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Not Alone
A quiet dystopian novel about grief, healing and what it means to be human. A perfect match for readers of Kazuo Ishiguro.
Jane-two-seven works in a dangerous, intense process that helps people reclaim their humanity after centuries of numb survival.
It is the most intimate work in her world. Jane sits beside strangers while their defences are torn down, holds their hands when they shake, and stays – unconditionally. Then she files her report and walks away.
That is how restoration is meant to their feelings, not hers.
For years, Jane excels at her work. Most of her subjects survive – until one night, a restoration goes catastrophically wrong.
Jane is taken off duty, stripped of contact with subjects and reassigned to protocol design from behind a screen – far from touch and further from feeling.
But something in Jane has cracked. And once the restoration cascade begins, there is no turning back.
Not Alone is a quiet, emotional speculative novel about grief, connection and the slow, aching return to humanity – perfect for readers who love character-driven stories like Never Let Me Go, Klara and the Sun or Station Eleven.
If you want to be changed by the last page, click to read a free sample now.
Jane-two-seven works in a dangerous, intense process that helps people reclaim their humanity after centuries of numb survival.
It is the most intimate work in her world. Jane sits beside strangers while their defences are torn down, holds their hands when they shake, and stays – unconditionally. Then she files her report and walks away.
That is how restoration is meant to their feelings, not hers.
For years, Jane excels at her work. Most of her subjects survive – until one night, a restoration goes catastrophically wrong.
Jane is taken off duty, stripped of contact with subjects and reassigned to protocol design from behind a screen – far from touch and further from feeling.
But something in Jane has cracked. And once the restoration cascade begins, there is no turning back.
Not Alone is a quiet, emotional speculative novel about grief, connection and the slow, aching return to humanity – perfect for readers who love character-driven stories like Never Let Me Go, Klara and the Sun or Station Eleven.
If you want to be changed by the last page, click to read a free sample now.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 23, 2025
2 people want to read
About the author
Rabea Scholz
5 books40 followersRabea Scholz, born in 1982, loves books, spends a lot of time inside her own head, folds paper frogs, speaks three languages, writes stories full of longing and hope, teaches primary school children, studies grammar for fun, and has recently learnt how to drive. She is addicted to tea with just the right amount of milk and honey, and prefers to write at night, with everyone else asleep.
In a perfect world, her day would have 48 hours of which she could spend 24 sleeping and then still have another 24 hours left for her family, for writing, reading, friends, lesson plans, pointlessly staring at the wall, carefully selected TV shows, and of course chocolate.
She lives with her wife, her step-daughter, a cat, and two rabbits in Berlin, Germany.
In a perfect world, her day would have 48 hours of which she could spend 24 sleeping and then still have another 24 hours left for her family, for writing, reading, friends, lesson plans, pointlessly staring at the wall, carefully selected TV shows, and of course chocolate.
She lives with her wife, her step-daughter, a cat, and two rabbits in Berlin, Germany.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 8, 2026
Rather than a story, this felt like an experience. A book about a different world, perhaps a future world, perhaps medical care for recovery in a dystopian world. A world where super sensory carers support patients as they transition through stages of rehabilitation. Jane is a carer who is particularly skilled, and as we get to know her, clearly ‘normal’ in this world is different. Failure to successfully transition is carefully analysed, as the consequences of failure are severe. The first part of the story sensitively gives the experience of Jane as nurse/carer/guide in this strange world. The experiences and interactions are sensitive, complex and considered. Although it felt strange at first, it absorbed my attention, and I enjoyed the book very much.
Displaying 1 of 1 review