WINNER OF THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD 2017 - The Sudden Appearance of Hope

THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE is an excellent mystery/thriller with a highly unusual concept. Viewpoint character Hope Arden has a gift (and a curse)--she is totally forgettable. Not forgettable because of her drab personality or unremarkable physical features (in fact she is strikingly beautiful), but forgettable because no one can ever remember seeing her, speaking to her, or interacting with her, once they stop looking directly at her.

For Hope, this means she is always alone. She has no one to share life experiences with, because no one remembers being with her. Of course Hope remembers people--her parents, for example--but they retain no memory of her. Whenever Hope meets her parents or anyone else, they see a stranger that they are meeting for the first time.

This guarantees that Hope can always make a great first impression, because she has an unlimited number of do-overs available. But it also means she can't get medical care (doctors and nurses forget to administer prescribed drugs and intended treatments), credit cards (applications are forgotten before they're filed), or a myriad of other things needed in today's daily life. So what does Hope do to survive? She becomes a thief, takes whatever she needs or wants (including a college education), and fills her daily thoughts with learned facts and the counting of everything around her.

In the novel, Hope makes the big mistake of stealing a famous diamond necklace from an Arab princess who is attending a party for the elite members of "Perfection". Perfection is an app that tracks individuals' shopping, exercising, eating, telephone contacts, and everything else, with the goal of advising each individual how to become his or her perfect self. As a person does the things that the app recommends, he or she receives points, and whenever the person accumulates enough points, he or she receives an amazing reward (for example, a weekend at an expensive resort). The Perfection elite--those who have accumulated a million Perfection points--are all beautiful people (even when they are NOT movie stars).

Hope's big mistake isn't that she stole some hard-to-fence diamonds--it's that she disrupted a Perfection party announcing the expansion of Perfection into a new area of the world. The Perfection CEO is incensed, and sends his security people after Hope to kill her. Naturally the pursuers are handicapped by Hope's forgettability, but they're good enough to pick up her trail over and over again, and Hope is hard-pressed to stay alive.

This is only the first part of the plot--it becomes even more complex as the novel continues. In my opinion, this is an extremely well-written book, although perhaps a little repetitive and about 50-100 pages too long. It has memorable characters (Hope, Gauguin, Evard, Byron, Reina, Gracie), and presents an intriguing view of the power of social networking apps to influence crowds, and the power of public and private security and law enforcement agencies to track people through today's surveillance cameras and interconnected databases. The ending is satisfying, and the bloody scenes are tastefully handled.

Some readers may be put off by the facts that Hope is constantly reciting, but these are an integral part of who she is and how she survives being constantly alone. To my mind, the concept of individual survival despite being truly forgettable is imperfectly worked out, but I still think this novel is brilliant.

Listen.
All the world forgets me. First my face, then my voice, then the consequences of my deeds.
So listen. Remember me.

My name is Hope Arden, and you won't know who I am. We've met before - a thousand times. But I am the girl the world forgets.

It started when I was sixteen years old. A slow declining, an isolation, one piece at a time.

A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A teacher who forgets to chase my missing homework. A friend who looks straight through me and sees a stranger.

No matter what I do, the words I say, the people I hurt, the crimes I commit - you will never remember who I am.

That makes my life tricky. But it also makes me dangerous . . .

The Sudden Appearance of Hope is the tale of the girl no one remembers. But this gripping story – of love and loss, of hope and despair, of living in the moment and dying to leave a mark – is novel that will stay with you for ever.

--My thoughts. Interesting thing to think about. I really was wanting to read this book. I was left really not caring about Hope and the choices she was making. Lots of bad decisions because no one can remember you? I didn't understand that one. This book wasn't for me, I can see others enjoyed it though..

Hope Arden is forgettable. Not that there isn't anything remarkable about her, just that no one can remember her, not even her parents.

This is a great premise for a story and an appealing character. I really enjoyed the descriptions of how Hope had devised coping mechanisms to deal with this malady. She took full advantage of being able to redo first impressions. That's almost a super power.

Beyond how Hope coped day to day, the story fell flat. The slim plot was overwhelmed by the overly frequent descriptive passages. Author Claire North writes great descriptions from which I could picture myself in a situation/setting, but too many times I couldn't find a link between the story line and accompanying description. Wasted words.

A literary device used sparingly in a novel can be very effective, however, when used repeatedly it tends to lose it's impact. The first few times that Ms. North included definition of story terms, it was interesting and helpful. After employing this technique a dozen or two dozen times, I stopped reading them and skipped down the page to the continue the story. Same happened with the lists or were they free form poetry. They made no sense to me and added nothing to my comprehension nor enjoyment of the story.

Even though I didn't enjoy the writing style of this book, I keep pondering Hope's life. She is a fascinating character who I'd like to meet again in a short story.

Once again, I found myself lost. So disappointed yet again. Despite great reviews and excellent covers and fantastic premises and intriguing beginnings, I just can't seem to get into a Claire North book beyond the first few pages... I don't know why - she has a fine writing style, and the ideas are always unique and in areas that I normally find fascinating, but somehow I never seem to be able to actually finish one... Anyone out there have any suggestions?? Am I giving up too early? Do you have to slog through a bit before they really pick up? Because this is the second time I've been so excited to read one and found myself utterly disinterested after maybe 25 - 30 pages...

Incidentally, I really like some of the comments I've seen from other readers, which suggest that it's perhaps the marketers that I really have issue with, and who may be the source of some of the confusion I seem to always feel when I pick up North's books... The descriptions and blurbs never seem to match the content of the books for me, so I inevitably find myself disappointed. That may actually mean that North's stories aren't my real issue, but rather indicate that I need to try reading one without reading any of the words written by people besides her...

I read North's “The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August” and was impressed. I have started the “Gameshouse” trilogy, found part one to be fun and am somewhere midstream with the second. I noticed the upcoming “Sudden Appearance of Hope” while finishing the Harry August book and was very interested in how she handled this theme.

She will make you think. And she will make you work. But, unlike some who require effort, there is a payoff that makes it all worthwhile. Our protagonist, Hope, does not just disappear from your view. Rather when she is no longer in view she also disappears from your memory. Spend a few minutes imagining this. Hope had to think about it and tried to put it to use in her favor instead of spending her life as a victim of an unfair world.

Of course, like most/all speculative fiction, the reader must buy into the premise of the book. This is the world that the author created as the setting for her story. It can be confusing at times and at times it is difficult to not see our heroine as some super-someone. Hope is real flesh and blood but just not quite like the rest of us. And she's definitely not perfect.

A life where people don't remember ever having met you. Thus, a life without friendship that lasts longer than the current time together – and that means next to one another. Even though there have been some people that I wish had not remembered me (and vice versa) that would be a strange world indeed. And perhaps a quick path to madness.

Writing such a book with such an interesting premise requires keeping the internal logic of the story consistent. If a character starts left handed make sure s/he stays that way, etc. This is where North does an excellent job. There were a few moments of “Wait a minute, wasn't she … a couple of dozen pages ago?” Then “Nope. My mistaken memory.”

There could be, is, maybe will be a conspiracy afoot with the in crowds of the world. There even might could maybe be a connection between Hope and … and … but that would make no sense. A world of mystery, a world of scientific what ifs, a world of perfection would, of course, make perfect sense. Wouldn't it.

The big risk for writers with a great story line is not knowing when to stop or not knowing when less will be better. This might be a little long, but it might not have worked as well had it been shorter. I ordered “Touch” while reading this and will eagerly await North's next book.

Note: Claire North's real name is Catherine Webb and she has written under that name and also Kate Griffin.

Redhook Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Sudden Appearance of Hope, in exchange for an honest review.

The older that Hope got, the more forgettable she became to those around her: her parents, her teachers, and her friends, to name a few. Finally having to strike out on her own as a teenager, Hope turns to a life of crime for a roof over her head and food in her stomach. As the game of being forgettable gets old, Hope takes more and more chances. Stumbling onto Perfection, will Hope finally find a way to be noticed?

I was excited about The Sudden Appearance of Hope because of the premise, but the book fell short of my expectations. The author took the concept of Perfection too far and I lost interest mid way through. The plot line regarding Hope's sister was a glimmer of a idea, but was unfortunately not taken far enough. In the end, Hope's loneliness came through, but so did her selfish and opportunistic ways. She acted more like a child, wanted to be noticed. This book was a miss for me, but the premise is unique enough that other readers might find it intriguing.

I loved the premise of The Sudden Appearance of Hope. I’ve read one other Claire North book, and when I saw TSAOH on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it.

Like The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, I had some difficulty following the story. The biggest issue I had with TSAOH was the oddly fragmented sentence structure of the book. I realize it was done intentionally, but I just found it distracting.

The rest of the story is an excellent sci-fi adventure. I wonder what I might do in the same situation, and that, I think, is what makes a good book. Claire North is an excellent sci-fi writer – good enough to overcome my perceived foibles in the writing style. TSAOH is a four-star read, and I’ll continue to be on the lookout for more from Claire North.

I picked this up because it looked strange and interesting. It was definitely both. Hope, the main character, is totally unmemorable - no-one can remember her at all after a very short time apart. Never figures out why but it makes her life very lonely and difficult. She somehow gets involved in trying to eliminate the "Perfection" program set up by some very powerful and sometimes evil people. And she flits around the world stealing her living and working on her own puzzles too. The writing is engaging and usually pointed in a direction that is sometimes harsh, but always leading onward. Really makes you think about memory and what it is that makes life what it is. A good read.

Another reviewer summed it up best: "this book is bonkers." I couldn't decide how I felt about it. In the end, I think the book's strength and its weakness are one and the same: MAN is there a lot of story.

In many ways, there are two different ideas in here, each of which could have carried its own novel. One idea is about a woman who loses her identity. As a teenager, Hope becomes invisible to the world around her, including her family. How do you live your life when as soon as you are "out of sight" you also literally become "out of mind"? It's an interesting question, just from a practical standpoint. You can't hold a normal job, for instance, or any relationships at all, because no one can remember you. The book seems to imply that all that is left is a life of crime (although I have to admit I wondered: computers remember her so it seems to me that Hope would just start living like many recluses, and conducting her entire life, including any work she did, on a computer screen, where her digital imprint remains.)

The other book is about an app, Perfection, and the people who created it. Think of Perfection as an Apple Watch or Fitbit run amuck: it supervises every single element of your life, constantly telling you that you are not moving enough, not eating right, not earning enough money; it constantly "reminds" you of what you need to do to become perfect. The book begins when Hope sees a woman kill herself, brought to depression for not living up to the demands of Perfection. This starts a rabbit hole where Hope tries to figure out who created Perfection, and why, and what it does. So you've got an invisible woman chasing the makers of an app that demands perfection, living in a world that is more and more obsessed with Perfection. Sound complicated? But I'm hardly getting started. Throw in a sister with brain damage, another "invisible" like Hope who she encountered (but can't remember, except in letters she left herself), Hope's adventures as a jewel thief, the darknet, terrorists, detectives...."bonkers" about sums it up.

I also really like the idea of a turning our obsession with tracking and apps into a sort of dark meditation on our obsession with perfection, and I kind of wish that the book had focused on that story more, instead of having to weave in so MANY other things.

I spent much of the book deciding whether I was going to keep reading it. At times the plot became SO convoluted that I would get really frustrated and say "I'm done," and then something interesting would happen, and I'd think, "Okay, just a bit more." I also agree with the reviewers who noted that it could have been much shorter. Ms. North has a habit of writing sort of long, poetic odes to identity, or Hope's free form observations of the world, and that feels kind of bloated. This book could have benefitted from a good editing. But, I'm going to grade up, because there is no denying the energy and creativity that went into this book, and I appreciate that. I would recommend it. But with caveats.

There's way more here than meets the eye. Granted, I had a tough time hanging in and first, but once it grabbed me, it held on and didn't let loose. Hope is one of those people you meet all the time. Sweet and pleasant but somehow bland, once she's passed from your line of sight she's gone from your mind and subconscious as well. There's a good reason for this, and the book will bring you there and take you on a journey you never expected.

Well written but a bit convulted at times, it's not a mindless read. You need to pay attention, or you'll miss a detail you need for the story. Worth the read.

Claire North has turned out another fascinating book reflecting on humans balancing quirky relationships between time and identity. North is a wonderful observer of life’s small details as she paints vivid imagery of people and places. I was swept into Hope’s dilemmas and opportunities As her circumstances force her to an underground life. This is my third North book on Audible. The author uses exception narrators who bring each character to life. I am hAppy binging on her books!

The premise of this book is creative and it starts out strong. The writing style is perfect for the story. When I saw the photo of the author and how young she is, I was surprised, expecting someone older based on the maturity of the writing. I'd like to give this 4 stars, but somewhere in the middle (I can't specify where without spoilers), the story bogs down and becomes significantly less interesting.

The main character is complex and her situation is thought-provoking. After finishing the book, I enjoyed thinking over the first half and wondering what I would do with my life if I suddenly became forgettable. But the second half just plodded.

I purchased this book because I found her Harry August novel just fascinating. Hope is also an extremely imaginative book but I’m finding it boring and slow reading. I’m considering not finishing this book which is something I’ve done very, very few times in a long lifetime of reading. If I do finish it will be because of a matter of principle of not finishing a novel.

Claire North's work often defies attempts to classify its genre. The Sudden Appearance Of Hope is no exception to this rule. The story focuses upon Hope Arden who cannot be recalled by folks once she's out of their sight for more than sixty seconds. Thus bringing a literal feel to the expression "out of sight...".

As one can imagine, this has lead to a profound revelation for Hope, having her family start forgetting her since the age of sixteen (except for one person) and since then she has lead a life of thieving and doing whatever she feels is right. This way though you would think that the character is hard to like but to the author's credit, Hope not only is intriguing but you can't not go on reading about her.

The one person who does remember Hope is her younger sister Gracie who has some form of cerebral damage due to a childhood bout of Measles. Also int he current world of electronic surveillance, Hope can't escape computers and cameras. Her e-footprints are beginning to pile up and causing people to take notice.

Then there's the introduction of an app called Perfection which has a strange effect on the people and is eerie in it's current world possibilities. The story then wildly escalates in to Hope and her battle against the proponents of this app.

Sounds confusing right, but believe me, this makes so much sense when you read it. Claire North's prose and characterization is top-notch and she draws you into completely via Hope's POV and voice. I think this is meant to be the start of a series and paves the way incredibly for that. The only thing that it fails to do is provide complete closure and what I mean is that, it introduces certain elements and story angles that are meant for future books and you will want to read more stories set in this world.

It's not a complaint but a testament to the author's brilliant writing that you as a reader will be captivated so much by Hope and her arcane abilities.

The book was an interesting read in so many ways. All of us, when we are, or were teenagers felt that we didn't matter, nobody sees us, and we are not important anymore or at all. Teenage hormones and all that. But what if we are really not seen. If we are really not important enough to be remembered.
The main character of this entertaining book is Hope. Hope is invisible. Hope is not seen. Hope is forgotten.
This was a compelling read, and I couldn't stop HOPING that Hope would be seen again, and when and why.
Recommended for anyone who likes a good out of the box read!

Another mind-blowing exploration of identity by Claire North. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August was about how history and the events around are shaping us, Touch was about how our multiple identities (social, professional, sexual, familial) build who we are and The Sudden Appearance of Hope uses a protagonist that the world forgets and a mobile app that wants to make its users perfect, in order to explore how the people around us, how the interaction with them and their perception of us, permanently shape and reshape our identity.

To be forgotten. Gift or curse? While the character Hope is easily forgotten, her story is not. Like Claire North's last two novels, The Sudden Appearance of Hope is a very unique tale of a person with the ability to slip through the cracks of the world. In the First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (my favorite Claire North novel), you are introduced to a man who can slip through the world by using the knowledge he has gained by living the same time period over and over again. In Touch (my second favorite), you are introduced to a spirit that slips through the world by inhabiting the bodies of people it touches. In The Sudden Appearance, you are introduced to Hope, a woman who slips through the world on account of the complete inability of the people around her to remember she exists.

This is a fascinating and unique tale. Hope turns to thievery on account of the fact that she cannot hold a job (hard to work when your boss has no idea who you are). She is pursued by a relentless Interpol investigator who knows there is something odd about the criminal he can never track down as well as by a fixer for a globally powerful family.

The story is woven with that of Perfection, an app that has consumed the world. Perfection is an interesting take on the role of technology, tracking, and privacy in society.

If you haven't read Claire North's other novels, start with them (although I have not yet read her YA series, so I cant vouch for that). If you have already her other two novels, this is a must read. I bought it on Kindle as a pre-order, and was very happy to also receive a physical copy of the book.

I wanted to love this book! The premise is brilliant and unique. Unfortunately, this book is just too much for me. I've picked it up three times and can't get going with it. Each time I pick it up I read about 50 pages or so and then end up wanting to throw it across the room in frustration. I'm not sure why! The writing is beautiful in so many ways. I like the idea of this book, but unfortunately the actual execution of this story bores me beyond belief. I felt little attachment to the main character, so it was hard to sustain any interest throughout a narrative that is often disjointed and confusing. So many people have found much to love in these pages that I'm left to conclude that maybe it's just me... Either way, proceed with caution.

Nutshell Review;

Interesting, thought provoking read. Loved the generous dashing's of poems and random facts sprinkled throughout the story. The main character was fascinating yet relatable. Great writing, excited to read more by this author.

Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the book is intriguing: Hope becomes instantly forgettable. People think they're meeting her for the first time, even though they've seen her before. I was expecting something along the lines of Invisible Ellen, one of my favorite books, that goes into the character's mind. After all, being forgotten must be extremely traumatic.

The problems with the book are two-fold. First of all, there's some kind of app called Perfection. I must admit I got totally confused by this app, and I live and work on the Internet. As another reviewer says, Perfection is like an extra character. It dominates and not in a good way. And it adds a layer to the plot that increases murkiness.

Second, Hope's response to her superpower adds a bizarre touch to the book. She makes life choices that keep the reader from relating to her. The plot disintegrated into an adventure story with little character depth, pretty much going nowhere.

Not my type of reading choice. First off, in order for me to really get vested in a novel, I have to like at least one of the main characters. After 30 chapters I still didn't like anyone in this novel, especially the main character, Hope. As a child she never felt “noticed” or “tangible” to others in her life. She realizes people can meet her and never remember her so she considers taking up an exciting career in crime. She even thought about contract killing, but settled on becoming a professional thief of high-stake items from places that really are a challenge, like jewels from a museum. Perhaps the “rush” or just hoping subconsciously that she will be caught and maybe get “noticed.” I don't know what her reason was, and frankly didn't care to follow along with her all over the world to find out why or how. The writing is disjointed and choppy, and jumps around, making it difficult for the reader to care to follow it.

Also couldn't care about the side characters that offered little in the first part of the novel. Perhaps in the second half, they mattered, but I didn't make it that far. I'm assuming that the novel must have something to offer in the second half to get the kind of accolades and rave reviews it has received, but I didn't see it in the first half, and she lost me after that.

Rarely do I give up on a novel, in fact it has only happened twice in my literary lifetime. I was provided an ARC, a pre-release for my honest and unbiased opinion. And so, dear reader, here you have it.

A well-enough-written book, until it mutters its way to the airball non-ending. An extremely implausible premise, the fundamental point of the whole book, makes things impossible for everyone until it simply shuffles out of frame without the slightest clarification or integration, not even phoned in, just shined completely. One advantage of buying at brick'n'mortars, sometimes you see the author's photo and get a stinky vibe. In the author's picture she looks so smug and superior, and it would have triggered a pause. As it was, I got it online. Some books I throw away when done; this one I ripped into four pieces and put it in four separate trashcans.

This novel, was like a stream of unconsciousness meets wikipedia. Horrible to read and no real characters. Personally, I will not remember anything about Hope except how tedious, self-absorbed and dislikeable she is. But I do 'hope' she never appears again. Believed this author was meant to be clever, no evidence of it in this novel, and now I have no desire to read any of her other books.

The premise of this book was interesting...people don't remember Hope so she can meet people over and over again. This bodes well for her career as a thief. This writing was a bit scattered for me at first.

This is another one of THOSE books. You know, the books that are so dang clever everyone in the publishing industry has a knicker-twisting festival over?

Because I'm just a lowly reader, I was not aware of all the hoo-ha surround this book/author. And, yes, lots of mystery, too! I had to start reading the book, scratch my head, put down the book, get on my computer and pull up the the store page for the book. I was curious whether it was self-published, and, if so, whether it was a first book. Imagine my surprise!

Let me say, first off, the writing is really clever and amusing and entertaining. At least for the first 40 or 50 pages, after which it begins to feel a bit. . . adolescent. Like it was written by an angry 17 year-old with a case of Red Bull and an obsession with Wikipedia. Oh, yeah, and their mommy and daddy don't love them enough, either.

There were laugh-out-loud moments, but that just wasn't enough to keep me interested. In fact, I started to feel kind of frantic as I realized just how LONG the book was. I was expecting a coherent novel, not a strung-together series of mini-rants and self-indulgent opining. Kind of like this review--want 400+ pages of this review?

So, anyhow, lots of skimming ensued. I always think that kind of says it all about a book. Or, how I feel about a book.

As for the twisty little 'gotcha' that is supposed to be so rewarding at the end of the book? That became PERFECT-ly obvious by about chapter fourteen.

Just like the elusive protagonist herself, my irritation over this book has dissipated after a little time has passed. I'm less annoyed, now, so I've bumped my 2 star to a 3 star. Who knows, in a few more days I may have forgotten my annoyance completely. Maybe this book will become a 4 or 5 star?

I did struggle with this book, but it's basically too far "out there" for me. I do pretty well with some bizarre fiction, but this wasn't one I could get into at all. Some of you might do a lot better making sense out of this, but it most definitely isn't one for me.