Breeder

By: Honni van Rijswijk

Narrated by: Emmett Grosland

Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Will Meadows is a seemingly average 15-year-old Westie who lives and works in Zone F, the run-down outermost ring of the Corporation. In the future state of the Corp, a person’s value comes down to productivity: The right actions win units; the wrong ones lose them. If Will is unlucky and goes into unit debt, there’s only one place to go: the Rator. But for Zone F Breeders, things are much worse - they’re born into debt and can only accrue units through reproduction.

Every day in Zone F is a struggle, especially for Will who is fighting against time for access to an illegal medical drug, Crystal 8. Under the cover of night, Will travels to the Gray Zone, where life is less regulated and drugs - and people - are exchanged for gold. There, Will meets Rob, a corrupt member of the Corporation running a Breeder smuggling operation. Will also meets Alex, another teen whom he quickly recognizes as a Breeder in disguise.

Suddenly, Will has an illicit job and money, access to Crystal, and a real friend. As the pair grows closer, Alex shares her secret: She is part of the Response, an uprising to overthrow the Corporation. Caught up in the new friendship, Will and Alex become careless as the two covertly travel into Zone B for a day of adventure. Nothing goes as planned, and Will’s greatest fear is realized. Will his true identity be revealed?

©2021 Honni van Rijswijk (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Literally made no sense

I feel like a 12-year-old wrote this and no one checked it for plot holes and stupidity. I’ve never seen a cast of characters do so many stupid things in one book. And whoever’s idea it was to have the dull, emotionless narration didn’t think about how awful it would be to listen to.

Will is so smart and sneaky in the beginning, he can steal a gold watch from the security checkpoint officer but too dumb to know he shouldn’t wear black jeans to the wall.

Will has no personal opinion. He is a literal sheep.
Alex has no purpose, Rob has no purpose, in fact, none of these characters have a purpose.

This story just literally made no sense.

Here’s one more example- the grandma is gonna save baby Wiil so she jumps out a window (with the baby) breaks her leg, but gets away, baby is fine, and makes all the way to the wall.

Ok. Sure.

They are hiding from the Corp but they do all these illegal things like keep a goat. Animals are illegal and you’re pumping your granddaughter full of illegal hormones to turn her into a boy so she wont have to be a breeder. But let’s have a GOAT in the backyard. That’s not gonna draw attention to us. Totally makes sense.

Started out slow

It started out a little slow but in the last 2 hours had me captivated.

Dehumanizing language.

Dehumanizing language. Profanity is not my preferred choice of entertainment. I prefer to dignify my education by respectfully using words. I have too much self respect to be entertained by the vulgar use of the gift of communication, speech and language.

Could have been so much more.

Will seemed to be the master of stupid choices, though was redeemed towards the end when thinking things through emerged. The side characters lacked depth which would have made a better story.