The People’s Republic of Love by Heather Child

I would like to thank SRL Publishing for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for affair and honest review

Publisher – SRL Publishing

Published – 31/3

Price – £11.99 paperback £3.99 eBook

In a brand new country, ruled by the most famous of its citizens, visibility is all that matters. But if Tamsin doesn't act quickly, neither she nor her best friend Charlotte will ever be seen again.

Tamsin, a reclusive engineer, is the only viewer who can see where Charlotte's 'hot new reality show' is heading - the finale will be the end of her.

To get near the film set, Tamsin's only option is to put her shyness aside and build herself a sensational backstory, a springboard of lies that will propel her all the way to the infamous People's Republic of Love.

But she does not understand how this country works, with its intoxicating blend of power and popularity. The Republic will give you everything you've ever wanted... if you hand over your whole self in return.

The concept of the reality star started many decades ago with simply people who became famous in some form of documentaries based around say a place of work. That morphed into more game show style viewing such as Big Brother and it very much seemed you could be famous just for being on the TV. That is something continuing to evolve and while it may be in some ways that TV is less important with the world of social media the word ‘influencer’ is now something we all recognise and various types exist. A whole ecosystem of fame based on being popular. In Heather Child’s very interesting dystopian tale The People’s Republic of Love we have a tale proposing a future direction for that ecosystem and creating a tense thriller to boot.

Charlotte has been a reality star and influencer now for many years with the inevitable ups and downs. Now living in the legendary People’s Republic of Love she is about to start in a new show just in time s her career is very firmly in a dipping phase. The new show Outta My Room will star the inevitable nearly famous or just not quite famous anymore with  an escape room dimension. However, Charlotte gets increasingly unnerved by the show which seems very specifically based around her life and in particular her fears. Even trying to lose isn’t an option for her. This game feels incredibly personal. Charlotte’s only hope is her oldest friend Tamsin. Very much a woman focused now on her career as an engineer but now once again having to work through how she is underestimated for her looks. A recent magazine interview and front cover pitcure made her a viral celebrity – attention that she hates. Tamsin realises though that her friend is in danger and her new fame as the social media handle ‘Tunnelfairy’ may be the only way to help get her friend out of this trap. Tamsin is about to play a different sort of game. Fame creates powers and everyone wants it.

There is a temptation to say urgh reality stars that’s very old but in reality, as TV has morphed into a more web and app focused world there people become brands. Names that can sell. It’s a tricky world and this story reminds us that it’s a whole economy that is very real. Hey, you’re reading a blog with someone more known for their internet handle than their real name and they tempt (and sometimes anti-tempt books). The idea of how many people are following you or paying attention is I’ll say odd at times. Here Child succeeds in explaining how this life is like at the top end of the spectrum. This works by actually making us care about the core duo of characters. Charlotte and Tamsin are two young women trying to make their lives work. It would be easy to dismiss Charlotte as fame obsessed but she actually does come across as a kind person who thinks of others (which actually is what has made her famous) but now the cruel game she is trapped in is making that warmth and appeal lose audiences fast. Here Child explores the humiliation side of social media. How a brutal edit can destroy you and how someone’s trauma becomes entertainment not just for viewers but the shows watching the shows. Very soon we see this game is dangerous and no safety nets seem to be in operation.

Tamsin is very much the anti-fame character . She wants to be known for what she creates and Child in the early chapters capturers her very much as the driven engineer like her hero Brunel is just wanting to put one foot after another to seek her ultimate goal. The idea of becoming her firm’s PR face is insulting. And yet when she realises Charlote is in danger it’s about how you can use fame to help. Child posits smartly fame as currency so seeking more followers creates more kudos. It gets her paparazzi; endorsements and the goal initially is just access to the People’s Republic and find Charlotte. Child in doing so explores all the fakery that creates the drama that gets the clicks and the likes. But once in the Republic and now Tamsin is now her own handle of Tunnelfairy she finds that’s not even going to give her access to the place where Charlotte is trapped. To do that more power is needed and in her way is Rollo the reality star turned Governor of the Republic - a toxic masculinity tattooed nightmare who just happens to be Charlotte’s ex. How far do you have to go to achieve the true echelons of power. Then split between managing your true self and your internet persona is handled very well.

What I liked in this second half is how Tamsin explores the temptations of power. That being famous does open doors to places and opportunities you’d never get usually. Is Tamsin playing the long game to get her friend out or is she being distracted by the gold and glamour of a Caribbean island for the elites? Child captures that split in power and the treadmill it can create really well and as we watch Charlotte mentally crack even more in alternating chapters, we wonder what kind of cautionary tale will finally unfold. There is a reminder that audiences love the drama, the revelations, the rows and the humiliations that rise and fall players like a soap opera but with added below the lie comments and Child really makes those sections land very effectively.

The tension is kept up well and a final reveal shows the ultimate game beneath the game. I would had liked this exploration of the darker side to have been explored a bit more as to how bigger interests use this for corporate or financial gain or political powerplays is something we don’t see enough focus of these days, but I think Child is very much warning us that future is very fully blossomed and we need to be ready for it. The finale is satisfying but leaves its characters all changed by the experience.

The People’s Republic of Love is very much the future coming over the hill. A reminder that the reality star may no longer be the TV and tabloid star of old but now very much lives on in our apps, our feeds and our socials. What are they actually selling and who are they selling it for is the question being asked and we need to consider our role in it. I highly recommend this thoughtful tale