About the Book
For fans of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent comes a YA dystopian/light romance with a strong female protagonist who is forced to question everything…
In a world where immersive VR suits distort what is real from what is not, and the AI Personhood Act blurs the lines between body and bot, the choices sixteen-year-old Hattie Martins faces are very personal.
My Review
Other Bodies is not the typical YA Dystopian novel. While the author indeed incorporates futuristic, virtual reality and artificial intelligence--the characters are not faced with the usual save the world from evil battles. There are good vs. evil battles--but greed and "world domination" are not the central focus of this book as in many young-adult, end of the world storylines today.
Expect an intense, pro-life conviction in this book. Through the early stages of this book, readers encounter a young character facing a huge decision: carry an unplanned child or abort her. Initially, the novel follows the ups and downs and pros and cons of Hattie's decision making--but, over the chapters, the author's pro-life stance becomes evident and holds strong through to the end of the book. Set in a futuristic world, the author adds more impact to many of today's pro-life arguments. Readers should not expect a "balanced" novel that seeks to suit both sides of the abortion debate. This novel is controversial, thought-provoking--and troubling.
Young Readers won't find a happy ending in Other Bodies. Most young adult novels move readers through moral and ethical dilemmas to a happy, positive resolution. Other Bodies leaves readers instead with a lot of unresolved emotions and wondering where the story leads next for its characters. Instead of driving readers to a saved world with redeemed characters and hopeful futures--the author doesn't give his characters redemption. While religious in theme and stance--the author doesn't offer much by way of grace or forgiveness either.
Would I recommend Other Bodies by Joel Ohman? Other Bodies is not a book for everyone. While those with strong, religious convictions and moral opposition to abortion may find themselves aligned with the author's stance--many less sided readers will find this novel disturbing and even depressing. Pro-Choice readers will undoubtedly find it offensive. Having said that--this was a book that I couldn't put down. Other Bodies was a book that left me drawn to the characters and the story long after the last pages. While my beliefs do not entirely align with the author's--I found his storyline a unique way to present his "side" of the abortion debate to his audience. I would encourage readers to read the author's note detailing his motivations and intentions with this novel as you decide if this book is right for you.
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About the Author
Joel Ohman lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.
Joel is the author of the #1 bestselling Meritropolis series—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist”.
Joel is a Christian, CEO, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, author, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur who loves creating new things, whether books or businesses. He is the founder of a number of web startups and currently serves as the CEO and lead operator of 360 Quote, a private equity backed platform company in the online lead generation space, the co-founder and CEO of a B2B SaaS software company, Exercise.com, and has also previously served as the founder and resident CFP® of a national insurance agency, Real Time Health Quotes.
Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing a copy of the book in exchange for this review and post.
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