Leave it to me to pick up the last in Terry Tyler’s Galton Trilogy to read first. But no matter, it’s a great stand-alone novel. For your information, the trilogy is named after Frederick Galton, a pioneer of eugenics in the late 19th and early 20th century, which should give you a good idea of the basis of these books.
The book initially revolves around Tara, the daughter of two drug addicts, who, when her parents are killed, runs. Tara had been living in one of the UK’s new mega cities, where citizens no longer own their own homes but live in ecofriendly apartments in buildings called Stacks. With no close relatives, she is eventually sent to one of the many Hope Villages, places outside the cities where people are sent who are homeless, have bucked the system or do not fit into their assigned careers. There she makes friends with Radar, another kid who does not fit in. She is adopted by a very rich and powerful couple, the Bettencourts, who raise her in a life of privilege, until the she discovers her adopted father molests the girls they adopt. She runs away yet again, finding menial jobs until she is discovered as the new face of Nucrop, a company that proclaims it makes healthy foods. She soon becomes a princess of media influencers, as long as she keeps quiet and does what she’s told. She comes to realize that while total surveillance has all but wiped out criminal activity, citizens’ activities and health are being monitored by their implanted biometric sensors.
We are then introduced to Aileen, who is forcibly uprooted to a megacity from the home she and her husband own. Soon after that, despairing of the control exerted by the government, her husband leaves her to live in the Wasteland, where people still live in freedom, although without electricity, running water and food. Without a husband and a job, she has no means of support, and she is forced to surrender her 18 month old daughter to NPU (non-parental upbringing) or go with her to a Hope Village. Aileen chooses NPU as best for her daughter and is then sent to school to learn technology, after which she is parceled out to a series of menial jobs. She is not allowed to see her daughter again, despite continuing assurances to the contrary by NPU.
Radar gets involved in gang rule at the Hope Villages and eventually is sent to jail. When he is released he is given the chance to live a ‘normal’ life. But in exchange for the loss of his soul.
The author eventually weaves together the lives of Aileen, Tara and Radar in an unexpected way, although knowing Terry’s tremendous strengths as a writer, I never doubted it would happen.
The outcomes of these three disparate lives demonstrates that the price of living in a megacity is too high for those who seek freedom. “’As long as some of us are still living free, they have not yet won. Anyone who refuses to live as they want us to has beaten them. That’s how we do it. That’s how we win.’” It’s a strong warning.
Wow! What a story! A page turner for me as I raced to find out what would happen to these three. The sense of dread I felt while reading Megacity was exacerbated by what is happening in many countries right now – the march to an ideology that brooks no dissenters. And imagine my surprise when I discovered Elon Musk is perfecting a brain implant that will “improve are mental processes.” Terry has taken current events and carried them out to a logical conclusion.
Terry is a terrific (and prolific) writer. I’ve enjoyed many of her books, and I highly recommend this one. She is a consummate world builder, in this case one which our grandchildren could come to know, populated by characters with whom we can identify.
Five stars
About the author (Amazon):
Terry Tyler is the productive author of twenty-two books available from Amazon, the latest being Megacity. Also published recently is ‘The Visitor’, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery set in the same world as her popular Project Renova series. She is currently at work on a psychological thriller that centers around an internet dating con, but has not yet finished with devastated societies, catastrophe, and destruction, generally. Proud to be independently published, Terry is an avid reader and book reviewer, and a member of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team. She is also a Walking Dead addict, and has a great interest in history (particularly 12th-17th century), along with books and documentaries on sociological/cultural/anthropological subject matter. She loves South Park, the sea, and going for long walks in quiet places where there are lots of trees. She lives in the northeast of England with her husband.
You can find the author
On Twitter: @ Terry Tyler4
And at: http://terrytyler59.blogspot.com
Dear Noelle, thank you so very much for this fine review, and I’m delighted it worked for you despite not having read the other two books – I hope the link to the brief recaps helped to flesh out the ‘world’ to you! Many, many thanks, a lovely thing to see in my feed this morning! xx
You’re most welcome and well-deserved!
It sounds like an intense, and in many ways, cutting edge read, Noelle.
And, uh, what you said about Elon Musk? I hadn’t heard that, but it’s too freaking scary!!!
Yeah, I read that just as I was writing the review. This is a great read – I know you prefer mysteries but I think you might like it!
🙂
I’ve been a huge fan of Terry Tyler’s work since reading her intelligent and gripping Project Renova series. I’ll be reading this one, too.
Great! This book is a must read!
Adding this one to my TBR & Sharing! Thanks, Noelle.
Thanks, Bette. You might want to read the first two in the series, although this is fine as a stand-alone.
I like Terry’s writing though I haven’t read many of her books. Yet. This one sounds great, and just from your review, Noelle, I can tell that the world-building is immersive and kind of scary as related to our current politics. I like the way you describe the building tension. Thanks for the great review and recommendation. 🙂
Coming from the consummate world-builder, this is a fine compliment to the book. Thanks so much, Diana!
😀
What an interesting plot! I like your description of what is going on in the world right now—”the march to an ideology that brooks no dissenters.” Thanks for sharing, Noelle.
Thanks, Pete. This is a really timely book! Terry has her fingers on the pulse of the current.
A great review of Terry’s book Noelle.
Huge Hugs
Thanks, David. I hope you are keeping well!
What a good review of an intense thriller – great job, and congrats to Terry.
Thanks! It’s so easy to review a good book!
Hi Noelle, thanks for sharing your review of Megacity. I’m pretty sure I have one of Terry’s books on my Kindle – now’s the time to check it out! Hope you are doing well 🙂
Terry is a good writer – I’ve never read a book of hers I didn’t like. Superb at world-building.
That’s great!
Hi Noelle. An engrossing review of what sounds like an exciting novel. I’m not sure if I’m ready to read about these disquieting topics, some of which are too close and/or believable for comfort 🙁
I can understand that – hits close to home!