Once upon tomorrow by Karen Comer

Three girls.
Three fates.
Three interwoven stories.

The stories of Miri and Aleita, set one hundred years apart, interwoven with the ‘fairytale’ of Sylvie, contain various strands which bind them together. Sharing a passion for knowledge, talented at handicrafts including knitting and weaving, and having a love of textiles, all three characters bear strong similarities. Their desire to discover the truth, fight for equality and justice for women, build community, and campaign for the environment are important priorities of all three.

Studying Year 12 in 2025, eighteen-year-old Miri is a keen and capable student with definite plans for her future. When she becomes pregnant to her boyfriend Jonah, these plans are thrown into disarray. How will her future look if she decides to have her baby? Is their relationship strong enough to withstand such a major change? With her dysfunctional family, who will be there to support her? Will she be able to fulfill her dreams, whilst also allowing Jonah to achieve his?

In 2125, digital implants, artificial intelligence or the Consciousness Cluster (CC) not only harvest but also control the thoughts and movements of the bulk of the population. The only place in which one is free from ‘neural jolts’ is the library. Bots and holograms are part of life.

Sixteen-year-old Aleita, eager to support the work of her late grandmother, becomes involved in a project designed to ostensibly observe her impulses when ‘jolted’ by a third party. Initially, she believes she is furthering scientific and neural research. Is EveNet an ethical company, or is it going beyond what is reasonable in terms of personal freedom?

Sylvie’s tale appears in snippets between the stories of the other two young women, with its mystical nature transcending time and space. The timeless quality of her story leaves the reader questioning its origin or author.

Having personally spent thirty years working in teacher librarian roles, my love of libraries and literature is in synch with the views Comer expresses in her dedication. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed her first title, I feel her writing has gone from strength to strength. Given that her previous book, Grace Notes, has already won a CBCA award I would be surprised if this title isn’t shortlisted in future too.

Jo Schenkel