I picked up Sawyer's Wake as part of an "I have a book shop gift card!" spree, from a bookshop that doesn't bother to separate young adult from adult in its (considerably large) science fiction section. I'm not usually a young-adult-fiction reader - perhaps my own such melodramatic trials are too recent in memory for me to feel anything but tedium for the pangs of first love, schoolyard taunts and peer pressure. And, given the bookshop's all-in-one attitude, I've only got my own judgement as to whether this was aimed at young-adult. It's certainly got the language for it. Our protagonist, nearly-sixteen, mathematical genius (pause to look up her name again on the Amazon page... not a good sign, folks) Caitlin, talks in teenage-speak, especially on her blog, which comprises a significant part of the book. The story focuses on her regaining her sense of sight (the descriptions of which are done remarkably well) and another, rather more important subplot that I can't delve into for spoilers, sperad amidst the usual teenage boy trouble. However, Sawyer goes to pains to explain Google, instant messaging, email, binary, Google's page ranking system (and alternatives) and other very pedestrian elements of the internet. Or, rather, Caitlin explains it to us (or has it explained to her). Which is utterly redundant, not to mention boring, for today's young-adult reader, who grew up with the internet surrounding them. It's like explaining the desert to an Aboriginie.

So I'm rather left wondering who Sawyer was aiming at. Adults are unlikely to be attracted to the gushy teenage voice, and Sawyer's over-explanation of the obvious is likely to grate on a younger reader's nerves. That's not all, either.

The book has a well-worn concept at heart - what is intelligence, and what is it to be a sentient being, and it's refreshing to see an author not immediately playing on our xenophobic fears.  Caitlin, who has been blind from birth due to [insert medico-babble] has a prototype [techno-babble] wireless implant to allow her to see. Due to [medico-techno-babble], her brain has the ability to interpret the internet through her implant - she can 'see' the web. Good for her. My disbelief is not exactly suspended, as there's only the most tenuous of links between the techno-babble at the result, but okay. We'll go with that.

Interwoven with Caitlin's not-terribly-heartwarming story of restored sight, we have up to three other storylines. One of these is the actual point of the book, and probably its strongest part. Unfortunately, discussing it would involve giant spoilers, so I'll leave it, other than to mention that Sawyer makes no attempt to uncover how it occured, merely explores that it is occuring, which seems lazy. There's actually little else wrong with it; the voice and character development there is intriguing, and well-handled for what it is. It was easily the most interesting arc, if somewhat sentimental in its closure.

The other two, however, are highly problematic, and detract from the book greatly. They exist purely to emphasis two plot points - points that could have been better handled within the existing story arcs. Secondly, while they introduce entirely new characters, new locations and new storylines, they have only the most tenuous connection to the main story, and they are never fully resolved. Sawyer just stops writing about them as soon as they've served their purpose, leaving giant, gaping holes in the resolution.

Thirdly, on perhaps a personal gripe, one of them is built on a stereotype of China that, having been there and knowing someone who lives there, I find sensationalist and frankly disrespectful. Sawyer blares a stereotype of  the Chinese government as evil and idiotic at full force, purely because it serves a small point in his plot, and then drops  the entire storyline. It's probably enough to ensure the book never sees print in China, which is just as well; I don't think I'd want to inflict an ignorant outsider's assumptions on their situation.

The spread of characters and locations leaves little space for connection to anyone in particular - even our protagonist, who's rather dull. Sawyer's teenage-girl voice feels forced (though that may be intentional - who knows any sixteen year old who doesn't sound like she's trying to be something she's not?) and the occasional random barrage of how Google is evil because their page-link rank system isn't at all democratic, and that a page-view ranking system that the fictional search engine Jagster uses would be much better, merely serves to irritate, and highlight Sawyer's ignorance of the whole topic.

In short, it's a resounding 'meh'. It's nice to see that an emerging AI doesn't necessitate the end of the world, but the story as a whole is extremely messy, the characters dull, and it feels like Sawyer went with anecdotal evidence rather than real research for a lot of his plot points. A younger reader might find fewer problems with this, but they're equally likely to be annoyed with Sawyer's patronising introductions to their own technology.

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