Title: CALM
Author: S.J. Baker
Publisher: Neem Tree Publishing
Genre: Teens, YA, Mystery, Thrillers,
Speculative Fiction,Dystopian, Futuristic
Release Date: 19th September 2024
BLURB
In this enthralling dystopian YA thriller, emotions become weapons and the fight for humanity's true essence takes centre stage.
In a near-future Britain, societyʼs calm facade conceals a sinister truth: the state maintains its control by meddling with the nationʼs water supply. The result? A population lulled into apathy. Lulled, apart from a courageous few known as the Resistors.
New Resistor Owyn and lifelong Resistor Tiegan face parallel struggles in their fierce quest for freedom. Spurred on by the promise of a mass Resistance, they ignite a chain of events that shakes the foundations of Britainʼs oppressive regime.One thing is clear: the price of freedom is higher than they ever imagined.
Goodreads Link
REVIEW
First of all, I do love the cover of this book and have to admit that along with the title it was what initially attracted me to the book. Then I read the blurb and knew I just had to read the book, I found the idea of a future government putting chemicals into the nations water fascinating, scary and sadly quite possible!
The government have decided the only way to stop riots etc is to put something in the water that dulls/removes emotions from people, it is referred to as Calmaspring. However, Calmaspring doesn’t work on everyone, some are naturally resistant to it, hence they are referred to as “Pure” or “Natural” Resistors. Other people rebel against drinking the Calmaspring and refuse it and are known as “Abstainer” Resistors. Naturally the government isn’t too keen on either type of resistor being in existence and want to round them up before they can spread their rebellion to others. The resistance made up of both types of Resistor has people in all walks of life and in most places who are willing to help those who wish to or need to escape. There are Resistors who unwilling drink the Camaspring not fully aware of what it is doing to them or that there is something else, somewhere else out there to live. There are also those who “live in plain sight” dulling down their reactions and actions to what is going on around them to remain hidden and not be arrested and taken away to who knows where. Those that watch everyone, and arrest those who are not conforming are called servants and they wear a distinctive blue uniform and can be quite ruthless and violent in their actions.
The book is told from two points of view, Owyn Caldwell and Tiegen Archer.
Owyn Caldwell is an orphan, his parents died in what is referred to as “the Great Calm” when the drugs were still experimental and not fully tested with side effects unknown. Some people paid the ultimate price with their lives at the hands of a government that some would say were desperate to help and others would say were too eager to implement a resolution that was untested and turned out to be unsafe for many. Owyn and others who were orphaned in the Great Calm are sent to residential schools. Owyn is called before his teacher Mrs Kennedy, the room they are in has a visible camera so when she tries to give him a drink of water, he initially refuses, but when insists, he takes a mouthful out of the bottle, and a jolt of resistance goes through him. Mrs Kennedy sees his reaction and asks how long it's been going on he replies a month. Mrs Kennedy tells him he will have to report to the council where he will be 'refocused'. Mrs Kennedy firmly instructs him to go to his dorm & pack an overnight bag, and that he must not speak to anyone. However as he steps out of the range of the camera Mrs Kennedy slips him a note that says, “Leave now. . . . .if you stay you’ll be lost”
At first Owyn ponders who reported him, as people are encouraged to betray friend and family. There are the posters and slogans such as “A Problem Shared is a Problem Solved” and the “Report Resistance Right Away” too. Owyn realises theres no point in wondering who betrayed him as it doesn’t change his present situation so he decides to take heed of the note and get away from the school as quickly as possible, which is how he ends up on the road alone until he bumps into Will Chapman and his son Allen. Allen an abstainer but has to be watched and if needed prevented from just drinking the water is still struggling with his emotions and is resentful when Owyn joins him and his father.
Owyn faces the worry of being caught as a resistor and also stands out more due to the colour of his skin which Will Chapman points out is another reason his son Allen tries to keep a distance between himself and Owyn. When Allen doesn’t drink the water, the “old ways” come back so along with the emotions of anger, jealousy, and fear the old racial prejudices resurface too.
Tiegen Archer’s story is different in that she still has and lives with her parents and younger brother Joel. Both Tiegen and Joel have been taught how to stay under the radar and keep a tight control on their emotions and reactions. However, life becomes more dangerous when first their father is taken away on suspicions of being a resistor, then when Joel has an outburst at school and Tiegen lets her control slip and rushes to her brother Joel’s side, grabs him and runs. When they reach their neighbourhood they approach their house slowly and that’s when they witness their mother being dragged from their home. Mr Khan their next door neighbour who it turns out is part of the rebellion smuggles them into his house and hides them when the servants come looking, but he knows he cannot keep them safe long term so Tiegen & Joel need to be moved quickly. They are transported to a “safe house” that suddenly becomes under imminent discovery so they flee with Rachel whose safe house it is and one of their previous guides who is still nearby and hears about the imminent raid.
The rest of the book is told from the alternating points of view of Owyn and Tiegen as they head North to what is apparently a hub of the rebel resistors. There’s lots of action and many close calls from rabid hungry dogs chasing them, to people who would lure them in then ring for the servants! Owyn and Tiegen end up together trying to rescue Joel and Johann when they are captured. Owyn and Tiegen end up having to literally walk into the servants headquarters in a rescue attempt that could see them caught or even killed!
As I’ve said there’s plenty of action, but I really loved the way the characters are introduced to us, the readers. You slowly become more attached to them and really want them to succeed meaning there are some edge of seat sections that have you really worried. There are also some sad losses and betrayals along the way too.
A couple of characters other than the main characters that I really loved were Mr Khan and Ellen. Mr Khan lives and hides in plain sight the fact he is a resistor and part of the rebel resistance means he is a very private but watchful man who keeps himself to himself and keeps his emotions, movements and reactions under control to fit in with the emotionless, non-reactive, slower moving people that drink the Calmaspring water! When he sees the predicament and danger that Tiegen and Joel are in he doesn’t hesitate to intervene and help hide them and get them in touch with those in the rebellion that can spirit them away from the eyes of the servants.
Ellen & her husband chose to live an isolated life, living off the land so have been for the most part been overlooked. When Ellen’s husband became seriously ill, they could have gone to a nearby town to help but that would have meant giving up all they had worked for, their freedom and where they wanted to remain in case their grown-up children could ever make it home. When her husband died Ellen was alone until a stray dog turned up one day whom she called Dickens! It’s sad when Tiegen, Joel, Rachel and Johann have to move on from Ellen’s little haven but they need to get to the rebel resistance hub in the North.
There are conformist that blindly follow the government, that drink the Calmaspring, losing their emotions, themselves and their freedom, almost blindly plodding forward day by day. Being told who to marry and create a family with to continue the line and supply of conformists.
Then there are the rebels, some that are small cogs in the larger wheel. Teacher Mrs Kennedy slipping a forbidden note to Owyn, Mary who transports Tiegen and Joel on her boat, Ellen who chooses to live alone rather than in a community where she has to conform and drink the Calmaspring. Johann describes the rebels well when he explains it all to Tiegen and says that all these little people in the rebellion chain would gladly give their lives to save people like Tiegen and Joel.
I know it is the circumstances the characters have found themselves in but I also enjoyed disliking Allen and later in the book Rachel too.
To say Calmaspring dulls and eventually removes emotion there is plenty of emotion in this book! From fear that the rebels will be caught, the rebels camaraderie, their belief there is a better way to live life and their willingness to give their life for the greater good. The book has elements of mystery and I feel there is so much more still to be revealed too. There’s some “hold your breath”, “nail biting”, “edge of seat” sections too. I think theres even more backstory to be revealed about the Archer family and why Tiegen and Joel are so important that the government is sending so many resources and servants to recapture them. This book pulled me in slowly and then I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down! I really want to read more!
Summing up this book may be aimed at a Teens & YA audience but I have to say as an adult reader I really loved reading this book. Yes, you can tell it is aimed at a younger audience at times but it has characters that are easy to care about and become attached to, along with an intriguing plot that pulls you in and keeps you hooked to the very end, making it a fantastic read. Wow! Please tell me this is just the beginning of the series, that there is a book 2 coming soon! Very soon please?!
