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Interface
The future always seemed bright, but it turns out that was just global warming. Meals don’t come in pills, shoes don’t lace themselves, and there are flying cars, but the gas mileage sucks. There is one difference. People have always searched the internet for answers. Now they actually worship it.
Pen Nowen’s father was the founder of Interface, a computer company so big and powerful that people began praying to it. Especially when his death almost tanked the economy.
Seven years later, Pen’s just finished her junior year of high school. For their summer vacations, all of her friends are going to Disneyland, Tijuana, or Disneyland Tijuana, but Pen’s going on a pilgrimage to pray for what’s left of her family. She’s on her way to the Interface flagship store when she gets kidnapped.
It’s the second time this year. She’s about to begin the ransom negotiations when the kidnapper says that he doesn’t want money. He wants something else from her. Before Pen can text 911, he says something even creepier. He knows the truth about her dad’s death.
Pen Nowen’s father was the founder of Interface, a computer company so big and powerful that people began praying to it. Especially when his death almost tanked the economy.
Seven years later, Pen’s just finished her junior year of high school. For their summer vacations, all of her friends are going to Disneyland, Tijuana, or Disneyland Tijuana, but Pen’s going on a pilgrimage to pray for what’s left of her family. She’s on her way to the Interface flagship store when she gets kidnapped.
It’s the second time this year. She’s about to begin the ransom negotiations when the kidnapper says that he doesn’t want money. He wants something else from her. Before Pen can text 911, he says something even creepier. He knows the truth about her dad’s death.
234 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2016
3 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 9, 2017
I'm really impressed!
It seems to be a mostly tight novel that's spoofing internet culture, at least on the surface, and humorously so, but the core of it is really a character-driven roadtrip tale with witty dialogue and some very messed up memes peppering the text with panache.
And serial kidnappings.
And camping with trolls. (The internet kind. Not the fantasy kind.)
And murder.
The tragedy portions don't overwhelm the story. They happen to be more of a backdrop for rather complicated characterizations. Like I said, I'm very impressed.
For those in the know, it feels like a close mash-up of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, (which happens to be a fantastically weird economics treatise based on confidence and living in Disney World as an indigent) and a lot of Lauren Beukes's awesome situations and banter.
This reads like a lightweight novel, but in reality it's overflowing with beautifully complex memes and world-building that pays homage to games, fury-porn, internet, hacking, and living like indigent bums on a stinky quest to a computer industry that has become a religion... and the need to find justice... or something. ;)
No spoilers. It's very cool.
The text is very polished and I'd absolutely recommend it to everyone who likes Beukes. :)
Thanks to the author for a copy! Totally worth it. :)
It seems to be a mostly tight novel that's spoofing internet culture, at least on the surface, and humorously so, but the core of it is really a character-driven roadtrip tale with witty dialogue and some very messed up memes peppering the text with panache.
And serial kidnappings.
And camping with trolls. (The internet kind. Not the fantasy kind.)
And murder.
The tragedy portions don't overwhelm the story. They happen to be more of a backdrop for rather complicated characterizations. Like I said, I'm very impressed.
For those in the know, it feels like a close mash-up of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, (which happens to be a fantastically weird economics treatise based on confidence and living in Disney World as an indigent) and a lot of Lauren Beukes's awesome situations and banter.
This reads like a lightweight novel, but in reality it's overflowing with beautifully complex memes and world-building that pays homage to games, fury-porn, internet, hacking, and living like indigent bums on a stinky quest to a computer industry that has become a religion... and the need to find justice... or something. ;)
No spoilers. It's very cool.
The text is very polished and I'd absolutely recommend it to everyone who likes Beukes. :)
Thanks to the author for a copy! Totally worth it. :)
September 6, 2017
3.5 stars
Starting this book, I was very confused. Mostly by the language/writing. Interface takes place in the future and technology is a lot more advanced. And all that fictional technology confused me at the start. But I quickly got used to it and was able to enjoy the story a bit more.
I didn't realise Interface was sort of a satire but I liked that part of the book. It kind of made fun of technology and how ridiculous it can become. So ridiculous that people actually worship it.
I also didn't know that this is the beginning to a series so the ending to this book left me just a bit unsatisfied.
Nonetheless I liked this and am looking forward to the sequel!
Starting this book, I was very confused. Mostly by the language/writing. Interface takes place in the future and technology is a lot more advanced. And all that fictional technology confused me at the start. But I quickly got used to it and was able to enjoy the story a bit more.
I didn't realise Interface was sort of a satire but I liked that part of the book. It kind of made fun of technology and how ridiculous it can become. So ridiculous that people actually worship it.
I also didn't know that this is the beginning to a series so the ending to this book left me just a bit unsatisfied.
Nonetheless I liked this and am looking forward to the sequel!
December 22, 2016
Brad summed it up nicely here and yes, I'm also impressed.
This is pure satire. The scifi kind. With bubbling and glittering dialogues in today's language. I'm not exactly sure, this book qualifies as YA but I'd recommend it for people of all age groups, who love their social scifi complete with sparkling and the latest inPhone.
This is pure satire. The scifi kind. With bubbling and glittering dialogues in today's language. I'm not exactly sure, this book qualifies as YA but I'd recommend it for people of all age groups, who love their social scifi complete with sparkling and the latest inPhone.
December 18, 2016
This is a simple story about a group of people that come together (one not voluntary) to accomplish a goal. The plot to this tale is a simple one. Even how certain, yet dangerous situations and events are overcome are solved in simple manners. This is more of a character driven story. It literally makes fun of how much society is attached to their electronic devices and the need for social media acceptance. In the story it has even become a new religion that has actually replaced god or any form of higher power.
I really enjoyed the characters interactions with each other. The witty banter and funny bickering had me laughing at times.
The similarities to our world and this world set in the future did give a haunting vision of what we are on the path to become. So many now are addicted to facebook, instagram or twitter, they can’t even enjoy a meal without having whatever device they are using to convey their thoughts and feeling about anything, or nothing at all. They can be whoever or whatever they want. Who’s to say you’re not facebook friends with the crown prince of Yooboomba. (Both obviously fake and utter figments of my own imagination.)
Outside of this scary fact, the story is very lighthearted and just plain fun. The main character is a young girl named Penny. Who hates using her name because the auto correct feature on any device she uses changes her name to Penis. She’s born into a wealthy family; in fact her father is one of the founding members of the new software/hardware conglomerate giant that has taken over the world and religion. A horrible tragedy has befallen her family, causing them to lose their controlling status within the company to a certain degree. Yet was this tragedy deliberate or was it something else? One this is obviously made clear to young Penny. There is a cover up of what really happened.
One thing clear is no one has a choice in what family he or she is born into. Just because the one you are is rich or powerful does not mean it does not have problem placed upon them that average people never face on a regular basis. Heck, Penny is kidnapped and it doesn’t even faze her. This is all because she’s been kidnapped before and she’s use to the routine by now. A sad yet true fact for this young girl is forced to face.
Then she’s rescued only to find out she’s been kidnapped again. Yeah, crazy but it happened. The following road trip is one where we get to learn who her new rescuers/kidnappers are, and what it is they need her for specifically. Yep, this teenage, high school girl is the key to this group’s quest to do something important. To learn what it is, read the book. Oh and a family member is helping the kidnappers. Just thought I would toss that out. Not much of a spoiler, plus you find this out very early in the story.
As I said earlier, this is a very character driven tale. The quick-witted conversations between the group as they travel across country on their quest had me reading late into the night. The characters kept me coming back. I did enjoy this book. I read a review where someone said this read more like a YA book than an adult one. I would have to agree with this, though it does not take away from the story. This is a very easy and quick read. I just really enjoyed the banter between characters. Not to mention how the world mirrors our own and where we may end up one day.
I really enjoyed the characters interactions with each other. The witty banter and funny bickering had me laughing at times.
The similarities to our world and this world set in the future did give a haunting vision of what we are on the path to become. So many now are addicted to facebook, instagram or twitter, they can’t even enjoy a meal without having whatever device they are using to convey their thoughts and feeling about anything, or nothing at all. They can be whoever or whatever they want. Who’s to say you’re not facebook friends with the crown prince of Yooboomba. (Both obviously fake and utter figments of my own imagination.)
Outside of this scary fact, the story is very lighthearted and just plain fun. The main character is a young girl named Penny. Who hates using her name because the auto correct feature on any device she uses changes her name to Penis. She’s born into a wealthy family; in fact her father is one of the founding members of the new software/hardware conglomerate giant that has taken over the world and religion. A horrible tragedy has befallen her family, causing them to lose their controlling status within the company to a certain degree. Yet was this tragedy deliberate or was it something else? One this is obviously made clear to young Penny. There is a cover up of what really happened.
One thing clear is no one has a choice in what family he or she is born into. Just because the one you are is rich or powerful does not mean it does not have problem placed upon them that average people never face on a regular basis. Heck, Penny is kidnapped and it doesn’t even faze her. This is all because she’s been kidnapped before and she’s use to the routine by now. A sad yet true fact for this young girl is forced to face.
Then she’s rescued only to find out she’s been kidnapped again. Yeah, crazy but it happened. The following road trip is one where we get to learn who her new rescuers/kidnappers are, and what it is they need her for specifically. Yep, this teenage, high school girl is the key to this group’s quest to do something important. To learn what it is, read the book. Oh and a family member is helping the kidnappers. Just thought I would toss that out. Not much of a spoiler, plus you find this out very early in the story.
As I said earlier, this is a very character driven tale. The quick-witted conversations between the group as they travel across country on their quest had me reading late into the night. The characters kept me coming back. I did enjoy this book. I read a review where someone said this read more like a YA book than an adult one. I would have to agree with this, though it does not take away from the story. This is a very easy and quick read. I just really enjoyed the banter between characters. Not to mention how the world mirrors our own and where we may end up one day.
June 13, 2017
Very humorous and I look forward to book two in the series.
July 18, 2017
This book had some quirks, though somewhere in the last 30% of it I started to really enjoy it. The ending was a little abrupt, it felt more like the end of a chapter than the end of a premier novel. My main criticism at the beginning would have been the over-reliance on replacing product names with slightly different product names, or updating expressions with more tech-themed ones. As an example, a SmartBoard becomes a WiseBoard and instead of a mental image the expression becomes 'mental image file', that sort of thing. The most jarring for me was replacing 'paracord' with 'paracordless', it really felt like a misuse of the find-and-replace function of a word processing program. At the beginning of the book this happens constantly, and it was definitely distracting to me, but others seem to like it so it may be a matter of taste. Some of the characters we see often are barely developed, and that was a shame. Overall it was a clever book, and the unique concept combined with the unexpected inclusivity made it a refreshing read. Definitely an author to keep an eye on.
March 12, 2017
The plot of this was okay, but it's the premise and the language that really made this worthwhile for me. The language especially, the author has a fantastic way with words and just lots of little jokes and references in the prose. Plus gender neutral phrasing <3<3<3
January 22, 2017
This novel is chock-full of witty humor, lighthearted banter between characters, sassy revelations and a very tough and straightforward female lead who doesn't take anyone's s***. It was a very quick and easy read, perfect when you need something to lighten up an otherwise gloomy day! Lucy has done a fantastic job of intertwining her characters while still playing with enough mystery and mischief to keep you entertained. The language felt a bit repetitive at times, but it fit well with the content as much of the technology that was involved was repetitive of prior generations and upgrades etc..
The intensity with which culture and economy are mocked is such a huge part of this story, anyone who's used a cell phone or seen a commercial for the latest Apple software will appreciate the comedy behind many of the societal quips and remarks. Interface made me contemplate the actual importance and weight of the use of the internet today, and how that is going to lead our world into the future.
I really enjoyed the world that Lucy's created here, and how masterfully she executed everything involved. Definitely worth a read for sci-fi and/or fiction fans!
I've received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The intensity with which culture and economy are mocked is such a huge part of this story, anyone who's used a cell phone or seen a commercial for the latest Apple software will appreciate the comedy behind many of the societal quips and remarks. Interface made me contemplate the actual importance and weight of the use of the internet today, and how that is going to lead our world into the future.
I really enjoyed the world that Lucy's created here, and how masterfully she executed everything involved. Definitely worth a read for sci-fi and/or fiction fans!
I've received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2018
I’m not overly sure what I actually thought of this book. I think it tried a little too hard and to be honest I really did not like much of any of the characters. Mostly fun though.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews