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|isbn=978-0356507378
|website=https://www.kategriffin.net/
|cover=North_84K
|aznuk=0356507378
When the audit file for the murder of his ex-lover drops onto his desk, Theo's carefully discreet life begins to unravel. He finds himself reassessing his profit and loss columns and his detached assessment of human life. He audits and assesses the world with new eyes, no longer content to hide beneath his mediocrity and shaken out of his unthinking compliance. As he begins to delve into the murky reality of what his job really means there is a growing feeling of menace. Just how long Theo can survive now ''The Company'' have noticed him?
At times, this is an uncomfortable read. Hopes and dreams are for the few who can afford to own them, life is meaningless in a world where everyone has a price and can be bought and sold. The characters and events within the story demand your attention, the brutality of the acts made more striking by the poetic lilt of the writing. By following Theo's journey, you confront a world that has ceased to care about people. The characters have such emotional depth that the loss of beloved institutions, the monetarising monetising of human rights becomes personal.
This is no brave new world of the future but a fascinating look at the decisions society is taking now. North's finely drawn tale leads you gently into making comparisons with your own life. You begin to evaluate your own worldview as the characters begin to fight against their allocated place in society. Different characters are convincing in their defence of the choices they make. You have to decide for yourself the morality or the necessity of the events taking place and some of these decisions are challenging. Exactly how far can you go in order to stop monsters and remain human yourself?
This book is different to the author's earlier works, darker and perhaps more contentious, but no less compelling. Some comparisons to ''Nineteen Eighty Four'' will inevitably be made as this story is equally thought -provoking with some similar themes. This should not detract from the unique world that North portrays and in terms of fear factor, Orwell's ''Thought Police'' are mere babes when compared to ''The Company.''
Further reading in a similar vein could be, [[The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins]] or [[The One Safe Place by Tania Unsworth]]. You might also enjoy [[Maladapted by Richard Kurti]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0356507378}}
