Reviews

The setting of this dystopian novel is 2062 Toronto, where the world has been physically and politically transformed by rising seas and shifting political tides.

In this world resides complacent schoolteacher Abi, who doesn’t question anything about a system that maintains an augmented, shifting reality over his world – until new teacher Claire questions the Party’s policy of correcting history, introducing new revelations about truth, betrayal, love, and resistance.

Suddenly, Abi is in the maelstrom of a social change revolution he never saw coming. He finds himself spearheading it, grappling with new emotions about his world and his place in it.

C.S. Yaduvanshi provides a powerful social and political futuristic novel that opens with a protest against oppression before moving to the shaping of society that began in Abi’s childhood. As he navigates adulthood well-trained in obedience and motivated by a reward system that quashes rebellion, Abi is an Everyman example of a worker well trained to not rock any boats:

Abi, confused about the ever-evolving expectations of fulfilling civic duties, refrained from seeking clarification. Questioning authority or displaying a lack of comprehension regarding civic duty or the greater social good would undoubtedly add another strike against his public profile, affecting his citizen rating.

Issues of activism, justice, romantic entanglements with Wincy and Claire, and dangerous plans emerge as Claire and Abi’s paths coalesce over realizations that lead Abi to better understand the warnings of his elders:

Citizen reporting was just a fraction of the extensive mechanism at play. All the conspiracy theories and warnings from his grandfather and the undergrounders turned out to be true.

One reason why Yaduvanshi’s dystopian world proves so hard-hitting is because of its foundations in realistic events unfolding today. Issues of surveillance, control, manipulation, and citizen rights permeate the news now. In this story, these devices become systems and perceptions which repress the general population in an exhaustive, comprehensive manner.

Were it not for former believers like Abi receiving new understanding about their choices, responsibility, and ability to impact their world in many ways, such systems would dominate and become the norm.

This is just one of the frightening messages embedded in Escape from Turtle Island as humans relearn how to rebel and where their values and best interests truly lay.

Librarians and readers interested in politically supercharged dystopian stories that embrace the foundations of despair and ennui before venturing into territory of political empowerment will find Escape from Turtle Island a particularly powerful cementing of personal and political perspective and objectives.

Packed with discussion points that book clubs and political futurist groups will find engaging and thought-provoking, Escape from Turtle Island layers a vision of the future with an eye to exploring how dystopian scenarios begin, evolve, and can be quashed.

The opportunities for better understanding concepts of perfect and imperfect worlds and mindsets about control and shaping the future are outstanding.