Review of “Counterblow Clemency” by Naomi Shibles

Score: 91+/100 (9.1+ out of 10)

Counterblow Clemency is a fun, adventure-filled sci-fi/YA/dystopia novel by Naomi Shibles!

The story centers on Bjorn Bear, a rebellious teenager residing in the high-tech, dystopian world of Promo City. Bjorn clashes with his social-climbing mother and emotionally distant father. As he strives to assert his independence and deal with the repercussions of his actions, the plot intensifies, unfolding a series of perilous and exhilarating events.

Bjorn is joined by several colorful characters, several of which we have all kinds of questions about even after finishing the novel. Chief of these is Doodle.

Doodle is such a bizarre and strange character! Some will say he's... interesting.

The thing about Doodle is that he's supposed to be some kind of loyal part-human/part-robot (cyborg) friend whom Bjorn made earlier in his life, becoming like an older brother to him. Doodle even has a real human name, Kofi Alexis. However, what doesn't seem to connect is how Doodle acts and how he is treated. Doodle doesn't act human! And sometimes he's not treated like one. He kinda acts and is treated like a pet dog! It's kinda weird and bizarre. For example, he seems to sleep or rest by the characters' feets (like a pet would). They drag him by his arms and legs like he's a cat resisting going in the bath tub. They tie or strap him in a jump seat like he's either a baby or a pet. Bjorn, Bjorn's mom (Kendall), and other characters also seem to talk down to him like he's a lesser-being (a pet). It's really... strange. We thought that this was maybe supposed to be funny, like a running gag. However, we kinda felt like it was more mean-spirited and didn't make the lead characters look very nice or good.

You could argue that at least Bjorn and company took Doodle in, but they don't seem to treat him very well.

We do get a line from Bjorn saying, “I take care of Doodle... I always have.” But he seems to say this with a sense of ownership. Again, it's like Doodle is more of a dependent pet rather than being a person.

And he has a PURPLE MOHAWK for some reason! So, picture this: you have a “best friend” who acts/is treated like a dog or a very young child who has cybernetic parts and who has a hairstyle associated with rebellious young adults. Our minds are blown.

This might go to show how the hierarchy is skewed in this society and that certain people are treated like lesser beings. We can definitely see that. We also have to bring up that there's A LOT OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE in this book, and Doodle definitely fits with that.

Then there's Murgatroyd, one of the coolest characters in the book. Murgatroyd is kinda like the Han Solo of the book. In fact, that's a pretty good comparison. He's a cool cat with a cool ship, cool weapons and a propensity for illegal activities (like smuggling and selling pulse rifles). Bjorn seems to share an uneasy friendship with Murgatroyd, if you can even call it a friendship. It's really their problems that bring them together, working toward a common good.

So, if Bjorn is kinda like Luke Skywalker and if Murgatroyd is kinda like Han Solo, there must be a Ben Kenobi here somewhere, right? Well, that's where Carter Lock comes in!

Now, Carter Lock was probably our favorite character in the book. He's an old TV/film star who played Dr. Titus Holliday in the popular show "Ancient Escapades." Not only is he a hero to the protagonists, but he's seen as a role-model and icon throughout the world. The government actually uses him for the purposes of propaganda since he has the trust, eyes, ears, and hearts of the people, especially the youth.

Well... or least he did.

Carter Lock is a bit washed up and no longer in the limelight in this book. However, he still has his pedigree, his sense of adventure, and resourcefulness. Most of all, he has maturity and wisdom that most of the other characters (who are younger and less experienced) simply lack. He's constantly admonishing and calling out characters sorta like a parent or grandparent.

We really liked him! He kinda reminded us of Martin from “The Oasis King” by Mark David Pullen, the best character from that book as well.

Anyway, where do we even begin? The book does kinda leave you lost and confused, so maybe we'll start from the canonical beginning. Climate change, pollution, and conflicts led to a shortage of land and natural resources in the 21st century. The United States folded to become the nation of “Carolina.” They went to war with Iceland (yes, really) in the midst of global crisis. Anyway, the characters are stuck in what remains.

It's actually a pretty interesting world. This book kinda reads like satire, pointing out how fake and superficial this current world/generation is—overly reliant on technologies like smartphones, computers, and artificial intelligence. Similar to “Quantum Consequence” by Mike Murphey, the book points out how big tech corporations, social media, and online marketplaces are gaining a bit too much control and influence over society.

Smartphones seemed to have been particularly devious in brainwashing people and leading to the events of this book. They're referred to as the “first external devices” that eventually led to the Raven devices used throughout the book.

Furthermore, the city is literally named “Promo” for a reason. This is a techy-marketing term, giving name to an entire dystopian metropolis!

Anyway, what does every dystopian society need? Well, clones, drones, androids, and cyborgs. And maybe a Super-Baby-Project or two.

Bjorn in one such result of a Super-Baby-Project known as “Atlas.” He is an Atlas, also known as a Zig-Zag, an enhanced being essentially grown in a lab to be exceptional.

What's really weird about this (going back to the cognitive dissonance argument) is that—of all the characters—Bjorn isn't really that spectacular despite the fact that he's supposed to be. We're TOLD that he's supposed to be. There's one scene in which he fights and overpowers one of Mr. Florian's guards, but there were other characters also fighting/overcoming these guards at various points. He also shows some increased agility.

However, Bjorn's real power seems to be his resistance to damage and his ability to heal rapidly if damaged, similar to Solon from Another World by I.M. Stoicus. He seems to have another power that we're not sure if the author even intended him to have: enhanced access to catecholamines like adrenaline (versus normal humans). How did we come to that conclusion independently? Well, almost every time there's a conflict or a crisis, the author describes Bjorn's surging.

This might mean that he has a deeper well of energy than most people.

Anyway, this book seems to involve Bjorn (that “unnatural boy”) being the target of unscrupulous people/persons who've hired mercenaries to take him out. Bjorn is the heir to a fortune, which draws suspicion on those who might want to seize it in his absence.

At some point, we learn that Murgatroyd is the son of a neglectful, harsh man named Magnus who happens to have access to an advanced security system with the information the characters need. Wait a minute! So, Murgatroyd is a seasoned criminal operating under the nose of his dad who is pretty much the chief of security!?! Talk about cognitive dissonance!

Wait, there's more!

So, you know how this is a somewhat-serious book about somewhat-serious topics like people getting shot and a totalitarian government controlling the land through fear and technology?

Well, the author throws killer-baby-micro-hippos right into that mix. We're not even kidding.

There are killer-mini-hippos in this book! They act like piranhas. Yet, the characters constantly reminds us how “cute” and “adorable” they are.

On one hand, that's cute and adorable. On the other hand, it's another case of cognitive dissonance. One one hand, the plot implies this is a serious story we should take seriously. On the other hand, the dialogue and events imply that this is a silly, slapstick comedy that we shouldn't take seriously. These two things just aren't mixing. They're like oil and water. Are we supposed to be scared for our characters potentially failing, losing their freedoms, and/or being harmed/killed? Or are we supposed to be laughing? Which is it?

It's kinda like Quantum Consequence by Mike Murphey in which there's clear child abuse and a murder that happened earlier in the book, yet there's all this goofy, silly stuff happening afterward. It's like tonal whiplash. We're not sure how we're supposed to feel. We most definitely can't feel everything at once.

Anyway, maybe you'll have a bit fun with this. Check it out on Amazon!