Meritropolis

De: Joel Ohman

Narrado por: Mikael Naramore

The year is AE3, three years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment - to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond.

But for one High Score, conforming to the System just isn't an option. 17-year-old Charley has a brother to avenge. And nothing - not even a totalitarian military or dangerous science - is going to stop him.

Where humankind has pushed nature and morals to the extreme, Charley is amongst the chosen few tasked with exploring the boundaries, forcing him to look deep into his very being to discern right from wrong. But as he and his friends learn more about the frightening forces that threaten destruction both without and within the gates, Meritropolis reveals complexities they couldn't possibly have bargained for...

©2014 Joel Ohman (P)2014 Joel Ohman

4/5 Dystopian series starter ...

Summary: Charley can't abide by the system that would condemn innocent people to certain death.
Additional Comments:
• Typical fun dystopia. The hero's flat but he was never meant to be more. He's perfect. A great fighter. A High Score. A compassionate kid. His justification for everything is what they did to his brother.
• Side characters. Only Charley's female counterpart had any depth to her. I liked her. Sven's development didn't go very far. It reads like this: he was a nice guy then he saw horrors in the tower and turned into a sullen violent jerk.
• No ending... or very little ending. There's a giant exciting battle at the end but it doesn't really get resolved. There's talk of a bigger, badder, meaner threat coming and then the book just ends.
• I probably would have given it a much higher rating for the fun premise if it had a ton more closure, but as is it reads like a part 1.
• Narrator did a decent job.
Conclusion: Fantastic start but doesn't stand on its own. If you are willing to invest in the whole series, you will likely enjoy it. If you like closure to your story, it’s not for you.
*I received a free copy of the audio version, please excuse the spelling. I chose to review the book.

A quick read.

Any additional comments?

This was quite an enjoyable and different Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic read. It had some really strong points and some weak points so for this review, I'm going to list my likes and dislikes.

Dislikes.

I think my main dislike was that there wasn't enough information. We never get to see exactly what the "Event" was that created the world they now live in and why the need for the scores.

We don't get a proper explanation of the hybrids. I think they are a scientific thing but I'm not sure because it wasn't really explained.

We don't get an explanation of how people get their scores initially. I know they can up their score with their usefulness but how do they get them at the start?

So ya, basically, it's lack of information and world building that are the main problems.

Now onto my likes.

I loved the idea of the scores. The idea of being Zeroed was unique and different.

I loved seeing the hybrids. The combination of animals and their abilities was awesome!

I loved the characters. Charlie is a good solid hero. He believed strongly in the unfairness of the system and was willing to stand up for others no matter the cost. He has a high score but doesn't let that influence him. He lost his brother to being Zeroed so knows what it feels like.

I loved the plot. The system, hybrids and indeed Meritropolis brought a uniqueness to the Dystopian genre. The plot flowed well and was pretty fast paced.

In all Meritropolis was a quick and engaging read. While some elements were underdeveloped, there was still enough in the story that kept me interested the whole way through. It has a lot going for it and I'm hoping to see more from the characters in the future!

I've listened to quite a few audios narrated by Mikael Naramore and he always does a great job. He distinguishes characters easily and gives the right inflections when needed. I loved listening to this in audio and definitely think it was more enjoyable!

* I received this for review from AudioBookBlast. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

4 Platypires

​I was given a copy audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

Three other platypires had read and loved this one, so I had some pretty high standards for it.

Holy plop, there's some serious stuff going on in here from the very beginning. I couldn't help but be immediately drawn in. I was definitely not disappointed with it.

There's some parts that I wasn't particularly fond of, because I thought it was just overly silly, but it ended up fitting in with the story so I was able to excuse much of it. I also felt like there was a certain depth missing to really help me connect with the story more.

As for Mikael Naramore, the narrator, I knew I recognized him! He's done a couple other series I enjoyed. He's starting to become one of my favorite audiobook narrators.

I can see why the other reviewers enjoyed it. I finished it in a day, because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

Interesting Concept of a Dystopian Society

If you could sum up Meritropolis in three words, what would they be?

The three words I'd use to sum up "Meritropolis would be that it's different, effective, and merit-worthy.

What other book might you compare Meritropolis to and why?

I don't recall listening to any other book quite like this one. The story had some highs and lows in vocal range, meaning whenever Charley was angry or shouting it was loud.

What about Mikael Naramore’s performance did you like?

Mikael Naramore's performance was great. He portrayed the charaters, especially Charley, really well.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't know what I would give this story for a tagline. I think the title fits it very well. You survive by your merits.

Any additional comments?

I received this audiobook via audioblast dot com newsletter for an unbiased review.

Cool look into the future

Very different look at mankind's possible future after an apocalyptic event. The narrator was very skilled at bringing each character to life!