False Hearts

How did we end up discussing False Hearts, a sci-fi story, when not a single member of the reading group would say sci-fi is in their top 5 genres to indulge in? I’ll not lie, the choice to read False Hearts was predominantly based on the cover design and the availability of 10 free copies to the reading group! We’re fickle like that!
So it was all the more surprising when every single member of our merry band of readers enjoyed it, and we’re an eclectic group with a broad age range - from 15 year olds and sixth formers to mid forties plus.
For some of us it was Laura Lam’s world building, the description of a San Francisco with flesh parlours, replicators, Verichips and dreamscapes that drew us in while for others it was the idea of the cult, Mana’s Hearth, shunning technology and being over seen by the omnipresent Mana-ma. That the conjoined twins, Tila and Taema, grew up in the one environment but lived in the other after their shared heart failed gave the contrast between the modern and the traditional, stitching the two together through their dual narrative.
The dual narrative allowed us alternating perspectives, from the twin’s upbringing in the Hearth as narrated by Tila from her prison cell, and the present as narrated by Taema as she investigates the murder Tila is accused of. As a group we were split on which narrative we preferred. On the one hand the conforming Taema, more vulnerable, unravelling her sister’s recent movements, exploring her own strength, discovering her own abilities, questioning her relationships; on the other hand there was Tila, a stronger voice, edgier, more dominant.
The concept of escapism through the drugs Zeal and Verve (at the heart of this thriller) was an interesting one; the exploration of the drug, the different types of addiction and the idea it was so commonplace and an accepted activity, the equivalent of going to the gym.
The story, and the world as built by Laura Lam, was credible and well structured. The plot pacey, keeping the pages turning. All in all a good read.

We read this as our first book for the 'Macclesfield Library Book Group' and boy what a book it was!
The book prompted lively discussion on the plot and side-discussions on medical dilemmas, cults, dystopian universes, drugs and much more.

All members finished the book and whilst it was agreed that it was an enjoyable read- we all felt it could have been stronger in places.

For example this book crosses the 'sci-fi' genre and the 'thriller' genre - we felt if the author had picked one genre and stuck to it the book would have been a lot stronger. For example some of the 'sci-fi' elements are lacking in description and some of the 'big' moments in the book we thought weren't as 'big' as they could have been - often characters/plot elements were not fully formed, half explained and un-described.

That said we all did enjoy the basic storyline and look forward to what Laura Lam writes next!

"I’m a big fan of both Sci-Fi and Crime, and so I lapped this up. It was engaging right from the off, brought a wonderful vision of a fairly-dystopian future with its description of advanced technologies, and I would happily have read it in one sitting. Even with the future setting it still felt real to me, with the idea of the mix of drug and virtual reality experience (as the best term I can come up with for it) seeming a natural development of how technology could develop – using this virtual world as a space where people can act out their fantasies and have the need to fulfill them diminished in real life, thus eliminating a lot of crime, just builds on the question of whether computer games can be blamed for influencing people in real life. That’s what the best Sci-Fi writers do: create a world where everything is still recognisable and believable despite being so much more advanced."

"This is a brilliant book. It is a murder mystery set in the future. Think Blade Runner meets The Fifth Element meets Micky Spillane. We have formerly co-joined twins who were raised in a commune outside of society. In the commune they are cut off from the modern world. The twins begin to die as their heart begins to fail. They are helped to escape the commune. In the modern world there is no need for them to die or be co-joined. They are separated and given artificial hearts. The modern world is fascinating and very well drawn and immersive. Knowledge is shared thought electrodes and eyeglasses directly into the brain. People can change how they look and no one ages. People live in small apartments and to have fun they plug into a drug induced fantasy dream world at special ‘lounges’. This book is fast paced and innovative and I think something quite different. It is a police crime drama but in the future and I just could not put it down. It also is very emotional as one twin realises just how little she knew her sister, and what she had kept hidden from her. It also has elements of false prophets, the comparison between a simpler life and the modern scientific world. There is a lot to discuss here."

I thought this was a great read. Accessible sci-fi with a gripping storyline. Would recommend to anyone who likes futuristic fiction, thrillers, or a good drama.