Lexicon by Max Barry

“People resist a census, but give them a profile page and they’ll spend all day telling you who they are.”

In looking for a good science-fiction read, I came across Lexicon by Max Barry.  With excellent reviews and even comparisons to V. E. Schwab’s Vicious, it’s safe to assume that it is one good book, right?  In this case, absolutely.

In this world, there exists a school where select students are taught persuasion, using words and language to manipulate and control others.  The best of the best graduate to belong to a secret organization, with each person being classified as a “poet” and given a new name, one of a famous dead poet.  The book goes back and forth between two storylines.  One follows a homeless young girl named Emily Ruff, who does card tricks on the streets of San Francisco.  She is discovered by a recruiter, and after undergoing a series of exams, she is admitted to the exclusive school.  The other storyline follows a man named Will who is abducted from an airport and is being pursued by very powerful people. As the two stories progress they begin to merge and the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place.

Action packed form the beginning, Lexicon is an intriguing, fun, page-turning read that I couldn’t put down.  I was completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the back and forth between the two narratives, which are equally engaging.  When the significance of the two storylines slowly begins to reveal itself, I was completely absorbed and couldn’t wait to see where it would go next and what else would be revealed. Towards the end of the book however, it did slow down for me with certain parts being a little confusing, where I was unsure about where the events fell into the grand scheme of things.  The book as a whole is really well structured and written, and I found the premise of using words and language as a weapon to be thought-provoking and compelling.  Overall, it is a highly enjoyable book and I would recommend it if you’re looking for an exciting, fast-paced read.