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Book Review - The Many

Want to walk a mile in someone else's shoes?




The Many by Sylvain Neuvel. Published by Rebellion Publishing


Thanks to Rebellion and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this remarkable book!


When I was a teenager, I recall intense feelings of wanting to see myself and others through the eyes of other people, especially my family and friends. This remarkable novel explores that feeling. But not just one person, but a whole group of people, virtual strangers. What starts out as a melding of just two or three minds becomes something much greater, a hivemind. How would knowing and seeing and feeling everything through someone else's point of view affect your views, your mind, your beliefs?

Inside we all have beautiful parts and ugly parts: desperate, lonely, sad, angry feelings, things we dislike about ourselves; but we also have hope, kindness, love, generosity, the pride of doing something good for others, the self-worth that accompanies accomplishment. Now multiply that by 2, 3, 5, 15 thousand or maybe more. This story handles how some might handle such a load, what they would do. And it handles it with aplumb and a delightful sense of humor.  Humor and the ability to not take ourselves too seriously truly helps us get through life. This book with woven with humor throughout which made it speed by so quickly for a book where we are trapped inside the brains of the main characters. 

This is also the most unique first contact story I can recall reading. The contact serves as a tipping point once the story plays out its conceits to their logical end. It is most definitely the authors hilarious, bonkers journey to take the reader to a place where we all can try to see, not only ourselves, but everyone else too as a small but vital part in the large machine of the universe; and to make it a little bit better; to exercise understanding and empathy. Because skin color, language, culture, sex, or country of origin should not divide but be reasons for celebrating what makes us unique and wonderful. The story light-heartedly handles what a large united group can change about the world. And the quirks that would come along with all this too.

It was a fun, wild, sometimes violent, but caring experience.


Rating: 7.5 out of 10 Galaxies.


Please consider ordering The Many from your local independant bookshop.
Or you can buy it online at bookshop.org



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