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Grind Spark
*LONGLISTED FOR THE BATH NOVEL AWARD 2014*
What do you do when the earth is dying?
You party like it’s the end of the world.
Deek never had any choice; designed and born in a lab and bought by the Prefin family, her job is to be the perfect daughter.
And in eight years she is going to die.
Along with the rest of the human race.
Bound by contract, Deek must spend the few years she has playing at happy families, while her mother treats her as an accessory, her brother hates her and her grandmother uses her to score social media points.
And as the Prefins disintegrate under the pressures to enjoy life before the scheduled apocalypse, and their selfishness and cruelty become more extreme, Deek finds support in an online friend. But can he show her what it’s like to care, what it’s like to hope?
If you see the darkest sides of the human family, would you want to survive the end of the world?
What do you do when the earth is dying?
You party like it’s the end of the world.
Deek never had any choice; designed and born in a lab and bought by the Prefin family, her job is to be the perfect daughter.
And in eight years she is going to die.
Along with the rest of the human race.
Bound by contract, Deek must spend the few years she has playing at happy families, while her mother treats her as an accessory, her brother hates her and her grandmother uses her to score social media points.
And as the Prefins disintegrate under the pressures to enjoy life before the scheduled apocalypse, and their selfishness and cruelty become more extreme, Deek finds support in an online friend. But can he show her what it’s like to care, what it’s like to hope?
If you see the darkest sides of the human family, would you want to survive the end of the world?
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2016
1 person is currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
Tamara Rogers
9 books27 followersWriter, image maker, mind meanderer. General all round turnip. Falls down rabbit holes.
'Double Vision', a short collection of shorter stories and flash fiction out 30th April.
Novel 'Grind Spark' longlisted for the Bath Novel Award 2014. Due out Summer 2016
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 31, 2016
*I received an Advance Reader Copy of Grind Spark in exchange for an honest review*
Grind Spark is a really good read. It explores the world of Deek, a lab creation who is contracted to the Prefin family as the perfect daughter – and when the end of the world is nigh, pretty much anything goes.
The world of the book is clearly introduced and beautifully imagined; probably the most disturbing elements are those extrapolated from what we can see around us today. Deek herself is a wonderful narrator; sardonic, old before her time, painfully clear-sighted. She gives the book a brilliantly grim, dark humour.
The book isn't an easy read. Deek undergoes some traumatic experiences, but these are entirely consistent with the book as a whole, and carefully handled. My only criticism (and I'm not sure you can call it that) is that I felt the book ended a little too soon.
I'd recommend Grind Spark to anyone who likes SF, speculative fiction, or simply a well-crafted, smart book. Enjoy.
Grind Spark is a really good read. It explores the world of Deek, a lab creation who is contracted to the Prefin family as the perfect daughter – and when the end of the world is nigh, pretty much anything goes.
The world of the book is clearly introduced and beautifully imagined; probably the most disturbing elements are those extrapolated from what we can see around us today. Deek herself is a wonderful narrator; sardonic, old before her time, painfully clear-sighted. She gives the book a brilliantly grim, dark humour.
The book isn't an easy read. Deek undergoes some traumatic experiences, but these are entirely consistent with the book as a whole, and carefully handled. My only criticism (and I'm not sure you can call it that) is that I felt the book ended a little too soon.
I'd recommend Grind Spark to anyone who likes SF, speculative fiction, or simply a well-crafted, smart book. Enjoy.
October 5, 2016
In the interests of transparency, I received an Advance Reader Copy of Grind Spark in exchange for an honest review.
Grind Spark is an exhilarating Ultra HD ride into to a near, pre-apocalyptic future.
Forget the well-trodden paths of post-apocalypse humanity and welcome in a world of genetic engineering, anything-goes governance, religious zeal and apathetic clock-watchers.
In this world Rogers tight, often caustic, sometimes brutal but always sharp, beautiful and perfectly-worded novel unfolds.
Brilliance seeps from every scene and for me, Grind Spark is as close to a modern masterpiece as I am likely to find.
I don't want to spoil the plot, but Deek is a rich character that undergoes severe experiences as the world starts to crumble around her. At times I almost couldn't read as I feared for her safety and sanity in a world that simply didn't seem to care. In these times of trouble and trauma, a strong family is what she needs. But who needs the nightmares of an approaching apocalypse when you have the Prefin family?
Rogers is a real talent and she has produced something truly memorable and stunning, it reminded me of Philip K Dick, but to say this might even be a disservice to Rogers. Grind Spark is filled with vivid and visceral images, of which the silk-worm cityscapes were indelible.
The book deals with conflict, family, genetic engineering, what it means to be human, exploitation and servitude, but in the mix is humour, fun and a knowing wink to our social media obsessions. It has strong well-crafted characters, who draw emotional connection.
It is a Spec Fic book, but in the core of Grind Spark's heart is a need to feel accepted, it is a beat that is strong and healthy from first word to last.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the future and grow to love Grind Spark, as I did. It is easily one of the best books I have read (in any genre) of the last few years.
And the ending was just perfect. Poised and satisfying. Hope and satisfaction, but not sugar-sweet. It leaves me wanting more. But I don't want to wish for that - sometimes, perfect should be left just as it is.
Grind Spark is an exhilarating Ultra HD ride into to a near, pre-apocalyptic future.
Forget the well-trodden paths of post-apocalypse humanity and welcome in a world of genetic engineering, anything-goes governance, religious zeal and apathetic clock-watchers.
In this world Rogers tight, often caustic, sometimes brutal but always sharp, beautiful and perfectly-worded novel unfolds.
Brilliance seeps from every scene and for me, Grind Spark is as close to a modern masterpiece as I am likely to find.
I don't want to spoil the plot, but Deek is a rich character that undergoes severe experiences as the world starts to crumble around her. At times I almost couldn't read as I feared for her safety and sanity in a world that simply didn't seem to care. In these times of trouble and trauma, a strong family is what she needs. But who needs the nightmares of an approaching apocalypse when you have the Prefin family?
Rogers is a real talent and she has produced something truly memorable and stunning, it reminded me of Philip K Dick, but to say this might even be a disservice to Rogers. Grind Spark is filled with vivid and visceral images, of which the silk-worm cityscapes were indelible.
The book deals with conflict, family, genetic engineering, what it means to be human, exploitation and servitude, but in the mix is humour, fun and a knowing wink to our social media obsessions. It has strong well-crafted characters, who draw emotional connection.
It is a Spec Fic book, but in the core of Grind Spark's heart is a need to feel accepted, it is a beat that is strong and healthy from first word to last.
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the future and grow to love Grind Spark, as I did. It is easily one of the best books I have read (in any genre) of the last few years.
And the ending was just perfect. Poised and satisfying. Hope and satisfaction, but not sugar-sweet. It leaves me wanting more. But I don't want to wish for that - sometimes, perfect should be left just as it is.
February 18, 2017
I hope Tamara Rogers hasn't a crystal ball because this dark dystopian story contains too many similarities to modern life's trajectory for comfort. Wonderfully crafted, creatively different with a touch of humour, Grind Spark will jolt your mind, disturb your emotions and open your thoughts to that which may well lie ahead for our children's children. Scary stuff. Amazing writing and well-deserving of the Bath Novel Award long list in 2014.
February 7, 2017
What a great way to start my year of reading Indie authors!
The story grabbed me right away with an engaging concept and beautiful writing. Tamara brings new concepts and ideas in rapidly, introducing them with minimal fanfare or exposition, which led to a very natural progression as I learned more about the world she has crafted. And what a wonderful world that is, deep with lore and yet slowly straining under the inevitable fate that is hurtling their way.
At times the story takes a dark turn, which is fitting for an end of the world story, and it deals with difficult concepts that are both unsettling and totally gripping. The story is told from Deek's perspective and her voice is authentic and believable. I felt swept along with her on her journey.
The story plays with time, hopping between past and present, which was initially jarring but once i was used to this it created a nice rhythm and kept things interesting.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would love to discover more about the world TR has created.
The story grabbed me right away with an engaging concept and beautiful writing. Tamara brings new concepts and ideas in rapidly, introducing them with minimal fanfare or exposition, which led to a very natural progression as I learned more about the world she has crafted. And what a wonderful world that is, deep with lore and yet slowly straining under the inevitable fate that is hurtling their way.
At times the story takes a dark turn, which is fitting for an end of the world story, and it deals with difficult concepts that are both unsettling and totally gripping. The story is told from Deek's perspective and her voice is authentic and believable. I felt swept along with her on her journey.
The story plays with time, hopping between past and present, which was initially jarring but once i was used to this it created a nice rhythm and kept things interesting.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and would love to discover more about the world TR has created.
December 22, 2016
Wonderful read. Took me a day to finish - and that's what holidays are for - to lose yourself in a good book. Dystopian and apocalyptic this ticked the right boxes. Her future society was realistically drawn with much taken from the habits of today: internet and social media, the concept of being able to buy anything, to change anything, to photoshop your life and at the centre a completely dysfunctional family. An original concept filled with disturbing ideas that will hopefully make people stop and think about the way society is going. Well-paced, well-written, thoroughly engaging.
December 21, 2016
The debut novel from Tamara Rogers was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and deservedly so. Grind Spark is entertaining dystopian satire told with a pitch black sense of humour.
The novel is set in a near-future which is scarily recognisable. The world is populated by reality TV, YouTube stars, porn sites, sensationalist media, plastic surgery and more. An asteroid called Angela is hurtling towards Earth to destroy the planet. The final few years, months and days on Earth are told from the perspective of the Prefin family, specifically their artifically-grown daughter Deek.
Deek is a fantastic character: observant, matter-of-fact and ultimately too good for her adoptive family/owners. She is fully intelligent from the point of creation, which makes for a particularly fun scene where she is tactically competing with fellow artificial babies to appear the cutest and be taken home.
Sadly, Deek suffers horrific abuse in the novel - notably from her jealous, drug-smoking older brother Cal - but she never loses her sardonic grim view of the world, which provides much of the humour. She never loses her fighting spirit either.
The supporting cast are equally well-drawn. Rogers provides big personalities in subtle shades of grey. There are no heroes or villains. At times, we feel sorry for Deek's mother, father and even her brother, whereas we can just as easily loathe them one page later. A particularly memorable character is Deek's gran, an ageing YouTube star never without a camera, like an octogenarian Zoella.
Rogers keeps the novel moving at a fast pace, with short scenes often cutting back and forward in time. These are punctuated with world-building scenes, usually in the form of news reports, to ensure we don't lose sight of the approaching mayhem and Armageddon.
Ultimately, this is a coming-of-age drama, ironically told by an articifical child who will never come-of-age. She is expected to die at the age of eight according to her birth certificate (although her physical appearance is much older thanks to growth milkshakes). Grind Spark is therefore Adrian Mole for Black Mirror fans.
And the language is brilliant. Rogers packs every page with brutal and inventive wordsmithery, delivering short, punchy descriptions without straying into over-written prose.
Grind Spark established Rogers as an exciting new self-publishing talent, an alumna of the Flash Dogs community, with stacks of talent and bold ideas. The ballerina artwork deserves five stars and you should certainly judge this book by its cover.
The novel is set in a near-future which is scarily recognisable. The world is populated by reality TV, YouTube stars, porn sites, sensationalist media, plastic surgery and more. An asteroid called Angela is hurtling towards Earth to destroy the planet. The final few years, months and days on Earth are told from the perspective of the Prefin family, specifically their artifically-grown daughter Deek.
Deek is a fantastic character: observant, matter-of-fact and ultimately too good for her adoptive family/owners. She is fully intelligent from the point of creation, which makes for a particularly fun scene where she is tactically competing with fellow artificial babies to appear the cutest and be taken home.
Sadly, Deek suffers horrific abuse in the novel - notably from her jealous, drug-smoking older brother Cal - but she never loses her sardonic grim view of the world, which provides much of the humour. She never loses her fighting spirit either.
The supporting cast are equally well-drawn. Rogers provides big personalities in subtle shades of grey. There are no heroes or villains. At times, we feel sorry for Deek's mother, father and even her brother, whereas we can just as easily loathe them one page later. A particularly memorable character is Deek's gran, an ageing YouTube star never without a camera, like an octogenarian Zoella.
Rogers keeps the novel moving at a fast pace, with short scenes often cutting back and forward in time. These are punctuated with world-building scenes, usually in the form of news reports, to ensure we don't lose sight of the approaching mayhem and Armageddon.
Ultimately, this is a coming-of-age drama, ironically told by an articifical child who will never come-of-age. She is expected to die at the age of eight according to her birth certificate (although her physical appearance is much older thanks to growth milkshakes). Grind Spark is therefore Adrian Mole for Black Mirror fans.
And the language is brilliant. Rogers packs every page with brutal and inventive wordsmithery, delivering short, punchy descriptions without straying into over-written prose.
Grind Spark established Rogers as an exciting new self-publishing talent, an alumna of the Flash Dogs community, with stacks of talent and bold ideas. The ballerina artwork deserves five stars and you should certainly judge this book by its cover.
April 23, 2017
(DISCLAIMER - I received an ARC of 'Grind Spark' for an honest review).
The introduction to this story was teased in the author's 'Double Vision' collection, and I was intrigued at that point. But whatever my mind could have come up with from that starting point was exceeded by what Tamara has created here.
A sometimes gentle, other times harsh look at social media, future family structure, and a society that has nothing else left but the general consensus of 'fuck it; let's party'.
And behind it all, as the the world chokes itself on it's failures, and missed opportunities, our main character, Deek, finds herself becoming the best of us, and somehow becoming our legacy.
I'll be honest and say that I struggled a little bit at the beginning, but then this is true of most Sci-Fi, as the reader is slowly eased into the story while the author's invented names, phrases, and technology are fed into our brains.
But once the language of the story became second nature, the plot and characters unfolded and I was led into a world that had me both intrigued and excited about the possibilities of what mankind would go on to invent, while being equally horrified by how we as a society could end up viewing our kind (and not our kind).
And, as with all good Sci-Fi, it's not where we could end up that makes the book scary, but how it shows us that the seeds for such failures already exist in the real world.
The introduction to this story was teased in the author's 'Double Vision' collection, and I was intrigued at that point. But whatever my mind could have come up with from that starting point was exceeded by what Tamara has created here.
A sometimes gentle, other times harsh look at social media, future family structure, and a society that has nothing else left but the general consensus of 'fuck it; let's party'.
And behind it all, as the the world chokes itself on it's failures, and missed opportunities, our main character, Deek, finds herself becoming the best of us, and somehow becoming our legacy.
I'll be honest and say that I struggled a little bit at the beginning, but then this is true of most Sci-Fi, as the reader is slowly eased into the story while the author's invented names, phrases, and technology are fed into our brains.
But once the language of the story became second nature, the plot and characters unfolded and I was led into a world that had me both intrigued and excited about the possibilities of what mankind would go on to invent, while being equally horrified by how we as a society could end up viewing our kind (and not our kind).
And, as with all good Sci-Fi, it's not where we could end up that makes the book scary, but how it shows us that the seeds for such failures already exist in the real world.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews