This is a thoughtful exploration of opposing ideologies and a contrast of a dystopian society vs a frontier society. The situations of the dystopian society are fairly clear references to social media culture and far left politics. The descriptions of the rural society are idealized depictions of historical frontier communities. The whole setting feels very familiar. The characters are personable and relatable, and will appeal very strongly to fans of coming-of-age stories for young women.
I was impressed with the emphasis on the crime of Detraction. There are definitely Orwellian overtones here, missing only the depiction of thoughtcrime as the worst of all evils. The indoctrination of the populace against the crime of Detraction places the MC in a continual moral quandary. Everything she is knows to be right and just requires her to conform to the desires of the state and to place the welfare of the community and of others far above herself. On the surface, to most of the English-speaking world, this goes strongly against the grain of individualism, self-motivation, and personal achievement. But it is exactly this philosophy that has guided collectivist cultures throughout the history of the world. It is no coincidence that the cover art is reminiscent of the Moscow skyline.
Detraction is the crime of placing yourself in a superior position to anyone or anything else. It is the ultimate relativistic philosophy. It is, of course, those in authority who get to decide exactly what constitutes Detraction. It may be speaking out against public policy. It may be failing to do your assigned job adequately. It may be the desire to improve yourself. Or it may simply be the comparison of yourself to someone else, even - or especially - if the comparison is not favorable.
From a Christian point of view, we are called to place self-care and personal development on an equal footing with the care and education we give to others. Matthew 7:12 (CEV) is perhaps the most famous expression of this Golden Rule, "Treat others as you want them to treat you." I think it is more clearly stated in Mark 12:29-31 (ESV) Jesus answered, “The most important [commandment] is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
I find most dystopian fiction to lack the solid philosophical grounding I found in The Kingdom of Heaven. It was a welcome discovery.
The technical execution is very well done. It is easy to read and clearly expressed. Most of the word count is given to the main character and getting to know her. The characters are mostly idealized or archetypal, but are comfortable to read about and sympathetic to contemplate.
Very little time is spent describing the setting or the dynamics of the conflict, except for the repeated references to ideological tyranny. The identity of the main character is kept vague for the first part of the story, an apparently intentional device to portray the character's growth, but one that I found confusing until I learned the author's rhythm. I feel this is has a specific niche of reader interest who wish to follow a single character intimately.
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