Like many good science-fiction novels Warehouse Dreams raises, and attempts to address, an interesting ethical dilemma. Should we, as a society, sacrifice the few in order to improve the lives of the many? Should we allow scientists to mess with our genes to create the 'perfect' human? And if so should we allow the rich to take advantage of that?
Theresa Halvorsen spares no time in getting this hypothetical situation going. She doesn't bother with a slow build-up, or with a gentle introduction to the characters and setting, instead she throws us straight into the action and just gets on with telling her tale, and for the most part this works very well.
Warehouse Dreams tells the story of Kendle, assistant to the administrator of the Warehouse, the only school for children with Wild psychic abilities. Unlike the scientifically perfect 'Bred' children (those scientifically created), the Wilds are unpredictable and ostracizes by society, leaving them with nowhere to go, nowhere but the Warehouse anyway. Soon a handsome new teacher called Stephen begins working at the school to teach telepathic control to the children. It doesn't take long for a relationship to bloom between him and Kendle.
This is a sci-fi adventure novel with an underlying pseudo-romance that is both intriguing and unique... While this may sound like a simple formulaic YA novel on the face of it, it is actually far more than that. This is really an allegory of societies treatment of minorities and the differently abled. This book poses questions about how we live, the level of scientific intrusion we are willing to endure for a better life, and the way in which we treat people different from ourselves.This is a well crafted novel with complex moral issues at its core, and an interesting sci-fi plot to keep you engaged, no easy feat all told.
There are still many questions and aspects of this universe to explore so I sincerely hope there are more installments coming.
Jamie Hall in Booklytical.com
