PopCO by Scarlett Thomas

I picked this up because I enjoyed another book by Scarlett Thomas, The end of Mr Y. I am glad I did because PopCo is a good read.

The book tells the story of Alice Butler, a young woman who works as a designer for a toy company. She has had an unconventional childhood. She was brought up by her grandparents, a mathematician and a code breaker. Before working as a toy designer she had written crosswords.

She is sent to a work related conference in a remote location and someone starts to send her secret coded messages.

The book involves a lot of mathematical and cryptographic information. Despite this material it's a good read and it makes you think. It discusses issues of animal welfare and globalisation.

Worthwhile.