nouvelle fois, je n'ai pas été déçu !
Pour faire très court, ce récit pourrait servir de synopsis à un épisode un peu trash d'un épisode de la série Black Mirror.
Mais au-delà de cette apparence, se cache un court roman rempli à ras bord de réflexions sur les travers actuels de notre société : l'addiction, le surendettement, l'humain augmenté, les effets du néo libéralisme sur nos vies et sur le creusement des inégalités, l'emprise...
C'est intelligent, c'est parfois provocant, j'adore ce format quand il concentre autant de bonnes idées en si peu de mots.
Dévoré en quelques heures !
October 14, 2020
Disturbing - all the more so because part of it is set in Bracknell, where I once lived - story about the consumerist drive for absolute perfection in body and mind. In this world, not so very far from our own, 'nanos', run by WiFi software to adjust the functions and appearance of the human body - at a cost. But credit cards make it possible to put off payment and live the high life as if there's no tomorrow - until tomorrow arrives. There's an abusive, coercive boyfriend in the mix too.
It's as depressing as you might expect from a novel produced in this time of darkness, but absolutely gripping and totally plausible.
It's as depressing as you might expect from a novel produced in this time of darkness, but absolutely gripping and totally plausible.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews