Publishers Weekly
11/13/2023
Echoes of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest reverberate through this cinematic tale from Straczynski (Together We Will Go), which transports readers to a near-future American dystopia. After second-generation activist Riley Diaz is picked up protesting a new law limiting public gatherings to 10 people, she’s transported to an “American Renewal Center,” a Department of Homeland Security–sponsored jail alternative in a converted wing of a psychiatric hospital, to be counseled out of her radicalism. From there, Straczynski hits the expected beats of psychological and pharmaceutical abuse and excruciating decisions about whom to trust; in these sections, the writing feels heavier on agenda than story. Fortunately, a subplot involving Riley’s secret friendship with a nonspeaking and sometimes violently dangerous patient, who finds comfort in hearing Riley’s sympathetic reading of Frankenstein and whose trust becomes critical to her survival, adds emotional realism and yields the least predictable pieces of the story. Though there are few surprises here, readers looking for an adrenaline-inducing resistance plot will find this worth their time. (Jan.)Correction: An earlier version of this review mischaracterized a plot detail.
Booklist
A terrifically incisive tale…Readers…should seek out this outstanding novel.”
Locus
[A] book that in its way seems inspired by the forthright, engagé, propulsive, take-no-prisoners writings of Ellison himself—and with a nod in the direction of such old-school firebrands as Norman and new-school turks like Cory Doctorow.”
AudioFile
Riley’s time in the renewal center is intriguing, especially when she befriends a silent but violent inmate known as Frankenstein. The narration and the endearing cast of characters are woven into an emotionally resonant journey.”
New York Times bestselling author of World War Z Max Brooks
J. Michael Straczynski is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction minds of our time.”
FEBRUARY 2024 - AudioFile
Stacy Gonzalez performs a dystopian novel set in a near-future America in which government-sponsored counseling centers treat radical behavior. Riley continues her family's practice of speaking out in the face of injustice and winds up in an renewal center for mandatory reeducation. Gonzalez imbues her performance with a surprising brightness that contrasts with the anxiety-inducing psychological elements of this novel. She gives each character a unique voice, especially Riley's mother, who has a gentle Irish lilt. The story is slow at first, but Riley's time in the renewal center is intriguing, especially when she befriends a silent but violent inmate known as Frankenstein. The narration and the endearing cast of characters are woven into an emotionally resonant journey. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
