The Territory by Sarah Govett

The Territory by Sarah Govett

The Territory is first in a series of three books by Sarah Govett.

It is 2059 in the UK, most of the country is underwater so space is limited. Only the smartest get to stay dry. The rest are sent off to live in the wetlands where disease and crime are rife and survival is slim. 

Noa Blake is preparing to take her exams. She is smart but that's because she studies extra hard and has the advantage of parents who can afford to send her to a good school. She is however still at a disadvantage. She is a norm. She doesn't have a node, a port in her neck that allows her to upload information straight to her brain. Noa has to study the old fashioned way. Will her hard work and determination be enough to keep her on dry land?

The story is told from Noa's perspective. I felt that the author captured the language of a 15 year old brilliantly. Teens do love their slang terms and there were plenty of those! I loved that Noa, like most 15 year olds, felt she was grown up, felt she was ready to take control of her own life and make her own decisions. As an outsider looking in we see Noa is still developing her sense of self, she is experiencing her first taste of love and trying to live as normally as she can in this harsh world, but most importantly, she still has so much to learn. Which is what makes this book so frightening... a 15 year old is not old enough to be sent away to live in such dangerous conditions, alone!!

I would have liked to get to know some of Noas friends a little better. Daisy is Noas best friend but I didn't feel a connection to her. Jack, Noas other best friend had a habit of punching walls or lashing out when things didn't go as planned which no one seemed to address until it was too late. But then again, why in a world where 15 years olds are coldy sent to die would someone be the slightest bit concerned about something as minor as anger issues and the reasons behind it? And then there's Raf, the mysterious new boy. He was my favourite of Noas friends. He was edgy and pushed the boundries but had a kind heart.

The story takes a few dark turns here and there, particularly on the subject of medical experimentation and basic human rights.

The Territory, signed copy

Prioritisation means that medication is no longer available to the wetlands. How are new medicines tested? Certainly not on the intelligent Territory folk, that's for sure. While in the book the situation is more more severe than in real life it made me think of medicines in todays world. A persons postcode can determine how quickly they are treated. A persons bank balance can determine whether they get the best treatment available.. or not. And then there's the touchy subject of how the medicines are tested. If they are not tested on humans and animals, how will we ever know if they work but what about the humans and animals that are made to suffer so that we don't have to??

This book was one of my favourite YA reads of 2018. It was exciting, heartbreaking and thought provoking.

I can't wait to pick up books 2 and 3 to see what becomes of Noa and her friends.

Thank you to Sarah Govett for sending me this copy for review.