review:
The premise of this book is an eco-thriller set in China where all the electronic waste is dumped and consequentially there is class segregation of 'waste people' whose lives depend on it. The book does contain some ideas - nothing original as such - and the setting and cultural influence does give it a different flavour. But I found the writing and the story to be a caricature - repetitive, stereotypical, and under-explored - and often heavy-handed when it came to stating things. Two instances where this was a problem - first where the plot is moved forward based on mundane motivations seen everywhere, and second where the details were just thrown in for random objects such as the brand of jacket or which album the song playing was on. It neither added to the character development nor to the environment. So the end result is a book with a promise that just does not materialise.,