Rating: 8/10
In short, Docile is depressing, sci-fi, LGBT+ erotica. Which I say in the best way because I enjoyed it. I want to preemptively mention some trigger warnings that you should know if you're interested in the book! TW: rape, noncon elements, slavery, drug abuse, dubcon, explicit sexual content.
I have to be honest, I went into this book without much prior knowledge and also the hope that such a sensitive topic would be handled delicately. I think that K.M. Szpara did an awesome job with this book and handled a very difficult topic with tact and did so in a meaningful way. I don’t read a lot of sci-fi leaning books, this one isn’t like hard science fiction. It’s a soft sci-fi/dystopian novel that has a strong emphasis on economic inequality. I keep comparing it to an episode of Black Mirror and I stand by that. I very much would like it if Netflix would pay attention to my opinion and make this into an episode/movie. Just a movie based in the universe would be cool. Does that make sense? Like, can you imagine this as an episode but it follows some other docile and you see the court case being portrayed but you’re saved from the characters getting skewed like they often are in adaptations. I digress, I’m getting way off topic. Let’s get into the summary before this turns into a blog post about why this should be on my TV.
Summary from Goodreads:
“Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles.
To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future.
Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it.”
Szpara's writing style is very beautifully descriptive. The scenes were set so well, and done in such an attention-grabbing way. Like this book read very quickly. Once it caught your attention, it really held it. I read this book in a couple sittings because I just didn't want to put it down. Whenever I did stop reading, I would think about it because my brain wanted me to keep reading. I was able to really get into the moments, I felt for the characters (even though I didn't quite vibe with Elisha; I'll get into it later). The way the book was written just really pulled you in and would not let you forget.
I want to touch on the "romance" aspect of this book, though I'm not sure that romance is really the right word. Actually, that is really one of the plot points within the book. Can you call the relationship between Elisha and Alex "romantic." They have sex and interact as a couple would, but their relationship is built on an unequal power dynamic. As a docile, Elisha has no say in what happens to him. His every waking moment is controlled by Alex. Elisha grows to "love" it, but the question is if he really loves Alex, or if he's just been conditioned to think that he loves him. The same goes for Alex; does he really love Elisha, or does he love what he made him into? I really enjoyed the complexity of their relationship. There was really no clean-cut relationship. Honestly, I still don't know if they actually loved each other (but I like to think that they did). I thought that it made it a very compelling read.
Let's talk about our protagonist and whatever you want to consider Alex (protagonist? antagonist? idunnoman). Elisha being a virgin was just kind of meh to me. Like, aren’t they always in books like this? I hate reading first-time stories/fics whatever. Personal preference, I won’t take off for that. Also, gotta be real, Elisha was super white-bread. Like, even when he was being feisty, he wasn’t. He submitted long before we ever even met him in the book. I didn’t dislike him, he just felt kind of pitiful. Like, you want to hug him, but you don’t really want to follow what he’s doing. Obviously he was forced to become one-note, but even before that I wasn’t impressed with his personality. Let’s be real, nobody noticed when he lost his personality because he never had one I’M SORRY. I like Alex (I'm not sure if I am supposed to).Though he's not like bad enough to be bad or good enough to be good. I'm kind of torn.
I'm going to go into the negative aspects of the book. Keep in mind, I'm a hater at heart. So, I have an easier time pointing out flaws than I do positive things. Most of my qualms are small things that are more nit-picky and really only relate to the story. In terms of writing, Szpara did an excellent job. It seems to me, that when I focus on negative things regarding the story, it's because the writing itself doesn't need much critique. Some things I noticed in the book: there’s a lot of emphasis on the drug. Which I know it’s important, but it doesn’t need to be mentioned every paragraph. Trust me, I won’t forget it. Like maybe calm down with the mention of Dociline (great name by the way). In the same vein, I felt like I was constantly being spoon-fed information. Like, there isn't anything wrong with that inherently, but I think we could handle what's being thrown at us.
I’m not sure if I’m supposed to like these Empower Maryland people. I don’t. They’re super annoying. Honestly, they aren’t really better than the rich people. They’re still manipulating poor people for their own means. I believe they weren't meant to be viewed as perfect. It seemed like they were purposefully made obtuse. Even at the end they were still kind of abusing their own power. Obviously they did good things, but they were making things worse for Elisha on numerous occasions. Like I don't blame him for denying Empower Maryland numerous times. If my cash flow were being threatened, then I would also get cagey and nervous.
I was kind of surprised that Abigail’s mental capacity wasn’t attacked more in court. They claimed that she was messed up, but the jury would’ve seen a woman who was fully in control of her mental faculties. Of course, WE know that she has only just been helped. But they could have made a convincing argument to the contrary. That whole aspect of the trial, regarding Abigail's mental capacity felt overlooked. While, I'm aware that it wasn't the point. It was certainly an important aspect of the claims being made. They could have easily discredited Elisha and Alex. I wish it was addressed. On the topic of the lawsuit, the book was kind of framed as, I guess, a dark, sci-fi romance. But, I mean the first half was. The second half was kind of a legal drama. Like, there is no way you could guess the second half of the book from the first half. Honestly the whole lawsuit could have been taken out. I feel like there could have been more straight-forward ways to get to where they got.
I can't end the review without addressing the "slavery" aspect of the book. I'm torn, obviously slavery was a huge occurrence in America, and it should never be overlooked. But, the author is a white man who, by all means, is not an authority on slavery and the oppression of BiPOC. I'm not sure how far in the future this book is set, though it clearly has a futuristic setting. In modern times, there is no arguing that BiPOC are the ones who suffer most from the wealth inequality in America. This fact did not feel as though it were properly exemplified within the story. It felt as though most of the people in the story who were at the mercy of the ODR and the docile system, were white. This doesn't seem like it would be realistic. Of course, I absolutely don't think that further oppressing BiPOC would be a good addition to the story either. What I'm saying is, it isn't an easy subject to breach, but it is important. I think a kind of timeline regarding slavery in America and how it evolved into the docile system would have been a good addition. The story needed to reference America's history with slavery, it should not have been brushed over. The historical aspect would have been a very pertinent and meaningful addition. (I really hope that this paragraph makes sense).
All in all, I did really enjoy this book. There's obviously some flaws and the content may not be suitable for everyone. If any of the trigger warnings that were listed at the top are difficult for you, then skip the book. I like the book and I would read a sequel (but I don't think it warrants a sequel). I thought the writing was beautiful and the book was well executed. I'm excited to see what's next for Szpara!