A speculative novel about a young woman – invisible by birth and relegated to second-class citizenship – who sets off on a mission to find her older brother, whom she had presumed dead but who is now the primary suspect in a high-profile political murder.
Speculative but all too real ... The world building is complex, convincing and specific ... A masterful mashup of two time-tested literary genres: the quest to return to family and home and a propulsive, pulse-pounding, twisty political thriller. In both of these dimensions, Askaripour soars. At times, the parallels may be a bit too explicit.
Part political thriller, part sci-fi, This Great Hemisphere revels in dystopian details with plausible roots ... This Great Hemisphere explores the allure of power and the lengths people go to gain and retain it, but it’s also a story about rebellion, resilience and the strength to shape your own future.
Askaripour crafts a plot so intricate and twisty it occasionally leaves the reader on the sidelines. At its best, however, this energetic, speculative deconstruction of colonialism feels like watching an expert put together a 1000-piece jigsaw.
