Stephanie Jane reviewed Omnia by Laura Gallego García
Thought-provoking layers
5 stars
Omnia has an intriguing synopsis and I chose it also for its retro cover art by Chelsea Wirtz and because its translator is Jordi Castells who I thought did a superb job with Pierced By The Sun by Laura Esquivel which I read the month previously. I am glad to say this concise novel didn't disappoint. It is a quick read which I devoured in a single sitting over a few hours, thoroughly enjoying every minute. Nico knows he shouldn't really have thrown out his baby sister's beloved toy rabbit and his guilt is endearing, but the sacrifice he ends up making to redeem himself is way more than he could ever have imagined.
Gallego's Omnia is, on later reflection, a disconcertingly real vision of our future and the irony of this translation being published by Amazon either shows that they do have a sense of humour or that the …
Omnia has an intriguing synopsis and I chose it also for its retro cover art by Chelsea Wirtz and because its translator is Jordi Castells who I thought did a superb job with Pierced By The Sun by Laura Esquivel which I read the month previously. I am glad to say this concise novel didn't disappoint. It is a quick read which I devoured in a single sitting over a few hours, thoroughly enjoying every minute. Nico knows he shouldn't really have thrown out his baby sister's beloved toy rabbit and his guilt is endearing, but the sacrifice he ends up making to redeem himself is way more than he could ever have imagined.
Gallego's Omnia is, on later reflection, a disconcertingly real vision of our future and the irony of this translation being published by Amazon either shows that they do have a sense of humour or that the powers-that-be didn't actually read the book before signing it up! I loved the idea of boys hiding out for months within a warehouse where everything is available for the taking, albeit several hours walk away and you have to know exactly where to look, and the Hotel California vibe makes for a wonderfully menacing atmosphere. Extensive automation causing job reduction certainly reflects the trends I see around me as well as the first-world notion that anything is just a click away if you have the credit to buy it. Omnia is an excellent novel that is superficially an easy read, but with thought-provoking layers that I think will make it a popular choice for book clubs.
