I was really apprehensive when choosing this book on NetGalley as there were no reviews and it could have gone terribly wrong. I was attracted by the cover and the blurb, though so thought I’d give it a try!
I’m so glad I did, it was fantastic. Even though it had a very ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ feel to it, in terms of the tyrannical government, it was a very unique story. I must say that I enjoyed this a million times more than The Handmaid’s Tale, as well! You get a full story, you know exactly why the country is being governed like this, you are introduced to all the rules, and you get a full conclusion. It is an all-rounded book. The ending is a bit fanciful and outlandish, but it is in keeping with the story as a whole and the only conclusion that could have happened.
We are following Olivia, a baker by trade. However, she can’t bake anymore as it is illegal! The UK has in government Mother Mason who strives to make the country great and happy by enforcing a strict diet and exercise regime. She also enforces everyone to lead their best and happiest version of themselves. All sounds great until you break the rules and the punishments are the most severe imaginable. I personally couldn’t stand to live in a world where chocolate didn’t exist; I certainly would be my happiest self more like a bear with a thorn in its foot! I don’t and can’t live without sugar! The blurb asks what would I do ‘toe the line or fight for your freedom?’ I’m not sure what I would do, to be honest. I value my life too much to fight but is a life worth living without any luxuries? I couldn’t stand being dictated to and my choice being taken away from me?
The book made me feel very apprehensive but not in a terrible way, more “oh my God, I would hate to live in this world” kind of way. It grips you right from the beginning, and like I said even though the ending is a bit far fetched it is still a brilliant read.
The main protagonist, Olivia, is very morose and hard to sympathise with. Sometimes I wanted to slap her for the silly mistakes she was making, and even though she knew the danger, she still took unnecessary risks.
Overall, an outstanding read. I look forward to this author’s future books, as this was her debut novel and I hope it goes out into the world next month with a bang!

A clever and chillingly current novel. I have liked the characters and plot of this book. This attracted my attention on twitter and I thank the publisher, author and Netgalley for the arc of this book. I liked the characters and I really enjoyed that this was away from my usual genre.

A cleverly crafted, and chillingly current novel that imagines a world where a government ruled on control and oppression has become a terrifying reality and even an innocent act of baking a cake could end in life or death.

But when strength and humanity unite in an uprising, Claire Wade rightly questions, to what extent do we, as humans, have a choice in times of fear.

Baked to perfection, The Choice is further from a dystopian future, but scarily closer to home than we might think.

#JoinTheFray

The Choice, by Claire Wade is a wonderfully insightful book with a focus on humanity, family and the chance to choose your own fate under extreme oppression.

The Choice follows Olivia, the main character, as she lives in fear of a government the people chose. In a world where the people elected Prime Minister Mother Mason, they seem to have forged their own shackles as she has stripped away choice in favour of better healthcare. Mother Mason has forged a world of healthy living; sugar, milk ,cream and other fatty and unhealthy products are rationed, unhealthy snacks such as chocolate and cakes have been banned, and baking is a crime. Everybody is watched and monitored, and everybody is watching and monitoring. Neighbours and friends have become a threat, fear of association is greater than the loyalty of friendship and family. In a world where you are weighed daily, routine exercise is compulsory, and you are always found guilty, what choice do you have but to comply? Olivia wrestles with this fear every day, she fears for her safety, for her children, for her family, and yet what choice does she have? Unable to speak up and fight back, things are getting worse and a mysterious rebel group has started releasing videos that question Mother Mason’s rules. As things become more dangerous, the people are forced to choose; listen to Mother Mason, because surely ‘mother knows best’ or fight back and reclaim the lives they voted away.

Claire Wade does a brilliant job of exploring just how far oppression can go and the effects it can have on a population. The Choice, aptly named for many reasons, shows the core of oppression and rising up against it, and truly makes you question just how are you meant to tackle this, and how far is too far?

The narration and writing style. The Choice is told from the perspective of Olivia, the main character. We get to see her thoughts, her feelings, her internal conflict and perspective on the world she voted for, and it works wonderfully. Seeing the effects of this oppression from the viewpoint of one person is very effective because it is how we would also experience this kind of situation. The constant questioning, fear and wondering whether or not anyone else feels the same way is exactly how any individual would react under such a stressful situation. Moreover, Olivia is kept in the dark about a lot of things, whether it is about the government or secrets kept by those close to her. The lack of knowledge on her part makes the novel far more interesting as it keeps you guessing about what will happen next, what happens to the guilty, and what secrets are being withheld from her, it maintains an element of mystery and fear that makes you want to read on.

Claire Wade’s writing style is easy to read. Most of the language used is direct, rather than flowery or symbolic, aiding the sense of fear and control that permeates the novel. However, there are times where the language is more emotive, descriptive, and sensory. This contrast with the harsh directness and realism allows for those scenes to stand out, and makes the more detailed scenes easy to connect with and experience. The writing style allows you to understand what is going on, while maintaining the peoples social naivety necessary to fully experience the novel and allow the readers to develop their own understanding of the harsh reality of the government control, it allows you to move from the mindset of you shouldn’t act because you’ll be punished to you should act because you can make a difference. It truly allows a full immersion in the novel.

The plot. So, this plot is very unique, and initially seemed a little odd to me, but made me curious. The plot, initially, seems like a very far fetched idea, in terms of ever happening in reality, until I started to read it, and saw the news articles on banning eating on public transport. With the current rise in food related health risks, the novel seems much more realistic than it initially appears. The story is set a little while after the election of Mother Mason, and shows how radical a government can be by using this view on food and health. The story revolves around Mother Mason campaigning that her diet and calorie count is the best way to live as it has reduced/eliminated death by heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and she has managed to criminalise unhealthy foods, and those who make or eat it creating a stigma that has the exact widespread effect that she wanted. However, while laws to promote and help healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle is a good thing, the plot shows how it can be taken too far and have negative effects. It is an interesting story to watch unfold, and with the addition of the rebel group and ultimately the plot line to replace Mother Mason begins to occur, the story has more conflict and makes for an intriguing and unique read. Moreover, the story is unpredictable and definitely keeps you questioning.

The world and structure. Though this is not a fantasy novel, it does have some impressive world building type elements, though more in terms of structure. Despite being modelled on our own world, but in a different timeline, a lot has gone into it. The main focus we have is on a little town called ‘Bunham’ in Norfolk, a small country vibe county, a choice that was spectacular as it allowed you to see the widespread effects of the laws on even the smallest areas. However, Wade created a lot of in-depth ideas that we see in this small town from the Shame-box to re-education to structured exercise and identification cards. The world is centred around surveillance, as though governed by Foucault’s idea of the panopticon, the idea that the people are always behaving as if they are being watched because they never know if they are or not, and everything Wade built and incorporated into the story worked well and illustrated just what kind of country they are living in. The world is masterfully created and truly makes you think about society.

The characters. All of the characters in this story are well developed, and there is diversity in ability, with a character who is in a wheelchair and one who is diabetic, though there is room for more diversity, there is some evident in the novel which is nice to see.

Olivia, being the main character, is the one we see the most of and she is very well crafted. She is realistic and multi-dimensional with many traits that make her easy to relate to. Olivia was independent and self-sufficient prior to Mother Mason’s reign but as a consequence of the new laws she has retreated into herself, become stuck and bound by this new way of life. However, despite this she is creative, clever, and a wonderful mother who just wants to protect her children. As the story goes on she begins to become more independent and determined, the person she use to be, despite having doubts she manages to continue to fight and try to break out of the shackles she has been bound by. Olivia is a great character, strong, flawed and yet very determined- it is easy to connect with her and understand which makes the story more engaging.

The ‘villain’ of the story is, of course, Mother Mason who appears vindictive, clever and controlling. Yet, we don’t see much of her, other than her propaganda material, and you don’t need to. The lack of Mother Mason’s actual presence coupled with the fear and power she projects without being there is much more effective in this particular story as it is almost an invisible threat but one you know exists. Moreover, the use of using ordinary people, like your neighbours and friends, as surveillance and enforcers is much more effective and scary as it is almost more real and plays on deeper fears. It is an excellent use of a villain and her power, very clever and masterfully done.

Alice, Dev, Bronwyn, Danny, the children, Mary, Faye, and other characters like Ray and Lewis are all very well created. Alice is headstrong, independent and ready to fight, she is the support Olivia needed to break out on her own- she is flawed but is undoubtedly strong and easy to connect with. Bronwyn is a fun character who is also a strong character who is very individual and great to read about. All the characters are interesting and many of them have secrets that are unpredictable and surprises you. I loved the characters and hated the ones that were ‘evil’ but also acknowledged the situation they are in. The relationships and friendships between characters are well crafted and they connect easily, and when they fight it is emotional and reflective of reality.

Overall, this story is amazing, well crafted, and truly makes you think about society. With a focus on oppression, fighting the system and surveillance, it is in-depth and interesting. The end of the book is truly profound as you realise, how far is too far, not everything will change immediately, and to what extent do we, as humans, have a choice in times of fear.

Claire Wade has masterfully created a book with a profound insight into control and the government that is also a great read. The aspect of choice and humanity is brilliant and the characters are amazing, strong and able to fight back. This story shows the strength of people, particularly women, and I loved it!

*I received an eARC of #TheChoice by Claire Wade from #Netgalley @orionbooks in exchange for an honest review.* Also posted on my blog/goodreads (linked)