Toys by James Patterson and Neil McMahon

This story is set in the future, in the year 2061. One thing that hasn’t changed is humour, only this time, era the jokes are all about humans and told by, what are called the ‘Elites’ in this futuristic book.

Hays Baker and his wife Lizbeth are about to meet president of the United States of America Hughes Jacklin. Something is about to happen, Hays and Lizbeth work for the Agency of Change and are ‘Elites’ themselves, this is a quick read.

The part mentioning about the increased level of the ocean and its effect on North America gives this book depth and makes it realistic sounding so far in the future.

Having set this book I the future the authors can really use their imagination when it comes to the Toys they can present to the world, and they do, the Toys are on a much higher level than you would find nowadays, also a little controversial. Hays and Lizbeth don’t want their two daughters, April and Chloe playing with the special order dolls, I can see why not.

This story mentions driverless cars, this book was first published in 2011 and now as I am reading it in 2018 there are experiments with driverless cars, this goes to show how realistic this book could be.

This book is however, a little harsh in its description of humans, but for how the world has turned out and for the purpose of the story, I can see what the authors mean, in that there is a difference between the ‘Elites’ and the humans.

When the ‘Elites’ don’t lie, finding out what happened at the Toyz store should be easy, but it seems there was a gap of missing time, this is what I have personally come up with, but I cannot be sure.

Wouldn’t you just love it if your car quoted the obvious? Well Hays didn’t.

There is a shock ending to part one, how this affects things in part two makes me want to keep reading.

Hays life has changed overnight, this is realistic, one day you have everything and all is fine and the next in an instant, set up or no set up, you find yourself on the run. I want to read on as I am intrigued to find out what is going on. I hope the two daughters will be ok.

This book proves you can never really learn about something, in this case humans from just technology. You have to visit and have experiences to truly learn about something.

There is another big shock at the end of chapter 38, this book is certainly an eye opener.

The story takes a dark turn when Hays visits his mother and father. It is sad to read what happens to them. Sometimes you just never know who the enemy is after all. When you think it is one set of people it turns out to be the other group.

In chapter 51 Hays learns of an unexpected fact about humans, this is a surprising turns of events for Hays, however, it seems humans are more useful to the ‘Elites’ than Hays first thought. I am not necessarily surprised as it is not uncommon for a team of people to be working in the background for something to function, only to take all the credit in the foreground.

At the end of chapter 62 Hays and now Lucy are in England and we read Hays using a phrase that has stood the test of time which is ‘We have ways of making me talk’ a take on the one ‘We have ways of making you talk’. I don’t see why this phrase wouldn’t stand in the future, other phrases as well as this one are still used today, why not they still be used in the future.

I like the futuristic way Hays uses his brainwaves to knock out the interrogator and the equipment. It was amusing to read also showing the author’s clever imagination.

I feel sorry for Hays and his marriage, but I am glad that he is now seeing things from the human’s point of view and seeing them as he should and not how the ‘Elites’ wants him to see them. It just goes to show not everything is black and white, pigeon holed or should be tarred with the same brush in the past, present and future. This is a good clever way to teach a big life lesson.

Part 4, chapter 76 was unexpected until I read on, I don’t know what is now real or Hays is just recovering. All the past lessons are still there; you can’t take away what you have read before. The story has certainly gone back as much as it has gone forward.

Now in chapter 79 we see the bigger picture, but Lizbeth could be a weak link, after all she is married to Hays. This book keeps you reading leaving you questioning chapter after chapter as to what is going on.

Turns out it is up to Hays to save all civilisation.

There is an amusing part at the end of chapter 109 where someone should be warned before a grenade is thrown. It is funny because the image the story gives has depth and clearly describes what happens if only if you read between the lines.

In the epilogue there is a good description of how something or someone bland can become interesting. It is good to see it all end well for the good guys, for now maybe.