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Exposure
In a Britain akin to this one, Vincent Rice falls off a ladder, literally at Petra Orff's feet. They introduce themselves, and he offers to take her to Metamuse, an alternative theatre experience like no other that he won tickets to in a competition he doesn’t remember entering.
Vincent has a complex sense of home, and immigrant Petra senses a kindred spirit in him. As time goes on, inexplicable occurrences pile on top of one another, connected to Metamuse: certainly more than just a theatre experience. Unquiet dead seem to be reaching into the world to protest injustices both past and present.
Vincent has a complex sense of home, and immigrant Petra senses a kindred spirit in him. As time goes on, inexplicable occurrences pile on top of one another, connected to Metamuse: certainly more than just a theatre experience. Unquiet dead seem to be reaching into the world to protest injustices both past and present.
- GenresScience FictionHorror
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2021
9 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 11, 2021
Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.
Pros: Original and haunting. Exquisitely written.
Cons: Instalove premise. The story takes a different turn than one anticipates, and albeit smart and poignant, it ultimately doesn't do the main character justice.
Will appeal to: Those who like mind games, spiritually wounded/doomed characters with a bit of a saviour complex, and an eerie quality in their books.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Titan Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
LOVE, DEATH AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
While deciding to request/buy a book - any book - is always a shot in the dark, even when there are reviews or excerpts available (which was not the case here), I have to admit I took a wilder chance than my average when picking this one. The blurb was pretty straightforward in hinting at an instant connection between the main character and a mysterious "falling man", and I usually try to stay away from books where the romantic plot is a main ingredient, especially when instalove is involved...but this one sounded really up my alley, especially since the Goodreads blurb (slightly different from the NetGalley/Amazon one) had a line about "Unquiet dead [who] seem to be reaching into the world to protest injustices both past and present". Now THAT got my attention - along with the ominous Metamuse of course.
Now I'm really glad I decided to request Exposure, because I ultimately got a spooky, disquieting, overall unique story where the romance - if integral to it - went hand in hand with themes such as family, social identity (Petra is a half South-African, half English immigrant; Vincent - while UK born and bred - is of Malawian descent), one-of-a-kind psychological manipulation, and of course death (and/or un-death). I wasn't familiar with immersive theatre or "autoteatro", but I loved how it was incorporated into the plot (both via Petra's experiences and journalist Rose's first-hand reports), and I enjoyed the spine-chilling twist Greenberg managed to put on it. I also found the writing exquisite without being flowery, and the characterisation and sense of place pretty strong. [...]
Whole review here.
Pros: Original and haunting. Exquisitely written.
Cons: Instalove premise. The story takes a different turn than one anticipates, and albeit smart and poignant, it ultimately doesn't do the main character justice.
Will appeal to: Those who like mind games, spiritually wounded/doomed characters with a bit of a saviour complex, and an eerie quality in their books.
First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Titan Books for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.
LOVE, DEATH AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
While deciding to request/buy a book - any book - is always a shot in the dark, even when there are reviews or excerpts available (which was not the case here), I have to admit I took a wilder chance than my average when picking this one. The blurb was pretty straightforward in hinting at an instant connection between the main character and a mysterious "falling man", and I usually try to stay away from books where the romantic plot is a main ingredient, especially when instalove is involved...but this one sounded really up my alley, especially since the Goodreads blurb (slightly different from the NetGalley/Amazon one) had a line about "Unquiet dead [who] seem to be reaching into the world to protest injustices both past and present". Now THAT got my attention - along with the ominous Metamuse of course.
Now I'm really glad I decided to request Exposure, because I ultimately got a spooky, disquieting, overall unique story where the romance - if integral to it - went hand in hand with themes such as family, social identity (Petra is a half South-African, half English immigrant; Vincent - while UK born and bred - is of Malawian descent), one-of-a-kind psychological manipulation, and of course death (and/or un-death). I wasn't familiar with immersive theatre or "autoteatro", but I loved how it was incorporated into the plot (both via Petra's experiences and journalist Rose's first-hand reports), and I enjoyed the spine-chilling twist Greenberg managed to put on it. I also found the writing exquisite without being flowery, and the characterisation and sense of place pretty strong. [...]
Whole review here.
December 23, 2021
How much is too much when it comes to invading human minds for any purpose?
Vincent literally falls into Petra's life. Petra senses an immediate connection, which leads them to attend the immersive Metamuse theater experience together. The first in the series of shows has them completely engrossed in each other. Then things start to get strangely personal and threateningly invasive.
Exposure is a mixture of sci-fi, alternative reality, and psychological horror. It's a somewhat slow start that builds to an intriguing storyline. I was on pins and needles by mid-novel but found the ending to be somewhat confusing and anticlimactic. I also didn't feel very invested in the characters. They weren't particularly likable or hateable.
Overall it was an interesting novel. The idea of Metamuse is thought-provoking considering the rapid and complex evolution of technology. My lack of engagement with the main characters and the perplexing ending put it in the only okay category for me.
Vincent literally falls into Petra's life. Petra senses an immediate connection, which leads them to attend the immersive Metamuse theater experience together. The first in the series of shows has them completely engrossed in each other. Then things start to get strangely personal and threateningly invasive.
Exposure is a mixture of sci-fi, alternative reality, and psychological horror. It's a somewhat slow start that builds to an intriguing storyline. I was on pins and needles by mid-novel but found the ending to be somewhat confusing and anticlimactic. I also didn't feel very invested in the characters. They weren't particularly likable or hateable.
Overall it was an interesting novel. The idea of Metamuse is thought-provoking considering the rapid and complex evolution of technology. My lack of engagement with the main characters and the perplexing ending put it in the only okay category for me.
January 2, 2022
This is a very thoughtful, mindful book that begins at pace and does not let go. You unravel the mysteries of the theatre experience at the same time as Vincent and Petra do. alongside excerpts from a journalist, Rose's published reviews. It gives you a rounded idea, both personal and social, as to where Metamuse, and its 2 mysterious creators exist as a concept.
In an age where literally nothing is private, sacred or kept as a secret, it is easy to imagine the extremely high levels of power that the two female Metamuse founders, must wield in order to have wiped themselves off the internet, and there are people who are not even sure that they are who they say they are. No one knows, and much as Vincent fell at the feet of Petra, we. the readers have to trust that someone will be there to see it, in order for it to have happened. We are, in fact, exposed.
Questions of identity and reality flow through Exposure so naturally-you have Vincent who is born here but is of Malaian extract and therefore has the exotic labelling of 'other' though he is more naturally belonging than most of those who would see him as such. He lands at Petra's feet, literally falling out of the sky as he tries to pack up his grandfather's recording studio. It has been bought up by a multinational who control access to health in this eerily prescient UK of the future/or slightly off kilter UK. Here, health is privatised and those who have, get. Those who don't, die. And that includes Beccie, Vincent teenage daughter.
Petra, of South African descent, is not naturalised to the UK and has moved here to be with her sick mother, but keeps this face, this facade of trying to fit in and when her mother, who is openly not from here and who gleefully ignores social conventions such as -shock horror!-talking to strangers in waiting rooms, you can almost feel Petra's toes curl.
Petra works in Needless Things, a play on the Stephen King novel 'Needful Things', run by Suki (not her real name, she has a far more basic one which she shuns for the more exotic and memorable Suki). She comes from a wealthy family who, it seems, have funded her shop of frankly useless items, where every corner is stuffed with an eclectic mix of things like Hot Topless Hunks Colouring Books (which Suki herself got bored with colouring in after only a couple of pages.) Suki is both an anchor to Petra, not demanding too much of her, she provides a sounding board, emotional support and a steady income. The contrast between the privileged elite and those who cannot even afford the most basic health care is not lost on this reader.
So when Petra meets Vincent in this very funny, relatable and dramatic way, it does not seem out of the bounds of possibility that they should be attending Metamuse together. Vincent (I am unsure if this is a deliberate link in his name to the iconic actor Vincent Price, but it made me question what I was reading because every time his name was mentioned I added hat extra 'P'. Which is ridiculous as he is clearly described as a young, black man so maybe it is a commentary on seeing and believing what you often overlook as white privilege?) does not remember entering the competition to win tickets, there are 2 of them, and the first event is that night.
He and Petra go there, her whole persona of being a dutiful daughter is something that she tries on but does not quite fit her as well as she would like. Her mother has had a minor procedure and whilst Petra has made a fuss about being there for her, the complexity of their relationship leaps off the page. She is meant to go and see her mother and check on her but goes to the first Metamuse event instead. Wondering, practically, how the events make money as you do not go looking for tickets, they come to you, gives this a bizarre, post-modern Willy Wonka effect.
The selection process is further explored by Rose's articles. She is a journalist with a terminal case of ennui, chasing something which will make her feel and has been unable to use any of her contacts to get tickets. Until the tickets to Metamuse find her at exactly the right time...
Petra and Vincent fall very deeply into a complex relationship after the first event, their transition from accidental acquaintances to lovers amplified by the experience they shared. This is not to last, however, as the second and then third night completely flip the script on their shared experience and produce some of the most unsettling writing I encountered in 2021.
I will not go into details as I would hope you would seek this book out for yourself and the read be as individual to you as it was to me.
Suffice to say, from night one both Petra and Vincent exist in this post date/pre-date fugue state where they have been exposed, literally and metaphorically to feelings and memories that each have buried.
Things in the real world seem to be both disjointed and overlapping to the point where you are no longer sure if they are both sane or being manipulated as you, yourself question if you are being manipulated also.
Who is being exposed to what?
And why?
What is the aim of this singularly unique theatre event and why these two people, why now?
The questions of identity, love, loss and expectation of others to provide that synaptic link between feelings and actions are wonderfully explored in a gripping, engaging and page turning novel. It left me with a book hangover, in the best possible way, and I will be forever haunted by that shadowy, two tone cover.
In an age where literally nothing is private, sacred or kept as a secret, it is easy to imagine the extremely high levels of power that the two female Metamuse founders, must wield in order to have wiped themselves off the internet, and there are people who are not even sure that they are who they say they are. No one knows, and much as Vincent fell at the feet of Petra, we. the readers have to trust that someone will be there to see it, in order for it to have happened. We are, in fact, exposed.
Questions of identity and reality flow through Exposure so naturally-you have Vincent who is born here but is of Malaian extract and therefore has the exotic labelling of 'other' though he is more naturally belonging than most of those who would see him as such. He lands at Petra's feet, literally falling out of the sky as he tries to pack up his grandfather's recording studio. It has been bought up by a multinational who control access to health in this eerily prescient UK of the future/or slightly off kilter UK. Here, health is privatised and those who have, get. Those who don't, die. And that includes Beccie, Vincent teenage daughter.
Petra, of South African descent, is not naturalised to the UK and has moved here to be with her sick mother, but keeps this face, this facade of trying to fit in and when her mother, who is openly not from here and who gleefully ignores social conventions such as -shock horror!-talking to strangers in waiting rooms, you can almost feel Petra's toes curl.
Petra works in Needless Things, a play on the Stephen King novel 'Needful Things', run by Suki (not her real name, she has a far more basic one which she shuns for the more exotic and memorable Suki). She comes from a wealthy family who, it seems, have funded her shop of frankly useless items, where every corner is stuffed with an eclectic mix of things like Hot Topless Hunks Colouring Books (which Suki herself got bored with colouring in after only a couple of pages.) Suki is both an anchor to Petra, not demanding too much of her, she provides a sounding board, emotional support and a steady income. The contrast between the privileged elite and those who cannot even afford the most basic health care is not lost on this reader.
So when Petra meets Vincent in this very funny, relatable and dramatic way, it does not seem out of the bounds of possibility that they should be attending Metamuse together. Vincent (I am unsure if this is a deliberate link in his name to the iconic actor Vincent Price, but it made me question what I was reading because every time his name was mentioned I added hat extra 'P'. Which is ridiculous as he is clearly described as a young, black man so maybe it is a commentary on seeing and believing what you often overlook as white privilege?) does not remember entering the competition to win tickets, there are 2 of them, and the first event is that night.
He and Petra go there, her whole persona of being a dutiful daughter is something that she tries on but does not quite fit her as well as she would like. Her mother has had a minor procedure and whilst Petra has made a fuss about being there for her, the complexity of their relationship leaps off the page. She is meant to go and see her mother and check on her but goes to the first Metamuse event instead. Wondering, practically, how the events make money as you do not go looking for tickets, they come to you, gives this a bizarre, post-modern Willy Wonka effect.
The selection process is further explored by Rose's articles. She is a journalist with a terminal case of ennui, chasing something which will make her feel and has been unable to use any of her contacts to get tickets. Until the tickets to Metamuse find her at exactly the right time...
Petra and Vincent fall very deeply into a complex relationship after the first event, their transition from accidental acquaintances to lovers amplified by the experience they shared. This is not to last, however, as the second and then third night completely flip the script on their shared experience and produce some of the most unsettling writing I encountered in 2021.
I will not go into details as I would hope you would seek this book out for yourself and the read be as individual to you as it was to me.
Suffice to say, from night one both Petra and Vincent exist in this post date/pre-date fugue state where they have been exposed, literally and metaphorically to feelings and memories that each have buried.
Things in the real world seem to be both disjointed and overlapping to the point where you are no longer sure if they are both sane or being manipulated as you, yourself question if you are being manipulated also.
Who is being exposed to what?
And why?
What is the aim of this singularly unique theatre event and why these two people, why now?
The questions of identity, love, loss and expectation of others to provide that synaptic link between feelings and actions are wonderfully explored in a gripping, engaging and page turning novel. It left me with a book hangover, in the best possible way, and I will be forever haunted by that shadowy, two tone cover.
January 15, 2022
This is a very thoughtful, mindful book that begins at pace and does not let go. You unravel the mysteries of the theatre experience at the same time as Vincent and Petra do. alongside excerpts from a journalist, Rose’s published reviews. It gives you a rounded idea, both personal and social, as to where Metamuse, and its 2 mysterious creators exist as a concept.
In an age where literally nothing is private, sacred or kept as a secret, it is easy to imagine the extremely high levels of power that the two female Metamuse founders, must wield in order to have wiped themselves off the internet, and there are people who are not even sure that they are who they say they are. No one knows, and much as Vincent fell at the feet of Petra, we. the readers have to trust that someone will be there to see it, in order for it to have happened. We are, in fact, exposed.
Questions of identity and reality flow through Exposure so naturally-you have Vincent who is born here but is of Malaian extract and therefore has the exotic labelling of ‘other’ though he is more naturally belonging than most of those who would see him as such. He lands at Petra’s feet, literally falling out of the sky as he tries to pack up his grandfather’s recording studio. It has been bought up by a multinational who control access to health in this eerily prescient UK of the future/or slightly off kilter UK. Here, health is privatised and those who have, get. Those who don’t, die. And that includes Beccie, Vincent teenage daughter.
Petra, of South African descent, is not naturalised to the UK and has moved here to be with her sick mother, but keeps this face, this facade of trying to fit in and when her mother, who is openly not from here and who gleefully ignores social conventions such as -shock horror!-talking to strangers in waiting rooms, you can almost feel Petra’s toes curl.
Petra works in Needless Things, a play on the Stephen King novel ‘Needful Things’, run by Suki (not her real name, she has a far more basic one which she shuns for the more exotic and memorable Suki). She comes from a wealthy family who, it seems, have funded her shop of frankly useless items, where every corner is stuffed with an eclectic mix of things like Hot Topless Hunks Colouring Books (which Suki herself got bored with colouring in after only a couple of pages.) Suki is both an anchor to Petra, not demanding too much of her, she provides a sounding board, emotional support and a steady income. The contrast between the privileged elite and those who cannot even afford the most basic health care is not lost on this reader.
So when Petra meets Vincent in this very funny, relatable and dramatic way, it does not seem out of the bounds of possibility that they should be attending Metamuse together. Vincent (I am unsure if this is a deliberate link in his name to the iconic actor Vincent Price, but it made me question what I was reading because every time his name was mentioned I added hat extra ‘P’. Which is ridiculous as he is clearly described as a young, black man so maybe it is a commentary on seeing and believing what you often overlook as white privilege?) does not remember entering the competition to win tickets, there are 2 of them, and the first event is that night.
He and Petra go there, her whole persona of being a dutiful daughter is something that she tries on but does not quite fit her as well as she would like. Her mother has had a minor procedure and whilst Petra has made a fuss about being there for her, the complexity of their relationship leaps off the page. She is meant to go and see her mother and check on her but goes to the first Metamuse event instead. Wondering, practically, how the events make money as you do not go looking for tickets, they come to you, gives this a bizarre, post-modern Willy Wonka effect.
The selection process is further explored by Rose’s articles. She is a journalist with a terminal case of ennui, chasing something which will make her feel and has been unable to use any of her contacts to get tickets. Until the tickets to Metamuse find her at exactly the right time…
Petra and Vincent fall very deeply into a complex relationship after the first event, their transition from accidental acquaintances to lovers amplified by the experience they shared. This is not to last, however, as the second and then third night completely flip the script on their shared experience and produce some of the most unsettling writing I encountered in 2021.
I will not go into details as I would hope you would seek this book out for yourself and the read be as individual to you as it was to me.
Suffice to say, from night one both Petra and Vincent exist in this post date/pre-date fugue state where they have been exposed, literally and metaphorically to feelings and memories that each have buried.
Things in the real world seem to be both disjointed and overlapping to the point where you are no longer sure if they are both sane or being manipulated as you, yourself question if you are being manipulated also.
Who is being exposed to what?
And why?
What is the aim of this singularly unique theatre event and why these two people, why now?
The questions of identity, love, loss and expectation of others to provide that synaptic link between feelings and actions are wonderfully explored in a gripping, engaging and page turning novel. It left me with a book hangover, in the best possible way, and I will be forever haunted by that shadowy, two tone cover.
In an age where literally nothing is private, sacred or kept as a secret, it is easy to imagine the extremely high levels of power that the two female Metamuse founders, must wield in order to have wiped themselves off the internet, and there are people who are not even sure that they are who they say they are. No one knows, and much as Vincent fell at the feet of Petra, we. the readers have to trust that someone will be there to see it, in order for it to have happened. We are, in fact, exposed.
Questions of identity and reality flow through Exposure so naturally-you have Vincent who is born here but is of Malaian extract and therefore has the exotic labelling of ‘other’ though he is more naturally belonging than most of those who would see him as such. He lands at Petra’s feet, literally falling out of the sky as he tries to pack up his grandfather’s recording studio. It has been bought up by a multinational who control access to health in this eerily prescient UK of the future/or slightly off kilter UK. Here, health is privatised and those who have, get. Those who don’t, die. And that includes Beccie, Vincent teenage daughter.
Petra, of South African descent, is not naturalised to the UK and has moved here to be with her sick mother, but keeps this face, this facade of trying to fit in and when her mother, who is openly not from here and who gleefully ignores social conventions such as -shock horror!-talking to strangers in waiting rooms, you can almost feel Petra’s toes curl.
Petra works in Needless Things, a play on the Stephen King novel ‘Needful Things’, run by Suki (not her real name, she has a far more basic one which she shuns for the more exotic and memorable Suki). She comes from a wealthy family who, it seems, have funded her shop of frankly useless items, where every corner is stuffed with an eclectic mix of things like Hot Topless Hunks Colouring Books (which Suki herself got bored with colouring in after only a couple of pages.) Suki is both an anchor to Petra, not demanding too much of her, she provides a sounding board, emotional support and a steady income. The contrast between the privileged elite and those who cannot even afford the most basic health care is not lost on this reader.
So when Petra meets Vincent in this very funny, relatable and dramatic way, it does not seem out of the bounds of possibility that they should be attending Metamuse together. Vincent (I am unsure if this is a deliberate link in his name to the iconic actor Vincent Price, but it made me question what I was reading because every time his name was mentioned I added hat extra ‘P’. Which is ridiculous as he is clearly described as a young, black man so maybe it is a commentary on seeing and believing what you often overlook as white privilege?) does not remember entering the competition to win tickets, there are 2 of them, and the first event is that night.
He and Petra go there, her whole persona of being a dutiful daughter is something that she tries on but does not quite fit her as well as she would like. Her mother has had a minor procedure and whilst Petra has made a fuss about being there for her, the complexity of their relationship leaps off the page. She is meant to go and see her mother and check on her but goes to the first Metamuse event instead. Wondering, practically, how the events make money as you do not go looking for tickets, they come to you, gives this a bizarre, post-modern Willy Wonka effect.
The selection process is further explored by Rose’s articles. She is a journalist with a terminal case of ennui, chasing something which will make her feel and has been unable to use any of her contacts to get tickets. Until the tickets to Metamuse find her at exactly the right time…
Petra and Vincent fall very deeply into a complex relationship after the first event, their transition from accidental acquaintances to lovers amplified by the experience they shared. This is not to last, however, as the second and then third night completely flip the script on their shared experience and produce some of the most unsettling writing I encountered in 2021.
I will not go into details as I would hope you would seek this book out for yourself and the read be as individual to you as it was to me.
Suffice to say, from night one both Petra and Vincent exist in this post date/pre-date fugue state where they have been exposed, literally and metaphorically to feelings and memories that each have buried.
Things in the real world seem to be both disjointed and overlapping to the point where you are no longer sure if they are both sane or being manipulated as you, yourself question if you are being manipulated also.
Who is being exposed to what?
And why?
What is the aim of this singularly unique theatre event and why these two people, why now?
The questions of identity, love, loss and expectation of others to provide that synaptic link between feelings and actions are wonderfully explored in a gripping, engaging and page turning novel. It left me with a book hangover, in the best possible way, and I will be forever haunted by that shadowy, two tone cover.
August 24, 2022
the last few chapters of this just really didn’t work for me.
I don’t quite understand Petra’s sudden complete change in character, with an ending for her that seems unjust and the MetaMuse “reveal” kinda came out of nowhere?
I don’t quite understand Petra’s sudden complete change in character, with an ending for her that seems unjust and the MetaMuse “reveal” kinda came out of nowhere?
December 28, 2021
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a story that will keep you guessing. It's like you're constantly unraveling the story with Petra. As the reader, I couldn't even guess what the real plot of Metamuse was.
The suspense of the book was well written and it made me keep turning the page. The authors writing makes it seem as though we, the readers, are also experiencing the show trying to get clues with the author. I also liked the theme of technology being able to manipulate how people act and think, which just added to the creepiness of the book.
I was shocked to find South African slang in the book with words such as "ja" as well as places you would find in S.A. Once I saw that first bit of slang I looked up the author and saw he's a South African living in England, so I loved how he included the two into one book.
I didn't like Vincent, despite everything that Petra does for him, he still seemed detached in a "I didn't ask you to do that" kind of way. I didn't like how Petra immediately fell for Vincent (even though he did the literal falling, hehe) her infatuation with him just seemed a bit...unrealistic.
But, I didn't see that ending coming!!!
I'll recommend this to people wanting to get into the thriller genre or those who like cyber-dystopian genre. Other reviewers compared this book to the series Black Mirror and although I didn't watch it, the blurb sounds really similar!
This is a story that will keep you guessing. It's like you're constantly unraveling the story with Petra. As the reader, I couldn't even guess what the real plot of Metamuse was.
The suspense of the book was well written and it made me keep turning the page. The authors writing makes it seem as though we, the readers, are also experiencing the show trying to get clues with the author. I also liked the theme of technology being able to manipulate how people act and think, which just added to the creepiness of the book.
I was shocked to find South African slang in the book with words such as "ja" as well as places you would find in S.A. Once I saw that first bit of slang I looked up the author and saw he's a South African living in England, so I loved how he included the two into one book.
I didn't like Vincent, despite everything that Petra does for him, he still seemed detached in a "I didn't ask you to do that" kind of way. I didn't like how Petra immediately fell for Vincent (even though he did the literal falling, hehe) her infatuation with him just seemed a bit...unrealistic.
But, I didn't see that ending coming!!!
I'll recommend this to people wanting to get into the thriller genre or those who like cyber-dystopian genre. Other reviewers compared this book to the series Black Mirror and although I didn't watch it, the blurb sounds really similar!
January 11, 2022
It’s interesting how over the last several years British fiction has started to change, how certain genres have started to feature more ‘alternative’ versions of Britain, ones where the government has become corrupt, health services are hard to access, and people’s rights have been clamped down on. As things continue to change in the UK and we slide further into fascism, these stories begin to seem less and less ‘alternative’ and more predicting the future (at the time of writing it had just been announced that the Home Office are trying to write into law the ability to strip people of their British citizenship whenever they want).
Exposure is one of these books, set in a UK where the National Health Service is a thing of the past, and huge corporations control people’s access to life saving care and important operations. Apart from this, the book doesn’t seem too far removed from our reality; and I’m sure as with other works that become more realistic with each passing day Exposure might not seem too imaginative in its depiction of Britain for very long.
The story follows Petra Orff, a woman who has lived in Britain since her university days, but is originally from South Africa. Feeling in many ways still an immigrant to the country, Petra does her best to fit in and to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she’s not from Britain; even going so far as being careful about the words that she uses when talking, and trying to keep her often loud mother from engaging with people she thinks might not take to immigrants. Her life is altered one day when a man literally falls out of the sky at her feet.
This is how she meets Vincent Rice, a second generation Black British man with Malawi and Jamaican family, who’s having to dismantle his recently deceased grandfather’s recording studio in order sell it on. The two of them hit it off, though somewhat awkwardly, and after having dinner together Vincent invites Petra to join him at a show. A world famous art troupe called Metamuse have decided to have their latest season of shows in quiet little Leamington Spa; something that seems strange in itself. Stranger still, however, is that Vincent won the tickets in a competition he doesn’t even remember entering.
Attending the first show, Vincent and Petra form a quick relationship, and become swept up in each other. But when they attend the second show things begin to go wrong; the show leaves them feeling disturbed, and Petra begins to experience strange things in her regular life. Convinced that there’s something sinister going on with Metamuse, and that it could be putting her and Vincent in danger, Petra becomes determined to get to the bottom of things.
One of the things that I really liked about Exposure was how for the longest time I wasn’t really sure what genre is was going to fit into. Obviously there are some romance elements thanks to the relationship between Petra and Vincent being a central focus, as well as the mystery elements when Petra begins her investigation into Metamuse, but it was clear that there was something else going on too, some kind of strange series of events that was altering Petra’s perception of the world. There are moments throughout the book where she sees disturbing images in people’s faces; where the sun hits them just right, or she catches their reflections, she sees monsters in place of people. There are also moments where she seems to have no memory of people that she’s supposed to know, or remembers people clearly that others have no memory of.
These strange moments, these odd happenings that begin to make you question the reality around Petra could be chalked up to someone dealing with a lot of emotional distress, whose mind might be having difficulty processing things; but it felt like it was more than that, and as such my mind started to come up with theories. Whilst I was completely off in what I was expecting things to be, there is something in this book that explains everything, that will have you going ‘of course it was that’, and might even leave you wanting to go back and reread the entire thing now knowing this revelation, so that you can experience the story in a whole new way.
The characters of Exposure are interesting too, especially the central duo. Petra is a strange mixture of unsure of herself, always wanting to be careful and not rock the boat, but also really headstrong and impulsive. There are times where she seems to want to just go with the flow and almost disappears into the background, whilst others she’s confrontational and brash. There are times where these traits can be good, but often she seems to choose to be the wrong thing in the wrong moment, and often causes herself to be her own worst enemy. But one thing about her I really liked was how passionate and caring she is. Especially towards Vincent, a man she’s just met and hardly knows anything about, yet is willing to put herself in danger for.
Vincent is a little more complex than Petra, mostly because we don’t spend as much time with him, and he plays his cards much closer to his chest. For a lot of the book we don’t know much about him, and it’s clear that he’s keeping big parts of his life secret from Petra, dodging her questions and avoiding certain subjects. But on the whole he seems to be a decent man, though perhaps one who has lost his focus in life; though when you learn more about his history this becomes a lot more understandable.
Exposure is an interesting and twisting narrative filled with mystery, one that gets you thinking and will keep you reading long after you should probably have put the book down to take a break. It’s got some complex and flawed characters who feel like real people, and you genuinely want to see them do well and get through the events unscathed; though it soon becomes clear that this isn’t a story where that’s guaranteed. Perfect for fans of fiction like Black Mirror, this is a book that will stick with you after it’s done.
Exposure is one of these books, set in a UK where the National Health Service is a thing of the past, and huge corporations control people’s access to life saving care and important operations. Apart from this, the book doesn’t seem too far removed from our reality; and I’m sure as with other works that become more realistic with each passing day Exposure might not seem too imaginative in its depiction of Britain for very long.
The story follows Petra Orff, a woman who has lived in Britain since her university days, but is originally from South Africa. Feeling in many ways still an immigrant to the country, Petra does her best to fit in and to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she’s not from Britain; even going so far as being careful about the words that she uses when talking, and trying to keep her often loud mother from engaging with people she thinks might not take to immigrants. Her life is altered one day when a man literally falls out of the sky at her feet.
This is how she meets Vincent Rice, a second generation Black British man with Malawi and Jamaican family, who’s having to dismantle his recently deceased grandfather’s recording studio in order sell it on. The two of them hit it off, though somewhat awkwardly, and after having dinner together Vincent invites Petra to join him at a show. A world famous art troupe called Metamuse have decided to have their latest season of shows in quiet little Leamington Spa; something that seems strange in itself. Stranger still, however, is that Vincent won the tickets in a competition he doesn’t even remember entering.
Attending the first show, Vincent and Petra form a quick relationship, and become swept up in each other. But when they attend the second show things begin to go wrong; the show leaves them feeling disturbed, and Petra begins to experience strange things in her regular life. Convinced that there’s something sinister going on with Metamuse, and that it could be putting her and Vincent in danger, Petra becomes determined to get to the bottom of things.
One of the things that I really liked about Exposure was how for the longest time I wasn’t really sure what genre is was going to fit into. Obviously there are some romance elements thanks to the relationship between Petra and Vincent being a central focus, as well as the mystery elements when Petra begins her investigation into Metamuse, but it was clear that there was something else going on too, some kind of strange series of events that was altering Petra’s perception of the world. There are moments throughout the book where she sees disturbing images in people’s faces; where the sun hits them just right, or she catches their reflections, she sees monsters in place of people. There are also moments where she seems to have no memory of people that she’s supposed to know, or remembers people clearly that others have no memory of.
These strange moments, these odd happenings that begin to make you question the reality around Petra could be chalked up to someone dealing with a lot of emotional distress, whose mind might be having difficulty processing things; but it felt like it was more than that, and as such my mind started to come up with theories. Whilst I was completely off in what I was expecting things to be, there is something in this book that explains everything, that will have you going ‘of course it was that’, and might even leave you wanting to go back and reread the entire thing now knowing this revelation, so that you can experience the story in a whole new way.
The characters of Exposure are interesting too, especially the central duo. Petra is a strange mixture of unsure of herself, always wanting to be careful and not rock the boat, but also really headstrong and impulsive. There are times where she seems to want to just go with the flow and almost disappears into the background, whilst others she’s confrontational and brash. There are times where these traits can be good, but often she seems to choose to be the wrong thing in the wrong moment, and often causes herself to be her own worst enemy. But one thing about her I really liked was how passionate and caring she is. Especially towards Vincent, a man she’s just met and hardly knows anything about, yet is willing to put herself in danger for.
Vincent is a little more complex than Petra, mostly because we don’t spend as much time with him, and he plays his cards much closer to his chest. For a lot of the book we don’t know much about him, and it’s clear that he’s keeping big parts of his life secret from Petra, dodging her questions and avoiding certain subjects. But on the whole he seems to be a decent man, though perhaps one who has lost his focus in life; though when you learn more about his history this becomes a lot more understandable.
Exposure is an interesting and twisting narrative filled with mystery, one that gets you thinking and will keep you reading long after you should probably have put the book down to take a break. It’s got some complex and flawed characters who feel like real people, and you genuinely want to see them do well and get through the events unscathed; though it soon becomes clear that this isn’t a story where that’s guaranteed. Perfect for fans of fiction like Black Mirror, this is a book that will stick with you after it’s done.
December 1, 2024
I'm hoping that this book will work it's way into my thoughts over the next few days, much like the Shining and other such books that you don't realize the psychological impact until after the event.
What can I say?
Pros: well written, plot twists and dystopian reality not too far removed from the norms of today's society.
cons: I found the story a bit slow. The characters hard to like or dislike - except Helena..loved her.
There was a decent plot. It didn't really see the ending until the ending. Which is a huge plus when you have a book like this. It could have ended up anywhere.
Although the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic. But then maybe that was supposed to be the point? Maybe we are supposed to be guessing who was involved all along and if the inevitable was set from the beginning of the story and we just didn't see it coming?
It's an interesting read. I'm glad I stuck with it. But wouldn't be in a hurry to go back to this book.
What can I say?
Pros: well written, plot twists and dystopian reality not too far removed from the norms of today's society.
cons: I found the story a bit slow. The characters hard to like or dislike - except Helena..loved her.
There was a decent plot. It didn't really see the ending until the ending. Which is a huge plus when you have a book like this. It could have ended up anywhere.
Although the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic. But then maybe that was supposed to be the point? Maybe we are supposed to be guessing who was involved all along and if the inevitable was set from the beginning of the story and we just didn't see it coming?
It's an interesting read. I'm glad I stuck with it. But wouldn't be in a hurry to go back to this book.
July 10, 2022
An interactive theatrical show that affects every audience member differently, and it's almost never in a good way? Yes please. There was enough of an original idea there to base the entire plot, without having to go into (poorly) developing the relationship between Petra and Vincent, the weird subplot with her mom, and the rich hospital owners. All the suspense and intrigue around MetaMuse ruined with the explanation of "some rich people wanting revenge on other rich people" was a monumental let-down. The premise was too clever to have that basic of an explanation.
December 20, 2021
The story follows Petra Orff, a woman who has lived in Britain since her university days, but is originally from South Africa. Feeling in many ways still an immigrant to the country, Petra does her best to fit in and to avoid drawing attention to the fact that she’s not from Britain. Her life is altered one day when a man literally falls out of the sky at her feet.
Full Review - https://setthetape.com/2021/11/23/exp...
Full Review - https://setthetape.com/2021/11/23/exp...
March 24, 2024
Wonderfully written, fascinating concept, and great story…. Until the last few chapters. I was sooooo into this book, and then it all fell apart for me. It starts off seeming like a cheesy romance, but quickly becomes twisty and strange. Then it transforms into a creepy and fascinating mystery, and I was so anxious to have everything explained! But I feel like the ending didn’t really explain anything?? Bummed.
November 26, 2021
I really liked the strange horror using the unusual idea of an immersive theatre experience but slightly let down by characters and worldbuilding to make me understand why people did what they did
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
October 10, 2021
Review to come on November 23rd
January 26, 2022
I wasn’t really about this one. Interesting premise, but the characters felt underdeveloped and the ending didn’t pack as much of a punch as I was expecting.
October 13, 2022
Did take a while to build to excitement and there many moments I felt could have been greater fleshed out twice the climax scene just ended leaving me feeling unsatisfied
June 14, 2025
The ending is rushed
October 15, 2025
Expected a bit more from the end, but still an intriguing story.
December 5, 2021
In Exposure by Louis Greenberg, Petra bumps into a man named Vincent, who invites her to join him in attending a series of mysterious and exclusive interactive shows. The shows are immersive and engaging, but disturbing, and she begins to have nightmares, as well as the eerie feeling that her life is imitating the art. As her relationship with Vincent deepens, Petra learns more about his past, and worries about how the show may be manipulating him into doing something terrible.
While it took me a couple chapters to get into this book, I was thrilled once I dove in. The way current and past 'Metamuse' shows were described made me long to attend one. It was similar to how I felt reading about the various tents in The Night Circus. Meanwhile, the dark and invasive nature of the shows does evoke the Black Mirror vibe suggested by the book's description. It made for an interesting tension between the desire for such a show to really exist and the disappointment that I would never get tickets, along with the knowledge it's not actually real and the relief that it isn't.
The plot and settings were the highlights of this book to be sure. The characters were fine, and sufficiently relatable where I vaguely wanted good things for them and was worried about their fates. I related to Petra and her returning to a hobby of drawing she had long ago abandoned, and I felt for Vincent and his desperate yearning for lost family. But I didn't consider these characters particularly likeable, and beyond these bullet points, there's not much else to say about them. They were good vehicles to carry the story, and I'm not certain that focusing more on them wouldn't have detracted from where this book shines.
I think that the vibes of this book will stick with me for a long time. Heck, it gave me such vivid mental images that I almost called it a show multiple times in my review. If you are interested in a Black Mirror meets The Night Circus reading experience, look no further than Exposure.
While it took me a couple chapters to get into this book, I was thrilled once I dove in. The way current and past 'Metamuse' shows were described made me long to attend one. It was similar to how I felt reading about the various tents in The Night Circus. Meanwhile, the dark and invasive nature of the shows does evoke the Black Mirror vibe suggested by the book's description. It made for an interesting tension between the desire for such a show to really exist and the disappointment that I would never get tickets, along with the knowledge it's not actually real and the relief that it isn't.
The plot and settings were the highlights of this book to be sure. The characters were fine, and sufficiently relatable where I vaguely wanted good things for them and was worried about their fates. I related to Petra and her returning to a hobby of drawing she had long ago abandoned, and I felt for Vincent and his desperate yearning for lost family. But I didn't consider these characters particularly likeable, and beyond these bullet points, there's not much else to say about them. They were good vehicles to carry the story, and I'm not certain that focusing more on them wouldn't have detracted from where this book shines.
I think that the vibes of this book will stick with me for a long time. Heck, it gave me such vivid mental images that I almost called it a show multiple times in my review. If you are interested in a Black Mirror meets The Night Circus reading experience, look no further than Exposure.
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