Surrogate Colony

By: Boshra Rasti

Narrated by: Elizabeth Peterson

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

In MicroScrep, a post-pandemic world, one politician, Arthur Mills, brings all scientists and engineers together to create a vaccine and rebuild a world where harmony ensues. What results is a society where algorithms control who you marry, who your child is, and what position you have.

Adriana Buckowski is not normal. Her eyes are two different colors, making her less susceptible to the system’s propaganda. She has a unique connection with a boy named Zach, and she has questions. Weird occurrences happen as she gets closer to her Calling Ceremony, where she’ll be given a position. When she finally starts piecing together the twisted motives at play in MicroScrep, she becomes a cog in the wheel of the state.

Her only option for survival lies with Zach, and the hope that she will be vindicated through a vigilante group off-grid. But with time ticking against her, will she survive long enough to be redeemed?

©2022 Boshra Rasti Ghalati (P)2022 Boshra Rasti Ghalati

Critic reviews

"A stunning debut by a bold new writer whose vision of the future conjures the near-impossibility of affection, with women tossed homicidally into surrogate birthing centers and men groomed to become, yes, eunuchs. Or if you will, think Brave New World meets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Boshra Rasti’s dystopia redeems itself when two young characters conceive of a daring off-grid survival among a group of elusive scientists. The author’s mature and compelling voice is not afraid to lift the scrim, but beware, for when she does lift the scrim, readers may recognize a society whose angers and horrors and violent fetishism may seem all too familiar. Surrogate Colony is a must-read.” (Dan Gutstein, author of Buildings Without Murders)

“The crisp prose and vibrant characters contained within Surrogate Colony's worldscape is a stunning debut by an author sure to capture the public imagination. Rasti writes of the not-too-distance future with terrifying clarity." (Raymond Lee, author of The Race Riot)

“Boshra Rasti’s sweeping dystopian drama follows two young protagonists on a journey of survival and redemption. Set in a post-pandemic world, Surrogate Colony explores the human psyche after trauma and what can happen when we succumb to fear. While Ms. Rasti’s writing is filled with vivid imagery and edge-of-your-seat action, it is also the bond between Adriana and Zach that anchors this story firmly in the reader’s mind." (Katherine Day, Grattan Street Press)

Bill Gate's Brave New World

In a thinly veiled jab at Microsoft, the world of MicroScrep is run by a single corporation/government which controls all aspects of its peoples lives. This includes no-sex, arranged marriages that bring test-tube babies (birthed by surrogates) to make "families." 1984 and Brave New World have nothing on the corruption and manipulation of this Surrogate Colony. Well done in all aspects, it's a grim but satisfying read/listen, and recommended!

LOVED IT!! NOW I NEED MORE! please?

I LOVED this book, def one of my favorites.  It was of "The Giver" in many places, but with much more secrecy, plot twists, and darkness.   This book had me rooting for some characters, grieving for others, and qanting to straight up throw a few if them in a steaming dung heap!  This story very much sucked me in and I Really want the next one to come out ASAP! The narration of the audiobook was excellent, for those who have more time to listen than read. Very well done and has already been added to my favorites list.

Surrogate Colony

This sounded like a book I would like. I didn;t.Right from the beginning the narration was dull and seemed no effort was put into it. Maybe that was the way it was intended to sound like but I lost interest fast.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.