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Preserve

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A decade ago, unrest over population control methods resulted in the tragic death of Ava’s parents. Left orphaned, Ava is driven by a singular to secure the youth-restoring drug, Pres-X, for her elderly aunt.

Since the unrest, fertile women’s rights have been severely curtailed. Such oppressive restrictions force Ava to explore morally grey methods to obtain the funds required to secure the drug.

If she fails, she will lose the last family member she has left.

Ava is at a crossroads. She can save her aunt, or her own humanity.

413 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2023

447 people are currently reading
513 people want to read

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Emma Ellis

15 books48 followers

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5 stars
344 (41%)
4 stars
309 (37%)
3 stars
147 (17%)
2 stars
26 (3%)
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1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Eryn McConnell.
246 reviews32 followers
November 21, 2023
This is Book 2 of this series: Donate was the 1st one.

The dystopia that Ellis has created is VERY Black Mirror-esque, with a strong hint of Clockwork Orange for me. I love that - but this series is very close to horror.
It straddles two timelines: 10 years before the Uprisings, and then after. That confused me some at first. I am probably just not very observant.
The characters are well put together and the dialogue is slick. I found the characters less easy to like this time, but I am a fan of an anti hero. Bring that stuff on.
It's a quick read. And very shocking. I enjoyed it immensely
Profile Image for Hannah.
21 reviews8 followers
November 19, 2023
Wow. Just wow. I am adding this book to my immediately “must have in physical copy” list. This is a sequel book done right. Not only does it stand on its own as an interesting, insightful, and unique dystopian story that touches on real issues but it also draws connections between generations, between the characters, and between their experiences.

I have so much more appreciation for the entire series after reading this second book and cannot wait to have the 3rd one.

Dystopia might be making a real comeback if they keep being written like this.
Profile Image for Peggy Payne.
138 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2025
Book 2 of 3 in The Eyes Forward Series. If you like dystopian thrillers, you'll love this series. Talk about a page turner!

A decade after the unrest over population control, we follow Ava in her day to day life of working all angles to raise her life score in order to preserve the life of her aunt. Dealing with even more restrictions and rules than in the first book, people living in this time are literally focused on mainly one thing....a higher life score so they can have access to Pres-X, a youth restoration drug.
Characters from the first book are entertwined into this one, further explaining the background of some rules and history.
Profile Image for Tricia Toney.
969 reviews8 followers
December 28, 2024
Ava runs a funeral home for over 700 clients. With the success of Pres-X, clients are getting scarce. In order to supplement her income, she starts making formaldehyde for XL Medico, the company that makes Pres-X. She wants to improve her score in order for her Zia Lucia to qualify for Pres-X. In the course of her work she discovers some sinister secrets about Pres-X.
Profile Image for Sarah.
26 reviews
March 9, 2025
Hard to follow the characters

This book is the 2nd part of this trilogy. It went backwards and forwards in time quite a bit and sometimes I lost track of the characters names and where they were in the timeliness of the book. I will read the 3rd book as i would like to complete the trilogy and see what happens to Ava.
15 reviews
May 21, 2024
I love these books however I still feel that there is much not explained such as the credit, the work, the scoring, how it led up the unrest ? So many questions? I will read the 3rd in the hope I get the answers. It was a confusing read with many time hops that again left so many questions
Profile Image for Natalie.
36 reviews
June 1, 2024
I liked it, but I think I preferred book 1 more. If I’m honest I was a little confused by all the jumping between timelines every other chapter, but that may be because I read at nighttime, so could put my struggle down to tiredness. I wish there was more about Mae in this book and her adaption to motherhood, especially since the whole of the first book was leading up to that. We just see her 10yrs after the birth of her daughter, with no idea on what happened to during that time in terms of going back home and raising her daughter. But those are just things I would have liked to have known personally. I personally find the book a little slow, I wouldn’t call it fast paced.
I rate it 3 stars due to my personal preference of preferring book 1 more, my confusion between timeline jumps, and my preference to know more about what happened within those 10yrs to Mae and her family. Saying that I am now about to start book 3 of the series which I’m looking forward to.. Hopefully it will have the answers I’m looking for.
Profile Image for Marissa Joynt.
8 reviews
October 10, 2024
I've never hated a main character as much as I hated Ava. I really loved the concept of these books but idk if I can keep going after this one.
Profile Image for Yvonne.
1,767 reviews135 followers
February 18, 2025
This is the second book in this dystopian series and I read this straight after reading the first. The first one was very dark and this second book is still dark but is in a different direction. This is set 1o years after the Great Rising of the first book.

Ava works in her family run Funeral business with her colleague Max. They have had a steady business providing funerals with those of a higher life score than the average person. It is something she has vowed to keep and does not want to lower the score. However, with Pres-X being used by so many trade is dropping.

What is Pres-X, well it is a formula that those of a high life score have been able to take. It allows the body to regress to what it was when they were at their prime. Many are all for it, but there are other that would rather nature take its course. But what if one of your family is old and frail and they are your only family? What would you do, sit and watch them die? Or try to hep them!

The author weaves her story back and forth in time, back to the time of the Great Rising when many different faction, groups, activists and parties were trying to get ahead and be heard. This adds more context to this book and explains some of the events that happened.

This is still a dark book and the storyline is one that is very much about control, of being seen doing the right thing, following what is required and doing all you can to be the best person you can be. This means taking Pres-X and looking the best you can. Once again the author takes the concept of control further than I expected and there are various things that occur. There are a large range of emotions within this story as there was the first. Greed, status, life style, points for a better life, a nanny state and very much with a Big Brother edge to it. Told what will be happening, when and that you need to confirm or you will lose points and therefore your lifestyle as it is at that time.

This is another brilliantly addictive read and again the author delves in to possible futures and how people could be controlled. While you don't think this could ever happen, it does. Things are passed in Parliament and we carry on, we may moan and disagree, but on the whole things are passed regardless. This is what makes this type of story one that creeps into the outer edges of "it could happen".

For Ava, she has the her job, looking after an elderly relative, juggling her life as she is still fertile and a threat to innocent members of society. There is a curfew on this type of person and until she hits the menopause she is a risk to men. The society has turned into a more patriarchal one, fertile women are scorned unless they undertake sterilisation, a good woman is one that has passed through the menopause and has had Pres-X! However, there are women who do hold valued roles, but they have obviously gone through the process.

The story has again captured me and if I didn't have to go to work this would have been read a lot quicker than it was. It is a story of control, corruption, cover-ups, bargaining, a dictatorship and of people being strongly coerced into doing what the leaders want them to do. It is a dystopian story that has a strong psychological and thriller feel to it and I adored it and would definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Sofia.
873 reviews22 followers
November 12, 2023
I did enjoy this book more than the first one, I guess I connected more with Ava than what I did with Mae, and if we think about it, in normal times I don’t have nothing in common with her, she is a chemist, and owns a mortuary house, in a world where people who can afford their services are not really dying of natural death… actually even if I say that I did enjoy this book way more than the first one, I took a while before I warmed to Ava, I wasn't really getting the why and who were this characters, I was expecting to continue with Mae, her husband and Iris, but the surprise for me, was that in this book we actually went before the events of the first book and 10 years after, and in the same way that I was made to expect in the first book, things start to grow and start to make sense, we have some punches that we don’t really expect… yeah, but one thing that I really need to point it out, while we do have a final in this book, I felt that the door for the next book is way more open in this book than in the first one, what I mean is, I really expect great things for this story in the next book!

What was terrifying in the first book, go worse in here, somewhere in the timeline between the two stories, women are losing their value, only being something if they use the drug pres-x, and go back to be young and beautiful and of course sterile, women have curfew if they are still fertile, doesn’t matter if they don’t have romantic interest in men, … I dread for this world and at the same time, we are almost there…

I really recommend this book and this author, she really knows how to tell a story, at first it may look like its a bit slow, and doesn’t make much sense, but then it starts growing and when you take notice you can’t put the story down, to tell you the truth I can’t wait to read the next book, I am ready for what comes next, well actually, I am afraid of what will come next, but I need to read it, is stronger than my own will.

I got a free ARC copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Profile Image for Caitlin Mazur.
Author 17 books34 followers
November 19, 2023
The second book in the Eyes Forward series, ‘Preserve’ touches on some pretty dark and deep themes, discussing very real issues that face many women today. If you’re a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale or 1984, I highly recommend giving this series a read — Ellis does an excellent job considering a terrifying world where things like age regression and banning pregnancy are widely accepted.

We follow two separate story threads in two different time periods. Ava’s perspective takes place in real-time when the world has succumbed to a variety of concerning rules and regulations — many of which pertain to controlling women’s bodies and restricting access to things to people who have low “life scores”. She is living in a world consumed by the drug Pres-X, which is a medical procedure those with high enough “life scores” choose to undertake to keep themselves eternally young…at least for a while. Ava has no interest in taking Pres-X herself but is determined to get her life score high enough so she can save her aging aunt, Zia, the only family she has left in the world.

The other thread follows Ken and Lucia, a couple at odds with each other based on their shifting morals when the world was just beginning its insidious shift. For me, both stories were fascinating to read, tying together well as the story progresses.

Ellis does a great job with Ava’s character. She’s well-nuanced, as she does what she needs to do to survive in the world, while also feeling deeply conflicted at times. She’s a strong-willed woman who often feels helpless, which helped humanize her enough to relate to. I also enjoyed Lucia and Ken’s story — Ellis gives us a realistic look into what happens when couples disagree on fundamental, political decisions that impact the world around them.

Overall, this was a thrilling, exciting read. There’s action, humor, romance, horror, and plenty of suspense. A strong second book in this trilogy!
32 reviews
September 22, 2024
Set in two different time frames - before the great unrest (babies being banned, preserve drugs) and 10 years after. It focuses on Ava, a middle aged woman who runs a funeral home and is against the preserve drugs and wants to grow old, but who is trying to get her score high enough to get the drugs for her old aunt because it’s the only family she has left. The past timeline is set on her aunt who sets up the Times Up movement to stop people living forever, and her parents who join but who are killed during the riots. The preserve drug is suddenly given to low life scorers but it turns them insane and they end up killing themselves and Ava finds out that it’s because it’s knowingly expired as part of the peace agreement her aunt was involved in years before. Ava starts working for the pharmacy company with her ex mandisa and then she’s put on a tv show and forced to have the treatment. She gets back with mandisa and along with her Zia they move into a high scoring house and live a nice lifestyle. Ava also meets Mae from the first book as Mae’s mum was the lady who made the preserve drugs and she wants answers, she also meets Iris who was born in the first book and her grandmother was the donor at the time. Mae tells her that SAS is planning a revolution to stop it all.
Profile Image for Liz Fully Booked.
537 reviews21 followers
November 17, 2023
Wow! Another scary and dark dystopian thriller by Emma Ellis. After Donate, you wouldn’t think things could get worse, but apparently they can. This author has an amazing vision and ability to tell a frightening story where women are completely marginalized, and even more of their rights are being taken away. Her writing is so detailed and well done, the story just comes alive in your head, and the world building is just fantastic.

I found myself feeling a variety of emotions reading this book: anger, fear, dismay, sometime hate, but even hope. Hope that Ava could accomplish what she wants to accomplish. And without spoiling book two, I can’t wait to see what she does in book three, along with the help of Mae from book one!

I highly recommend this series is you like well written, suspenseful dark thrillers that make you think hard about the society we live in right now, and how it could easily slip into something like what is written in this book. Scary! Well done, Emma Ellis! I cant wait to read book three.

I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Dani.
13 reviews
November 24, 2023
Preserve shows us a chilling future that’s entirely possible with our advancements in technology and medicine. The aging process has been reversed, and the old are young again. But it’s only available to the rich. Those without the life score to afford it are looked down on, disadvantaged, and will do absolutely anything to succeed. Ava is one of these people. Ava works in a funeral home and strives to earn a big enough life score to help out her family member. The changing time period chapters help to map out a picture of how all the characters are connected. It was nice to see characters from book one interact with the new faces. The moments of dark horror and gore were great at splitting up the slower pacing of character development. Emma’s writing is powerful and you build an image of the characters and their lives. You feel their fear and their desires. Ava is a complicated main character who you love at times. And there are times you want to shake some sense into her, and this adds to the engagement of the story.
Overall, a thrilling continuation of the series.
Profile Image for Cristy Robinson.
74 reviews6 followers
February 11, 2024
Engaging continuation of an all-too-possible scenario

Ms. Ellis has done it again! The world of the Society comes to live through the eyes of Ava, a typical middle-scoring hard-working woman who takes issue with the Society’s objectives. She’s conflicted, coerced, twisted around and manipulated, but all along we see who she is. Ava doesn’t know she has a powerful voice, and through the story, she learns how to use it. This novel bridges Book 1 Donate and Book 3 of the series, which is now complete. If you like dark, twisty dystopian with bright, multi-layered, and sometimes morally gray characters, then this is the series for you.
Some trigger warnings- the usual dystopian oppressive government and violence on the page, moderate thriller elements, anti-woman rhetoric and actions from the oppressive government and some citizens, a forced abortion off page, death on the page, and elder abuse continue as the Society tries to dispense of its older population. And despite these trigger warnings, I enjoyed this books immensely. Can’t wait to start book 3!
1 review
August 22, 2024
Book was absolutely amazing. Plot was great, new characters were amazing, and the actual dialogue itself was very attention grabbing and easy to follow along. At first I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the time jumps, but Emma Ellis did a very good job filling in the blanks and connecting the plot lines, and towards the ends of the book the connections made were just that much more surprising and plot turning. Although I would’ve liked to see more of the original characters included in the plot line, the small snippets that we got of them give me hope and an anticipating feelings we’re going to see more of them in the next and final book of the series. All around a really good book, if I had more time I would’ve been finished in half the time it actually took me.
Profile Image for Stacey.
63 reviews
November 28, 2023
This is a chilling dystopian tale that will cause you to think twice. The future of society changed in the name of population control to ensure there are enough resources for everyone. What starts as a good idea becomes a dark reality. Women have had their rights curtailed and the way the interact with men altered. Society now gives everyone a life score which determines everything from where you may eat to how long you could live. This tale is far from the us vs. them kind of story. Is there a right side and wrong side? What happens to us as people when what we envision goes awry? What happens next? This author will keep you glued until you find out!
Profile Image for kelly casey.
84 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2024
This was better than book 1- Donate.
More engaging and interesting events took place.
The 2 storylines merges nicely closing the gap.
It a scary reminder of how fragile the future for womans rights can be and I feel this shows how things change and can easily become the new normal.
Original ideas for a dystopian and and great to see a UK based story for a change.

The only thing I found frustrating was how easily Ava gave in. I feel the whole Mandisa Ava thing was fast and rushed. Maybe the last bit was bit of rushed ending. Alot was uncovered and not alot happened. Hoping book sheds more light.

Book 3, let's see what you bring.
Profile Image for Kristin Addison.
5 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2024
Unique take on a Dystopian future

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but the author has definitely grown with this novel. The world feels like 1984 meets Handmaid's Tale in the most sinister way possible. The Society, as it is called, doesn't seem far removed from our own world with its obsession with status, youth, and beauty. My favorite part about this series is how perfectly ordinary the heroine is. She isn't some chosen one. She is a woman who could be any one of us, who finally understands what is worth fighting for.
Profile Image for Stacey Crampton.
298 reviews
January 11, 2025
Another absolutely wonderful, dystopian thriller from Emma Ellis. The second in a trilogy of unique and relevant fiction, I adored this one as much as the first - so much so that I took my time to digest the story, to immerse myself in the stories of the characters. It was lovely to see Mae return in this book and how it tied up with the first one. I’m very much looking forward to finishing this series.
Profile Image for Mallory.
90 reviews8 followers
June 13, 2025
This was a slow burn book for me. I grew attached to Mae and Pasha in the first book, then got a surprise ending and they don’t appear in this book for quite some time (and minor characters at that). I am writing this review after completing the series and can say this book introduces a new character and saga that ties the trilogy together. And I did start to care about Ava, Zia, Max, and the minor characters in this book about 50% through it
Profile Image for Tammy.
39 reviews
August 2, 2024
The Saga continues for Moral integrity

This author is a genius. The twists and turns are woven into pretty much a masterpiece in my opinion. You don't have to be right or left, liberal or conservative. If you have any interest in the political arena, no matter what country you live in...this book may speak to you. Page turner? Oh yeah.
Profile Image for Hannah.
871 reviews7 followers
March 6, 2025
I have no words for this series

These books make you question everything. The story is so complex, woven across years and generations, yet it is also disturbingly simple. It comes down to a need to control women. It’s an age old story and it doesn’t get better with time.

I can’t even begin to think where the final book will leave us, but I know it will be an amazing story.
Profile Image for Melinda.
27 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2023
Middle books of trilogies can often be a bit disappointing, but this one does a really good job of seeing the same world through new eyes 10 years down the line.

Strong female characters explore a world where fertility is the ultimate sin.

Can't wait to read Book 3 next month
Profile Image for Sam.
2,575 reviews42 followers
January 17, 2024
This was truly excellent! A really brilliant idea, beautifully done, amazing pacing & tension, a brilliant plot, so well weaved! A true pleasure to read & I do recommend to all that love this genre! A real treatt! I can't wait for the next part to release!
120 reviews
January 30, 2024
Excellent continuation of the series

Really enjoying the series, with its many twists, turns and injustices in a dystopian future. However, injustice towards women is present today and this future could well happen.
Looking forward to the 3rd book to see how the story concludes.
Profile Image for Joanne John.
22 reviews
June 29, 2024
Great

Great development of Eyes Forward with flashbacks and future planning for the demise of Pres X. Ava is a tortured soul who thinks solely of Zia her aunt whose memory isn't what it was. But she remembers the important info.
Profile Image for Donna.
8 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2024
So Goodwood!

This sequel is even better than book one. I didn't think that would be possible! Again, a strong " Handmaid's Tale" vibe. Loved this series. Can't wait to read book three!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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