Book 44 Want

 

Want by Cindy Pon fulfilled the category “Book about a Social Justice Issue” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge.

I also read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett after I finished the first title. I’d hoped for a less obvious plot. The novel was good. But if I reviewed it, I’d be rehashing topics I’ve already discussed on the blog. With Forbidden, though the period is earlier, the topic of passing as white is a central part of the conflict. In The Vanishing Half, there’s more family, sexual identity, and other racial issues. But I didn’t care for the ending. Too much seemed unresolved. Plus, being a white suburbanite, I’m not sure it’s my place to do more than listen and learn about race issues. Oh, and fix my inner biases. So, I will keep reading books such as this.

Anyway, Want was an altogether different story. The plot takes place in the future in an environmentally savaged Taipei. In this bleak environment, the rich can shake off the worries about destroying the planet by purchasing products to ignore them. In the city, the poor struggle to breathe and find adequate health care in the smog-filled streets. The break between the haves and have-nots is enormous. They even use these terms in everyday speech.

A small group of environmentally conscious teens decides to take on the big corporation that sells the breathing suits. Jason Zhou transforms himself into a You (pronounced yo), one of the rich, to infiltrate the company. Along the way, he discovers romance, corruption, and an evil plot.

As a sci-fi suspense book, Want has all you need. I hesitated to use it for the blog because at times the plot was contrived. (Says the romance writer, forgive me.) Like my last choice, the author seemed to go one step too far in building conflict. It’s felt like, “Hey, all this bad stuff and now a romance. OMG, and then… wait, there’s more.” Too much coincidence and contrivance for my taste.

But the concepts used by the author to build her setting were amazing. The world-building is spectacular, detailed, and very plausible. Which makes it also a bit scary—the use of a devastated environment as setting. We could be in the same situation in twenty or thirty years if we keep this up. If we don’t take care of this planet, we will kill ourselves off.

Also, the issues about socio-economic differences highlight a real-world problem. We are beginning to see the scope in the United States. The uber-rich plan flights into space rather than invest in green and renewable resources for this planet. Millions of people struggle to survive working several jobs. One health care disaster and they could be on the street. While the rich play and play and play, indifferent to the struggle of others.

The future Ms. Pon shows us is absolutely achievable if we don’t change our actions and attitudes quickly.

I give Want by Cindy Pon Four Calla Lilies.