The Subjects

(Paperback)

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Description

As we got closer I could see behind the sandstone a curved concrete building: a purpose-built structure. But still no fence, no wire. Not a bar in sight. For this, Id been told that morning, I should be grateful. This was a lifelinea last chance. That is what the judge said.

Daniel is a sixteen-year-old drug dealer and he is going to jail.

Then hes not.

A courtroom intervention. A long car ride to a deluxe outback facility. Other gifted delinquents.

Where are they

Its not a jail.

Its not a psych unit.

Its not like any school hes ever seen.

He is sure he and the others are part of an experiment. But he doesnt know whos running it or what they are trying to prove. And he has no idea what the next seven months are going to do to him.

Reviews

This is a layered novel, ambitious in scope, its characters vividly drawn and resisting the cliches of delinquency. Its own narrative offers a masterclass, deftly pacing its reveals and alive to the questions they raise. And it does so with a stubborn optimism at its heart. * Age *
Rewarding and surprising. -- James Bradley * Australian *
The Subjects is a novel with an agenda, enticing us to engage with what is wrong but also to imagine something better[T]imely, thought-provoking and inspirational. * Saturday Paper *
'The story is a slow reveal yet one that keeps the tension at a high pitch and the reader second guessing. * Herald Sun *
The Subjects is energetic and compelling from the opening pages. And in Daniel we find a voice that I was worried was disappearing from Australian fiction: unpretentious, smart and lacking in all mawkishness. Its a joy to hear him, and it is a joy to read a book of such complex ideas that is also alert to the art of storytelling. * Christos Tsiolkas *
A vivid, human (and humane) novel with an irresistible dark pull. The Subjects explores the utopian madness of social engineering in a similar way to Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things * Malcolm Knox *
'Raises a lot of issues that are worth reflecting on.' * Mamamia on Speak to Me *
Its memorable cast of characters, rendered with such energy and compassionseem to hum with life. * Big Issue *
Deliciously clever reading with a dark and urgent pull. Prepare to stay up all night! * Booktopia *
A wonderful book Hopkins is making a really interesting statement about treatment without pharmaceuticals. * Bookshelf *
The Subjects is a book designed to challenge the reader, but its also a book set up to entertain. Hopkins use of narrative perspective and her talent for the slow reveal ensure that the pages pretty much turn themselves. * 2SER Final Draft *
The story of Daniel will get under your skin and stay with you long after it ends. * Marie Claire *
'Hopkins crafts a compelling story driven by Daniels authentic voice, a slow burn of a novel about systemic prejudice, incarceration, and the deep and paralyzing damage done by capitalisms impact on the pharmaceutical industry and its approach to solving problems[C]areful, well-paced and multi-layered storytelling. * Booklist *
Fantastic. I just think its the most interesting book, beautifully written, simply written but complexCompelling and really, really important. * Suzanne Leal, RN Bookshelf *

Author Bio

Sarah Hopkins is the author of three novels including The Crimes of Billy Fish, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize. She works as a lawyer in Sydney and is married with two children.