Book Review: Slip by David Eastes

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Title: Slip

Author: David Eastes

Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 

Pages: 416 Pages

Published on : December 1st, 2014

Format : E-book

Started on : June 5th, 2015

Finished on : June 7th, 2015

Rating : 3,7 / 5 stars

Summary:

Someone must die before another can be born...

As sea levels rise and livable landmasses shrink, the Reorganized United States of America has instituted population control measures to ensure there are sufficient resources and food to sustain the growing population. Birth authorization must be paid for and obtained prior to having a child. Someone must die before another can be born, keeping the country in a population neutral position at what experts consider to be the optimal population. The new laws are enforced by a ruthless government organization known as Pop Con, responsible for terminating any children resulting from unauthorized births, and any illegals who manage to survive past their second birthday, at which point they are designated a national security threat and given the name Slip.

But what if one child slipped through the cracks? What if someone knew all the loopholes and how to exploit them? Would it change anything? Would the delicate resource balance be thrown into a tailspin, threatening the lives of everyone?

And how far would the government go to find and terminate the Slip?

In a gripping story of a family torn apart by a single choice, Slip is a reminder of the sanctity of a single life and the value of the lives we so often take for granted

Review: 

"Since the cataclysmic natural events referred to globally as the Rise and the Fall, American lawmakers have discussed various way to control the growing population to ensure sufficient resources for survival. A five-year study has determined that the ideal economic and social population for the Reorganized United States of America is 504 million.

Prior to pregnancy, all couples planning a family must register with the Department of Population Control of the Reorganized United States of America, and pay a nonrefundable processing fee. After processing, each couple will receive a pregnancy offset, which media is casually referring to as a Death Match, someone who is likely to die in the near future. Only when their Death Match has died will the couple be authorized for pregnancy and child-bearing, thus maintaining the population status Quo. This process has been coined Birth Neutrality, and is being referred to as the cornerstone of our survival" - Chapter One

The boy doesn't even know his own name. His father only called him as "Son" or "Boy". Who is he actually? why he only can get out to the outside only in the night and he can't play with other kids? why he always to stay in the house? many question wandering in his mind.

In the same time the government looking for The Slips. Unauthorized child that born without approval from the government. The parents will be taken as enemy of the country and the punishment only by death without trial.

"Stop!" the boy cries. "I see the kids playing outside. Why are they safe but i'm not? Why am i stuck in here and they get to run around? Why does father only take me out night when everyone's sleeping?" Why do terminate the Slips? What is Pop Con and why does father work there?"

The young boy only have an limited time and his father no options to carry away his son to leave the house. How to the young boy survives in the harsh world when he separates with his father? Will he make it? a young boy's journey is began and his father give him new identity with fake retina ID. His new name now is Benson Mack.

Hahahaa.. actually I'm quite surprised with the storyline and how the plot twist it. I just feel the excitement read this books in 40% ending books since it really focused on the action yayy!
The point plus from this books is the dystopia world atmosphere is really great! I can feel how the citizen have to follow the rules for authorized pregnancy to keep the population control. Let's say this is the best dystopian atmosphere and environment that i've ever read from another dystopian novels!

However the story concept is not really 100% pure original. Let's take a look to Republic of China. They already did the regulation for one-child policy (an additional 53% was allowed to have a second child if the first was a girl). The policy was introduced in 1978 and enacted on September 18th, 1980 to alleviate social, economic and environmental problems in China.Demographers estimate that the policy averted at least 200 million births between 1979 and 2009. You can also read The Dark Road by Ma Jian since the story itself how a woman and her husband have to live as nomaden in boat in order to keep Unauthorized child. Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-chil...

In the same time, one of the villains in this story which known as a Destroyer or Domino Destrovan which almost half his body made as the machine reminds me of anime/mangas of Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 01 by Hiromu Arakawa (Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric) and also robocop stuff. >__<

Last but not least, I recommend this novel to a reader who loves dystopian novels, and friendships. oh yeah beware of some explicit gore and dark-angst scene in this books. i just love that parts but maybe for some people it kinda disturbing enough.. I can't wait to read the second book Grip which is the cover is Domino Destrovan and the last trilogy book Flip which is the cover is Luce XD