
Relentless, the latest novel by Australian musician AViVA, is the much-anticipated sequel to self/less, which I can now confirm was well worth the wait. Dipping back into the YA dystopia genre through AViVA’s work feels strangely nostalgic. Relentless and self/less remind me of being fourteen and reading the iconic The Hunger Games and the criminally underrated When We Wake in my room after school. I’d sit on my bed devouring page after page, needing to know where the story went while wondering if those fictional worlds could ever become our reality.
AViVA crafts a world that holds a mirror up to our current flaws; a world where people are willing to be ignorant to the plight of those around them, so long as it does not affect them. An Orwellian world where there are no friends or family bonds that are above the sense of duty to the Metropolis. Self-expression as dictated by the Metropolis is divided into three categories, all worthy of death, as our protagonist Teddy learns: “Uninhibited Rhetoric, Emotional Dysregulation and…Secretive Behaviour.” This includes art, religion and literature. The Metropolis claims they are protecting the population from repeating past ideological differences which resulted in a nuclear fallout decimating most of the world.
However, there is an inherent hypocrisy to this world. This is a world that forbids art but has a “colossal honeycomb dome” and flashy clothes for “Occasions”. A world that denies art but is oblivious to the fact that they cannot stamp it out completely.
The greatest strength of self/less was the intricate politics of both the Metropolis and the counter cultural Underground. In dystopias, there is often the binary of the utopia which is secretly a dystopia, and the opposing world which is demonised but considered better by the reader’s standards. AViVA creates a world where both sides are prone to tyrants seeking control only differing in their modes of oppression – the Metropolis through their suppression of self-expression, and the Underground for their rationing of scarce supplies and their leader’s abuse of those who are seeking refuge (but, hey, at least they have art). This is a truth that Teddy must contend with as she makes her way through the murky territory of both factions.
Relentless picks up three months later from where self/less left off, with our fierce heroine Teddy exiled from the Underground Clan Ember, after witnessing the death of one of her only allies. But Teddy is determined to come back stronger. She now understands how the world works after the trials she has endured, and she has been in training to take back the clan from its illegitimate leader. Relentless shows us how resilient Teddy is, as she pours her energy into building and caring for her clan who once rejected her.
To save the Underground and its sympathisers in the Metropolis, Teddy, her best friend Kit, and the outsider Hunter (who may or may not be lying about life beyond what everyone else knows) must infiltrate the Metropolis to try and save the Underground. Yet, the city is still watching, and feelings often get in the way.
The introduction of Hunter unlocks the answers to many of the questions I was left with in self/less. What lies outside the walls of the Metropolis? AViVA continues to expand this world by making its social stratification more explicit based on area codes and “levels”. This is extended further with the introduction of the concept of “Hybernation”: a form of cryogenic freezing run by a corporation of the same name. This puts the working class into a forced sleep to “rehabilitate the planet” which humans have destroyed ecologically. This creates an effective juxtaposition between the privileged Teddy who comes from the upper echelons of society, and the socially disadvantaged Hunter, allowing AViVA to explore her world through new and nuanced perspectives.
These perspectives and the further world-building makes Relentless the standout of the series so far. The prose is tight, and the world fleshed out giving the reader a clearer picture of how dire the world now is. We also start to see our characters grow and flourishing in satisfying arcs, with Teddy in particular becoming a strong and effective leader.
I also appreciate how AViVA balances the genres she engages with. While this is clearly a dystopia, she balances mystery, romance and action with ease, creating a story that is refreshing and exciting. AViVA does not pull her punches and never lets the audience forget that this is a brutal world that destroys even those who follow the systems, let alone those who oppose it.
What also makes this reading experience unique is AViVA describing her books as companions to her music. This comes through with the curated playlist she has created to accompany her series. The two work together, and there is nothing better than the experience of hearing the song RULES while reading about Teddy kicking the seat of a potential ally to exert control. Both music and book elicit feelings of power in the face of adversity, yet also the complexities of isolation and loneliness. AViVA’s electro-pop-emo-punk music sets the mood of the story while also giving the feeling of being in an abandoned warehouse, standing side by side with her characters.
Alongside the music, paratext within the book is utilised in its world-building. We get textbook pages and pamphlets directed at the Metropolis’ population smattered throughout the book. I loved this as it sets the tone and allows for more information to be communicated to the reader without overwhelming the reader with world-building. The unique reading experience that AViVA has set up for her readers only enhances the enjoyment of her novels.
Both Relentless and self/less hearken back to the height of the YA dystopian era and would be a great introduction to the new generation of YA readers. For the rest of us, it’s a nostalgic experience which reminded me of being a teenager ready to take on the world. However, Relentless is also much more than that; it’s a story about the endurance of art and what it means to be an outsider. It is a book you can’t stop reading because you need to know what happens next. Overall, Relentless provides a unique reading experience and I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
‘Relentless’ is out now