'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Saturday 19 August 2017

Review: Lexicon

Lexicon opens with Will waking up in the men's toilets as a stranger inserts a needle into his eye.

I know, right?

Not your average opening for a novel. But wait, the pace just keeps hotting up from there.

As Will runs for his life, not knowing who are the good guys and who are bad, another drama plays out in another space, perhaps another time – that's for you to figure out...

Emily lives on the streets. She's a a hustler. She makes money persuading people to bet on her games of chance. But her skills are noticed. She is recruited and her world is never the same.

How are Emily and Will connected? Maybe they aren't. There's only one way to find out.

When you buy into Lexicon, you have to be ready for blood, guts, murder, intrigue and a little bit of confusion. Oh, and a touch of romance.

The core of Lexicon is about the power of the word. Can language cut through subconscious defences and compel people? Can a few words control ordinary folk, perhaps turn them into minions? What about free will? And what about human emotion? Are these simply levels of consciousness to be overcome?

If you love a fast-moving tale with missing pieces that keep you thinking long after you turn the page, Lexicon is for you. With no more horror than Illuminae or Lockdown and action that matches the best,  it's no wonder Lexicon was optioned for the big screen.

One of the things I love about Max Barry's work is that he sets out the evidence and waits for me to connect the dots, because he knows I can. Sometimes I don't have his confidence but the jump cuts that stop me in my tracks are what make Lexicon a brain teaser.

Dive into Lexicon's brain twisting world: it's worth it.

Title: Lexicon
Author: Max Barry
Publisher: Staughton and Holder, $25.99
Publication Date: 1 April, 2014
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781444764680
For ages: 16 years +
Type: Young Adult