Hi! Brenda Hoffman here. Because Pippa Crews and I love the story of The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North, we thought it would be fun to do an interview style blog this week. “Hope” you enjoy.
Synopsis: When a dear friend of Hope’s commits suicide, she suspects a popular app called “Perfection” to be the cause. She embarks on a convoluted path to end perfection and “Perfection.” The Sudden Appearance of Hope is the tale of a girl no one remembers, yet her story will stay with you forever. Told in first person, Hope explains her sad plight. From the novel:
My name is Hope Arden, and you won't know who I am. But we've met before - a thousand times.
It started when I was sixteen years old.
A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A friend who looks at me and sees a stranger.
No matter what I do, the words I say, the crimes I commit, you will never remember who I am.
That makes my life difficult. It also makes me dangerous.
Pippa Crews is a student and guest blogger who so loved Hope that she wanted to share her love of the novel with St. Johns River State College. Below is her bio:
My name is Pippa Crews. I’ve been at St. Johns River State College in St. Augustine for half a semester. My favorite genres are historical fiction, science fiction, and thrillers. My least favorite genre is YA fantasy. Some of my favorite books are The Sudden Appearance of Hope (of course), The Giver, The Outsiders, and Howl’s Moving Castle. I am not fond of any book by Sarah J Maas. I would not recommend going down that rabbit hole.
I fell in love with reading at a young age. My parents read to me every other night and took me to the local library every week to pick out books. Most of the time I prefer to read the traditional way with paperbacks, but I like the convenience of eBooks. I love to read almost anywhere whether that be in a coffee shop or in my bed way past my bedtime.
Brenda: What is your favorite scene? Why?
Pippa: My favorite scene was in chapter 36 when Hope went to Japan. I really liked how she described her surroundings and introduced readers to parts of Japanese culture they might not be aware of. I also appreciated the brief mention of Taekwondo. I used to do Taekwondo, so I am giddy over any mention of it in books and media.
Brenda: Does Hope remind you of any other dystopian novels? How? Which one (s)?
Pippa: The Sudden Appearance of Hope reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver tells the story of an eleven-year-old boy named Jonas who lives in a utopian society. However, the society is revealed to be more dystopian as the story progresses. In the world of the Giver, the government takes away pain and conflict by converting it to “Sameness,” a plan that removes emotion from their lives. The concept of “Sameness” is like “Perfection” in Hope in that both societies are against imperfection. While “Perfection” is mainly against physical imperfections, encouraging users to diet to get the perfect body and dress a certain way, “Sameness” is against imperfection on the emotional level.
Brenda: Hope’s gift is that she is unremembered. She is arrested and left in an interrogation room. When the officer returns to question her, she says, “Where is my client?” The cop forgot he arrested her. What is the worst aspect of being forgotten, especially by those for whom you care?
Pippa: I feel like the worst aspect of being forgotten is not being able to form new connections with people. If I always knew I was going to be forgotten, I’d be reluctant to get close to anyone.
Brenda: The plot of Hope centers on a self-improvement app called Perfection that, ironically, encourages sadness and depression in its users. Do you see any connections between the Perfection app and Instagram, Twitter or TikTok?
Pippa: Perfection reminded me of a lot of Instagram and TikTok. Though it is more present in TikTok than Instagram, the most beautiful or “perfect” creators with “pretty privilege” gain a platform of followers easier than someone who was not as conventionally attractive. Research also suggests that teenagers who spend more time on Tik Tok are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
Thanks for sharing your insightful thoughts about this wonderful novel, Pippa! I’m so glad that you enjoyed Hope as much as I did. I only wish that I could forget my first reading of Claire North’s masterpiece, so that I could read it anew again.
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