In a world where science is the new religion and health is a monopoly, only the obedient survive.
After climate disasters and a global health collapse, salvation comes with the “Pharma Care” reform: genetic edits, monthly boosters, and mandatory screenings — all tracked through a health file implanted in every citizen’s hand.
Comply — you stay in the city. Refuse — you become a renegade. Ernest Goodman tries to follow the rules — until his time starts running out. Divorced and stuck in his mother’s basement, he works as a paid troll in the Global Network.
His 3D-printed heart is failing, but a chance for a real one appears — at a terrifying cost. His path crosses with Grace Holly, an eccentric bookseller determined to uncover the truth behind her father’s murder and his final message.
Do the Troll and the bookseller stand a chance in a world where social responsibility is law, propaganda is deafening, and survival of renegades plays out in the reality show “Rumble for Crumble” — where the prizes are essentials, but death is all too possible?
I honestly started this one because the cover spoke to me. Yeah, I know, never judge a book by its cover but... And at the end, it was a lucky bet as I really enjoyed the ride.
So thanks to Netgalley, Ima Dimitrova and BooksGoSocial for sharing with the Advance Reader Copy of this witty dystopian story.
We are following the journey of a nerdy troll and a bookseller in a
dystopian world where Pharma companies took the power and impose to the population, new "cures" and genetic editing procedures to allow them the
illusion of an healthy life under a burning sun after an Armageddon-ish
worldwide disaster and massive health collapse.
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I wasn't exactly sure what I was reading at first to be totally honest,
and then it started to kick and wow I was totally hooked. The plots could have been better with a bit more development, but the world
building is awesome and the characters are easy to root for. I've been captivated during the whole book by the explanation around the genes editing processes and all the scientific stuff.
Everything is connected and the author managed to close every plot, sub-plots and little something dropped here and there without plot holes and super smoothly, thanks for that. Though, I would have signed for a
bit more context at the beginning as I struggled to be hooked in the
first few chapters and more depth for the characters and their relationship, I found those two specifics points pretty light and bit rushed sometimes. But I still loved
them so it obviously did the trick.
The writing is good, really good, and I liked the witty punchlines between
Ernest and Grace, super fun , and I really loved all the plot twists
even if a bit too predictable for my taste.
A good read. I'd love to read more from this author, especially from this universe. I'll keep an eye on her in the future.
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