Review: Suspense by Jason Letts

Synopsis:
Spencer Nye can’t control the rage bubbling under her skin over the world around her. The trouble is, by the year 2102, the world has solved most of its great problems. Without hunger, war, greed, or even money, people obsess over the glamour of the Culture Industry and its mega-celebrity Idols, who vie for followers over the social networks of Connect.

But Spencer discovers there is plenty to fix within the Idols’ competition for more popularity. She becomes a diehard and promises to do anything to help her Idol, a dreamy movie star named Cleary Mintz, bring his vision of hope and purpose to the world. When she stumbles onto a threat against his life, she’ll have to fight harder than she ever thought possible or lose the man who means more to her than any other.


Review:
Books like this one are why I wanted to start a book blog in the first place! I had never heard of this author and wasn't sure what to expect. I seriously loved this book! The title, Suspense, really has a double meaning. It's the nickname of the heroine, Spencer Nye, plus the story is full of suspense from beginning to the end.

The plot is amazing. The world the characters live in is one where everyone is constantly connected to their social network by nodes implanted in their heads. It dominates most every part of how they exist. There are machines that create everything from food to clothing, money is unnecessary, everyone is equal, transportation is instantaneous (wouldn't that be nice!). With all the worries of survival taken care of, the population exists for the pursuit of happiness and following the Idol of their choice. Which as it turns out, is more cutthroat than you might think.

I always feel conflicted about technology and social networks because they make it easy to stay connected, but how does being so dependent on them really affect us? Suspense portrays a future that isn't all that unbelievable. How often do you check your social networks in a day? Have you ever been in a room full of people on their smartphones and not one person is speaking to another?

That isn't the only reason I thought it was great though. Spencer Nye is such a likeable, yet flawed, heroine. She doesn't always make the right choices but her heart is in the right place. Plus, I like a character that isn't afraid to stop asking questions and kill the bad guys already! Spencer's romantic interests seem pretty clear cut when you first start reading, but take an unexpected and awesome turn! Original and crazy!

I can't wait to read the next one!


Publication Date: September 3, 2011
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-fi
Source: Thank you so much to the author, Jason Letts, for the review copy.