PopCo by Scarlett Thomas

Well I don't know the last time I read something that made me so involved, so thoughtful and really really interested. Well at least not in the same way. I loved it, up until the last chapter or so, up until then it was inspirational, exciting, interesting in a way not many novels can be. I felt like I was learning something, that I wasn't just enjoying a good story I was experiencing change, a change within my life.

The book is about Alice Butler, code cracker, toy designer, key to a fantastic mystery and someone who is a very nice person to be stuck inside their head for a few weeks. Her thoughts, opinions, experiences all spoke to something within me. She is on her way to a company retreat where employees from all over get together and have to listen to all the corporate stuff people do on such retreats. If I could transport myself I would want to be Alice at the very beginning of the book, standing there at a deserted station with my old fashioned suitcase and old fashion clothes. I really cannot get over how amazing that first chapter was, I could eat it or live it or breathe it in all over again.

However, and this is where I have to say what I really think, which sucks because this book was truly amazing for such a long time, it got too preachy! There I've said it and I really wish I didn't have to, but by the end I really lost all respect for Alice, I couldn't care less whether she ate meat or diary, or her homeopathy treatments. Going into detail about code breaking is cool, but trying to force people into being vegetarians or vegan is just not. While I agree that meat doesn't have to be on every plate in the world and that being vegan, if that's what you want, is great, but I don't need a novel trying to change me. Also, the ending was implausible. Why were they all so clever and yet, boring. By the end I wanted Alice to go back before this 'change' to become her old self. She was much more interesting in the first 3/4 of the book and by the end it just seemed like she had gone all complacent, when I think Scarlett Thomas wanted it to seem like she was more sure of herself.

Now, I am done ranting and will oddly now tell you all to go out and buy this book. Read it cover to cover, enjoy the first 3/4 get over excited and then read the end. While the last part is disappointing it won't colour your whole experience, because I could happily sit down now and read the first chapter again, if my copy wasn't in a friends hands being devoured.

Also, an this is a little silly, the blue cover and blue edged pages are just beautiful. It is a very aesthetically pleasing book. Looks great on the bookshelves.