The Digital Now by Roland Allnach is a futuristic novel about a dystopian future with a fairly traditional story that has a lot of new twists. Our main character and hero is a woman who is having memories of apples swimming through her mind and odd details she can't quite explain that don't really make sense in her day-to-day life. She is a patrolwoman working the streets and her world is falling apart around her; there is a quite relevant line and idea in the novel that gets repeated a few times: "Carly's childhood ended with the rattle of a repeater." She had her innocence taken away from her when her family was killed in their domicile. But, we also quickly find out that not everything is as it seems and she's been lied to this entire time. We watch her descent into the chaotic world of revenge as she tries to decide what to do with her life ... with this new found information.

I really liked the main character and thought it was a great creation of a dystopian world. Endo was interesting, and the Dream and Process was a really cool idea. The writing employed is excellent and the characters are interesting and brutal, the sort of dystopian leadership figures that are expected in a novel like this, with fuzzy morals and dark ambitions. It fits the genre perfectly and is a wild and entertaining ride, though I think in a few places it can get confusing with all of the new terms and concepts being introduced that serve to progress the story or build the world. The action scenes are fantastic, though occasionally we get bogged down in unnecessary details that hinder the flow of the work. All in all, The Digital Now by Roland Allnach is a well written dystopian novel that fits perfectly into the genre and tells an excellent story.

The Digital Now by Roland Allnach is a dystopian, sci-fi urban tale set in the city of Seven Hills that centers on Patrolman Carly Westing. Carly discovers her reality is built on lies and veiled secrets. Scripting codes are used to guide people. They basically decide what’s going to happen, controlling people’s lives and memories. When the authority she once protected turns on her, her life is catapulted into a violent cat and mouse game of shifting perceptions.

There are a lot of action scenes in the story. Allnach does a good job to make sure that every fight and battle advance the plot, as well as give us enough insight into the action so that we can picture the scene in our minds. The action scenes also give readers the opportunity to see the traits of the characters. That said, it took a while for me to familiarize myself with the world building – particularly Central and Drive Control – and figure out the direction of the plot. The complexity of the world, particularly in terms of cyber tech, reminds me of Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell.

Characterization is solid. Carly, Noel, Graham, Gadwick and others (main cast or otherwise) are well-developed and memorable. Back story is filled in very neatly and revealed bit by bit as the plot progresses. Carly’s past is intriguing and the truth becomes more interesting as she discovers more about the ‘reality’ that is implanted in people’s mind. Overall, The Digital Now is an intriguing read with an imaginative premise and plot.