Digital Review Copy

• Title: Generation Manifestation
• Author: Steven Bereznai
• Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Superheroes
• Source: Edelweiss
• Publication Date: September 14th 2021
• Format: ebook

Even though it’s a dystopia you’ve seen and read before: non conforming teens, adolescent right of passage/trial, rebellion, conflict and romance, Generation Manifestation does fairly well in being memorable. The world is good: the us and them is stark and clearly delineated; the people interesting, teens more so than the adults. The difference is relayed as powers and you get the easily understood heroes and villains – we’ve all seen or at least heard of a DC or Marvel superhero before.
The reader is comforted by this familiarity of the fleeting wish to be a superhero or that one off thought about what power they would most like to have.

What’s behind Testing Day?

There is a mystery at the heart of this place and it’s written in such a way that you genuinely want to find out what it is.

There’s a lot going on in Generation Manifestation. The details of which are hidden behind a spoiler as some of the reveals are late in the day:

SPOILER ALERT

all held together by Caitlin who sometimes seems oblivious to the bigger picture. Thus it’s tremendously helpful that she has a skilled supporting cast who can fill the roles that her anger, ignorance and stubbornness aren’t suited for.

Caitlin, her mum and brother Nate are living in grinding poverty after their father died. Life is pretty bleak and will get bleaker if she flunks out at her last try at Testing Day. If she doesn’t manifest a superpower, she is consigned to a life of drudgery in a factory or similar.

One option is a Protector, but that’s an option not even on the table for Caitlin. Protectors’ maintain law and order, often brutally and somehow they were involved in the mysterious death of her father.
Caitlin has few choices and fewer friends.

Her only escape is in comic books an avenue due to expire when she ages out and is officially an adult when she either passes or fails Testing Day.
Told you this world sucks, you can’t read graphic novels after you’re an adult. A life of subjugation is all you can look forward to. Why aren’t others rebelling is a thought that comes to me often

And that’s the set up

The set up is fairly good. Obviously nothing goes right and there in lies the twists and turns that gives this book some oomph. Feeling like a loser, Caitlin takes what opportunity presents and runs with it. Doing so leads her to breaking all the rules held dear and enforced by the ruling elite. Caitlin ends up on the journey of a lifetime – finding herself. Becomes an involuntary leader whose every action has deep implications for herself and the wider community

This is a good solid read which sets up the series, keeps you interested and leaves you wondering what happens next.