“I need a participant.” The four infamous words which throw Lyla Brooks’ life into an impossible nightmare scenario. But for readers, there is no nightmare. There’s only intrigue, excitement and an inability to put the book down.
About the book
The Participant follows Lyla Brooks who is ripped from her normal life and thrown into a dystopian society where people are no longer in control of their own lives, and the Health of the Nation dictates everything. People’s worlds are upended, secrets are unearthed and a killer is on the loose. All of this because of one man, one magic show and one tragic moment.
Mixing of genres
Many books have multiple genres and subplots. In The Participant, however, the different themes not only compliment each other but ground the book in reality which in turn connects the reader on a personal level with both the fantasy side and the side based on the real world.
The sci-fi and fantasy themes of the book take readers on a journey of both storytelling and intriguing mystery, while the themes of relationship, tragedy and mental health keep the story grounded, making it relatable to readers. The anguish of Lyla as she navigates her way from personal tragedy to dystopian hell connects them deeply to her and makes them believe she is going through something entirely plausible in real life.
A five-star read
Robertson’s book promises a roller coaster of a story and delivers at every turn. From page one, you can’t put the book down as, even in the less dystopian and fantastical chapters, you still become invested in the characters and develop an urge to know what happens next.
To be able to engage readers in, would usually be the slower chapters of any story, like with Kaitlyn’s relationships with her new work colleagues, earns the book five-stars from me.
The first book of the Parallel Unbound series makes promises of a great and engaging story. It delivers on these promises and goes further to leave the reader wanting more. The Participant is a well-earned five-star story, and I would highly recommend it to everyone to read.
