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Proxy Alex London Books

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Proxy Alex London Books

A flawed book, but one I enjoyed nonetheless. The book is very fast-paced, which is usually a good thing, but sometimes the break-neck pace works against the world and characters. A few important revelations feel lesser because there's no pause in the action.The world is interesting, but there are some elements of it that just don't make a lot of sense. The protagonists are really the best part of the book.

There are a ton of cliches and overused tropes at play here. You get everything from kissing to avoid guards to melodramatic CPR. A big reveal halfway through the book annoyed me because the character's plan was so elaborate and illogical. It's irritating when characters just ignore simple and obvious solutions to their issues. That's not the only contrived event either.

I also had issues with the ending, and not just because it was a downer. I understand that the journey is usually more important than the destination (at least in fiction), but I thought the book skimmed over stuff it had been building up to for a long time in an unnecessary rush to the ending. The ending manages to resolve the main plot and be a cliffhanger at the same time. I would be impressed if I didn't hate cliffhangers so passionately.

That being said, I will read the next book. Eventually. As I was reading I thought I'd immediately read "Guardian" after finishing "Proxy," but I always need a break from a series after depressing endings.


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Proxy Alex London Books Reviews

Proxy is a gripping sci-fi adventure story. It's also a stark picture of privilege and its lack, of how different the world can be for two people living in the same place.

The setting is vivid and richly imagined. Mountain City is a place where technology and capitalism run unchecked. Computer code runs in the blood, targeted advertisements based on your entire life history follow you everywhere you go, and nothing is ever free. It's a place of excess both beautiful and horrible.

The two leads are very human, very real. Knox is the son of one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the city and has every material luxury he wants, while Syd is an orphan who's been in debt since infancy and lives in the back room of a tech repair shop in the slums, but the two of them are equally the products of their environment and, each in their own ways, the victims of it. They're both thoroughly believable characters, flawed but sympathetic.

Well, eventually sympathetic, in Knox's case. Earlier in the book you may be ready to strangle him -- after his own recklessness gets a girl killed, he tells himself that he doesn't see why anyone's making a deal about it, because it was an -accident-, wasn't it? It's not like he did it on purpose, so what's he got to feel guilty about? Yeah. He's -that- kind of person.

But when chance throws him and Syd together, he's forced to confront reality in a way he'd really rather not, and he does begin to grow, slowly, reluctantly, but surely. And you see, too, why he is who he is. By the end of the book... well, he won me over.

Syd, by contrast, I liked from the start. His life frankly sucks, through no fault of his own, and he's understandably and rightfully furious about that. But he's smart, and determined to survive and remain true to himself. In a society where pretty much everything revolves around who owes who money, he's a guy who-- despite having nothing himself-- still can't resist doing a favor for someone he knows won't be able to pay him back.

I really appreciated how his sexuality was handled, as well. He's gay, and though he hates the homophobic insults flung at him when certain people find out, again he's able to stay true to himself, and he's comfortable with who he is. There's not a lot of romance in this book -- the characters have much bigger problems to worry about for most of the story -- but there's no question that he likes boys and he's cool with that. I'm always on the lookout for YA sci-fi and fantasy with LGBT protagonists, and there aren't as many of them as I'd like, so this made me happy.

Anyway, getting to know both Syd and Knox -- and watching them gradually begin to understand each other and, against all odds, become friends -- was a great delight, and I'm really glad I picked this book up.

Oh, and then there's the ending. About the ending, I will just say AAUGGH. But... in a good way.

I really only had two complaints

One was that in certain places in the story, the technology felt... hmm... very hand-waved and vaguely defined. That's the case in plenty of sci-fi, of course, but here there was one point in particular that made me stop and say, "Oh, come on, you just made that up for the sake of drama." Which was unfortunate, because it jolted me out of what was otherwise a really bold, dramatic and emotional moment in the story. I think that it could have worked had there just been a little more time devoted to establishing the rules by which this world's tech played, but as was, it felt kind of contrived.

The other is that when Syd and Knox are in a scene together, the author has a tendency to hop back and forth between their viewpoints without warning, sometimes as often as every couple paragraphs. Once in a while he does it with other characters, as well. Omniscient point of view is one of those things that can be done well but is tough, and here it mostly felt like jarring, distracting head-hopping to me.

The thing is, though, these two complaints are pet peeves, and could be total deal-breakers for me in a lesser book. Proxy, I'm still giving four stars, because the rest of it is just that good. I definitely recommend it to sci-fi and dystopia fans, and I'll gladly pick up Alex London's next book.
You know how sometimes you have 1.7 million books on your TBR list but then someone comes along and recommends a book you've never heard of and you just drop everything and read it??

That happened to me with Proxy.

And you know what....It was an excellent decision. Sometime you just have to trust your book buying gut!! Proxy is a fantastic story and an exciting read. It broke my heart in all the right ways and made me think. I love when that happens!!

I must confess I also love it when an author takes a classic story or theme and reimagines it. Proxy it turns out is a dark and dynamic take on The Whipping Boy (which was already pretty dark). It has been a very long time since I read that book but I remember it stuck with me enough that it has a place on my bookshelf to this day

Anyway, Proxy is set in a futuristic, high-tech, post-apocalyptic, dystopian America (my favorite). Where the rich are insanely outrageously in control of the lives and assets of the entire society and the poor are so deeply in debt (often from the moment they are born) that many are forced to pay their "debt" as Proxies (or whipping boys) to the wealthy. While the idea of legalized torture as a means to teach lessons to snotty rich kids may seem absurd the vast disparity of wealth distribution and the overwhelming debt situation facing the average young american is not...

Maybe I sound a little pessimistic and paranoid and my liberal is showing for sure....But is it really that hard to imagine a time in the not so distant future where we would sell ourselves to companies in exchange for the latest technology or more importantly life saving medications and treatment? Perhaps that's why I love these dystopian books so much. I love the what if's and even more than that I love the stories of the people who fight the system and save the world. I like the darkness but I love the hope (maybe I'm not such a pessimist after all).

As much as I gravitate to these stories for the subject matter at the end of the day I don't love a book unless I connect with the characters. The three main characters in Proxy are amazing. I love them. (*****WARNING***** From here on out things are a little spoilery, not much but a little soo...reader beware).

Knox was that guy you love to hate until you suddenly realize you actually love him. Exactly one second into this book I was thinking "Ugh, ew! I certainly hope this isn't the main character." (this may have had something to do with the seemingly vapid girl he was in the car with and the annoying text conversation they were having). But he was a main character and his story was arguably the most important.

Knox is the poor little rich boy you have zero sympathy for until you start to understand the deep dark emptiness this character carries around in his soul. Still, his internal suffering wouldn't be enough to conquer his horrifying apathy if he didn't have a pretty extraordinary character arch. Which he does. Whew!

Sydney (Syd) on the other hand is instantly likeable; strong and sympathetic he has the terrible misfortune of being Knox's Proxy (Knox was basically a demon child and Syd has paid in blood sweat and tears for it...literally). Syd is also chapter 11 (gay) and that brings a really interesting dynamic to the story. I appreciate how the author treated Syd's sexual orientation like it was just part of life, just who Syd is...it wasn't a huge deal and the story did not revolve around it. That's not to say the author doesn't tackle some of the tough stuff... he just did it in a natural and understated way.

I felt for Syd, a lot. It was pretty darn impossible not to. His life story was tragic and it pulled at my heart strings in almost every chapter. Syd however. was made of stronger stuff than someone like me. He didn't much see the point in self pity and so you the reader don't either... And it makes you love him all the more.

One of the very best parts of this book was watching the brotherhood that forms between Knox and Syd develop. In my last review I confessed that sibling relationships are often the lifeblood of a good book for me and this one was no different. While Knox and Syd are not technically brothers eventually they begin to see each other that way and when they do the truth of it is undeniable. The protectiveness that Knox (and Marie) feel for Syd by the end of this story is right on par with that of any blood sibling.

Which brings me to Marie. Marie was fascinating because she was smart and sassy with a good head on her shoulders.... but she was a crusader and the author had interesting points to make about her stance. Marie's character certainly spoke to those of us (coughMEcough) who have a tendency to hop right up on our soapboxes and spout wisdoms about issues we may not truly understand. (I maaaayyyy have done that in this very review) I think I have a lot to learn from Marie....

And then there was the ending.....Holy hell. I finished the book and just stared...stared at the last page for a good five minutes. I was all "NOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!" But on the other hand, the tiny sad voice in my heart who loves symmetry and appreciates the beauty of self sacrifice when it is truly necessary thought.... "yes. that was how it needed to be...there was no other way." The love and growth that sacrifice demonstrated was just gorgeously moving...and of course heartbreaking.
A flawed book, but one I enjoyed nonetheless. The book is very fast-paced, which is usually a good thing, but sometimes the break-neck pace works against the world and characters. A few important revelations feel lesser because there's no pause in the action.The world is interesting, but there are some elements of it that just don't make a lot of sense. The protagonists are really the best part of the book.

There are a ton of cliches and overused tropes at play here. You get everything from kissing to avoid guards to melodramatic CPR. A big reveal halfway through the book annoyed me because the character's plan was so elaborate and illogical. It's irritating when characters just ignore simple and obvious solutions to their issues. That's not the only contrived event either.

I also had issues with the ending, and not just because it was a downer. I understand that the journey is usually more important than the destination (at least in fiction), but I thought the book skimmed over stuff it had been building up to for a long time in an unnecessary rush to the ending. The ending manages to resolve the main plot and be a cliffhanger at the same time. I would be impressed if I didn't hate cliffhangers so passionately.

That being said, I will read the next book. Eventually. As I was reading I thought I'd immediately read "Guardian" after finishing "Proxy," but I always need a break from a series after depressing endings.