The Word Exchange is the debut novel by Alena Graedon. Graedon writes of a time in the very near future where we are all addicted to our handheld devices called Memes.They can intuit what we want, order groceries for us, pay for a cab, make a call, etc and no one can remember how to live without them. In fact, people start forgetting how to use language itself, and need to purchase words and definitions on The Word Exchange.
It is also the time of death of the printed word. Ana and her Dad work for NADEL, North American Dictionary of the English Language that is about to go to its final printing. When Ana's Dad disappears, the real mystery begins, and like Alice falling down a rabbit hole, Ana sets off to try to find him.
This is an amazing debut from a young new writer that couldn't be more timely. Graedon philosophizes about what it means for us to loose words, and thus our capacity for thought, memory, history, understanding who we are, how we relate to others and ourselves. I found it fascinating and not just a little scary in light of our current addiction to technology and where we are going with it.
I highly recommend you put down your iPhone, shut off your laptop and read this book.
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