Title: Veracity
Author: Laura Bynum
Genre: Dystopian
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Provided by Author/Publisher
Parental Warning: physical and emotional abuse, violence

“The countryside is more beautiful than I remember, even like this.  Bales of trash instead of baled-up hay.  Abandoned farmhouses dotting the land like weeping sores.  I can’t stand to see their burnt or age-worn structures, or their insides seeping out onto the unmoved lawns.  I was born in the country, as were my best memories.  I won’t desecrate them by noticing these shells of civilization zipping past my car windows.  In fact, I’ll go faster.  It’s unlikely Blue Coats will pick me up on the way to my break site anyway.  They won’t be out patrolling in the heat, i the wastelands where nothing happens.  They’ll come later when the Fatherboard sees I’ve gone rogue.  It will be the most excitement they’ve had in months.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Harper Adams was six years old in 2012 when an act f viral terrorism wiped out one half of the country’s population.  Out of the ashes rose a new government, the Confederation of the Willing, dedicated to maintaining order at any cost.  The populace is controlled via government-sanctioned sex and drugs, a brutal police force known as the Blue Coats, and a device called the slate, a mandatory implant that monitors every word a person speaks.  To utter a Red Listed, forbidden word is to risk physical punishment or even death.

But there are those who resist.  Guided by the fabled “Book of Noah,” they are determined to shake the people from their apathy and ignorance, and are prepared to start a war in the name of freedom.  The newest member of this resistance is Harper — a woman driven by memories of a daughter lost, a daughter whose very name was erased by the Red List.  And she possesses a power that could make her the underground warrior’s ultimate weapon — or the instrument of their destruction.

Opinion:
Oh boy is this a great dystopian read!  Me likey!  Me likey!

I’ll start with one of the book’s strongest assets — the world that surrounds Harper and residents forced to live under the oppressive power of The Confederation of the Willing.  It takes particular skill to create a place in space and time that has both  a futuristic and old rustic feel at once and Bynum has that magical touch in spades.  On one hand we have the majority of the populace living in what appears to be some sort of containment bubble where technology reigns supreme.  They’re being implanted, watched and having their every syllable monitored.  Then on the other we see the Wastelands, which to me felt a little bit like the old wild west, a dust bowl where no life exists. Dark and grimy — outlaw country if you will.

One of the central themes in Veracity focuses on blind love and trust.  The story was filled with circumstances that forced Harper and those around her to keep secrets and build intense relationships in short periods of time. I didn’t not anticipate nor expect that an abundance of attention would be paid to creating backstory or character development between Harper and these characters particularly given the story’s focus on her as the heroine and her role within the saga of The Book of Noah.  One of the main reasons this wasn’t an issue for me is my belief that in such intense situations (such as those Harper encounters) people tend to bond quickly.

I fully expected that Harper would be devoted without question to Veracity (her daughter) above all else, that is, after all, what motherhood is.  The fact that there wasn’t an over abundance of time spent in exploration of their relationship was neither a shock nor a detriment for me as a reader.  In fact I think that choice made the story better.  Keeping Veracity at arms length made Harper a person readers were able to root for.  I wanted desperately to see her succeed and to ultimately be reunited with her daughter.  It gave meaning to the fight and the potential for a reward if won.

The plot surrounding The Book of Noah was quite intriguing.  It was at it’s most interesting towards the end when the secrets surrounding it’s true role was revealed.  I had an idea of how the current regime was built around censorship but it was through the resistance that I truly learned about the culture and history of The Book.  It was at that point that I had that “aha” moment and everything fell right into place. It was not at all what I expected it to be and I adored both the revelation as well as the effects it had on the story  from the very start (even if I didn’t realize it at the time).  I even found myself going back through events to find clues that led me in that particular direction.

Where did I struggle most?  All the numbers.  The Confederation had a very clear structure of punishment for it’s constituency each of which was designated by a number.  When catching a criminal Blue Coats (The Confederation’s police/military force) would call out numbers and perform horrifying actions against perpetrators in punishment.  There were so many numbers flying at different points that I found myself wondering what they all meant.  Of course, to delve into each it would take an extraordinary amount of time so I understand why it wasn’t focussed on so much, but man, I was still super curious.

There was a good deal of thought provoking material in Veracity.  Conversations could certainly be had about faith and hope, friendship and love, loyalty, oppression, resistance, humanity and a host of other interesting topics.  I could see this being a really great book club book, one I don’t believe there would garner any shortage of opinions or lack issues to focus on.

In the end, in case you didn’t already get the idea, I really enjoyed this book. Though it started out a bit slow, it ultimately turned into an action packed story that compelled me to avoid putting it down.  It was definitely right up my alley.  I strongly encourage you all to pick it up and read it, most particularly those who enjoy dystopian fare.