frequal.com

Loneliness & Company: Review

Loneliness & Company by Charlee Dyroff tells the story of Lee, a recent top-notch graduate entering the workforce in a semi-apocalyptic future US. Work assignments are doled out by the government, and Lee is surprised when she doesn't get a plum job at a top company like expected, but is sent instead to an unknown small company in New York. New York is a decayed version of its former self, so this is a double whammy to our protagonist. She soon learns that loneliness, which has been banned from the lexicon 1984-style by the totalitarian state, is on the rise, and her organization is one of several assigned to the prestigious yet secret goal to find a cure. She gets deeply invested in the program, losing herself to it deeply. By the end, the book poses interesting questions about the meaning of life: are people with focus and goals missing out, or are people who are just "living life" the ones who are shortchanging themselves? Is you life measured by your accomplishments or the experiences and people you met along the way?

In total, I enjoyed this book and recommend it. The story had some very strong aspects, from the world building, to a character who is mysterious and kept me guessing until the very end. However, the protagonist's path of self-discovery felt a little drawn out and meandering.

Rating:

Recommend? Yes
Buy as a gift? No

Last modified on 27 Jun 2024 by AO