Book Review: The Loop

The Loop by Ben Oliver

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The Loop is set in a dystopian world where the world is controlled by one government with an AI, called Happy overseeing decisions (and maybe more…). The Loop houses juvenile inmates who are tortured for energy and have to undergo surgeries, called Delays, to test new technology every couple of months. However, things start going awry in the Loop as the seamless technology starts to malfunction and the ordinary routine of the Loop is broken up. 

Alright, the plot. The premise sounded so interesting and reminded me of the Maze Runner (prison) and War Cross (technology) a little bit. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me. The beginning was extremely info-dumpy with all these terms in Capital Letters Thrown at The Reader. This story is supposed to be fast-paced as Luka, the main character, tries to figure out why the technology stopped working and what it means for the inmates as well as the outside world. Sure, there are some parts that make you want to keep going, but for the most part, it dragged. Also, most of the book doesn’t even take place in the Loop as Luka and his gang try to find out why everything’s broken. They manage to leave the prison and WOAH, all the enhanced people, called Alts, are suddenly crazy and are now “Smilers”. I wonder how that happened? Could it be the AI?! Sorry Luka, I know you just turned sixteen but come on. Also the ending… I’m all for an ambiguous ending but it was literally the definition of fade to black.

Next, I will bash the characters (my main critique). Basically all the characters are underdeveloped. As readers, we should feel connected to the main characters so that when they are at risk, we feel the tension. I couldn’t care less about what happened to Luka. The one interesting character was Tyco (an Alt in the Loop that would yell “I want to kill Luka” everyday when they were allowed one hour outside and honestly same) but even that part of the plot was so anticlimactic when Luka was miraculously saved by the few people that weren’t Smilers. Luka also has one, maybe two love interests. Both are plain and boring with no personality. There is Wren, an Alt that delivers meals to the inmates and sneaks Luka books, breaking the rules. That’s all she does. Oh wait, she also had her arm severed by a door while she was a Smiler which helped the gang escape the Loop so I guess she was kinda helpful in that sense. The other is Kina, an inmate whose cell is right next to Luka. They get close during their time outside by yelling at each other through the massive wall that separates the inmates. She helps Luka a couple of times when they are in danger so I guess that means they’re in love now. The other characters are forgettable and I never had a chance to get connected.

Now, for the positives. Although it did sound like I hated the book, it was actually decent. The writing was easy to get through and explores topics such as morality, the role technology plays, and class systems. There are many instances where Luka decides to stay behind to help his friends while risking his own life. It is also interesting to see the dynamics between Alts and Regulars (people without enhancements like Luka). The Alts see the Regulars as inferior and many times are biased against them. The experiments performed on the prisoners are basically just to see if the technology could be used to enhance the Alts so that the wealthy become wealthier. Overall, I would give this book 3/5 stars and would recommend to people who are interested in a dystopian world centered around technology.

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 5/10/21