Written by Felicia Ketcheson
Behind every dystopia is a utopia, at least in the mind of those behind it. Whether those in power truly believe what they’re doing is right—a question left unanswered about President Tatem—is irrelevant. Where people are oppressed, oppressors are behind it. And when a rebellion is formed, those behind it will fight to keep their power. Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson presents a world whose president presents it as a utopia, with many, if not most, of its citizens believing his word. It is a world where people work for the greater good—the good of their society—by putting their needs, wants, and desires aside. To pursue these is punishable by “Mortae…” or death.
At 320 pages in paperback (or an estimated 329 pages on your eReader of choice), Sketching Rebellion offers a weighty read for its target audience. Not so much in its page count, but in its subject matter. It’s a young adult book that serves as a technothriller (albeit without cyberpunk stylings), about a world that imposes a decree that people’s individuality doesn’t matter; if they wish to live, they must conform with society’s expectations. It’s a theme that will resonate with audiences finding themselves and learning how to express themselves in a hostile world; of how to be themselves, even if they feel alien in this world. It’s a universal theme that resonates with many adults themselves, myself included.
Not only is this theme powerful, it’s presented in a way that doesn’t pull its punches. The city of Lexum, where the story takes place, is all readers see of this world, believed by its inhabitants to be the centre of everything. And Lexum is an entirely unpleasant place. It’s a world where everyone must serve the “greater good,” where people are interrogated over trivialities, where its inhabitants are publicly executed. While dystopian worlds aren’t new to young adult books, Ketcheson presents Sketching Rebellion with maturity. While it includes many of the tropes younger readers (and older readers who enjoy young adult books) love, it doesn’t pander to its target audience. It treats them with respect, allowing them to connect the dots without spoon feeding them.
As unpleasant as it is, Lexum is a city of the future, as most dystopian settings are. While the world’s laws certainly fit the setting, not all of the science fiction elements feel particularly futuristic. As the book progresses, the science fiction elements become broader, but in other aspects, the world doesn’t feel futuristic; rather, they feel as though they hail from the past. This is a world where paper is still used, and people sit in front of computers. While some elements are explained, others aren’t. While it’s possible the world has moved backwards in certain ways, where these aren’t explained, they strain the suspension of disbelief.
As dark as Sketching Rebellion’s world is, it is written in a way that’s appropriate for readers of most ages. While younger readers in the age range might find the threats lurking within the story a little too much, it is a book without profanity or sex, with an innocent romantic subplot. Ketcheson’s prose conveys everything the reader needs to know, and is written in an engaging tone. The prose doesn’t focus on finding the most beautiful combinations of words, and instead, it strives for clarity. It succeeds incredibly well, ensuring that most reading levels within the target group will be able to pick the book up and enjoy it. The novel is also heavy on dialogue, with characters’ discussions of events and the happenings of the story taking up a large amount of the text. People’s mileage on this approach will vary, but I find it works for the overall book. The story features a predominantly young cast of characters, anchored by its protagonist, Breel. These young characters all sound natural, like real teenagers. The world is populated by adults, who also sound entirely natural. All the characters sound distinct from one another, resulting in the conversations all flowing freely.
Young adult books can largely be judged on their protagonists. While Sketching Rebellion has a lot more going for it than its lead character, if they are not enjoyable or relatable, it makes buying into the story that much more difficult. Despite hailing from a future and living an existence the book’s readers won’t recognise, they will recognise Breel as one of them. Breel feels like a teenage girl, one who would desperately like to express herself through art, but is unable to after receiving her final warning before being punished by Mortae. She is engaging to follow throughout the story, told entirely from her point of view. The characters that surround Breel are largely three dimensional and add to the story. The one exception is the story’s villain, President Tatum, who feels like a pantomime villain in comparison to the rest of the characters.
Bree’s story unfolds slowly, to the point where much of what the book’s blurb covers takes place about halfway through the story. While much of this time is spent establishing Breel and her world, it takes the story a little while to kick in. But when it kicks in, the book delivers a thrilling story that moves towards its climax efficiently. While some of the twists are expected, others aren’t. Where this occurs, they provide an emotional sucker punch, and raise ethical questions for the reader to chew on.
Though the title Sketching Rebellion doesn’t mention it (nor is it mentioned in its listings), this is the first book in a series. It ends on a cliffhanger that will certainly entice readers to read more, but it does come at the expense of the book feeling like a complete experience. It’s a great cliffhanger, but unwarned readers expecting a complete story will likely feel shortchanged.
Despite its lack of a definitive ending and science fiction elements that don’t fully come together, Sketching Rebellion is a thought provoking story with beautifully realised themes. It treats its younger audience with respect, and weaves a thrilling tale that fans of young adult fiction, and fans of thrillers—particularly technothrillers with their science fiction edge—will enjoy.
Favourite Passage
They walked up the small driveway and down the flower-lined path to the porch. The bronze “5” above the door distinguished it from the other forty-two houses on Chrysanthemum Lane.
Breel held her ID to the boxy charcoal door scanner, which were ubiquitous around Lexum.
Hideous and obtrusive things.
The scanner beeped and unlocked the door. They walked onto the standard-issue charcoal rug and deposited their standard-issue shoes and jackets in the closet, which was just big enough for four people. The entryway was square and didn’t quite comfortably fit all four of them at once.
Sketching Rebellion, Chapter Three
Sketching Rebellion was provided by the author for the purpose of an honest review.
Sketching Rebellion is available in both paperback, exclusive to Amazon, and eBook from retailers, including—but not limited to—Amazon.
Note: I do not post scores for reviews on this website, but do post them on my Amazon and Goodreads reviews:
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Sketching Rebellion: A YA technothriller dystopian novel
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