Certain Hypothetical by James Litherland is the kind of book you read if you’re looking to get totally immersed in a new world. The coolest thing about this novel is it’s exactly that– a totally new world, something we’re not familiar with at all– but at the same time, it’s something totally familiar. David and Kat live in a closed-in compound, sure, but they go through their day-to-day lives pretty similarly to the way we do now.
David and Kat live in a closed-in compound, sure, but they go through their day-to-day lives pretty similarly to the way we do now. That is until disaster becomes imminent.
It’s one of those worlds where you’re just on the brink of something horrible that you don’t quite understand, and that’s the kind of thing I think the current world can relate to. The main players in the story are trying to keep their compound safe, to help reinforce barriers under the threat of an invasion that hasn’t quite come for them yet. The most disconcerting part, though, is that the biggest threats are coming from within. With the help of a couple of ambitious young people, can their world be saved from forces that are working against the whole community?
What I loved most about this book is how vivid and thorough the world inside the compound is. Litherland has created a real place with its own little quirks and details and that’s one of my favorite things about reading a well-constructed book: You can get lost in it. For a minute, you can forget it’s not exactly real. He’s built a world just like that, one that you can tell he’s really fleshed out, complete with the characters to fatten it up. You care about Kat and David and their journey and you root for them the whole time they’re trying to solve the mystery of what’s happening to them and their home.
If you’re looking for a book that’ll keep you eager to turn the pages, interested in solving a puzzle, and ready to immerse yourself in a new world, this is the novel for you. I thought it was great!
Thanks Ashley, for this wonderful book blog!
And thanks to Amanda for a great review. It’s rare to get such insightful comments about one of my books. You’re the kind of reader I write for!
James
Thank you, James, for your kind words. It was a pleasure having you.