It’s 2037. Humans worldwide are losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. Everyone needs money to survive, including Eden Shepherd, who agrees to spend a year inside a biodome experiment with 11 popular kids from her high school, plus Adam Turing, the most hated nerd in school.
Eden and her friends are each paid one million dollars cash up front to stay inside the biodome for a year. Who wouldn’t say yes? It begins well, with a delivery of junk food, no curfew, and Eden hopes to finally lose her virginity to somebody popular. The trouble is, robot scientists built the biodome over an abandoned suburb. Here there is no supermarket, no electricity, no food or drink when the snacks run out.
No bank for Eden to keep her million safe from her enemies – or her friends. There is no panic button when the group descends into anarchy and Adam’s crew of outcasts violently establish a new pecking order. When money can’t protect her, Eden must protect herself – as well as the baby Adam put inside her.
Michael Botur, born 1984 in Christchurch, New Zealand, is the author of five acclaimed short story collections, four novels, ‘page and pub poetry’ collection Loudmouth and the children’s book 'My Animal Family.' He has won awards for short fiction in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Botur has published journalism in most major newspapers and magazines in New Zealand and is concentrating on screenwriting in 2022. He lives in Whangarei with his two kids, and the deal is this: Kids, you can stay up late and I’ll tell you some dark tales, though you may become unnerved. You have been warned. Botur holds a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from AUT University and a Graduate Diploma in Journalism Studies from Massey University, as well as degrees in arts and literacy. Botur makes a living from communications, content and copywriting. Botur has published creative writing in most NZ literary journals and has won various prizes for short stories and poems since beginning writing in 2005. He has been making money from creative writing since the age of 21 and in 2017/18 was included in collections put together by University of Otago (Manifesto 101) and University of Canterbury (Bonsai: Small Fictions). Botur has published news articles in VICE World News, the Listener, New Zealand Herald, Herald on Sunday, Sunday Star-Times, The Spinoff, Noted, Mana and North & South. In 2017 Botur launched the only online ‘gallery’ for NZ short story writers, http://www.NZShortStories.com. In 2021 Botur was the first Kiwi winner of the Australasian Horror Writers Association Short Story Award for 'Test of Death.'
Fascinating and shocking, I hope there are more books coming. I love Lord Of The Flies-esque stories, this one I will definitely read again.
CAC: Contains Animal Cruelty*
Eden lives in a world where everyone is defined as being mechs or fleshies, where most of the working population has been made redundant due to the increase of robots taking all of the jobs.
"Mechs were everywhere. Your pizza got delivered by a drone. Your car pumped its own gas then drove itself home."
She is a spoiled, soft, conceited, snappy high school girl who is used to getting her way and wasting a lot of everything.
"I’d never gone without food for more than half a day – in fact, I always had so much food around me I could just puke it out of me if I wanted." .. and she did.
Her and eleven of her classmates move into the dome, which is put down over an abandoned suburb, for a year. At first everything is just fun and goofing off, but then they start getting hungry. They begin searching house by house, only to find every home has been stripped bare, not one scrap of food anywhere. To their relief a food delivery is soon made, a quite large crate of food, plus medical and other supplies. A massive food fight ensues, and a lot of the food is wasted.
"We took everything out of the crate within ten minutes, even the toothbrushes, the Swiss army knives, the tampons, opened all the boxes, ate 50 per cent of the food within 30 minutes."
There would be no more food deliveries, and most of them begin to starve, only eating what they can forage or hunt. Next the money is delivered and everyone scrambles to get theirs hidden from the rest. This is when things begin to get ugly between the teens. One has been ostracized, one is betrayed, one becomes tyrannical, then one dies ... and then another. A number of them turn into savages, with no regard for human life. Every day is a fight to survive.
*There are parts that are extremely difficult for people who are sensitive to animals to read. It gets pretty graphic, and I had to skim those parts trying not to actually read any of it, just find the end. Had I known how rough those parts are I would have skipped this book entirely, but ... I'm glad that I didn't, because I could not put it down and the rest of the story was amazing.
OK, so first things first. It took me such a long time to finish this book! When I started it still had its old cover - the new one is an absolute bomb! This book is very much outside of my usual reading. I like dystopian, yes, but I think it is more geared towards younger readers. So, for me, it was is a bit dull and slow in the beginning. Things start to get better about the half-way point. There are a lot of great points in this book, like 1) Lots of swearing loved it; add's more realism to the story. 2) There is no cuddling in this story, the characters here are young, yes, but they are ruthless because their life is ruthless. 3) No unnecessary "sweetness", things are not dialled-down here, things get fucked up, as they do in life. I initially started with a lower rating originally but persevered till the end (great last chapter) and my rating gradually got higher. This book has some very good ideas "hidden" in it and the writing is consistent, sometimes annoying (ALL THAT SHOUTING!) but works well for the story. Have another book by the same author on my to-read list. Will go now and see what it is all about...
2.5 but rounded off to 3 I'm going to start of by saying I hate the cover . Alot .
On to other things . The Female MC reminded Me alot of the mc in the it's not okay movie .... as she was pretty unlikable . I think this may have been done intentional because at many points I was like girl.... really . She makes alot of questionable choices she's also orett self centered.
The world and story line was interesting . Gave what it as suppose to give which is dystopian.
Not really up my reading ally I'm more into yhe fantasy contemporary genres but it was quite interesting .
If characters in a story need to change and evolve because of the circumstances they find themselves in, Moneyland’s protagonist Eden Shepherd would be the poster child. When the story begins, Eden is not someone I’d care to know. A spoiled teenager, focusing on her upcoming school prom, she’s self-centered with no idea how the world really works. The experiment – with financial reward - she’s about to embark upon will change that perspective – fast.
I couldn’t stop reading; mesmerized by this engrossing story of human survival at it’s worst. Eden Shepherd mentioned she was a fan of Jane Austen; too bad she hadn’t read William Golding. She might have been better prepared for what the year from hell had in store for her and her high school counterparts.
As the countdown continued and days remaining of her year-long survival grew fewer I began to care about Eden’s future and made me wonder to what levels I would go to survive in a situation a tenth of the intensity of Moneyland. I fear the traits Eden and her fellow survivalists exhibited are not buried all that deep within us.
Fantastic read. Michael Botur is a talented author with the ability to draw you into the lives of his created characters – often against your will. Moneyland: Book One
Got a copy of this for free for an honest review of the book.
This is more like a 2.5 stars, rounded up because it's technically very good, just not for me personally.
Now, usually, I like the fact that I hate all of Michael Botur's characters. In Crimechurch it either gave them a lot of room to grow or it was fascinating to watch them self-destruct into glorious monsters. In his horror short stories, I didn't need to like anyone because it was horror, and sometimes just the horror itself helped you emphasize with the characters.
In this dystopian, I was looking for something to care about. The characters, the world, anything. The one character, Adam, that you might be inclined to try and like, is very quickly revealed to be someone that of course you're supposed to hate, and his turn is broadcasted very obviously that if you couldn't see if coming, I would think you didn't know tropes and plot progression very well.
The reflections I could take on capitalism and communism seemed to be at odds with this book. Or at least seemed to go deeper than this book. That could be because this book is aimed at teenagers, or it could be that the teenagers in this book are incredibly shallow.
And that's another thing. I get that teenagers are annoying and shallow. They're just pulling away from their parents in real ways, figuring out who they are (often in opposition to their parents) and their trends and strange mind-numbing apps and things they like to do. Doesn't help that technology is becoming a bigger and bigger thing. And in this story, the Singularity has happened, which is both important and oddly not important because she's been locked away for so long. It's just that teenagers tend to have rich lives, actual problems, and huge emotions. Yes, they're often annoying and abrasive, and there's a reason I'd never teach them. And I'm not saying a year alone with limited supplies and a million dollars each would go well, just that these teens seemed too stupid. Like they really just thought it would be a year of partying, and the main character immediately sleeps with a guy with no thoughts to contraceptives when she has no access to any sort of plan B or doctors? I get that teens are impulsive, but she seemed to be doing it mostly to be petty. I get being unlikeable, but she seemed unlikeable and "first on the to die" list, not a protagonist.
Honestly, there was a lot I could nitpick. Especially about the MC but honestly, if you've liked Michael Botur's characters in the past and his way of writing, it's all there, it just didn't click with me in this dystopia. It brought too many questions that just didn't seem explored enough even though I know he poured research and heart into it after reading his comments on writing this. I'm going to write this down as a YA dystopia that just doesn't appeal to me, it happens, but it might just be for you, so if anything I wrote appeals to you where it irritated or turned me off, than I hope you enjoy!
Greed and the cruelty of human nature mixes with emotions, survival, and the fragile balance called friendship to create a gripping read.
Eden just wants to have an exciting time during her last years of high school and party with her friends...and avoid the losers. When a chance to win a million dollars each through a contest among groups at schools hits, she's on board to apply, and when the group at her school wins, she doesn't even have a chance to digest the moment before she's shipped off to the area, where she's to live for a year in order to maintain her million bucks. It should be a piece of cake, but after one load of food and water, the participants are on their own...something she didn't know. Soon, it becomes clear that this isn't going to be the vacation her and her friends dreamed about, but rather, a survival game, and everyone has their eye on increasing their own pot of cash by taking from the others. Plus, there's one more rule Eden wasn't aware of before she agreed to enter the contest; there's only one exit before the end of the year, and that is death.
Hunger Games kind of is a nod in this direction, but unlike that read, this one deals with the basic desire of greed, betrayal, and selfishness. There doesn't have to be one winner; all could win. It makes the story cut like a sharp knife at humanity and illustrates the disgusting mess of selfish desires inside. The tale is raw, hits quite a few themes, and leaves no one unscarred. Add brutal deaths...not overly gory...with a lack of compassion, and it's not a light read.
Eden is hard to like, especially in the beginning, and she's an unusual heroine in that she keeps many of her sharp corners until the very end. Her view of others versus herself walks as thin a line as those around her, and yet, she does gain enough insight and understanding to make her not impossible to root for. As the first book in the series, this is building up an interesting character arc, which promises to carry an unique twist throughout the series.
Fans of gritty reads, which expose the worst side of humanity and bring tons of food for thought, will enjoy this one. The pacing is fast, keeping every flip of the page engaging and never lets up, even at the end. I did enjoy this one quite a bit and will be looking forward to grabbing up book two. I received a complimentary copy and was surprised how grabbing this tale is.
"I personally thought it was brilliant!! I couldn't put it down, the book came across as very realistic in the terms of what could happen if people were to be cut off from the outside world."
- reader unicorn_sparkles99
"I loved it ! I've been recommending it to my friends .I read plenty of wattpad books and none that I've chosen at random so far this month have left an impression and this one has. *time to fan girl a bit* Pretty sweet writing and I liked how your ideas came to life on the page. I hated people and then loved them [...] A book that's made me look and my friendships and freak out a bit but otherwise as I stated earlier.I loved it !!"
- reader Nai_Lanie
"WOW! ... I found the connection to real life, with politics and class systems relatable. The messaging around value/money and people, very deep! I shed a tear as Eden came to the end of her journey in the dome... You told the uncomfortable scenes vividly. It wasn't obvious that something bad was about to happen, or at least how bad the death would be. I can't read this stuff usually, I'm more positive and fluff haha, but the way it was written you couldn't stop reading it!"
- Kelly Stratford
"I'm deffinitly absorbed in it now... It establishes the privilege or lack of that the characters have had most of their lives. Eden is very unlikable, thats what made it hard to get in to but once it moves forward you still hate her but you really want to know what happens next. Its intelligent to read and well written, each of the characters has their own voice and dont appear to fall under one tone of the "writers voice". The mumshine thing is great. Makes me want to call my mum that. It has everything a young adult novel needs but its not shoved in your face. Like the love story goes in between side characters not the main one."
- Aroha Bell
"MoneyLand. Where to start? After jumping at the opportunity to "beta-test" this book, I should admit that I was expecting an interesting, but slightly mediocre read from local author Michael Botur, but I can happily report back and proclaim that I was wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this (albeit slightly muddy, unfinished, and definitely dirty) piece of art. If I'm honest, the start of the book was where I struggled most. It felt long, difficult to read, and I got frustrated at the choices that the main character seemed to make, and the way she behaved towards others. I was worried that the whole book was going to be a bit of a flop, but fortunately, that was not to be. I noticed that when Michael had finished introducing the characters and setting the scene, things really picked up from there. The storyline took a great turn, and action was introduced! I loved the way Michael portrayed all the characters. He wrote in such a way that I quickly felt as if I knew them all very well, and could relate to each one individually. When a character got into a bad situation, I felt for him/her. It frustrated me when one of the teenagers persecuted another, and I laughed, cried, and felt just as desperate alongside each of them.
Another thing I was most impressed with was that the story progression also shone through. As this book was set over the course of a year, obviously you cannot write a whole year's worth of action into one novel. I was expecting to feel as if I was losing track of the timing in the book, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I did not. Michael has done an excellent job of including timings at the start of each chapter, and making sure that the way the characters thought, felt, and deteriorated physically matched with the rest of the previous and future chapters.
The conflict between characters was well thought out. The way they all interacted with each other was realistic, and what I would expect from privileged teenagers of that era, who were given everything they ever wanted. While I often didn't agree with the main character's choices, or her ideology, it wasn't serious enough that it made me put the book down, and I enjoyed seeing her thought processes change over time, as she matured into a person that thought about the greater good, instead of solely on herself constantly.
This book also hit home to me with the fact that money is not everything. Michael took a few serious topics involving economics and money, and then went and wrote them in a way where it felt relatable...
Conclusion: This book is a great read for anyone able to handle female sexuality, dark themes, and a good splattering of violence and death. Personally I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it to any teenager looking for a weekend read."
- Zach Wendt-Smith
"I'm on chapter 40 now and i absolutely LOVE it!!! I really don't know how it will end but the changes and struggle eden has endured is amazing. Having been a teen mom myself i really related to that but also could not imagine doing all the things she has done in that environment. Watson is so weird yet lovely but i hope he doesnt take hope and i hope eden and hope get to see mumshine again. I cried over omar! Ahhh i just really love it and know no matter what happens it will be great! I am such a fan of your writing style and storytelling! Loved it. Love it. Thank you for sharing!! I have been going through some rough stuff lately but having something good to read has helped a lot. I hope its okay i have recommended it to everyone i know haha! "
- Haley O'Connor
"Moneyland is a well-written, engaging and clever novel. As such, there is not much that needs to be improved on or changed.
There are only minor inconsistencies with the novel. The story flows well and is written purposefully. The characters are well-developed and believable. The main character Eden follows the arc of a true protagonist [...] Esther, on the other hand, is quite a contradictory character, who at times acts as in a caring motherly way towards the group, but at other times can be quite cruel. I personally found them to be slightly confusing, but they do not in any way distract from the story and the other characters.
The strongest part of the novel is perhaps the ending. It is clever and engages the reader well beyond the last page of the novel. 'Moneyland' is a novel that deserves to be published and should make the author proud of his accomplishment."
If I were to describe Moneyland, I would say it’s Hunger Games meets Lord of the Flies, meets Squid Game. This is a futuristic horror novel, where robots have taken over the world and are experimenting on humans. One of these experiments involves leaving twelve teenagers in an abandoned suburb where they must fight over resources.
The main character, Eden, is a participant in this experiment. She is a wealthy and entitled teenager leading a consumerist lifestyle. Usually, I’m not a fan of this kind of trope: the bratty high school bully who comes from a rich family. But in this story, the trope works, because Eden is quickly thrown into an environment where there is a shortage of everything. This stark contrast to Eden’s old life offers very interesting character development.
The juxtaposition of settings is a compelling aspect of this novel. We have the humans who are rich and hedonistic. And then we have the human experiments who must fight each other for resources. These extremes reflect on how an imbalance of resources, whether too much or too little, breaks and tears apart society.
Just a note, there is violence towards animals in this book, so if you’re at all sensitive or squeamish, I would proceed with caution.
Overall, an intriguing read. Would definitely recommend to fans of horror and science fiction.
This story ended strange. It was good. Kept me turning the pages long into the night. Reminded me of the "Gone" series by Michael Grant. On to book #2.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil”, so the Bible verse states in 1 Timothy 6:10. Even Michael Botur illustrates that verse in his book, Moneyland.
Moneyland is a story about a community that adapts to a highly advanced technology where the inhabitants are either mechs or fleshies.
The year is 2037.
A school launches a biodome experiment where 12 participants are sent to a certain place for 12 months. The experiment set down one condition. If the participants last through to the entire duration, they get paid $1 million each.
The Lure of Money
Twelve students of different characters are finally chosen for the experiment. Eden Shepherd, a spoiled brat, is one of them.
Despite being ill-equipped with knowledge of the place, all of the students are excited to go. They didn’t care to know the requirements of staying in that unknown place before their departure. The only things that occupied their thoughts were the huge monetary reward and the fun of being free.
Soon, they are thrust into a deserted place where they think they can party all year through. They consume most of the food ration quickly without knowing it’s a one-time favor. As soon as their food supply is depleted, they realize they needed to fend for themselves in order to survive. They are not prepared for this reality. Except for Adam Turing, everyone comes from a family where everything is provided for by their parents. And so, they experience great difficulty in securing food. None of the students is even equipped with basic survival skills.
Shortly afterward, each of them receives their $1 million cash reward. Everyone is delighted to hold their money. But again, the problem is they cannot buy any provision with it. There is no store that sells food. Hunger and personal interests begin to set in. It doesn’t take long for their friendship to tear apart. Lack of sustenance and money ignite their squabbles. Everyone is annoyed at Eden’s domineering attitude. Adam also begins to reveal the other side of his personality.
The challenges they encounter are getting more difficult each passing day. However, as the characters grapple with the obstacles, Moneyland subtly teaches them some valuable life lessons. Readers may even learn from them.
The Book and the Author
It took me a while to continue reading Moneyland because I found the first few pages quite uninteresting. In fact, I already entertained the thought of declaring it a DNF (did not finish) read. But, I’m glad I changed my mind.
Moneyland is a dystopian tale designed for young adult readers. The book contains several important lessons through the challenges that the characters experience, no matter how fanciful the story is. I appreciate the author for showing the impact of wasting food, bullying, and the value of respect, among other things. Moneyland also implies the importance of prudence and teaching children a sense of responsibility.
However, I dislike the parts that show cruelty to animals. Although I understand why the characters resort to it, the author could have presented it in a moderate manner.
Overall, I give Moneyland a rating of 3 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it to readers 15 years old and above. I don’t suggest this book to younger readers, though, because of its graphic content.
NOTE: The above review is also posted in The Catalyst.
Moneyland (Lockdown Book 1) by Michael Botur is YA dystopian fiction that surprised me. Think modern-day dystopian Lord of the Flies meets the Maze Runner crossed with Hunger Games. With that said, I devoured the book. I was invested in the characters. Whether I liked them or hated them, I cared about them. I wanted them to survive.
Moneyland takes place in 2037. AI has taken over the labor force leaving humans desperate for money. High schooler, Eden Shepard’s family is in that boat and so she is up for it when she is chosen to enter a 12-month experiment with a chance of winning big money. She is joined by eleven other students who enter a biodome that encompasses an abandoned suburb. Each one of them receives a million dollars on their first day along with a shipment of junk food. The euphoria of being rich dissolves quickly when they find they are cut off from the “real world” and their money isn’t useful. Store shelves are empty, no ready-made foods are available, and they have no electricity and no fresh water. They rifle through the abandoned houses to find nothing of much use left in them. The plot quickly turns to one of survival and greed. It doesn’t take long for the group of 12 to divide into two. The two groups develop their own set of rules and a system of survival. But the two groups clash. One group’s leader vies for dominance and things turn violent and even brutal. The basis for relationships shifts based on what they get out of the deal.
Book Review While this book is classified YA I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down. It delivers timely reveals to keep you turning the page offering plenty to figure out along the way. I couldn’t wait to see how things turned out. I give this book a strong four stars and am ready to read Payback, Book 2 in the Lockdown Series. I recommend Moneyland to people who enjoy future dystopian survival such as Hunger Games or the Divergent Series. In fact, I think fans of survival fiction like Stranded on Castaway Island by Amy Laundrie will also enjoy this read.
I received this book through Black Phoenix Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it.
I am a huge fan of cyberpunk, sci-fi and that accelerated "go go go" style of writing (this super defines Moneyland to me), so I LOVED this one. As a highly introspective person, I could relate very much to the less descriptive and more introspective flow. I could see many elements that made me remember some of my favorite writers but with a very unique plot. Teenagers got locked up without any adults and without having how to protect the money, one million dollars, that each one will make for being part of an experiment if they are able to take care of it.
As in the best dystopian books, people start to reveal parts of their personalities that maybe they didn't even know they had until being thrown into survival mode and harsh conditions. That was very realistic. I love to dig into dystopian scenarios and see what moves characters, how they behave, what they love or hate, how they perform and develop, and what they feel in those different worlds in which humanity goes kind of too far.
Something that I loved on Moneyland is that it goes against something I don't like very much in some cyberpunk books: when the tech stuff doesn't make very much sense; the same for the science in dystopian books that are less tech and more healthcare/ biology science fiction and the plot starts with an irrealistic supposition to base all the "sci" in the "fi" or books that don't even have an irrealistic supposition to base the plot but only a huge amount of crazy ideas gathered together without any starting point of supposition at all. Michael Botur did an excellent job on this because there is realism in Moneyland. Things happening there are dystopic but not impossible or so far away from reality that it all would look like a big illusion and more psychedelic than dystopian.
All in all, I loved it and can't wait for the next one in the series!
Amazing modern dystopia. It reminds me of the beat generation style of writing (free thought flowing with few punctuations and strong, meaningful words), which I enjoy very much and fits the character's introspection perfectly while living, acting, and just being herself. That Jack Kerouac kind of writing. It also, for times, made me remember Aldous Huxley and also Wiliam Gibson for the plot and how the book grips you.
Michael was very authentic and did not jump into the rules of writing. Because guess what? There are no rules. Why do we need to like and relate to a character? Why can't we just flow with them and live the story and feel it all without empathizing with them or just try our best to empathize and understand what led them to be like they are? Moneyland made me realize that we try to see ourselves in the characters and mirror our own experiences, and sometimes we just don't see ourselves in other people/characters and circumstances, and that's ok. Or it should be. Because they are not us. But they could be us if we had been under the same circumstances, maybe... That's what I love about a good dystopia.
The characters in Moneyland can be cruel many times. But people also can be, under the wrong triggers. For example, a kid who breaks up toys is probably treating the world like they feel treated, expressing their feelings. Adults are nothing but grown-up kids, and everything we learned to control or express in a better way maybe can vanish if we are in terrible conditions, like what the experiment is making available. It can be even more powerful if those adults are not fully developed adults, but teenagers, full of waves of hormones.
I love Monelyland, and I will certainly read the next book in the series.
In 2037, AI has taken over the majority of jobs, and people are in desperate need of money. Eden Shepard is a high schooler, who agrees to enter a biodome experiment for 12 months. She's not alone, as there are eleven other students (most of them friends), in the dome with her. Every student receives their million up front, on their first full day in the dome. They receive one shipment of snacks and junk food, and that’s it. There is no other food readily available, no fresh water, and no electricity. This biodome has been built, by the AI, in an abandoned suburb. Every store is empty, very few houses have anything of use in them. A line is drawn in the sand and the single group of students becomes 2. Their journey goes seriously downhill. While I did enjoy some aspects of this book, the idea of being completely cut off from the rest of the world. What I didn’t care for was that it felt like a recycling of ideas that have been done before, extensively. I didn’t like the main character, Eden, as she is a spoiled brat, and only interested in herself
Wanted to love this. it has so much going for it. Sassy lead. Cool world building. But the heroine needs some serious Save the Cat energy. She needs some kind of redeeming quality so I can empathize with her. She starts off right out the gate shaming some poor guy for literally being poor, ripping into her mother for no good reason (understandable in a teen, honestly, but still part of a pattern), then throws away a casual put down of autism that has no story-relevant reason to be there. I stopped then and there. As much as I'd love to read an awesome dystopian future sci-fi Lord of the Flies kind of story, the lack of a heroine I could root for prevents me from investing my time.
SPOILER PART And apparently, according to reviews from people who finished this, there is needless graphic animal cruelty later on. Like, ok so they need to hunt to survive, doesn't need to be cruel.
This was a suspenseful, Lord of the Flies-esq story. The author does an amazing job with his character developments. At the beginning of the story Eden Shepherd is a spoiled, self-absorbed teenager who I really couldn’t stand. And on why flip-side, Adam Turing is a poor outcast who I felt bad for. As the story progressed my opinions on each character changed. The author really detailed the grotesque struggles the characters faced trying to survive, and as a horror fan I was impressed. I will anxiously await the release of the next book in the series to find out what awaits the characters next.
Book 1 MONEYLAND Dystopian, YA, Lord of the Flies story, Moneyland takes place in the future when very spoiled teen Eden is invited to participate in a game for a million dollars. Being a teen, she does not question the rules, the how or the why and she finds herself in a situation where she is defending her life. If you like dystopia, reality game based books or just want a YA style teen adventure of life without adults, Moneyland is for you! #Moneyland #MichaelBotur #NextChapter @tide.phoenix.coffee
3.5 stars. Dystopian survival story. The beginning of the book didn’t really draw me in, but I am glad I continued reading. It was darker than I was expecting (which I liked). The author seemed to capture the voice of a teenager well, although the slang and wording was a little distracting for me personally. All in all it kept me reading to see what happened next. Definitely a book that makes you think!
It's full-on dystopian with, I felt, noir elements that made it more compelling. The young adults in the story are cruel and cunning and up to no good a lot of the time. This isn't a light YA read, though it is YA, and very well written. I won't give away the story here, just wanted to say it's great if you enjoy a YA tale that's often very dark.
Unlikable protagonists that I never once felt sympathy for. A lot of what seemed to be plot conviences. But also writing that kept me reading to find out what happened next. Fuller review coming soon.
It’s well written, and I appreciate the fact that the author captured the voice of the teenager in the POV of Eden. It certainly has a Lord of the Flies feel.
I thought this was an interesting plot. Having a group of teens living in a dome for a year and each getting £1 million doesn’t sound too bad at the beginning until you realise they only get one food delivery meant to last the whole year. I loved the YA dystopian theme and it definitely had a deeper meaning behind it. This book shows how different humanity is and how people can be ‘in charge’ with no real reason to be other than liking the attention and title. It was interesting to see how certain characters acted, for example, the social rankings from school no longer matter anymore which means anyone can be in charge.
At times I did cringe at this book because it was quite graphic (animal cruelty). Just imagine what happens when people are put into a dome without any food and having to live in the wild. I was glad I wasn’t eating while reading these sections.
I thought the characters were interesting. One group did anything they could to survive, scavenging together everything and dividing it between everyone. The other group found all the secret pieces of food and kept it for themselves and charged the other group money for essentials. It really shows the divide between people and how selfish people can be. Everyday is a struggle to survive for some.
I did enjoy reading this book, I couldn’t wait to find out more. I was shocked at the ending and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with such an unlikeable set of characters. And the way in which it was wrote just was so bad and cringy to me. But I do like the plot idea for this book.
Moneyland was something I'd never experienced before: a Lord of the Flies-esque examination of capitalism with a fantastically strong character voice and excellent pacing. Set in the not-too-distant future, complete with androids and increasing poverty, we are immediately thrown into the world of our main character, Eden, as she hopes to be chosen for an elite experiment with her classmates. The twelve participants must survive alone within a biodome with scarce supplies for twelve full months, and in return they are granted a million dollars each. Things quickly spiral into anarchy, with Eden on one side and frequent-victim-turned-dictator Adam on the other.
It's a story of having to grow up in the blink of an eye and face the real world, even in isolation from it. The story is told in first person through Eden's point of view and her voice is inescapable in the prose. I love stories with strong character voices and this was no exception. It's incredibly intimate, being right there with Eden as she overcomes barrier after barrier, and even when she sinks to her lowest. Her character growth is crystal clear and remarkably well done. She was one of the most brilliant characters I've encountered this year.
The characters were truly the highlight of this book. Each and every single one of them was a different shade of morally grey and completely unique. The setting, though limited to the biodome, was large enough to keep things interesting, and the way certain elements of the characters' surroundings were recycled was amazingly inventive. I particularly loved the final few chapters, and how the real world consequences caught up to Eden.
This book is wonderfully unique and I cannot wait to read the second one.
I was offered a copy of this book with a request for an honest review.
I want to off by saying that I received ebook arc. In return for my honest thought and my review. I have have never read anything from this author. Definitely wanting to find out what happens next in this new series. I couldn’t put this book down at all. I had some issues with main character in the beginning of this book. But has I continued to read more she grew on me. I enjoyed all different personalities of all the characters. To be somewhere with no adults and money in the end. I am not sure I would stay with a bunch of people for money. This book is very different and didn’t disappoint me at all. I have to say that this book also was very unpredictable. I highly recommend this book.
I have to say this was a really interesting read, and for multiple reasons, which I will get to one by one.
The whole story has a dystopian feel, like a mix of The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, but it's not copying either of those and follows its own premise. I love this sort of book so it's always a big plus for me and almost a guarantee I might like it, as long as it's executed well. And this one was.
Firstly I have to get to the characters of the story. I usually always get attached to one of them and rooting for that character. With this book, something weird happened. I genuinely disliked all of them. Sometimes, that's a bad thing, but here it wasn't. It kept me in a perpetual state of wonder of what's going to happen with such a spoiled bunch of people who don't value anything or anyone except themselves, don't have any skills whatsoever, and have absolutely no idea how to take care of themselves or even plan out to. Money is all that's on their minds and they all entered the experiment, thinking it's going to be some sort of reality show, where they just need to sit out a year with some friends and some people they don't like. The reality of the experiment was completely different and here was the real opportunity to develop the characters and add some depth to them, which the author did wonderfully. Money usually shows the true personality – some people turn from bad to worse, and some people realize that money is not the most important thing in the world, and there are more important things to work on.
Secondly, I really love the writing style of the novel. It's not some sort of poetical book with big metaphors, but it stayed true to itself and its characters. The writing is really straightforward and simple, with lots of slang and slurs. That really worked well with the whole atmosphere of the book and the characters. Everything else would feel fake and really over the top.
I also love how the vividly explained the dome was, where the experiment took place. You really get the whole picture of the suburb where they stayed, but it's not just cluttered information in the novel. You get to experience the depressive empty suburb through the character's eyes, while they're discovering it, gaining information little by little. The only thing that I missed a little was more information about the background of the experiment and a little more information about the idea behind it but that's just a minor thing.
I have to say, I really recommend Moneyland for everyone who likes novels about a dystopian future, and enjoys a more realistic take on it.
It's strong and gripping. Eden is one of the few leading characters out there with foibles and flaws. She is realistic. She makes mistakes; there are consequences.