Broadcast by Liam Brown
| Broadcast by Liam Brown | |
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| Category: Thrillers | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: A chilling thriller portraying life in a future scarily close to ours, Broadcast is a swift, rollercoaster ride of a read. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 288 | Date: August 2017 |
| Publisher: Legend Press | |
| External links: [www.liambrownwriter.com Author's website] | |
| ISBN: 978-1787199934 | |
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When David Callow is offered the lead role in a revolutionary new online show, he snatches at the opportunity. Rapidly becoming a viral sensation, David is propelled to stratospheric levels of celebrity. However, he soon realises the downside of sharing every secret with the world. A prisoner to both his fame and his own thoughts, David seeks to have the chip removed, only to discover the chilling secret lurking at the heart of MindCast, and the terrifying ambition the show's creator has for him.
Social media is a fairly integral part of many of our lives today - I use it to promote my writing and reviews, and have few qualms in putting a (heavily edited) portrayal of my life on social media in order to encourage viewers and interactions. However, some are happy to document every aspect of their lives, and social media stars are swiftly becoming the most popular celebrities out there, selling products, writing books and appearing on all manner of media, from TV to computer games.
Broadcast takes those elements and heightens them to startling effect, resulting in a thriller that's both hugely entertaining and immediately relevant to the current social media culture. The lighter tone at the start of the book soon builds into one of dread, building a gripping plot through gradual moments of uncertainty and unease. Later reveals prove remarkably well handled too, using a trope several times that could feel forced if handled by a lesser writer, but here serve as clever and compelling components to a chilling climax.
An unsettling tale for our times Broadcast is thriller, commentary, and really very good. Many thanks to the publishers for the copy.
For further reading I recommend The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. More science fiction than thriller, much like Broadcast it's an intriguing read that excites and entertains whilst contemplating very real social situations.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Broadcast by Liam Brown at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Broadcast by Liam Brown at Amazon.com.
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