Meritropolis

This is unlike any dystopian I've ever read. Not only does Joel Ohman manage to keep the tension amped througout the book, he adds to this with amazing drawings at the beginning of each chapter. Ohman knows how to use foreshadowing. This series is definitely one for the collector's library. It just doesn't get much better than this.

Meritropolis was a great dystopian novel. For me it was a mix between Divergent and The Hunger Games. Members of the gated community are ranked and those with low scores are thrown out of the gates to fend for themselves. The high scoring young adult Charley doesn’t agree with high scored people being more valuable and wants to overthrow the system. This was a page turner from page 1 and the plot was captivating. There were some great characters and some great new animal species. I can’t wait for more!
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

It has to be said that this book was not my preferred subject matter, however I thought I would give it a try.
Well great book great narrative, and full of deep messages that are here for all of us.
I recommend this to all, even if you don't think the subject matter is for you. Give it a try you will be surprised I promise

Normally I don't care for this time of books. However this one grab from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down. The idea was very interesting and the characters were very believable. I think most people would enjoy this book. I was given this book for an honest review good or bad but this book was great.

Joel Ohman has written an intriguing, thought provoking dystopian novel full of action. He develops his main character, Charley, physically and psychologically. His plot deals well with several ethical and moral issues, yet contains plenty of action.

I have never readied a plot like this.The author takes you on a wild ride.When you think it's slowing down Boom the action keeps on coming !! We share things in this book that could come to light in are world . It's really scary how governments can control you into doing things that are not right.the characters are so well thought out that you really can put yourself their .You can absorb their anger ,I cried and laughed with them !! Great book I'll be waiting for the next book !! Thank you .

This review was written by my 12 year old son who finished this book the same day he got it!

"This book is pretty dope. It's not only an action packed book, but a realistic twist with real animals morphed together and great fight scenes. You can't drop the book. If I could give this book a 6 out of 5, I would for the fact that Joel Ohman is not only creative, but clever as well in a lot of the names of the animals, the plotting, the dialogue, and the thrill seeking need to keep the book in your hands. All in all, a very well written book with just the right ingredients to make the perfect meal."

Quickie Review:
If you love dystopians and Sci-Fi is your thing, give this book a chance. It's a solid book full of action and interesting creatures. The sneak peak of the world leaves one with many questions and have you ready for the next installment.

In-depth Review:

Joel Ohman was nice enough to contact me about his novel and send me a copy of it to review a month ago. With that said, I can go onto my review.

My favorite part of the novel has to be the minor characters. Grigor, Sandy, Chappy, Abigail and Charley's little brother were my favorites. They were written well and had a depth that I appreciated. Especially Abigail, I needed a female character who was smart and manipulative. For me, they were the foundation of the novel making it interesting and invested me with their problems.

Unfortunately, that couldn't be said for our protagonist Charley. Maybe it's because he's so rage inclined that I did not like his major flaw, but that certainly can be fixed with time. For someone so smart, his anger can force him to make rash decisions--but isn't that how it always goes?

This novel has a lot of action which keeps you going. Especially when you're half-way in the novel, you can get easily swept up and before you know it, it's over. At times you can tell it's written to set up another novel and perhaps even a series, which was distracting at times.

Other than the obvious structural choice, Ohman's book created a lot of intrigue that makes you want to know more about these huge beasts and who the real bad guy really is.

Unlike a lot of worlds I've come across, current dystopians seems to skim through what man's technological advances would do to the wildlife and how DNA/GMO experimentation would effect the wildlife. Even though some of Ohman's creatures stretch the imagination, it is fun to picture these grotesque beasts that our unknown antagonist (or maybe not, we don't know yet) created. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing, so I loved this aspect of the book.

I was worried that this novel was going to rely too heavily on the Hunger Games franchise, but it surprisingly held its own with its world-building. It was a great read and I'll have to keep my eyes out for the sequel.

I enjoyed the premise of the plot, it kept my interest. What i found disappointing was the end....or lack of an ending. At the climax of the fight scene, the story just stops. It's clear the author is setting you up for the sequel, which left me frustrated and more than a little disappointed. I wish I had known ahead of time that this was the first book in a series.

I am a fan of the dystopian genre and this book did not disappoint. The characters were well developed and the storyline complete. I was a bit sad that the book ended and was hoping for even more. You find yourself rooting for the underdogs of Meritropolis and at the same time wondering more about what is going on in the rest of the world. I hope subsequent books will expand on the story and tell us even more about the world in which this takes place. Great read!!

I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate a review.

Can I just say WOW!! I don't even have the words to describe this book . It is officially the best dystopian book I have ever read. I was sucked in from the very beginning and was completely engulfed by the intensity in the story. I am dying to find out what happens next. I literally stared at the last page for a good 5 minutes with my mouth open. Read the book, you won't be disappointed.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Another amazing book. I was blown away with the story, I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want more.....I voluntarily am reviewing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book that I received through Shifted Sheets Book Promotions.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Meritropolis is a dystopian story with a new idea of what and who matters in the new world. I did enjoy the concept; but had to keep reminding myself that this is a YA book. I enjoy a lot of YA books, some of which are written for the adult reader and some not. Meritropolis, for me, seems to be written for the younger YA reader as the characters are fairly one dimensional and the action is not very complex. The author definitely has some good ideas in this book, yet I felt like there were major components of the story left untold (again, this could be that it is written for the YA reader). My biggest issue was in the middle of the book where we, the reader, are learning through the characters how to survive in this new world, outside the safety of the city. Then suddenly we are pulled into the war that leads us to the end of the book, so I felt a bit let down due to the lack of build towards the climax. The ending leaves me to assume that the author is going to write a sequel, or is hoping for this to be a series. I would recommend this book to youth ages 12 to 16, but it may be a bit boring for those older or more mature readers. I gave it 3 stars based on the younger reader, but for me it was about 2 stars.

Though this was not the best I have read, I found it full of action and a lot of imitation inspired characters. I voluntarily am reviewing an Advanced Reader Copy of this book that I received through Shifted Sheets Book Promotions.

Very interesting right from the start. A unique take on a post-apocalyptic America. Lots of action but clean content. Would recommend for older children and adults alike. Lots of creativity within the story with a subtle morality message woven in.

Good book, it kept me reading straight through from start to finish. Joel has a unique take on the aftermath of the end of the world as we know it. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the second in the series.

This is a wonderful teen/young adult dystopian story. The world building and characters are well developed. The story line is fast paced, suspenseful, full of twists and lots of action and totally plausible for the futuristic setting. There is a completely logical flow of plot and dialogue. What cost fighting for justice/revenge? I received this free from the author for an honest review. OUTSTANDING!!! Highly recommend to any and all.

Its difficult to be truly original in the dystopian/post-apocalyptic genre, films such as Logan's Run have covered a lot of ideas and methods for exploring possibilities of merit based societies, but as the saying goes - it's the way you tell 'em.
Joel Ohman has a skill with language, and characters; and manages to skirt around ideas you may have seen before with his own unique twists and turns. i loved this, and desperately await the next!

I received the book in exchange for an honest review )
I adore almost all things dystopian. And I love this book. I love the fact that not all things are light and bright in this book. I like darkness in some of my books and this covers it. It was a fast exciting read and I highly recommend it to all dystopian lovers. I do not do spoilers in any reviews I do. I tell you it is good or not.

I got this book for free as a review copy. I'd say that the writing deserves 3 stars. The best part is that he includes pictures of the monsters he's dreamed up, and they are worth a star alone.

I enjoyed it. The writing is a little awkward at times, especially toward the beginning of the book. I felt like Ohman was trying to spice up the vocabulary a bit too much. Too many characters are introduced a bit too quickly, so it feels very bouncy, for lack of a better word. The main character, Charley, could be more nuanced. I would have been more interested in him had he not been so much of a "Golden-boy" as the other reviewers are apt in calling him. I wouldn't read it again, but I'd recommend to a person who is into the dystopian genre.

If you inhabit the world I live in and read the news we all read or if you have been made aware of history, like: Nazis, Khmer Rouge, Stalinism, Mao Zedong, North Korea or thousands of other minor tirants with millions of people at their disposal, you will laugh at the pathetic villains in this book; If the bad guys were as inept at being bad and described as scary as cardboard cutouts of bad traffic wardens, you will agree with me that this is a dystopia with a family rating. I have been on vacation on scarier places example the Philippines during Marcos time, but perhaps I should not mention him he was one of ours after all.
The only reason this book exist is to satisfy a market, it has no other intrinsic value but the commercial purpose of selling.
Charley the main character, is a very good fighter and wants to avenge his brother, he is a very good fighter and what they did to his brother is unforgivable, but he is a very good fighter, did I mention that he is a very good fighter, well not as many times as the writer of the book. Also he has a score of 118 a very high score and he is a very good fighter with a score of 118 which makes him good looking and a very good fighter, attributes you need when you have a quest of hunting weaponized animals like a snake-ostrich, or the terrifying rhinoceros-giraffe. Do you have any doubt that Chaley With a score 118 and being a very good fighter will defeat all? or perhaps we will be left a a point where he might be defeated but we will find that out in the next exciting instalment?
1984, Animal Farm, We, The Handmaid's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, Oryx and Crake, Brave New World, The Gulag Archipelago are but a few of the books that should be read instead, because they speak for the truly oppressed and point at terrifying possibilities within our societies. They teach us to be vigilant and appreciative of our limited freedoms, like reading books; speaking for the victims of true dystopias they help us recognize and forewarn us of bad, evil ideas and despots that want to control you and me. Because this real books help us see the truth behind the veil of lies power weaves to feed itself.

A great beginning to an awesome series. If your looking for a great summer read that will keep you wanting more start this series by Joel Ohman. The story is clever and the author really keeps you guessing. Have the second book on hand as you will want to start it right away!

This book is fine if you're a young reader. Not knowing that originally, I decided to check it out because it popped up via kindle unlimited. Since I'm not a 12-13 years old reader, all I can say is I wouldn't recommend it for someone older than that.

I was skeptical about another book about life after the apocalypse. I read the series of Hunger Games, The Maze, and Divergent. This is different, Joel Ohma has you at the very first sentence. I am only half way in the book right now and I am already rooting for Charlie to complete his mission, he set for himself and the others in his community. Great read for all to enjoy

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Seems like there's more to come. I'm itching to describe everything, but you know, spoilers!

If you like a tale where you meet all the characters quickly, then this is the one. It lets the story drop into its rhythm from the start. It has very well defined characters overall. Stubborn, scared, daring, conflicted, characters. I'm waiting for the next one.

But be warned it will leave you hungrier for the unwritten portion than for the must read book you were searching for before reading it. It ends abruptly and as far as I can tell with no promise of a conclusion. If you like unanswered questions that grip you waiting for a resolution that never comes read this book. If you don't, read it anyway and join me hoping this very eloquent and talented author finishes what he started. Characters are well formed and three dimensional while the plot twists in an ever so slightly Christopher Nolan manner. It's obvious there is a spiritual parody here but Joel Ohman doesn't come across as detached from humanity or its more base passions. I'm rather impatiently waiting for the sequel/s and or movie/s.

“I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review” I enjoyed reading this story. I thought the story flowed smoothly, engaging, bit of a cliff hanger ending. lol I want to know what happens in next book already!! Thank you Joel Ohman and Choosy Bookworm for allowing me the pleasure of this reading this book.

The post-Event world is very different. All are assessed and given a score which ranks them. Low scores are not good for survival. High scores have perks. One high score decides to go against the system and help the Low scores revolt. In the process, he encounters animal crosses that he never dreamed of seeing.

This was a good story. It kept me interested and turning pages. I had issues with the editing. All too often ends or sentences were cut from the top of the following page. I hope book 2 has this fixed.

Both my husband and myself have read books 1 and 2 in this series. They are great futuristic books that keep your intetest and makes the reader think about how society values people and the consequences of that in the future. I highly recommend this book series.

This is a brilliant book about a really scary new world order where you are only as good or safe as your number. If you become les than desirable or hurt your number goes down and you are exiled. I really enjoyed this book and the interesting hybrid creatures. I am waiting for the next chapter.

I was gifted this book for an honest review

July 8, 2015
This is a good book. It kept me interested enough to keep reading it. The characters are interesting. I found the animal combinations silly though!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Almost perfect. This is a 5 star review basically. The book is great, it's just a few little things really bugged me with the plot. It's such a scary book, and so much is done right, but anyone who reads it will know exactly what I'm griping about. Bah it bugs me.

What a fun read - I couldn't put it down! Not only was the action fast-paced, but I thoroughly enjoyed the social and spiritual commentary found throughout novel. Ohman creates a fantastical world, and uses such wonderful imagery to describe the landscapes and the mutant animal combinations that I found myself transported into the story. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, or any dystopian novel, you're sure to love this, too!

This genre is not typical for me. I am an avid horror fan. This title showed up in the horror section and I downloaded it because of the reviews. This book is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Thanks to the author for a great read!

Meritropolis gives Hunger Games and Divergent a run for their money! This is a fast paced dystopian novel with strong characters and plot twists from beginning to end. Charlie is a very likable, relatable character. The author did a great job portraying Charlie's strong qualities as well as his weakness - his helplessness to save his brother - which happens to be the driving force behind his strength. Solid, ethical morals are weaved throughout this entertaining tale of one boy against an army (and a bunch of hybrid wild animals!).

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

i enjoyed this book, but wanted to know more about the whole 'system,' not just this city of Meritropolis. The title is excellent because if succinctly states the concept of the whole story - everyone is rated according to their abilities. High Scores are prized and protected. Low Scores are sacrificed for the good of the whole being placed outside the gates in order to maintain a strict balance of population to resources.

Wow! That is what I have to say about Meritropolis. This book was very well written and puts you in the action. I love the way I feel like I am in a mixture of Hunger Games and the Maze Runner. Just finished this book and I am looking forward to continuing the series with Meritorium. Keep them coming Joel

This novel tells the story of young Charley who yearns for revenge against the dystopian society in which he lives in. The theme is familiar, but the manner in which Ohman presents it is exceptionally captivating. This book will enrapture any avid fan of the science fiction and action and adventure genres.

I was recommended to read the book from a friend. He was right about this book. What a triller and adventure that keeps you captivated the whole time. It has similarities to the hunger games so if you read those books, this book is a must read for you. I highly recommend the book! The book will keep you wondering and engaged the whole time. I bought a hard copy so i can pass it along to my kids someday. A great science fiction book and one you MUST have, so don't miss out!

Pretty interesting story. Easy to read and held my attention. Was surprised that it ended so abruptly , had no ideal that it was going to be part of a series. Making new combinations of animals was a stroke of genius. Would definite read more from J. Ohman. Could be young adult or adult.
Received free copy in return for honest review.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. It was pacy and a real page turner. It had similar themes as many of the current YA crop of books - Divergent, The Maze Runner - with a little of Tolkien etc. I went through it in one sitting as it is engaging.

I would have liked to have seen more characterisation of some of the leads, e.g. Sandy and also a little more surprise from the plot and where it went.

All in all, a good debut.

I found this book to be a great dystopian novel, partly written in first person (Charlie), partly alternating persons. It reminds me a bit of 1984, an oldie but goody about the govt. deciding who does what job, marries whom, etc. I find it disturbing that things much like those in the book actually happen in communist countries. I'd love to see more by this author!

This was a fantastic book. If you like action, adventure, and suspense I highly recommend it. The book grabs your attention from the first chapter and I could not stop reading the book once I started. The book is very different from society now-a-days so I found it very interesting in how life was like in the book. I highly recommend this book to all!

This title was received through the Goodreads book giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I think that this novel is most appropriate for young adults who are fans of dystopian fiction like the Hunger Games. Mature readers will want to read novels by Margaret Atwood or P.D. James. The plot and language / dialogue was appropriate for the intended audience, but the mutant animals were a bit improbable. The ending was unresolved and signals that a sequel is needed.

I really loved this book. Action packed, great characters, good dialogue, good story line. Along the same lines as Hunger Games and Divergent but better. Would like to see more back story in the next ones. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

A quick pace read with a fresh story line -- that thankfully hasn't already been done to death. Founded on the philosophy that we are all not created equal..how do you survive when your societal worthiness as an individual is tattooed on your arm for all too see?

To say this good is good is an understatement. After winning a copy from Goodreads I was excited to delve into my copy, and I was not disappointed. Rich dialog and understandable characters, this is a must read for any mythos enjoyer.

Simply reading the first page, I loved this book! I read the whole thing in one sitting. The setting, the characters, the plot: all kept me engaged. I don't want to give away any thrilling details, so read it for yourself!!

iv read the hunger games and seen the village. the special offer said this is a xross betweenthe 2. I WANNA READ IT SO BAD IT SOUNDS AMAZING!

ps. i have NOT read it yet so do not trust my rating!