Dystopia / Sci-Fi with a clever dog.
931518
The Dean Machine is an interesting mix of a book, the preface is the story of a rescue dog called Dean who is the inspiration for the dog which runs through the book. The Dean Machine itself is a dystopian dark fantasy with themes of human and animal rights, there is harsh torture and deep love and best of all money from sales of the book go to rescue dogs.

The book opens with Dan Delacor, who lives in Yellow City, this book is set in a futuristic time and place, everything in Yellow City has a yellow theme. Dan has anger issues, he also has only one arm. Very soon Dan spots a red dog, very unusual in this yellow city. Another time the dog leads Dan to a broken bridge and suddenly he has a flash of a memory, Dan can only remember his life back to just a few months but something is stirring deep inside of him. The red dog is called Dean and he's with Wendy who approaches Dan, tells him he's been brainwashed and helps him escape Yellow City.

There are lots of layers to this tale, which get peeled back added to plenty of twists just when you think you know where the storyline is taking you. Dan's accident is revealed as is the fact he is a superb engineer who has created a Heart Bond piece of engineering. Plenty of bad guys and an interesting revelation from The Source.

This book would suit Dystopia / Sci-Fi fans, especially those who love dogs too.

This review is based on a free copy of the book given to me by the author.
4974272
I got this book on a whim on free promotion and actually ended up enjoying it. The premise that you can earn your freedom by competing in something kind of like the olympics is intriguing. I like the main character, but she could use some development. The registrar Nicholas has secrets that I want to discover. They are probably along the same lines as any other secretive dystopian prince, but lets be honest, finding those same secrets is what draws me to the genre in the first place :) Overall, a decent read, especially if you like dystopia.
2839051
Cyborg lesbians and a dystopian future setting. Fairly near future-tech employed. Quite a few steamy sex scenes tho not overly gratuitous. If that sounds like something you'll enjoy then this book is for you. It won't change your life but it will probably entertain you quite nicely, at least it did me.
2122377
This is my third favourite book in all the world.  Seriously.  Yes, it's very odd.  If you like... say... Lethem, you'll like this.
It is usually thought of as Science Fiction, but I think maybe Speculative would be best.  I've lent my copy to two people.  One reads 'important' books and got a kick out of it.  The other isn't a reader and talked about it for days.  He still quotes the dog.  Crazy, fun.
1038421
Grade A...intelligent, clever, fast paced, believable characters, and a dog that even non-dog lovers would want to have around.

The plot lines and action in this book are almost "unsustainable."  The story just keeps building and building, spiraling almost out of control ...but ultimately comes to a delightful conclusion.  Can't wait to read in O'Dea's next book (there better be one) about what Star's dad has in mind for her.  Maybe my neighbor down the street has an idea - will have to visit.

The story's relevancy to today's world almost makes reading this book like reading tomorrow's newspaper...and making one wish that some of what is portrayed would come true and be reported in tomorrow's newspaper.
4756449
3.75

An interesting soft biopunk/cyberpunk sci-fi story with lots of twists, turns, and complex emotions. The premise reminds me a bit of Total Recall, actually. The setting of New Venice, which is really located on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean, is a fresh dystopian world I've yet to encounter in YA lit. It's really not heavy science fiction at all. So those who find the idea of reading cyberpunk an intimidating notion need not fear. The author touches lightly on explanations and the story explains itself. The main character is in a perpetual state of internally filing away information, leaving the reader clued in at all times.

If you read The Across the Universe Trilogy, then you'll appreciate some fun connections, which I won't share. I'll just leave you with that teaser... :-)

And oh my, that cover is beautiful! I must confess, that is what drew me to the story before I ever read the synopsis :-)
4038096
I was intrigued to want to read through this book based on the concept that forms the basis of the story.  In the future, print is dead.  Everything essentially exists in a digital form.  The consequences of this mean that stories and truth can be changed instantly.

As a fan of dystopian novels (my favorites being George Orwell's 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World), I was immediately captured by the concept of the novel.  The device called a meme was really interesting and though set in the indeterminate future, like all great futuristic fiction, there must be things you can grasp onto now to make the story make logical sense and this device and the setting really do so.

The word-flu and the disappearance of the main character's father, just when he is completing the dictionary giving people the ability to remember words whose meaning is being lost (think of teenagers who only communicate through social media) and the story has much current relevance.

Overall, I would say that this book falls somewhat short of the expectations I had given the premise and the glowing reviews.  I am not sorry in the least I read it.  I would recommend this book to others for a vision of a - dark - future that we can all glimpse in some ways.  However, overall, the book moved somewhat slowly for me in parts and I did feel as though I had to slog through parts.  But, this is a brilliant concept and weighing that against the weaknesses, I would still think if you are intrigued enough by the concept, it is a very worthwhile read.

Good, worthwhile, but not great.
842017
This is a horror/science fiction book but, Dean Koontz loves dogs and if you do too, you will enjoy this book.
It  is based on an experiment with an animal and a human. The human part comes out within the dog and he cannot communicate with the young boy who takes him in. The boy is in grave danger...how can the dog tell him?
I loved this book and will read it again.
1554476
This is a good story.  There is romance and spiritual power and a fight against the darkness. What makes it fun is the dogs. The heroine is a dog groomer in a deadend job and just making do. Then some strange things happen and just get stranger and stranger. She meets a guy who is also into dogs, an obedience trainer, and he is also involved in the strangeness. Together they save the day.
725502
A very satisfying story - with a fine dog.
618773
An imaginative and generally well written science fiction novel.  Inspired partly by Isaac Asimov's Robot stories and stylistically derived from Robert Heinlein, this is a clever future history story dealing with some relatively sophisticated themes.  This is a very ambitious book.  Stross constructed a future in which the human race has withered away, leaving behind intelligent robot servitors to inherit the Solar System. The robots develop a complex civilization spanning the whole Solar System, inlcuding the Oort Cloud, and initiating interstellar colonization.  Using a Heinlein style adventure story, Stross takes us on a grand tour of the Solar System (Earth itself excepted) terminating in the Oort Cloud.  Stross' complex society is based on a ingenious extrapolation of the basic idea of intelligent robots, including marked limitations of robot behavior imposed by the encoded imperative to be subservient to humans, which leads to a highly stratified society based on a foundation of slavery.  Stross has a taste for satire and much of his prior work features satire of business/corporate life and bureaucracy.  Stross is able to use his robot civilization to develop a pointed satire of capitalism in general.  Stross' ambition doesn't stop there, he also deals with issues of personhood and the nature of autonomy.  This is difficult to bring off in the context of an adventure novel, but Stross does quite well.  The quality of writing is generally solid, though the plot is arguably too complex and the robot sex scenes are a bit repetitive.
2254036
This little book was clever and surprised me. I really enjoyed it. It could have used a developmental edit, the concept is innovative so I believe the story could have been polished and deepened (especially the more hurried latter third), in order to create content of best-seller type caliber. That said, pretty good for an Indie published work (don't expect perfect execution, it's in need of an edit, a proofread, and the premise/plot are slicker than the execution). Still, if you like sci-fi, specifically genetic engineering, and conspiracy theories, you'll like this book. Happy reading~*
3696895
If you like Science-Fiction in a dystopian setting this  is a very nice reading for you. If you liked Orwell's 1984, then think about it, but including genetics (this is at the center of the book subject topic) and all the technology that we now know exist and even use in every day life, or which we know there's probably somebody developing it. A fast moving plot in a setting where a part of the population is perceived as a threat because they are perceived as genetically different as brilliants. All that, while in order to "control" the perceived threat there are power struggles within the government and different secret agencies. I'm really happy I took a chance on this book and liked it, and already read the second book of the saga and I'm waiting for the next to come up.
3778532
A dystopic short story both emotive and evocative. But.. Bailey's? This is the superhuman drink of choice in a dystopic future?!
3090045
I am always suspicious of first time authors, but I truly enjoyed this dystopian (yet humorous) take on an authoritarian world. Inspired by the wonderful, but depressing, "1984" and "Brave New World," this entertaining story makes you think while making you laugh.

The novel takes on even more relevance as we look at the events in the Middle East, and the strategies of strong men there to maintain control in a modern world.
4901059
Cover Thoughts-
In the book there are many interesting creatures beyond the walls of Meritropolis. The cover exhibits what I assume the bion, half bull-half lion animal combination, looks like. It's diffidently the most significant animal combination of the story and looks fantastic on the cover.

First Thought-
Dystopian novels are by far my favorite to read, Meritropolis sat perfectly on the top of my TBR pile, and I knew without a doubt that Meritropolis would be one of the greatest page turners that I have read this year.

Review-
First off, my favorite part of the series is the character development. Every character has their own unique voice and you can hear it perfectly in your head. Charley has one of the highest scores but he is far from perfect. Joel points out many times in the book where Charley's anger gets the best of him, but somehow it makes his score go up. Just from this you can assume that the scoring process that is supposed to tell how much you can provide to society is flawed. To me, it looks like the scoring is based on what type of leader or soldier you can be. Orson, the leader of Meritropolis, is that enemy that everyone loves to hate. The further I got into the book the more I felt for Orson and the more I hated him. Its a complicated feeling. Sven, Charley's best friend, begins the story a light-hearted, care-free kind of guy. Then, he becomes a little bit...creepy. Charley makes many new friends and creates a group of ragtag low and high scores all set on destroying Orson and his system. Little do they know that someone even scarier than Orson will be the end of Meritropolis. Even though Meritopolis is filled with action and adventure, there is also a little bit of a romance between Charley and his new friend Sandy. I agree that Meritropolis is comparable to The Hunger Games. I can picture Meritropolis being a movie just like the latest great dystopians Maze Runner, Ender's Game, and The Hunger Games.

Overall Readability-
Honestly, if you are interested in dystopians like I listed above then Meritropolis is a great read for you. It's easy to read the voice of every character and get lost in world of Meritropolis.

My Final Thought-
2014 is coming to an end. So, I can say for certain that Meritropolis is in my top 10 for best reads of 2014. It has the ending that leaves you sitting there desperately searching for the release of next installment in the series.

5 out of 5 Haunted Roses
454490
I had heard great things about this book and had been wanting to read it for some time.  This is a well done science fiction/dystopian novel that touches on a lot of social and political issues such as cloning, slavery, human rights, drug trade, and immortality.  I had a bit of trouble engaging with the characters, but it was a fascinating story.  A follow up to this book, Lord of Opium, was published in September 2013.

Matteo Alacran is a clone harvested from the DNA of the most powerful drug lord in the world, El Patron.  He is given the best education and the best living accommodations.  Despite this he is forced to continually face the fact that he is not human, he is a clone.  In El Patrons household being a clone makes him something to be feared and scorned.  He is there at El Patrons whim and there to ensure El Patrons survival.  Can he ever escape this life and have one of his own?

I know there's been a lot of buzz around this book and it does have some interesting elements and is a well done dystopian book.  I think I've just read too many dystopian novels over the last couple years to get super excited about it.

Matteo is brought up like a privileged young man, except he has no peers and is continually scorned and ridiculed for his status as a clone.  Most clones have their minds destroyed at birth, they are meant as vessels to harvest organs from...not people.  This makes Matteos existence an anomaly.  Because of the way Matteo is brought up he is naive, ignorant, and childishly cruel at turns.

Yet, Matteo/Matt is smart, very smart.  In addition to that the cook Celia, who basically raises him, is a kind woman who loves him.  In his preteens he inherits one of El Patrons bodyguards, Tam Lin.  Tam Lin treats Matt like just another kid and takes him on adventures, as well as being stern with him when he is wrong.  These two characters help to temper Matts cruelty and shape him into a more conscientious young man.

Additionally Matt meets Maria at a young age.  Maria is incredibly tender-hearted and at first treat Matt like the family pet.  That is until she grows to love him, despite of how taboo it is to love a clone.  Maria ends up being another driving force in Matts live.

The nearly immortal El Patron looms over the story.  The people who he decides are his never leave his domain, his vast expanse of wealth and power mean that he has lived well beyond his natural years. He wants to be immortal, he doesnt trust anyone with his wealth or with his domain.  He is an exceedingly complex and cruel character.

All the above being said you can see there are a lot of issues here.  What makes a human, human?  How would a clone be different from a human?  How do drugs and power destroy people?  What would happen if people lived well beyond their years; how would it affect them physically and mentally?  This book is unique for the sheer number of controversial issues it comes in touch with.

Despite the fact that this is an interesting and thought-provoking story I didn't really enjoy it a ton.  I really never engaged with the characters all that well.  Matt came off as too naive and too cruel.  Maria came off as too weepy and weak.

Given the context there is a lot of cruelty in this book, but it is never unnecessarily gory or over-the-top.  People are beaten and tortured though, there are a lot of disturbing things that happen as well.

Overall this is a good book to read to expose middle grade and young adult readers to a lot of concepts around cloning and slavery.  They are concepts that are probably somewhat foreign to younger readers and this book explores them in an interesting way that has an engaging story to go with it.  I personally did not enjoy the book a ton and won't read any future ones in the series.  I had trouble engaging with the characters and just felt like I have read many other dystopian books with similar story elements.