In a not too distant version of the future, "Dispensable" individuals - Men over 60 and women over 50 without children, partners or established careers - are sent to live in Reserve Bank Units, huge government run complexes where the inhabitants can live, eat, socialize and be entertained for free. However, they will pay a price for this privilege as they become donors for the needed ones on the outside - a status which will eventually cost them their lives.....

The novel tells the story of 50 year old Dorrit, from the day she enters The Unit, the friendships that she makes, experiments she participates in and the ultimate sacrifices she will be forced to make.....

People who like future fiction and books which look at alternative versions of the future.

The imaginative setting and the Author's version of the future. I also liked the description in the novel which is quite detailed and specific and really allows the reader to picture the scenes. I liked the author's writing style as I found it engaging and easy to read, as though I was really being told the story personally. I read through the book quite quickly and found myself wanting to know what would happen as the story went on, which made me want to keep reading it.

The fact that some of the background information was not explained - for example I would have liked to know more about WHY the situation had come to this. Was there a shortage of children being born? How could such a law get past ethical law? Was the situation the same in countries around the World and if not, why could the inhabitants of this country (the book is set in Sweden) not move abroad? I felt there were quite a lot of unanswered questions which the author should have addressed. Although you have to suspend your disbelief with this kind of story, I still think all this background info adds to the novel as a whole.

Sad at the end - I would have maybe liked a happier ending! But this did mean the book was not predictable.

is Swedish and the version I read was a translation in to English.

The idea behind the story is really interesting and the book is a very engaging read. The story will have you guessing until the end.

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Created Jan 28, 2015 at 4:34pm • Submit your own review...