It’s an amazing and essential novel that addresses the biggest moral issues of our time. The story captivated me completely, making it difficult to put down.

This felt like one of those creepy books that mirror the reality we are heading towards. In Iceland an empathy test is about to be put in place leaving citizens to be marked. A society explores through varying viewpoints how this will impact others and the quality of life their futures will become. An unusual and thought provoking read.

3.5⭐️ Rounded up to 4!

The Mark is a clever and interesting read about a not so unbelievable future where society is about to vote on whether there should be a compulsory empathy test. Throughout the book, we read about different characters from different walks of life and how being ‘marked’ or ‘unmarked’ can impact how you go about your life.

I thought this was a very thought-provoking and clever book, and I liked the different character’s points of view too. I did feel that some characters stories were stronger than others and I felt myself becoming slightly impatient when hearing from a character that i didn’t connect with. I was left wanting more from the ending of this book, but I also appreciate that we don’t always get the answers we want! Overall this was an enjoyable and interesting read and I have thought about it quite a bit since reading it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for this ARC - all opinions are my own.

The Icelandic Psychological Association has prepared a test. They call it a sensitivity assessment: a way of measuring a person’s empathy and identifying the potential for anti-social behaviour.

In a few days’ time, Iceland will vote on whether to make the test compulsory for every citizen. The nation is bitterly divided. Some believe the test makes society safer; others decry it as a violation.

As the referendum draws closer, four people – Vetur, Eyja, Tristan and Ólafur – find themselves caught in the teeth of the debate. Each of them will have to reckon with uncomfortable questions: Where do the rights of society end and the rights of the individual begin? When does utopia become dystopia?

No matter which side wins, they will all have to find a way to live with the result.

This was interesting, and worrying in a way that it could be our future all too soon.

As much as its going to be a talking point, it was a book I had to make myself pick up.