Rave Review: "And What Can We Offer You Tonight" by Premee Mohamed

Quick Summary

Type: Novella

Genre: Fiction, fantasy, science fiction

Short description: "A dystopian thriller with a breathless, unique voice." Read Time: 2 days

Rating: 5 stars

Review

From the start, I was hooked. After all, I tend to get hooked by people who are supposed to be dead being inexplicably brought back in one form or another. It worked in "A Christmas Carol", and it worked in Mohamed's book, too.

The story stayed strong as it continued. The world was slowly revealed through music and nonchalant comments, and as I learned more of the world, a more and more vivid image appeared in my mind. Though bleak, the world was captivating.

I found that the author's style and her choice of point-of-view accentuated the bleakness of the world. The story is told from the point-of-view of Jewel, a friend of the not-dead dead girl (Winfield). Jewel witnesses from the safety of her comfort zone as Winfield goes on a rampage, punishing the capitalists she hates. And while Jewel also feels some amount of hatred for these capitalists, she also fears that Winfield's rampage will threaten her way of life. Although the political commentary is a bit in-your-face, it's compelling nonetheless.

As much as I enjoyed most of the story, I left feeling a little confused. Following the murder of Winfield's murderer and the 'erasure' of the owners of the House, it's revealed that Jewel and her friend Nero take over as owners of the House. However, it's unclear whether they are simply dipping into reserves, have committed to turning the House into something new, or plan to reopen the House as it was. It's possible they were simply discussing the prospect, but the way the ending was written made it feel like the House had already been reopened, hence the confusion.

However, my confusion over the ending did not detract from the overall story, so I have no qualms rating "And What Can We Offer You Tonight" 5 stars.