Bloody hell but do I love Ali Smith. She has to be one of the top chroniclers of modern society, always with her finger on the pulse of things. In Gliff, the first in a new duology (!!), we’re in a terrifyingly probable near future where anyone who refuses to comply with the government’s data collection programme (or otherwise disrupts the status quo even the tiniest bit) runs the risk of becoming an unverifiable. Such people are forced into reeducation programmes, ousted out homes. But it doesn’t feel like an out of this world dystopian. It feels like something that could be rolled out next week. I loved the two siblings at the heart of the novel, Briar and Rose, and of course, the horse. Obviously there’s a horse, it wouldn’t be an Ali Smith book without something so out of place that somehow slots seamlessly into the story. It’s not a perfect rating for me because I have too many questions about Leif and their mother - but then again, who do I think I am, expecting clear cut answers from Ali Smith?? Already can’t wait for Glyph.