ABOUT THIS BOOK: “An ambitious tale about a mysterious cruise . . . Hoffman’s narrative ingenuity is impressive . . .” — Kirkus Reviews. In 2031, Doyle Beckett and pregnant wife Geneva Rose are both forced out of their jobs and he has no choice but to accept work on a cruise ship full of passengers who aren’t coming back. He has no idea he will be leaving his wife and unborn child at the mercy of a renegade militia. And he has no clue how to deal with the dilemma of passenger Belinda, a renegade of a different sort—but just as dangerous.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Okay, I have an admission to make. When I was reading the publicity blurb for The Belinda Triangle by Dick Hoffman, instead of reading 2031, my brain read it as 2013. Had I realized that this was a dystopian novel, I probably would never have requested it. Actually no probably about it. I would never have requested it. I didn't even know what dystopian was. I had to Google it. I was attracted by the cover and the title, thinking it would be similar to the Bermuda Triangle. Wrong.

But moving on . . . I was confused at the beginning, and not just because of my mistake as to the years. I found it a little hard to follow, but as the book progressed, everything became clearer. I didn't feel any connection to the characters, but that may be more to do with me than the author's writing skills.

While I can't say that I really enjoyed this book, I didn't actually dislike it either, which kind of surprised me. 2.5 stars upgraded to 3 stars, because the author kept me reading when I expected to jettison this read. While I won't hurry to read another dystopian thriller, I am impressed that I finished it.

Thank you to Pronoun via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of The Belinda Triangle by Dick Hoffman. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

‘It’s still a wonderful country, what’s left of it.’

Picture this: in the very near future, after a(nother) Civil War America is no longer a super power. Reduced to 48 states, chaos in Congress, an ever-increasing number of ridiculous and sometimes contradictory laws making life extremely difficult for many. It’s 2031, and Doyle Beckett and his wife Geneva Rose Beckett of Colorado both lose their jobs on the same day. Doyle loses his job as a history professor because of financial cutbacks and Geneva (Gen) loses her job because pregnant women can no longer work outside the home. Doyle has to do something urgently. There’s the Financial Viability Act (FVA) to worry about: FVA scores are adversely affected by a lack of full-time employment, and children born to families with low FVA scores (in the bottom quartile) will have their children auctioned by the government for adoption by couples in the top quartile.

So, Doyle takes a job on a cruise ship. He thinks he’s going to be delivering history lectures. Why is Geneva so opposed to Doyle taking this job? Could it be because it will be a one-way trip for the passengers? In the meantime, Geneva’s life becomes complicated. Colorado is being terrorized by a militia. Public transport is protected by machine guns. Hostages are taken, lives are in danger.

The action shifts between Colorado and the cruise ship. Will either Gen or Doyle survive long enough for their FVA score to be an issue? And who is Belinda?

It’s complicated, convoluted and an interesting blend of dystopian comedic horror. There are good guys some bad guys and some heroes. And on the cruise ship, Belinda thinks she’s on a rehabilitation cruise.

Some elements of this novel had me laughing out loud, while other elements (especially around the purpose of the cruise and the treatment of the passengers) had me cringing. The third set of elements had me worried: chaotic government in many countries and the current state of the world make some (at least) of the scenarios of ‘The Belinda Triangle’ seem possible. Gulp.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Pronoun for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith