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Things We Didn't See Coming

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( 1,673 ratings, 286 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam is a captivating blend of dystopian fiction and human resilience. Set in a near-future world facing the challenges of drastic climate change and societal collapse, the narrative follows the life of a young protagonist as he navigates through a series of vignettes. Each chapter presents a different stage in his life, filled with challenging dilemmas and fleeting moments of hope.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you appreciate thought-provoking narratives set in a near-future dystopia, you may find this book intriguing. It offers a compelling exploration of humanity's resilience amidst societal and environmental upheaval, delivered through a series of interconnected vignettes that challenge the norms of conventional storytelling.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

We think we've seen it all before, but the future still arrives without warning.

For the wry narrator of this riveting journey, each shift brings him somewhere new—he's protecting his grandparents from the world outside their city gates; he's evacuating squatters before the rains wash away everything; he's enjoying a senator's coddled enclave in the hills; he's being stalked up a tree by a plague survivor; he's negotiating love with a woman who is far tougher than he could ever be; he's leading adventure tours for the terminally ill. Despite the permanent emergency of the landscape, this fractured evolution feels anything but grim—instead, it reveals what it means to survive.

Things We Didn't See Coming is described as "A small marvel, overflowing with ideas." - The Guardian

Furthermore, it's praised as "Preternaturally assured, finely crafted and thoroughly accomplished, it deserves to be read widely." - The Age (Melbourne)

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam is lauded for its rich tapestry of ideas, blending fear, humour, and touching moments. Critics appreciate its ability to provoke thought about the world while keeping readers entertained. The novel features a compelling contrast between ordinary emotions and extraordinary dystopian circumstances, with a deft use of mordant humour that lightens its darker themes.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733636325

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 July 2016

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 127.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 160g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Steven Amsterdam is the award-winning author of THINGS WE DIDN'T SEE COMING (winner of the AGE BOOK OF THE YEAR, shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Award for Fiction and longlisted for The Guardian First Book Award) and WHAT THE FAMILY NEEDED (AWW Great Read and longlisted for the Dublin IMPAC literary award). He lives in Melbourne with his partner where he works as a palliative care nurse.

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    "Okay, tell me which do you want: to be able to fly or to be invisible?" What if every now and then, the people in your family woke up with a special power? Over the span of 30 years, we are invited into the secrets of one very unique family, from a mystified teenager to an over-tired night nurse to...
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