The Body Holiday series: A review

Are you looking for a fresh new read? Do you like the sound of sci-fi mixed with realism, romance entangled with violence, captivating characters, seductive language and a totally original dystopian world? Then look no further than Derek E. Pearson’s mesmerising Body Holiday trilogy. You’ll be hooked from the first page of Book One, from the moment you are told in a chillingly matter-of-fact way that “blood will be spilt by hand or by proxy”.

The main idea behind Pearson’s series is the concept of a ‘Body Holiday’; taking a holiday in another person’s body. In this terrifying dystopia, people swap bodies through a process called ‘Transition’. The first book follows two couples as they both choose this unusual form of escaping, and swap bodies with each other. Ruth, who is 62 but looks half her age due to her modelling career, and her 86-year-old husband Pearce, swap bodies with young couple Milla and Franklyn. Unfortunately, both sets of lovers soon find out that what lies in store for them is less of a relaxing break and more like a serious threat to their lives. The Body Holiday Foundation turns out to be a creepy and perverted organisation profiting off intimacy between couples.

The three books centre around Milla and her telepathic powers. In Book Two, Body Holiday: Shadow Players, Milla seeks to destroy the Body Holiday Foundation and its founder following her almost fatal run-ins. In her efforts, the reader is taken on a journey to the rings of Saturn, through African cities and to the inexplicable ‘constructs’. In the final part of the series, Body Holiday: A Time to Prey, Milla returns, showcasing her stunning strength and unmatchable intelligence for the final time. Once again she travels across the globe, from Japan, to Tibet, to Antarctica and finally to our very own London. Here, Milla must face her most difficult opponent yet in the form of Su Nami. The final book leaves you wondering who will come out on top until the very end.

In this terrifying dystopia, people swap bodies through a process called ‘Transition’

Pearson’s series is very accessible and impossible to put down. It addresses complex themes which comment courageously on the issues of today. The future world it depicts is emotionless, unforgiving and voyeuristic. This is surveillance gone too far; a world where privacy does not exist and extreme pornography shocks nobody. The series as a whole therefore causes us to consider the damaging effects of technology, and how an obsession with the cyber world could turn sour if we continually allow it to impinge on our lives.

The trilogy also addresses how ordinary people are used as puppets by the rich and powerful. In the first book, Milla, Franklyn, Ruth and Pearce are going about their normal lives and are drawn in by the seductive Body Holiday pamphlets, only for their bodies to be exploited for entertainment. Of course, the desire of Ruth and Pearce to inhabit and explore more youthful bodies is, in itself, an issue of current times: the yearning of the old to look and be young again.

The future world it depicts is emotionless, unforgiving and voyeuristic. This is surveillance gone too far; a world where privacy does not exist and extreme pornography shocks nobody

This all sounds a bit depressing, but Pearson skilfully ensures this is not the tone of his books. Comedy plays an important role, with sarcasm and dark humour breaking up the serious moments. Deliciously intense language is a standalone feature which adds to the entertainment of the novels. Pearson paints sensory images through his unique choice of words. When discussing a possible holiday, Pearce notes that Ruth “looked back at him with the eyes of an injured child: too old for the perfection of her face, too deeply hurt to be those of an adult”.

The thrill of the series comes from its fast-paced action. Book One sees the protagonists’ dreams descend quickly into a fight for their lives, literally running from an evil force which is constantly on their heels, making the narrative quick and tense. In the second novel, geographical movement fuels the action and dictates the manic pace of the narrative. In the final part of the trilogy, it is Milla herself, “science fiction’s sexiest telepath”, who provides the excitement as she continues to impress her friends and horrify her enemies with her power. Prevalent in all three novels is sexually very explicit content. Through this, Pearson demonstrates his ambition to portray reality, and his belief in the freedom to write without barriers. But be warned, the books are definitely not PG!

Body Holiday will challenge your preconceptions, shock you, scare you. As a result, when you reach the final page, you will want to start it all again

Pearson explains that his belief in the real is, ironically, the basis of this extraordinary trilogy. For him “no matter how fantastic it may be, any work of fiction needs strong foundations; if a lion cub falls in love with a young dolphin the author must explain precisely how they got there”. This reinforces how a terrifying reality lies behind Body Holiday, and how important it is to notice the trilogy’s underlying messages among the action, entertainment and violence.

Body Holiday is an unforgettable series. It will challenge your preconceptions, shock you, scare you. As a result, when you reach the final page, you will want to start it all again.