Meritropolis

By: Joel Ohman

Narrated by: 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 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.

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.*

Phenomenal

Phenomenal book. This is a great narrator and can't wait to listen to the next one!

fantastic world you don't wanna miss

Any additional comments?

(I received a free audible copy in exchange for an honest review.)

There is a new formula for writing novels these days. Instead of the richness of a stand-alone story that begs for more (check out Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn), there is a story lacking a bit of detail to be doled out in the next book and the book after that. The design is purposeful, to tell readers that they must purchase the next book in the series if they ever want their questions answered.
I, personally, and apparently quite a few others (according to many, many reviews I’ve seen this year) simply hate this formula with passion normally reserved for pet peeve violators.

It is rare that halfway through the book even though I recognize the use of this formula, I choose to ignore it in favor of the investment the characters pull from me. Listening to Meritropolis, I knew almost from the start that this would be the typical teenage dystopian novel with more to follow; I just had to know more about Charley. I had to understand him.

Sure, the setting is incomplete. There are questions not immediately resolved. That all seemed to fade because Charley is such a complete character. His growth is neither nonexistent nor unbelievable in a moment’s clarity. He’s been thinking and questioning for a while.

The only true hole I see is that Charley is 17. The setting is 3 years after the Event. So then I have questions that are never satisfactorily answered. (Maybe in the next book.)

Aside from those two points, I did really enjoy the story. The writing is fluid. I was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the escape. Even though the setting is typical dystopian, the characters stand out brilliantly.

Mikael Naramor does a wonderful job narrating this story. He’s not simply reading. He distinguishes characters without confusion. I would totally listen to him again.

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!

Great YA book in the Hunger Games vein.

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

Very entertaining story!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Probably Commander Orson. He had an interesting back story and overall depth and you feel that there was a lot more about him that was revealed in this book.

What about Mikael Naramore’s performance did you like?

I thought Michael read this book perfectly. He brought out the story very well and did a good job voicing the various characters. I would certaintly listen to him again.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No nothing extreme. Was entertained from start to finish though and enjoyed the story unfolding.

Any additional comments?

I thought the book was very good overall. The dystopian story did have a few holes in it, but nothing that broke the the overall story. There weren't too many characters in the book so it was easy to follow. A very entertaining YA novel, highly recommended!

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

An interesting ride, and an excellent read...

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

Post-apocalyptic eugenics and mutation. I know that's four words, but the field required a minimum of fifteen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Grigor. I like that there is a character so stunningly ugly, so incredibly gentle, and so violently capable... and that he is not the main character.

What about Mikael Naramore’s performance did you like?

His ability to change timbre, tone, pacing, and accent allowed each character to stand as their own, besides his 'normal' reading voice. The performance was outstanding. I will be looking for more of Naramore's performances.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I didn't have any extreme reactions to this story. I did like it, though. I felt that parts of it were more suited to a "young adult" reader, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the world that Ohman has created. I also liked the overall moral tone of the story. I can't wait to see more of this world, and more work from Mr. Ohman.

Any additional comments?

The author's ability for imagery is part of what makes this story work so well. When you get to a point in a story and you are not only imagining what things look like, but sound like and smell like, you know the author has done a good job.

Problematic, but not without merit...

In Meritopolis (the city and the book) people are given scores based on their attributes - skills, looks, intelligence, fitness etc. General usefulness to society. To have a low score means you are not worth much, and in a society where resources are scarce it can also mean you are chucked out of the city to survive on your own in the wilds beyond (population is kept down so that food is available, yet unknown to many the high scores eat like kings). This is the premise of the book. Our hero, Charley, has a score of 118 which is considered to be a “one in a lifetime achievement” for someone to have a score so high. He also is young, meaning there is great potential for his score to go much higher. He is also a skilled fighter, apparently one of the best. Nine years ago his down syndrome brother was chucked out of the city because of a low score, embittering Charley against the system. Now he is of an age where he feels he can do something about it. The story follows him as he tries to buck the system and as he slowly gathers people around him who also see the injustice in the system.

The story is set 12 years after The Event. It’s never really made clear what ‘The Event’ is but there is some hints and speculation in the book. Not all of it making sense. However, it is something that caused society to adopt the score system. This Event is one of many things that is not really explained. The whole world is ultimately never fleshed out. Parts of the world are added because they sound cool, but there is no weight to them and they sometime make little sense.

The Score System sounds interesting enough, but it is never actually made clear how the scores are obtained or how they are changed. My description above is as about as in depth as the book goes. It’s based on attributes. It can change. How each is applied or weighted or whatever. It just is.

Outside the city there be monsters. They are all cross breeds of animals. Like a rhino-giraffe, or a gecko-vulture or whatever. Again added because they sound cool, but make little sense. It’s actually suggested that these combinations came about naturally. Really. Because genetics works that way.

There are many other things not fleshed out in the world. There is money but I don’t recall anyone actually mentioned as earning something or buying something at any point. Food is allotted, based on score, not purchased. We get talk to education but it’s not clear what is involved. At least twice Charley references pop culture (“in this score farm some animals are more equal than others” referencing Animal Farm, and “make him an offer he can’t refuse” referencing The Godfather) but as The Event was 12 years ago Charley wouldn’t know these things from before. So they must have come through his education. Would a dystopian school system really teach Animal Farm? Technology levels on the new world are not well defined either. The weapons appear only to be swords and maces style. Not guns. But we have doctors with ultrasounds and similar. What survived the event and what didn’t? Who knows.

Through all these issues the story was actually kind of interesting and fun in a “please don’t think too hard about it” kind of way. The writing itself was enjoyable. The story fast paced.

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Narration by Mikael Naramore was pretty good. Probably 3.5 / 5

He generally provided different voices and inflections to the characters. I wouldn’t say they were memorable or outstanding differences but it was enough to keep to allow you to follow who was speaking easily enough. Emotion was carried in the reading. I wouldn’t object at all to listening to more books by Naramore.