I kinda came into this book with little to no prior knowledge. Seriously, I was aware of the book, obviously. But I had read the synopsis a while ago, grabbed a copy of the ebook, and said “I’m gonna try to read this soonish”. So, by the time I finally did read it, I really only remembered the most basic bits of the premise.
In a dystopian future there’s a lottery in which people can be selected on their birthday and they can commit any crime. ‘Kinda like the Purge’, I recall hearing. Well, I’ve never watched those movies, but yeah, I guess on premise that checks out.
But that’s what I knew going in. There’s more to it than just that, obviously, much more. For example, the consequences if one doesn’t use their Birthday Treat. That’s a pretty important part.
So, picking this book up with that minimal knowledge, little did I realize the whirlwind I was in for.
Birthday Treat mostly focuses on a few characters in a near future dystopia in which The Network has taken control. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s all that far-fetched, but here we are. If a person is selected for the Birthday Treat, they have 24 hours to make use of it, but failure to do so results in them being entered into The Hunted gameshow, where they will then have five days to survive. There’s still more to it than that, but you gotta read the book to get that information.
Throughout the novel, there’s bits of epistolary sort of stuff, such as social media posts, talk show transcripts, conversation logs, and so on. And bits outside of the main POVs as well. And the way it all just ties in together, sometimes in ways that could be easy to miss, it just meshes perfectly.
Right from the beginning, the reader’s kinda slapped in the face. You get an idea of what you’re in for, and it’s gonna be dark and at times brutal. But the way the whole thing works out is excellent.
Honestly, now-a-days, this is a bit out of my wheelhouse. I mostly stick to fantasy. Back when I was in my twenties, this was the sort of stuff I was constantly looking for. And it was such a delight (really not the best word there, cause like I said, this book is pretty fucking bleak) to read. So, what can I say? I’d hate to make what I think is the most obvious comparison, but I’m going to. If you enjoyed Black Mirror, or if you’re a fan of technological dystopian stuff, you’d be a fool to miss out on this book. I’d say Anthony Self really nailed it with this!
