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Three Eight One
Three Eight One | Aliya Whiteley
1 post | 1 read | 1 to read
In January 2314, Rowena Savalas – a curator of the vast archive of the twenty-first century’s primitive internet – stumbles upon a story posted in the summer of 2024. She’s quickly drawn into the mystery of the text: Is it autobiography, fantasy or fraud? What’s the significance of the recurring number 381? In the story, the protagonist Fairly walks the Horned Road – a quest undertaken by youngsters in her village when they come of age. She is followed by the “breathing man,” a looming presence, dogging her heels every step of the way. Everything she was taught about her world is overturned. Following Fairly’s quest, Rowena comes to question her own choices, and a predictable life of curation becomes one of exploration, adventure and love. As both women’s stories draw to a close, she realises it doesn’t matter whether the story is true or not: as with the quest itself, it’s the journey that matters.
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IReadThereforeIBlog
Three Eight One | Aliya Whiteley
Mehso-so

Aliya Whiteley‘s standalone SF novel is a technically clever piece of writing (each section of Fairly‘s story is exactly 381 words) but its literary nature is one you either absolutely love or really don‘t dig. Sadly, I was in the latter camp as there isn‘t enough characterisation of Rowena or Fairly for me to engage with while the coming of age theme is under-developed and Fairly‘s story so thin that I couldn‘t understand Rowena‘s fascination.