Book Review: Diversity Tomorrow

Reviewed by Elizabeth Zender

In New America, Diversity is the party and you’re all invited to follow the rules.

Thirty-year-old Amy Beckett, a third-generation Diverse, has received the promotion of a lifetime; she is the new Vice Commander of the Homeowners Association, the Diversity Party’s replacement for the police force. 

In New America, you are either Diverse and abide by the party’s principles, or you are Undiverse, who some consider to be rebels. This is the life Beckett knows and one she is proud to uphold, being someone who knows how important Diversity truly is. 

Under this totalitarian rule, citizens can become Diversity criminals for a variety of reasons, such as self-pleasure masturbation without a permit or inappropriate jokes of a sexual nature. It is the HOA’s responsibility to uphold the law and the pure ideals of the Diversity Party. 

Beckett patrols with her fellow HOA associates, looking into the windows of people’s homes in order to ensure they are following the law and collecting unpaid dues. And now, Beckett has been given a new project: she is taking over the reeducation program for Diversity criminals.

Shortly after touring the reeducation camp, Beckett begins to wonder about what causes people to become Undiverse. As she becomes acquainted with Undiverse spaces and individuals, the wool is pulled from her eyes and Beckett becomes aware of the troubles with Diversity. Beckett’s newfound Undiverse status puts her at odds with the community she once loved so dearly. Now she must reckon with her beliefs, her worldview, and what her next steps will be.

In Diversity Tomorrow, diversity is less of a misnomer for a lack thereof. All officers of the HOA get pumpkin spice lattes. Everyone must act a certain way or be punished for it. The citizens cannot even pass gas freely. Author R.B. Bellows expertly assesses the ways in which society pushes for assimilation while claiming it is in the name of making things fair for all. The difference in equity and sameness is a wide gap, but Bellows shows the downfalls of acting as though these are the same concepts. These ideas make for a clever dystopian satire.

Efforts to maintain the status quo and to cling to the ideal of being equally important result in hilarious and outlandish scenes, such as one where two women fight over a latte. Bellows’ writing drips with humor and warning. Through the opening eyes of Amy Beckett, readers participate in the unfolding of a wonderfully fun and wickedly funny tale. Diversity Tomorrow is sure to be a favorite of dystopian and social commentary lovers.

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