Book Review - Depends on the Strength of Yes

It's taken me a while to get to this one and I'm glad I finally did because I can easily say this will be one of my top 10 of the year. Depends on the Strength of Yes by Cameron S. Currie brings us into an Orwellian future where journalist Lex Page and a rag-tag team of misfits join forces to take down a plot that threatens to end humanity as they know it. Interwoven into the plot are various conspiracy theories, all of which are true to some degree.

The action in the novel was fast paced and each chapter left you wanting to read the next. The characters were all well written with distinct voices of their own and I particularly enjoyed Riley, Lex's brother who has autism and an obsession with conspiracy theories. As someone whose mother works with special needs children, I often hear stories from her work and I thought the character was very accurately portrayed.

The backdrop of a futuristic run down Toronto of this story gives a lot to ponder in terms of where our own society is heading. Inflated prices, 3D printed clothing for single day use and food products laced with more soy than actual food content are all very real things which could someday become the new norm in our society. It almost gave me a Blade Runner feeling reading some of these passages as I pictured it in my mind.

I highly recommend this book, I feel it has a lot of offer in terms of both story and the philosophical implications of what could be if we don't look past what mainstream media feeds us. While there is some grain of truth to what is being said, that is all dependant on what we choose to believe as accurate or not and on the strength of yes.