Tolog Review: Blackout

Blackout
by Connie Willis
reviewed by Katie Nuzzi

Blackout by Connie Willis is a suspenseful science-fiction thriller filled with witty remarks and life-or-death situations. Set in the year 2060, when mankind has unlocked the secret for time travel, Blackout breaks all laws of physics and history with ease.

The novel begins in a futuristic version of Oxford, where life is rushed, chaotic, and information-filled. Three Oxford students–Polly Churchill, Michael Davies, and Merope Ward–are all assigned to travel to World War II in 1940. Polly is sent into the midst of the London Blitz, Michael goes to oversee evacuated soldiers in Dunkirk, and Merope observes mischievous children evacuees. However, when the technology that keeps them alive starts to show notable errors, their travels spiral out of control.

While reading, I was captivated by the each character’s bravery during air raids, blackouts, and malfunctions even when everyone else was panicked. I also got a strong sense of imagery from the book because I felt like I was right next to the characters, seeing what they saw, and going through the same emotions. Connie Willis really showed me how much an author can do with a single page, and I know that she did a lot of research in order to write Blackout.

This novel increased my knowledge on World War II greatly because it places the reader into history the way no textbook can. However, I did feel like Willis was trying to analyze major events in a limited amount of space, with the added topic of time travel; there was so much action going on throughout every page that I was almost overwhelmed at some points. There were also so many different characters; there were three main characters, who each met many more people while in World War II. It took a while for me to be able to keep up with all of the characters at once. However, the novel was an excellent read overall.