Tag Archives: Joel Ohman
Meritorium
Meritorium
Meritroplois, Book 2
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
September 28, 2015
Paperback
262
Under the System everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die.
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis...
but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast.
Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?
The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis.
Review:
“Meritorium” is the second book in the Meritropolis series. The debut book, “Meritropolis”, introduced a unique and well-developed world, along with an interesting cast of characters. Unfortunately, “Meritorium” did not live up to the original.
The characters and plot are still interesting, which is what frustrated me the most about the problems in the book. There was quite a bit of “over-explaining”, which did nothing but slow down the flow of the plot and cause me to grow impatient with it. Additionally, there were some interesting religious themes, but instead of letting the story carry them, they were also explained in too great of detail. It reduced the impact and made it read like a sermon, whereas subtlety would have given much more for the reader to ponder.
“Meritorium” had a lot of potential, but I can’t recommend it because of the reasons above. I’m still looking forward to the next in the series, as I have high hopes it will return to the writing style the made “Meritropolis” so good.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Violence, Gore, Animal Abuse, Child Abuse
Meritropolis
Meritropolis
Meritropolis, Book 1
Young Adult Fiction
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
September 9, 2014
Paperback
226
The year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment--to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond.
Review:
This review is based on a complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
“Meritropolis”, by Joel Ohman, was a wonderful surprise when it comes to the sometimes predictable world of young-adult dystopian literature. The action is non-stop, and while the story has great depth and backstory, it is presented in a way which is not bogged down and unnecessarily complicated. It’s a very easy to understand premise.
What I found to be the major selling point is that it is a very attractive story for advanced middle reader males, a market which is surprisingly sparse. As the primary purchaser of books for a twelve-year-old male bookworm, it becomes frustrating to find a story that’s full of adventure, intelligent, and a bit light on the romance. “Meritropolis” fits the bill perfectly, and I would like to thank Mr. Ohman personally for writing it.
I wish 4 1/2 stars were possible, because the only reason I did not give it the full five is because the paragraphs were long, with lots of description. While not necessarily a bad thing, it may be off-putting for more reluctant readers.
I highly recommend “Meritropolis” for lovers of dystopian novels, both old and young alike.
Content Warning:
Violence, Adult Themes, Animal Death
Follow my book reviews and ramblings:
