Day Moon
By Brett Armstrong
This review is long overdue—by nearly a year—but I’m glad that I finally get to sit down and share what a wonderful work this is with you.
Day Moon was described to me by author, Brett Armstrong, as a near-future science fiction/dystopian novel with a young male protagonist. I was definitely interested, considering the book had a Christian foundation in the writing, but I was also interested in the ‘near-future’ aspect.
The book takes place in A.D. 2039—honestly not so far away and follows seventeen-year-old Elliott as he is assigned to work on Project Alexandria, a software that his deceased grandfather had a hand in founding. This project is supposed to help ensure that humankind has equal access to all of the knowledge available on earth but, of course, Elliott notices that something is amiss.
The trouble begins when the ambitious teen must part with his favorite piece of literature in order to abide by Alexandria’s rules, which happen to state that all printed forms of literature must be destroyed so that humanity has equal access to it—but only in a digital format. Because Elliott is one who follows rules, he is relatively easygoing when it comes to handing over his prized possession: a book containing Shakespeare’s completed works. But when he happens to notice Alexandria’s copy of Shakespeare’s work does not match his written copy, he launches an investigation that opens doors he wished had remained closed.
At face-value, this story sounded like a modern retelling of George Orwell’s 1984, and while the destruction of literature and the value of information is stressed in this book, the underlying Biblical message and Christian foundation sets Day Moon apart from other books in its genre. The writing is very pleasant, told from a third-person perspective while giving each character a relatable personality. I very much enjoyed Elliott’s simplicity and his eagerness to uncover the truth. I liked the deeper journey that he faced: deceit, betrayal, and mistrust, and I feel very strongly that he handled himself in a believable yet entertaining way.
I would most definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages, especially Christians who enjoy adventure and science fiction.