Thousand and I
A captivating, ominous science-fiction novel about a girl’s search for an unknown stranger – and for herself
You could call the world in this book a future dystopia, but strictly speaking the label falls short. Because is Yorick Goldewijk’s thrilling and ingenious novel actually about the future? Or is Goldewijk opening an unexpected window onto our own time, in which the digital and real worlds are becoming increasingly intertwined?
Right from the beginning, the reader can tell that there’s something unusual going on with the narrator, who is called Eight by a computerised voice. But what is it? Who is this girl who lives in Surdus, a soulless skyscraper city surrounded by ‘the Wall’ and the sea beyond? Why does she have a number instead of a name? And why does she take the train with her fellow citizens every morning to a station where she answers apparently meaningless questions on a screen all day long?
All Eight herself knows is that she is being trained for a meaningful existence in service to the ‘animates’ – as long as she follows the strict ‘Principles’. These involve not questioning anything and being obedient and helpful. Anyone who strays from ‘the Path’ is hunted down by the drone-like ‘seers’ and ‘terminated’. Eight wants to avoid this, but from the moment she looks straight into Thousand’s eyes on the train one morning, she knows she is fighting a losing battle, and she becomes determined to go with Thousand to the sea.
Subtly playing with the ambiguity of the fictional reality, Goldewijk leads the reader on a chase for the truth. Does Thousand really exist? Or did Eight just see her own reflection? Does Thousand represent her own desire for freedom and intimacy? The lonely, alienated girl wonders where she is, who she is. Is everything around her an illusion? Or some kind of computer simulation? And does that matter as long as she can lead a real life?
These fascinating questions and Goldewijk’s vibrant and evocative sentences propel you through this intense story, until the surprise ending leaves you breathless. This is a mind-blowing reading experience that you won’t want to miss.
Age: 13+
“A moving YA novel to be read in a single sitting.”
“While the reader is guessing, Goldewijk cleverly intensifies the claustrophobic atmosphere, asking stimulating philosophical questions about reality and illusion.”
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