Review: Golden State

Laszlo Ratesic is proud to work for the Speculative Service. He is one of the few people who have the ability to tell when someone is lying and he spends his days pursuing those who choose to lie. In his society, truth is of the utmost importance, everyone is under surveillance, and those who don't tell the truth are arrested and punished. When people meet, they greet each other by reciting math equations or scientific facts. Laszlo and his new partner are called to investigate what seems to be an accidental death, but this one case will cause him to question everything he believes about the Speculative Service and the importance of truth.

Laszlo is a sympathetic character and it's hard to watch as everything he believed about himself, his colleagues and friends, and the good of their work comes crumbling down. As he investigates the death of a construction worker, he discovers that a whole week of his records are missing. In the Golden State, everyone is required to keep meticulous records of their days because truth can be verified if there is proof of everyone's movements and interaction. The lack of record leads Laszlo to do some investigating of his own, where he finds that truth is only required for some and that power (of course) trumps truth.

Ben H. Winters is a fascinating writer. Every time I read one of his books, I am fully immersed in a unique story and find myself grappling with some interesting and difficult questions. Golden State is no exception and I found myself thinking about the complexity of truth and the point at which it becomes harmful instead of good. This is a smart story and Winters is not afraid to play with form or the expectations of his readers. But there were also moments when he seems to be showing off just how clever he can be. In spite of this, I would heartily recommend Golden State to anyone who enjoys dystopia or any reader who appreciates good writing and inventive storytelling.


My reviews of Underground Airlines and The Last Policeman 

Golden State
By Ben H. Winters
Mullholland Books January 2019
336 pages
Read via Netgalley

Review: Golden State

Golden State

By Michelle Richmond

Bantam February 2014

304 pages

Read via Netgalley

Julie Walker is a woman on the verge of big changes. Her beloved state of California is voting today on seceding from the United States. Her split with her husband Tom could be finalized today. Heather, her pregnant and estranged sister, has come back into her life after causing a terrible tragedy for Julie. A man from her past unexpectedly shows up and threatens Julie's future and the lives of everyone she holds dear. 

The characters are a great strength in this story. Julie is a captivating protagonist as she guides us through her past, her present, and the chaotic streets of San Francisco. Although we spend just a little time with Heather and only meet Tom through Julie's memories, they both seem vividly real and we want to learn more about them. It's a wonderful experience as a reader when you feel like you could follow these characters through several books.

But Golden State suffers from tackling too many things at once. We have the overarching chaos and uncertainty of a state looking to separate from its country and all of the ways it will affect its citizens. Julie is on the verge of a divorce and is thinking back through the joys and sorrows of her marriage, wondering if she could have saved it. Since Julie works as a doctor in a VA hospital, the reader is privy to the horrors of war and the effects of PTSD. This story also focuses on parenthood - Heather is about to become a mother and Julie's marriage is healed and then broken by the possibility of children. And have I mentioned that Julie's old friend Dennis is holding her hospital staff hostage? While these are all very interesting threads, this all happens during 24 hours and it can be overwhelming to keep track of it all.

Golden State is a book that will keep you turning pages. There is immediate danger, both from Dennis and from the hazards of a state filled with protests and riots. But there is also a sense of reflection in these pages, as Julie looks back at the way her relationships worked and why they failed. This is a wonderful choice for the reader who can balance a lot of storylines at once and loves stories with both tension and reflection.