For various reasons this is review has been delayed a fair bit, and for the same reasons this won't be the best writing I've ever done!
Utopia is a science fiction book about a theme park of the same name. Not just any run-of-the-mill theme park, it is the biggest and most high-tech in the world. Special effects and automation come as standard, and the whole operation runs like clockwork. Until the technology goes wrong, that is.
Other than the prologue and epilogue, the story is set over a single day in the park's life, which makes for an interesting perspective. Different chapters focus on the paths of different characters, and the format worked really well in terms of intensity.
Due to the nature of a one-day plot there clearly wasn't a lot of scope for character development, but I didn't mind that so much as the story itself was enough. I loved Terri as a character, because geek girls who are both good at their job and a rounded human can be hard to find in books. However, some of the characters were a little shallow.
Overall it was definitely a page-turner. I found myself trying to sneak in 'just one more' chapter during lunch breaks. My first dip into the world of science fiction for adults was a success.
