The Drafter

July 27, 2015
Peri Reed, the heroine of this entertaining but preposterous near-future SF thriller from bestseller Harrison (The Witch with No Name), is a “drafter,” a spy-like operative with the ability to rewrite short moments in time. Peri must rely on an “anchor,” a person who helps her mentally integrate her newly created history without going crazy. Trouble arises when Peri finds she can’t trust her current anchor (and boyfriend). Her personality begins to fragment during a mission to recover a list of corrupt operatives within Opti, the time-altering governmental organization she works for, and she must find a way to reintegrate while on the run. Opti is opposed by the Alliance, former Opti agents who believe Opti has gone rogue. Both organizations—and Peri—cheerily employ any means to achieve what they consider a desirable end, such as using a virus to limit air pollution. Harrison delivers moments of lyrical intensity when the time lines Peri is “drafting” consolidate into a new reality, but the lack of logic and a goofy plot dissipate the tension. Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Associates.