I always love hearing from Isabelle Kenyon because her emails are sure to include riveting stories I’d never normally choose for myself. Such was the case with New Gillion Street by Elliot J. Harper.
Harper introduces readers to a kind of parallel universe in the future—how distant is unclear, but far enough that the humans of Yuthea have long since had to escape their home planet in search of a new home. After a tragic crash landing, three generations have flourished…until one resident of the settlement called New Gillion Street decides he should have the power and installs himself as mayor. Chaos ensues as some residents protest and take part on a wild adventure to reclaim their home and bring peace back to it.
We learn about New Gillion Street via Albert, who lives in house number 20. He and his wife Lillian are part of the “Evens,” those who live on the even side of the street. The “Odds” are seen as somewhat brusk and aggressive, and while there are no of the usual -isms (both sexism and racism seem irrelevant in this world of only 20 households), the two sides of the street seem to be, well, at odds. The Evens like the way that New Gillion Street has been run: each house gets a vote and they decide as a community how it should progress. But one man, Mr. Zand from the Odd side, has other plans, and before long, seeds of discord have been sewn.
I’d say that the first part of the book definitely has some Twilight Zone vibes. Specifically, I’d say that the neighborly chaos is reminiscent of “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” and just something about this seemingly pedestrian community that’s millions of miles away reminded me of “Third From the Sun.”
There’s a sense of urgency throughout the initial chapters, similar to the discord in both the aforementioned episodes, as Harper shows how the residents are tested by something as simple as a mayoral election. And this urgency only increases as certain residents attempt to take matters into their own hands. So, I’d say the tone of this book is incredibly well done because it’s a page turner, there’s a lot happening, even in the simple scenes where Albert and his neighbors are simply talking.
I also loved the world-building Harper has done in this book. When ~mild spoilers~ the residents of New Gillion Street meet the indigenous of Neo-Yuthea, it was absolutely mind-blowing the level of detail in those chapters. He did an excellent job of showing how the world works, how the Narda behave, and I loved the interactions between these two groups of characters.
On the note of characters, somewhat surprisingly, I find that the somewhat limited character development didn’t bother me. The story takes place over the course of a few weeks, it would seem, and, like in a Twilight Zone episode, there’s only so much time to dive into what makes the characters tick. Rather than have arcs, they’re somewhat static: Albert is always curious about history and the indigenous and cares deeply for his family; his wife Lillian is practical and stays that way; and Mr. Zand is simply weird and off-putting—he’s a classic antagonist. They have depth, and I think I just really enjoyed seeing the world through their eyes.
It’s hard for me to give a thorough review of this book as I don’t usually venture toward science fiction. And yet, that feels more like the vehicle through which to tell a larger story about humanity. It’s more about finding humanity amidst conflict, embracing curiosity, and not giving up.
Thank you again to Isabelle Kenyon for thinking of me for this blog tour.
Happy reading!
A Little Bit of Happiness 