The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525057.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Wilkinson writes powerful stories that
challenge thinking and explore unusual situations. In this
psychological thriller we see the story unfold through Cecily's eyes
as she wakes up on board a bus with no memory of her past life, but
with some recognition of past learning. Her entire identity seems to
have been wiped out from her consciousness. It is not long before
she discovers that her fellow passengers are in the same situation.
With small flashes of recognition and connection they try to
establish who they are and why they are together. While in this
strange identity fog they are required to submit to ethical tests
and challenges that then play out before their eyes. Slowly, the
degree of difficulty of these ethical choices ramps up to the
extreme and all the passengers on board must fight for what they
think is right. The twists in the tale and the control and
manipulation upon the bus traveller's lives are revealed in a
masterful way and the reader is carried along in the fast-paced ride
wondering whether they should cheer for Cecily or deride her for her
choices - whether personal relationship choices or her desires to
escape.
This is an amazing psychological thriller that explores the choices
people make and the motivations behind the bad choices that they
make. Do bad choices imply that someone will always be bad? The
characters in this story are all flawed in some way, and the power
of the narrative is in making them likeable and relatable despite
their failings. From the Senator and her son, to the lesbian
computer hacker, the tattooed tough guy, and the bespectacled
arsonist, all become linked in a plot to change them for the better.
Cecily though seems the hardest to change. With small glimpses into
the past through alternate documents woven between chapters
Wilkinson has created a very powerful ethical drama and a
science-fiction psychological thriller. This book does require some
maturity to read. It is compelling but also disturbing and
occasionally violent. But it is so unique and intriguing that mature
readers will enjoy the 'roller-coaster' adventure. Teacher's tips
and author discussion video are available on the publisher's
website.
Themes: Memory and amnesia; Behaviour Modification; Ethics;
Psychological thriller; LGBTI.
Carolyn Hull