The Wall is a coming of age story set in a bleak future. The characters inhabit a world made smaller, and more violent, due to rising sea levels. Tasked with defending the wall surrounding what's left of the UK from people desperate to make land, the pov character gives the reader insight into his world. When the wall is breached, he and his partner are set adrift, the rules being that one defender must be cast our for each person who makes it over the wall. By the end of the book, the reader must question how reliable our pov character is, and how many of the events after that fateful attack on the wall he has rewritten to comfort himself. It's an enjoybale and unsettling book.

This book was very repetitive and the story did not hold my attention and did not suit my taste. The characters were boring.

The Wall brings the worst of humanity to light, giving us a glimpse of a dystopian future where one country stands strong in spite of global collapse. We see a naive young man, taught to fear the outside world, doing what he believes is his duty to protect their way of life. His collapse from innocence into experience is daunting, showing us the horrors of a country intent on murdering anyone from outside its walls. This is a stark vision of the future, to be sure, yet it doesn’t feel impossible given the chaotic political climate of today. Through strong writing and a deeply personal narrative, Lanchester foretells what can become of the world if we forget compassion and live firmly within fear and hatred.

Full review to be posted on 2/21/19: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/02/21/the-wall-book-review

Surrounding the island of Great Britain, The Wall was constructed after The Change, the oceans rose and the earth was unable to continue to sustain the global population. The Others can attack at any moment; their desire to enter the a semi-working civilization of Britain stokes relentless courage. But the Defenders are there to man the wall in 12-hour shifts. Newly conscripted into his 2-year appointment, Kavanagh must learn the routine quickly.

There is talk all over the news about walls, both literal and figurative. Treaties and alliances formed and broken. Strong-willed politicians who drum up support based on fear of the others. And individuals who are sent into the fray in the midst of their debating conscious. Lanchester pushes the debates forward, but in a subtle way. He focuses on that soldier, that individual, who is in turns apathetic, angry, and contemplative.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because it is such a short book. But you can expect the training of the Defenders, which serves as an introduction to the Wall and its history and politics. And yes, you can expect an attack. Now is the time to mention a key rule in the defense of the country: if an attack occurs and the Others are successful in entering the country, those Defenders who are responsible will be pushed out to sea...

Lanchester's story is weighing on me hours after finishing. Ultimately, I think this will be a polarizing read. There are many things I liked about it. The premise, the ending, several of the characters. But I wanted a little more out of the main character. I wanted him to have some sort of passion, either for or against the Wall. He more connected with his mates, and was focused on finishing his tenure of service than with anything bigger than himself for most of the book, but there is a change, a realization of sorts. There are some excellent twists and an ending that was something I didn't expect, but loved.