Cull, by Tanvir Bush

When a mostly blind part-time reporter begins to sniff out the mysterious disappearance of a homeless acquaintance, she never imagined the depth of the scheme she would aid in uncovering.  In fact, if she was able to communicate better with her guide dog, they would have "sniffed out" the plot much earlier.  In Cull, Tanvir Bush tells a story that, given current policies and trends, is not all that unbelievable.

In a society where the disabled are not valued, where they are seen as a burden on society, the logical conclusion is that they must be simply eliminated.  All the numbers make sense, economically.  We could start with the poor, the elderly, the homeless, people who won't be missed much.  We can develop efficient means of disposing of their bodies. We can make it all look like compassionate care.  This is the line of reasoning that doctors and government officials follow in Cull.

Bush tells the story primarily from the perspective of Alex, the blind reporter.  But the bits that reflect her guide dog Chris's point of view are the best.  His sense of smell and powers of observation cry out for more exploration.  Alex's social connections end up linking her up, without her knowledge, to an activist group whose plot to expose the euthanasia scheme she never imagined.  Her encounters with and reports of the horrid treatment of people with disabilities force the reader to think about the way we view disability as a society, and the value we place on people with disabilities.  Cull is a nice balance of a fun-to-read novel which has an important societal message. 


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!