The Destiny of Linus Hoppe, first written in French by Anne-Laure Bondoux, is a tale about Linus Hoppe, his two friends, and one strange man who cheat the system. As the test day gets closer Linus becomes aware that he has never experienced an accident or any sort of turmoil in his life. He lives in Realm One, The Protected Zone, with his friend Chem. If one lives in the Protected Zone they can swipe into any of the other realms but they are protected from those in Realm Two and Three from entering their zone.
Linus posts an inquiry in a forum on the WEF, much like our Internet, looking for anyone who has experienced an accident. This is where he meets Yosh a boy from Realm Two who has a brain injury. When Linus and Chem go to meet Yosh is Realm Two both are somewhat scared and shaken. They soon meet Yosh’s upstairs neighbor Mr. Zanz whom everyone conceives as crazy since he likes throwing objects down the stairs. From here these four newly found friends hatch a plan to trick the Great Processor and switch Yosh’s and Linus’ scores.
The first few chapters of this novel bored me. It reminded me of so many other books like it. It’s the story where the characters are living in a world controlled by something greater than themselves. People no longer have free will, their lifestyle is determined by a machine that basically tortures each pupil and after this test they’re given a pill in order to forget. Every 14 year old is going out of their mind because this processor determines their fate. A test taker can live in Realm Three but suddenly be placed in Realm One without any family or friends.
Eventually the novel became a spy rouge thriller for me. Linus begins not to trust Yosh because Yosh tells Mieg, Linus’ older sister, about the plan that’s only to warn them Mr. Zanz is really tricking them and is going to arrest them but Yosh only over hears that conversation because Mr. Zanz had to lie to “The Processor Police” because someone breeched his organization. Whew, who can you trust?
I was really hoping Linus would come to his senses and not switch test scores with Yosh. Even now there's something I don't trust about Yosh. I'm not sure if he's a true friend or just used Linus to get into Realm One to find his brother. Linus has everything I’m sure he couldchange the realm system right from where he was. That’s the point of the novel though, as humans we get too relaxed in our comfort zones making us scared to take the leap into the unknown. Would I have switched realms into the industry worker class if I didn’t have to, no probably not. Yosh, Linus, and Chem were scared to walk into the unknown but they weren’t afraid to do it. Even Chem, he was the bravest, he went into Realm Three with vigor. Hopefully all three will stay together to break the system.
Bondoux makes plenty of parallels and statements into out own society as it stands today. Realm One shows no compassion for those of the lower realms. The higher realm is even afraid of those in the lower classes. It’s Occupy Wall Street in the future. As some protest police are fast to squash them and arrest them.