CONCRETE WORLD (Spoiler-free Review)

“Memories fade, files don’t.”

There’s a lot to unpack with the Concrete World. Sure, it’s a dystopian tale that blends the proper tropes into a recipe that makes this book stand proud on its own as a must-read for fans of the genre. I’ve always been intrigued by dystopian stories. I think they are stark reminders of what could be when power is corrupted beyond belief. The more shocking story is of the souls that take part in drunken power. What happens when their souls sour and judgment become blind?

The Concrete World is more than just another dystopian tale. It’s deep dive into humanity and how it can be soured. Loss, addiction, love, and a desire to live a better life are all presented with such depth that it makes you take breaks in-between chapters to stop for a few minutes and do some self-reflecting. I found myself on a few different occasions looking inward and asking myself: what would I do? How would I react? It’s one thing to escape with a good book on a rainy day, but what happens when your desire to escape reality is the addiction?

Remember when I said there’s a lot to unpack with this book? Well, on top of how deep into the human psyche Gavin Hignight goes, he also brings in an element of suspense that you don’t see too often in the genre, and it’s those little things in The Concrete World that add another ingredient to his master story-telling recipe.