1984 meets Never Let Me Go

Dystopian novels nowadays are often lurid action-fantasies – lots of colourful world-building, heightened drama, a pessimistic but cathartic “look how bad things *could* get”. But Our Life in the Forest harkens back to a quieter, more existential mode of dystopia. Minimalistic, both in terms of plot and character, it’s not so much about building a world as it is commenting on the one that’s already here.

This very short novel takes the form of a journal – a notebook – written by the narrator as an account of the events that have led to her hiding in the forest. It’s essentially one long digressive monologue, frequently punctuated with ‘Where was I?’, ‘I’m cold’, and ‘Whatever.’ The whole thing has a jaded tone:

“Boredom is physical. You don’t know how you’re going to live the very next minute. You’re supposed to fit your body somewhere, in space, but it’s pointless. You’re squashed inside the three stupid dimensions, and you wish you could disintegrate.”

Viviane (aka Marie) is not merely detached, she’s fed up, bitter, sarcastic, blasé. She’s not at all endearing, but as a product of her circumstances, what else should we expect? Viviane addresses her hopeless monologue, at times as if she can hardly be bothered, to an imaginary audience that is just as stuck in the same nightmare.

“When you go looking for information about Dolly, you realise that perhaps, technically, she didn’t die from being a clone. She died a stupid death, from lung cancer, not because she smoked too much (ha!) but because (if I remember correctly everything I’ve read about her since I understood what the deal was with me) she slept inside and not outside like ordinary sheep do. They kept her inside for fear of her being stolen. The first ever clone. And when they’re inside, sheep’s lungs rot or whatever.”

This is a flickering vision that touches on: a surveillance state, machine learning, the commodification of bodies, and augmented life spans (but only for the rich). As food for thought, Our Life in the Forest is a satisfying brain snack.

I happened across this novel while looking for something short and unique. This DEFINITELY fit the bill. The novel opens with the narrator’s frantic attempt to document her life. She’s cold, she’s missing an eye (among other things), and she knows she doesn’t have long left. The story follows a disjointed account of how she got to be in the forest.
Some parts of this novel really brought me back to others like Never Let Me Go and Oryx and Crake. Darrieussecq’ style in particular reminded me quite a bit of Atwood’s, which I enjoyed. However, despite reminding me of these other novels, this is very much its own story. The way that the author handles what could have been a rehashing of an old story is elegant and terrifying. I found myself very intrigued by the broken stream of consciousness that makes up this novel. The story of the “halves” is very original and I enjoyed seeing how Marie’s relationship with Sissy evolved.
While I did enjoy the disjointedness of the narrative and how it evoked Marie’s condition, I do feel like it led to some aspects of the novel feeling less developed and, for me, less satisfying. In particular I wish there had been a bit more detail on the Generation and what exactly that meant. I also saw the “twist” coming but then I think that was intentional so it didn’t bother me too much. It felt to me like a bit too much of the novel was devoted to Marie’s sessions with her clicker than necessary, given how short the story was. I would have preferred more details towards the end about Marie’s time in the forest and less focus on the clicker’s emotional state; given the book’s title, I would have enjoyed if there had been more focus on their life in the forest.
On the whole, this is a very interesting take on the idea of clones and organ harvesting. The psychological and philosophical aspects touched upon in this novel are very unique and set this novel apart from its predecessors which have also tackled the subject. I loved Darrieussecq’ writing style and I look forward to exploring more of her works.

This is written as a fictional memoir of a therapist that specializes in trauma. The dystopian timeline she details is riveting. The world is filled with drones, robots, and the general sense of an Orwellian corrupt government. The pacing of the story was nearly perfect for me and kept me reading. This is one of those books that is unforgettable and I will end up recalling years after I’ve finished it.

In this future, people can have clones of themselves created as an insurance policy for their organs. If someone’s kidney goes bad, they get a new one harvested from their clone. The therapist’s parents had a clone created for her when she was born. The protagonist received a lung transplant from her “half” and eventually received clearance to see her half in her medically induced coma. She becomes obsessed with her half.

As a therapist therapist, she is seeing a patient that is going to turn her life inside out. He doesn’t like to talk, and he doesn’t drink the water.

There is so much that I love about this book that I don’t even know where to begin. PTSD is accurately described and fairly represented. The author seamlessly blends psychology into her dystopian future which gave the story a depth that surprised me, considering it is a fast read. The protagonist’s thoughts, and actions felt realistic within the plot.

Overall, a very compelling read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

Written in a wonderfully conversational style, this reflective dystopian book examines what it means to be human, and shows a terrifying future in which those who are fortunate enough, are born with a half. A half is the ultimate life insurance policy, a clone from which you can get whatever transplants you need. Others in this world only have jars (a heart and lungs to transplant) and some have nothing at all.

This book is haunting in a number of ways, first off is the realistic way in which it shows a future where it is common to get sick, so common that we require ‘spare parts’, but it also offers insight into the nature of loneliness and what it means to be human. Especially what that means in a surveillance state.

The style in which this story is told is very limited, and yet extraordinarily effective. Viviane/Marie’s voice is captivating, and its almost as if she’s speaking directly to the reader. The entirety of the world is filtered through her point of view and it leads for a fantastic reveal. The layers of the world, while shown through the at times naive perspective of Viviane/Marie is reflective of how it’s possible to completely miss something so wrong. As far as unreliable narrator’s go, I think her voice is one that sticks in my mind as one of the strongest I’ve read in a long time.

While I didn’t see the twist at the end coming, upon reflection there were clear hints towards it, and I think I would enjoy rereading the book, if only to look for the breadcrumbs that the author left.

I highly recommend this book, it’s a short read that will undoubtedly leave you thinking for days.

In the near future, a woman huddles and grows colder. She is writing her thoughts in a notebook. Author Marie Darrieussecg has created a spellbinding tale from the woman’s internal thoughts.

This dystopian tale is told in the first person and unlike most sci-fi fantasy, it is not an action thriller. Instead, it will haunt you as the horror slowly grows.

The narrator Viviane, is a psychotherapist and she has a lived a typical life for the times. She has an electrical unit in her head, and two other body implants like everyone else. Her every movement is recorded and categorized. Yet, her thoughts seem to be her own. And she shares her thoughts with us through a stream of consciousness style of writing.

She is an educated person; she is able to remember quotes from the previous centuries (18th- 20th). She can also be wry, like when she explains to a patient who is trying to visualize, that a safe place is a familiar place, not a screensaver.

Viviane tells us that much of her life has been consumed with caring and thinking about her “half.” At first, we don’t know what a “half” is, until gradually the body part project is revealed.

By the end of the book, the Viviane concludes that, “It requires a radical change of thinking really, to no longer see yourself at the center of things…”

The author is a good storyteller. One of my favorite passages in this book was about the army of terra cotta soldiers in China. I wish there had been even more to the book. I am glad I read this book and I recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for an ARC.

The concept of the book is quite original, the stream of consciousness writing contributes to and fits the story and it’s engaging enough that you can finish it quite easily, but there’s something that lacks.
Something I’m not sure about whether it’s a choice or it’s from the translation, but the writing felt stiff and repetitive, while the flow was slow.
I didn’t really connect to the narrator and the “twist” felt predictable.

I tried to like this one; I love the idea of it. But the format, endless streams of thought with almost no dialogue or action, just doesn't work for me. It's a fantastic idea, but I just couldn't get into the story. I struggled through to just over 50% before giving up.

Thank you for allowing me to read it, I hope it does well. It's a really good idea.

This is one of those rare books where I'm really glad I stuck with it (mostly because if I don't stick with it, I never find out how brilliant it gets, but you get the gist). It seemed a mish-mash of concept and little plot for far too long, and it more than seems to be a mish-mash at times, with a very errant approach, only partly justified by the narrator. I'll not deign to say any of the plot, or the ideas behind things, but I will say that everything you come to these pages not knowing anything about does eventually become clear, that there is an actual arc to the story in amongst the weaving-about, and that at the end you do feel grateful to the author for her ideas. She never really makes it easy for us, but it's up to us to have the patience necessary. File next to Tarantula/The Skin I Live In by Thierry Jonquet.

Told through journal like writing this dystopian, set in the near future explores some important topics and will really make you think.

For those people privileged and rich enough to have a ‘spare’ means that they will always have replacement organs and body parts.
After a change of heart Vivienne and her ‘half’ Marie escape into the forest.

The plot touches on some scarily relevant themes making you wonder where today’s society is heading.
I am a prolific dystopian reader and after reading several flops in a row I really enjoyed it this read.

There were plenty of twists and turns and enough intrigue to keep me read and guessing along the way. 100% recommend to any dystopian lover.

Our Life in the Forest depicts a disturbing dystopian future where the mass population exists solely to produce organs/parts to increase the longevity of the super-rich. MC Viviane's story is told in a journal like POV, and bounces from present, to future A LOT meaning the reader has to work to figure out what is going on. While reading you do feel Viviane's sense of urgency, which is the manner the MC is writing her experiences due to her inevitable death. The journal entries reveal how she and the others came to live in the forest, the quest to protect the "natural" world, and Viviane's fascination with her clone/"half" which she named Marie.

The cover of Our Life in the Forest caught my eye, and the blurb kept me interested. The book itself was a quick read, packed a decent punch and was thought provoking. I rated the book a 3.5

I came across this whilst searching for something really unique to read - this completely fit the bill! The synopsis drew me in immediately and the premise was a fantastic one from a writer who's imagination must be fairly active to "dream up" this concept. Darrieussecq broaches some interesting and important topics such as organ-trafficking, identity, clones, animal rights, surveillance, class, and the environment.

"Our Life in the Forest" can best be described as a modern Frankensteinesque tale set in the not-so-distant future and where 'halves' are kept in an induced coma in order to ensure that their organs are available for replacement. After hearing a revelation about the true nature of the 'halves' Vivienne and her half, Marie, along with other fugitives flee the city to the relative safety of the forest. Or so she thinks but life in the forest is disturbing, too.

This is an intelligent and cleverly written book with bags of originality. I must admit, I hadn't come across Darrieussecq's work before this but I am considering acquiring some to see if they are all as excellent as this was. It took a little while for me to appreciate the writing but before long I had grasped it and it became a hypnotic and beautiful experience. The characters were great, I felt invested in them and the outcome of their stories from the very beginning and that carried right through until the finale. I found the conclusion a satisfying end to the novel.

A deceptively dark and intense dystopian thriller where the mass population exist solely to provide organs to the wealthy should they need them. Rather a disturbing concept, don't you think? Told from Vivienne's point-of-view in what is supposed to be entries from her journal, it may take a little getting used to but once you get into it it works well.

If you enjoyed "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro then you'll likely find this interesting, too. Worthy of your time for sure, especially if you like dystopian novels.

Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Our Life in the Forest reveals a highly disturbing dystopian future in which the mass population exist to solely to support the longevity of the super-rich. The novel highlights the quest to look after and nurture the natural world against extinction and scientific intervention through the notions of reality and artificiality. The protagonist’s journal records the desperation of contemporary issues and their likely outcomes, her historical warning for future generations.

Dark and intense. What a strange story.

The writing was systematic at first but then became completely hypnotic. Even though my mind was aware of what was going on in the story I still felt strangely surprised at the ending.

I liked that the way this story playes out ultimately was unexpected. I thought that I knew how it was going to end and I was wrong. The format of the book was difficult to read however, hopefully there will be clearer breaks in the published manuscript to better denote the passing of time and the changes between the present and past. Overall an interesting, if slightly disturbing read.

The author states she is influenced by Kafka and Orwell - which fits into the theme of this novel about a future world where clones are born and raised to provide an ongoing supply of organs to the few rich enough to afford them. Life expectation is quite low due to pollution, modified foods and some unspecified on-going war. Hence organ replacement is a common procedure for the rich.

The narrator is a psychoanalyst Vivianne who has a "halve" called Marie. Her health is poor but that is OK as Marie can be used for replacement bits. A series of events make Vivianne change her view of what is going on and she escapes to a colony of rebels in the forest.

The book include themes of greed, the unknown impact of cloning, adaption to a changing world, the way society is melded to the needs of a few and the endless increasing use of surveillance to control the masses.

Vivianne writes her story for future readers but the style used is like she is talking to the reader; the effect to me was it feels a very believable story. Vivianne also uses a lot of references to people, events or things. Even though the book is set in the future, all of the references have occurred in pre 21st century time. This gives the book a feel that this story is set not too far in the future.

Thanks to Net Galley and Text Publishing.