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Publication Date: February 15, 2023
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-63988-710-1
List Price: $18.99 Trade Paperback
Page Count: 470
Audience: Adult
Distribution: Ingram
Longley’s engrossing latest novel offers a glimpse into a dystopian future in which the masses are controlled by cult leaders who regulate their religious, political, and ideological views. A new era of Reconstruction has begun. A.I. technology is tracking peoples’ every move. Anyone who defies the sect rules is punished harshly. When Jazmine Wilson becomes a target of the leaders of the New Life of Hope, a religious cult with ties to underworld figures, her best friends Madeline Brown and Jacques Dunbar know they must find a way to get her out of the difficult situation. The heart of the story lies in Madeline, Jazmine, and Jacques’s relationship with each other. Longley does a good job delving into her protagonists’ psyches, particularly Jazmine’s: Her shrewd observations about a woman struggling to gather her courage in the face of unexpectedly trying circumstances register beautifully. Longley beautifully uses elements of SF and dystopia to explore cult mentality, the misuse of religion and power, and how easy it’s for the common man to fall prey to such fraudulent practices. Amid all the organized religion drama, this is really the story of the power of friendship, courage in the face of impossible situations, unity, solidarity, and self-discovery. Entertaining and engrossing.
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Categories: Science Fiction
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