Description: The world has changed significantly. Damage caused by climate change and the resurgence of certain deadly diseases has drastically reduced the world’s population. Nature has taken back control, and the survivors are spread out over different urban zones. Simone, 50, is an astronaut who has been in training for a controversial one-way space mission. Simone will have to leave her son Youri forever. Before they say goodbye, Simone asks Youri to travel with her to the seven urban zones.

Review:

Soon is a strange mix of world-building and intimate family drama. There is a lot of exposition in Soon that is framed through the device of Youri explaining to his mother Simone the things he has learned about the history of the world. Set in a post-collapse future where humanity’s population is smaller than that of today as a result of disasters both natural and manmade. Reading Youri recount these events in a time of Covid-19 and Extinction Rebellion feels uncomfortably possible.

The art in Soon is somewhat reminiscent of Titan (one of my favourite books of the year) in that the colour palette is no more than four or five colours depending on what “zone” the characters are in. It also uses the same technique of colouring the speech bubbles of characters. As with Titan, there were occasions where the change in speech bubble colour made it difficult to decipher who was speaking. Some of the explanatory diagrams, while beautiful, were occasionally difficult to follow. The character and world design are magnificent. The simplistic lines convey so much nuanced emotion in the faces of the characters.

Youri is heart-broken. He is about to be abandoned by his mother. The trip that he and Simone go on is about making lasting memories and as a way of Simone justifying the purpose mission not only to Youri but to a sceptical public. One of the conversations that takes place that particular hit home with me is if the resources spent on a risky space mission could be better spent on feeding the hungry. Soon is a coming of age story about a boy who is sure he doesn’t want his mother to leave him but not much else. The trip opens up his eyes to the dangerous reality of the world, the avarice of humanity, and, the things we have to give up to reach the goals we have set for ourselves.

Soon verges at points at being preachy but it is redeemed by a wonderfully portrayed mother and son relationship. The dialogue between Youri and Simone brims with old arguments, recriminations, love, and, the reaching need each of the characters has for the others. For Simone, it for Youri to truly understand and accept why she is leaving and for Youri, it is for Simone not to go.

I think at points Soon gets the balance between human drama and backstory wrong. The book truly sings when Youri and Simone are on the same page not saying all the things they genuinely want to say. The diagrams explaining all the history of the world can cause the pace of the story to slow. However, all in all, this is a superb sci-fi story, and I am eagerly awaiting v2.