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briarrose1021's review
5.0
At some point in the future, America faces some sort of major governmental upheaval. The result is a complete overhaul of how society works. Part of that is that people are given a numerical rating, which then determines everything about their life, including where they are allowed to live and what kind of jobs will be available to them.
Our main character in this story is Ruby, who has a rating that places her in high green. Ruby has a great job, a good apartment with plans to move into an even better home, and a wonderful boyfriend whom she hopes to marry in the future. Not only that, but Rudy is the granddaughter of the man who created the rating system that society uses. As such, she has a deep and abiding belief that the rating system is the way to help society move forward and be successful.
Promoted to the job of Rater, Ruby is excited to be in a position to ensure that the system is maintained in the future. Unfortunately, one of her early assignments challenges her beliefs, challenges the very system that her grandfather set up. As she begins to investigate further, she realizes that she has pulled on a thread that could lead to the unraveling of everything she thought she knew. Suddenly, Ruby is faced with a choice to bury what she knows and maintain the status quo, or to reveal the information and risk everything she has. What will she choose? What will the consequences be? Can she live with those consequences? All are questions that Ruby wrestles with.
Despite being a novella, Ruby is a well-thought-out character that is easy to identify with. While the other characters in the story are slightly more one-sided, that is a function of the length of the story rather than a failing of the author, as there simply isn't enough time to flesh out every character. However, the author does provide enough world-building that, while not revealing all the secrets of the society, does give enough information to draw you in and create a desire to learn more by reading the main series. At the same time, I am also curious about the other novellas, each of which focusing on a different character.
Finally, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this story, and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job. To that end, I recommend listening to the audiobook, should you happen to prefer listening to reading.
Still, however you decide to consume the story, I recommend that you do so. The nice thing about this novella is that it serves as a stand-alone novel set within the universe. I can say this confidently as I have not read any of the novels in the main series. Thanks to this story, though, I now plan to.
Our main character in this story is Ruby, who has a rating that places her in high green. Ruby has a great job, a good apartment with plans to move into an even better home, and a wonderful boyfriend whom she hopes to marry in the future. Not only that, but Rudy is the granddaughter of the man who created the rating system that society uses. As such, she has a deep and abiding belief that the rating system is the way to help society move forward and be successful.
Promoted to the job of Rater, Ruby is excited to be in a position to ensure that the system is maintained in the future. Unfortunately, one of her early assignments challenges her beliefs, challenges the very system that her grandfather set up. As she begins to investigate further, she realizes that she has pulled on a thread that could lead to the unraveling of everything she thought she knew. Suddenly, Ruby is faced with a choice to bury what she knows and maintain the status quo, or to reveal the information and risk everything she has. What will she choose? What will the consequences be? Can she live with those consequences? All are questions that Ruby wrestles with.
Despite being a novella, Ruby is a well-thought-out character that is easy to identify with. While the other characters in the story are slightly more one-sided, that is a function of the length of the story rather than a failing of the author, as there simply isn't enough time to flesh out every character. However, the author does provide enough world-building that, while not revealing all the secrets of the society, does give enough information to draw you in and create a desire to learn more by reading the main series. At the same time, I am also curious about the other novellas, each of which focusing on a different character.
Finally, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of this story, and I thought the narrator did a wonderful job. To that end, I recommend listening to the audiobook, should you happen to prefer listening to reading.
Still, however you decide to consume the story, I recommend that you do so. The nice thing about this novella is that it serves as a stand-alone novel set within the universe. I can say this confidently as I have not read any of the novels in the main series. Thanks to this story, though, I now plan to.
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